Race Preview - ETU Aquathlon - Menen, Belgium

Friday will be my fourth international race this year. The ETU European Aquathlon Age Group Championships in Menen, Belgium.

In terms of my personal performance, I expect on current training form to have a decent swim and a solid run but nothing spectacular from either. In terms of places I am hoping to have one of my best finishes ever at an International Aquathlon. 

There are only 16 registered starters in my age-group, of which 14 are Brits. Only 3 of those on the start list finished ahead of me in Ibiza 7 finished behind me and the other 6 I haven't raced this year (although another one of them I have beaten twice pre-Covid). 


Here are my targets:

0. Don't get injured. 

    I have two other International races coming in a fortnight. I am more interested in finishing all three than doing well at one. I than have a string of smaller events coming that I don't want to miss.

1. Race well. 

    Not very specific, but basically I just want to come away without having a sulk about how I swam or ran.

2. Finish with my average percentage at this level. 

    I finished at 70%, 83.3% and 73.3% in my previous three ETU Aquathlons, so an average of 75.5%. That would have me finish in 12th place. 

3. Finish with my best percentage at this level.     

    70% would be 11th place out of the 16 starters.

4. Finish in my average place at this level. 

    Well that would be 19th, out of a field of 16 that should be pretty safe. I was tempted to pre-colour this in green, but that is tempting fate about finishing.

5. Finish in my best place at this level. 

    The field is small but I expect it to still be solid quality. Two of the 6 unknowns are a Belgian and a German and they are unlikely to have been selected unless they are podium-capable. My previous best finish was 14th in my first ever international in Bratislava. So this should be another safe one. 

6. Finish in my best place at any international

    This is a new one for the list and is predicated on the small field and having beaten a number of them in Ibiza already this year. I have a 6th place from Romania Cross Duathlon last year that I would love to match or even improve on. 

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