I love Aguilas

Aguilas – as the wiseman would say “you can’t beat it”.

I love it here. Out on the roads and in the fields I have a lot of memories . . . .

I came here initially to learn. I was in Stirling at University and was lucky that Scottish Triathlon relocated to the campus. I joined them on one if their first organised international camps.

I remember being very excited.

I remember not having much money. I remember having to be top 5 in one of the duathlons to be able to pay my share of the rent. I remember being very nervous before one race as I needed at least 2^nd to be able to hire a car to pick up a girlfriend who was coming for Valentines weekend . . . .

I remember cycling around and around a parking lot picking up water bottles with one hand to improve my bike handling.

I remember practicing transitions. I remember one session when the coach produced a 50 euro note and said there would only be 1 session today – a 20m barefoot run to the bike / a 300m cycle / a dismount line / running shoes transition / a 100m run. The winner took all. Less than 3 minutes later I was gutted Fraser Cartmell crossed the line a second ahead – he did pay for dinner though.

I remember being driven 5k down the coast with Fraser. We got out at a small beach and put on our wetsuits. We were then informed we had to get home ourselves as the coach drove off ! We nervously swam along the coast together . . .  and sprinted each other in the last 100m !!

I remember being very annoyed someone moved my saddle height and loosened my cleats before a long ride. I remember my revenge – buying 12 fish and hiding them into ‘someones’ luggage the night before they headed home. I remember the report that came back informing us that somones dog was going wild in the back of a car on the road home to Ayrshire and that someones farther had to stop the car because of the smell of fish. I remember initially denying any involvement.

I remember coming here for 5 weeks alone. I remember doing extra training because “I had nothing else to do!”.  Some days I would head out the door with my plan being ‘find a new route’. I remember questioning my sanity as I talked to myself but concluded that the fact I was questioning my own sanity meant I was actually still sane.

I remember getting funded for the first time by the Northern Irish Sports Council and straight away booking a flight to Spain. It took me 90mins to get from Alicante in my hire car instead of an epic train journey.

I remember coming here with Catriona Morrison. As we entered our apartment the first thing she did was put the TV in the cupboard before sweeping the floor. I remember thinking “this will be a long 2 weeks!” (sorry cat !).

I remember riding with the British Team and Swedens Lisa Norden was with them. I remember in the 4^th hour of a 5 hour ride she was the only girl left in the ‘bunch’ as we raced home along the coast. I remember her ‘attacking’ and it annoying some of the boys!

I remember getting a start at Senior European Championships in Valencia. My training partners also got starts as the GB team used the race for development U-23 athletes. I remember meeting them for a swim on the course – we stood around in a circle on the beach as the Coach gave instructions marking out the course with a stick on the sand – moments later fluid trickled from the wetsuit leg of one of the girls and ruined his diagram . . . . I laughed out loud!

Aguilas – so many memories, so many stories, so many training hours.

GOTTALOVEIT

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