A Salutary Tale
On the Grafham OIympic distance triathlon start-line Pat asked
me if I was OK. She could tell, I think, that quite frankly I wasn’t. Sure, I
looked the part, wetsuited up, double caps, open water goggles. But inside I
wasn’t ready. In an effort to improve my swimming I’ve been having a few one on
one lessons with a pro, and I’ve been going to the pool at lunchtimes working
on drills. But what I hadn’t done was either a few long distance sessions, nor
gone to Lakeside to practice in open water.
The course was an inverted triangle, out, across and back,
exiting the water before re-entering to repeat the triangle (6 legs in total,
all broadly equal). As the gun went and we ran into the reservoir, my fears
were realised. I tried to find an open bit of water, and started to swim. Tried
to have relaxed and controlled breathing. Then someone swum over me, and the
breathing became forced, I swallowed water, and a sense of foreboding came over
me. I’d replied to Pat positively, saying “sure, I’ll be all right” but at that
moment I felt anything but. I summoned a canoe, grabbed it, and told my racing
heart to calm down, I could do this. I’m only on leg 1 of 6 and already I’m
having doubts. I carry on, and again midway through leg 2 the feeling of panic
started to overwhelm me. Another canoe, another talking to, and I carried on.
Midway through leg 3 I was seriously dreading lap 2.
At the exit point there must have been 100 spectators, and as I
left the water there were plenty of shouts of encouragement, so I decided to
try again. Of course by now I’m easily at the back, so there were no bodies
around me. Ironically my improved technique was now showing, as I was catching
the group in front. But then on leg 5 cramp set in my leg. Another canoe,
stretching, another talking to, and away I went. I turned into the last leg,
and I could semi-relax. I caught a few swimmers and exited to get the bike.
There were just 5 swimmers behind me.
The bike went OK – an advantage of being last on the swim is
that there are always cyclists in front to aim for. The run was not OK. I felt
half the contents of the reservoir were in my stomach, and that is not a good
feeling to have when setting off on a 10k run.
So what did I learn? Or rather, what did I forget from last
year’s open water swims? Open water swimming is not the same as swimming in a
pool with the added complication of dirty water. I know my problem is as much
psychological as anything else, but yesterday that knowledge did not help me.
I will turn up at Lakeside, and the next time I won’t be in a canoe
as I was last weekend. I’ve done my paddling and now I want to overcome my
irrational fears.
How hard can it be to beat 44 minutes, yesterday’s time, when I
return to Grafham?
A final congratulations to fellow Tri Sport Epping Athletes. Their results put me to shame:
Andy Bourne - 3rd overall
Pat Green - 1st agegroup
Elisabeth Ross - 2nd agegroup
Mel Barlowe-Kay - 1st agegroup
Kevin Partridge - 1st agegroup
Rob Shepherd - 4th agegroup
Peter van de Bande - 5th agegroup
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