A day in the life of ... a Paediatric Registrar and Team GB triathlete

Guest Blog from Dr Katie Greenwood ST8

Hello! Thank you WREN team for giving me the opportunity to share my experiences over the past few years with you.
Life as a paediatric trainee can be one of considerable stimulation, compassion, challenge and significant reward. The desire to deliver a very high standard of performance and achieve excellence within the workplace, has made me recognise the importance of developing exciting out of hours interests and achievements. Alongside working hard as a senior paediatric trainee, I have developed a passion for competing in triathlons and have participated in a number of challenging races across the world. 

Where did it all begin?......…
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A friend mentioned joining the Cardiff Triathlon club, apparently the fastest growing club within the UK. I pondered the idea of joining the team. Here are a few initial thoughts which crossed my mind:

-        How on earth do people manage to swim/cycle/run within one race?
-        Open water swimming in the UK sounded particularly un-exotic!
-        How does a busy paediatric trainee fit in the training for this challenging sport?
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After joining the club I started my racing career with a low key Cardiff “try-a-tri” triathlon and finished the same season with a race in the French alps….the famous (and brutal!) Alpe D’huez mountain climb. Oh dear!

 
From these moments on, I haven’t looked back! Over the past few years I have been fortunate enough to win both the Sprint and Standard distance Welsh Champion triathlon titles. 

I have also been selected to compete for Great Britain (‘GB Age group Team’) at the 2017 World Triathlon Championships in Rotterdam and European Championships 2018 & 2017 in Estonia and Dusseldorf Germany. I was absolutely delighted to represent team GB and finish in the top 10 in each race.

So what does all this involve?

• Cycling to work, a wonderful commute where I arrive at work feeling refreshed and invigorated! Also avoids the painful parking issues and fines!!
• Regular swim sessions 2-3 times a week at the local swimming pool, with the excitement of open water swimming sessions in the summer (wet suits advised!)
• Running sessions- 2 times a week at the local parks/ running track
• With added sessions for strength and conditioning, pilates and yoga offered over the winter months.

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I would encourage everyone to enjoy a hobby outside of work and if you are interested come and join the triathlon club. Immense enjoyment can be experienced at every level and it is a fantastic way to meet new people and keep fit ready for the workplace!
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