We set off for the Czech Republic in good spirits. The plan for the days before the race was simple: travel without rushing, settle in, and give myself enough time to prepare. We had booked a nice hotel close to Hradec Králové, which gave me a comfortable base for my final training sessions. The weather was warm and sunny, we ate well, and even the carbload went smoothly. In the prepration I also met with German pro Denise Hiemann who was racing as well, doing some taper rides together, which made the build-up even more enjoyable.

By race morning, I felt well prepared. The setting was beautiful, everything had gone to plan, and I was looking forward to seeing what I could do. Hradec Králové was a preparation race for Challenge Almere-Amsterdam, but I still hoped to put together a strong performance.

The swim felt fairly good. I was just behind the main group and could hold their pace, although I couldn’t quite close the gap and settle in among them. I came out of the water in 31:18 with a small gap to the rest of the field, ready to get on the bike and work my way into the race.

At the swim exit, I had an awkward fall. As I took a volunteer’s hand to get out of the water, we lost our grip. I fell backwards and caught my foot, leaving me with a few scrapes and a sore ankle. I got through transition and onto the bike, but it took a while to find my rhythm. With Almere coming up, I was concerned about what the ankle pain might mean for that race.

For the first 10 to 20 kilometres, I was riding at roughly the pace of some of the faster women. As the ride went on, though, I couldn’t produce the power I normally would. At one point, when I saw my boyfriend supporting me beside the course, I considered stopping because I was worried I would make my ankle worse. I decided to keep going and reached transition after a 2:37:48 bike split. That was well outside the ride I had hoped for, and by then I had lost touch with the front of the race.

I started the half marathon carefully to see how my ankle would respond. For the first few kilometres, I kept the pace controlled. Gradually, it became clear that running felt much better than I had expected. Once I trusted the ankle, I picked up the pace and finished strongly. My 1:25:31 half marathon was the second-fastest run split of the day with a few seconds to the first split. I’m proud of that run, eventhough I could have gone significantly faster with a more confident start.

I finished 11th in 4:41:39. The result was disappointing, especially after such a good build-up, but there was a lot to like about the event itself. It was very well organised and, despite being an IRONMAN race, had a real local feel. Swimming in the city centre was fun, the run course was enjoyable, and the bike course has the potential to be both beautiful and fast. The enthusiasm of the Czech supporters made the whole experience even better. I’m glad I raced there.

After the finish, we got straight back in the car and drove home. My ankle was swollen and scraped, but thankfully it didn’t turn into a lasting problem. Hradec Králové wasn’t the result I wanted, but the run showed that my fitness was there. Now it was time to recover, keep building and focus on the bigger goal: Challenge Almere-Amsterdam.