So I have.
Yesterday I went to Redricks Lake in Harlow to do the RG Active aquathlon. There were 2 choices, a sprint, 750m swim 5k run and an olympic, 1500m swim 10k run. They were the same price so I thought I would get value for money and do the longer one. As I said last week I wanted to do a decent swim. I sure I can, but it's like predicted results isn't it, no fucking use unless you actually get the grades. I was predicted a good result in Biology A level at school for the mocks but since all I wrote on the paper was my candidate number and a (very good) sketch of a character from Mad magazine it meant nothing.
Anyway, we turned up at the lake and as I suspected it was a low key affair with I think around 80 competitors over both races. Oly started at 10 and sprint at 10.30. I mentioned to Mr H that no one would be hanging around much and that it was very likely I would be last out the water......he didn't disagree cos he has seen me swim!
Got in, water was colder than I have been in this year but not too bad. Had a bit of a swim about to check my goggles, they seemed ok and I felt ready. Then we were off. Up the lake and turn right at the bouys, back to the start and then another lap.
For the first minute or so I felt fine, then I felt a bit of water leak into my goggles and almost immediately I felt a band go round my chest and tighten. This is panic. I know it, it's happened before, I have no doubt it will happen again. So now I cant get enough breath in my lungs, and I cant put my face in the water, when I try I just get a mouthful of water because all rythym is gone.
So its head up fc as the field goes away from me.Thats ok, I know I can do it, just keep going. I do and round the far bouy, then the next one whch sends you back down to the start. This bit is just horrid, we had been warned about weeds but I dont know where they are and I cant see anything so I swim right into them. They actually stop me as I get tangled up and the boat comes over. I tell the guys I am alright but not having a particularly nice swim, they say thats ok just keep going you'll be fine. Swim into the middle more you will be out of the weeds.
What I wanted them to say was ok then get out you've done enough.
Got a clearer bit and made my way to the end of the first lap. I fully intended to get out, I really had had enough but when I got near the exit every flippin bugger there was cheering me on to keep going, so I bloody have to dont I.
Second lap I finally got a rythym going and my face back in the water. I beach myself on an island on the way up to the far bouy (no one told me there was land in the middle of the lake) and get caught in weeds on the way back, but I am so last by now I dont care. I get out run to transistion, apologise to Mr H for embarrassing him by being so useless and set out on the run.
The run was a lovely run, two laps up and down the river and through the woods. I dont wear an HRM but I am sure it would have told me interesting things if I did. I could NOT push. My chest was still tight so I was stuggling to breathe properly but at the same time I wasn't out of breath. I kept trying to get my legs moving faster but it just wasn't happening, none of it made any sense to me and I just had to keep going at the one pace I had. About a mile from the end I saw a branch on the floor and thought...ooh dont want to tread on that I might turn my ankle, and then I bloody did...........had a minute where I hopped up and down thinking I would have to stop but it eased and I carried on.
I finished finally not worn out at all, I would normally finish a 10k feeling like I want to throw up or die, I finished this one feeling like I hadn't run it. I honestly cant explain it, but I didn't like it at all. I want to feel like I worked, I want it to hurt, you dont get the feel good after if it doesn't and it must be pretty obvious by now that it's my drug of choice :-/
Anyway, I dont know times, they wont be good and I suppose it's one of them races that make the good ones seem better. Alarming Mr H greatly by blubbing in the car on the way home 'because I'm so shit' indicates to me that something about me wasn't quite right on the day, I'm not normally quite that fragile.
Today I dont feel like I raced yesterday but my foot is annoyingly a bit sore. I am not sure what exercise I am going to do today but I have been promised a trip to Aldi to look at technical thermal underwear.......I think you can tell we have been married nearly 20 years now cant you :-D
Next weekend I am going to run, a lot. I am going to treat it as a purely social weekend with good friends doing the things I love to do, but I do hope it hurts a little bit ;-)
PS RG Active do good stuff, I will go and do one of their events again if they wait for me.
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