Monday night’s swim session in Eccelston mere went pretty much according to form. The club was giving the option of doing a Aquathlon, the coached swim session or ‘do your own thing’
With the race looming I choose the Aquathlon and went for the longer 1km swim/2mile run option.
It all went according to form when my suit started taking on water about 150 metres into the first ‘500’ metre lap (which on mapmyrun GPS turns out to be closer to 600). Having the feeling that you’re sinking is not the best when every time you open your eyes and look down mid-stroke all you see are the weeds – or Lake Zombies. Lake Zombies seem intent on wrapping round anything they can, from you goggles to your legs! Those of a panicky disposition (me) it just makes keeping a steady calm breathing pattern harder and harder. Honestly I spent most of the last 200metres of the lap with my eyes welded shut in case I saw the milky skin of an actual dead body entwined amongst the weeds.
At the end of the lap you were supposed to get out of the water at the boat ramp and run to the jetty and dive back in. When I got out I noticed My legs were about 50% bigger than they should be, same with my shoulders. After spending a good minute trying to get more water out I chose to switch to the shorter 500m swim and 1 mile run option. I deftly climbed out of my suit flinging litre of after litre at the onlookers. I threw on my trainers and went out into the run. I was actually pleasantly surprised at the ease at which the mile went by in a genuine run (not plod, jog, or crawl ). 14:37 for 600m is actually a semi decent pace (2:26/100m) which is better than the 1500m session I did the last week in a pool. (without the lake zombies and suit trying to drown me) if we say that the organisers were telling the truth and it was 500m that’s a 2:55/100m pace and not altogether shameful. The run was even 5:20/km pace, even if the ground was soggy grass and mud and I was dying for a pee!
The Budget Triathlon 