As I hurtled along a bumpy road on my bike during my second ever triathlon, the Marlow Olympic tri, I told myself “you only have to do this three more times”. Just two 70.3s and a Ironman and I could stop messing around and go back to just doing the running thing.

Last week I was writing something on my first two triathlons – the one in Marlow and the sprint distance event I’d done a month earlier – and something strange happened. I wanted to pull on my trisuit, grab my bike and do them all again. I’ve enjoyed running, cycling and swimming for a while now, but doing all three in quick succession was something that didn’t necessarily fill me with excitement.

As I wrote about them I realised how much I’d underestimated the sprint distance and how unprepared I was for those first two events. And I wanted to go back and do them again, one year on, now a more confident swimmer and stronger on the bike, to do them just a bit better.

I’m not concerned about my finish time or position, I’m fine with being right at the back of the pack. And while I know that with a year’s extra training I’d probably do better the next time around, that wouldn’t be the main motivation or goal. I want to do another Olympic distance triathlon to enjoy it, to feel comfortable and not as though it’s another stage to tick off between me and my ultimate goal in Bolton. I want to enjoy a triathlon.

So that’s what I’m doing. As well as Ironman UK in July and The Grafman 70.3 in June, I’ll be digging out the onezie one more time and doing the Olympic distance race at the World Triathlon in London on 1 June. It’s just a five mile downhill cycle from my front door, which will make a change from cramming my bike onto a train or into the back of a taxi. And if all goes to plan and I enjoy the race, maybe there’ll be more than just the three triathlons on my calendar.