Another aquathlon 10 years on (and why we took our running shoes with us on honeymoon)

Breakfast with friends after our pre-race training

Being well enough to take part in an aquathlon
You might be thinking that this is going to be another post about how lucky I feel to have been able to take part in another race after having been chronically ill. And I do feel extremely lucky and overwhelmed. Before discovering neural retraining, I wouldn’t even have dreamt something like this might be possible.

But taking part in the Gatorade Malta National Aquathlon Championships meant even more than that to me.

The aquathlon consisted of a 2.5 km run, followed by a 1 km swim and then another 2.5 km run and was my first multi-sport race in a long time. So it was really nice to be back in that environment and everyone was really welcoming and supportive. I even got to meet friends for pre-race training and breakfast the day before – with breakfast always being one of the highlights of these events ;)

Top right photo by Angie Conti

My first aquathlon in 2006
And apart from that it also marked 10 years since the first aquathlon I did way back in 2006! That was actually my first ever multi-sport race and I had enjoyed it more than I can possibly explain. In fact, I had loved it so much that I ended up doing triathlon for many years after that and achieved a lifelong dream of being on the Maltese national team and racing abroad.

And what was also amazing was that Dermot was by my side both in 2006 and 2016. In 2006 I was a complete newbie so he literally stayed by my side even when I panicked when my goggles fogged up and I had no idea which way the shore was. This time round there was still a moment where I had no idea where the buoy I was swimming towards was. But Dermot was way ahead of me so I had to find my own way this time!

But I did get there eventually and Dermot was waiting for me just before the finish line. And seeing him there made the whole thing even more overwhelming. Because if you know us, then you know that we’ve had our fair share of interesting experiences at finish lines ;) 

Why we took our running shoes with us on honeymoon
Dermot and I were like two excited kids after the race. (It was also Dermot’s first multi-sport race in quite a while). 

And the fact that we were so excited made me stop to think about how much we love training and racing. And about how we took our running shoes with us on honeymoon. And. Used. Them.

My parents always found it slightly odd when Dermot and I would go on holiday or weekend breaks and go out for runs rather than just relaxing all the time. But that’s what we love to do and also a part of how we relax. And when on holiday, you can enjoy what you love doing even more. 

Cycling trip in Bardolino on our honeymoon

So I remember speaking to a friend who told me how lucky we are that we both enjoy running because he had wanted to take his running shoes with him on honeymoon and his wife thought he was mad and was quite upset. And that had really stuck in my mind because it made me feel really lucky that we can enjoy something like that together. 

Doing things you enjoy together
And I’m no relationship expert but I really think that having things that you both love to do together can really strengthen any relationship. Obviously it doesn’t have to be related to training and racing. It can be so many other things. And of course ideally there isn’t just one thing you both enjoy. Dermot and I tend to enjoy the same things on the whole. (As long as you don’t mention long shopping trips to him.)
 

So I feel really lucky that Dermot was by my side as I got to take part in this aquathlon, just as he was 10 years ago. And I’m so happy that Dermot and I get to do the things we love together again. And if for some reason you and your partner no longer find much time to do things you enjoy together, I would really recommend that you try to make more time for them again.

It can make your relationship so much stronger and your life so much more fun. Even if some people might think you’re a little bit strange because of some of the things you choose to do :)      

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