Message posted by: ian d.
My first aquathlon, and in fact my first “endurance” event of any kind!
With my first supersprint tri coming up in a few weeks time incorporating a lake swim, a couple of weeks ago I partook of some openwater trainig. That cured one concern (could I do it!) but then I thought maybe I should get some of race prep done in advance so i signed up for the July event in this summer series of aquathlons, held at Lake 32, Cotswoild water Park, near Cirencester in the UK.
It struck me on the day of the aquathlon that I have never swum as far as 750m before om openwater so it was a test of that ability as much as anything else it may also represent!
I opened up a blister on Wed morning which conerned me wrt to weil’s disease (open water, rats etc), but said blister had scbbed over very nicely by 5pm so it was with some trpidation I headed off to lake 32 after work.
Registration was open as I arrived so I signed up and spent a very gentle half an hour changing and setting up transition (right next to the transition exit for easy location 
and climbing in to my wetsuit.
Into the water to acclimatise before the race and the water was actually fairly warm despite it having been a cool and overcast day… but not too much of a shocj to the body. A couple of hundred metres wram up swim which I was very stiff in, forcing myself to relax. “Just finish” was my motto! Sorted out a couple of sight lines en route and I had timed it just right for the pre race briefing as I got back to the “beach”. I’d also mislaid my normal goggles so I had to use my spare pair - which are tinted so the bright orange buoys were now a rather muddy pink-purple colour!
Anti-clockwise circuit, and I believed it was 7 buoys, with a sharp right turn off the first buoy about 40 metres off the beach.
last minute wished of luck abounded, and the whistle went. I’d put myself at the back on the left and I avoided all the washing machine from the 40-odd competitors. I immediately looked for a draft but being the slowest swimmer in history I managed to pick up a draft for all of about 10 seconds before all the outboard motors shot off towards the horizon. Hey ho :-).
Heading for the first buoy I noticed that nobody else was so mentally shrugged and followed the pack! I was soon on my own by the first REAL buoy but was not at all suprised by this so just settled into a rythm. Despite my warm-up hiccups with lack of rhythm and tenseness I was feeling OK though and settled down for the ride, ticking off the buoys as I passed them. Sighting once into the circuit was interesting at times as I occassionally (at turning bouys especially) had to emulat an otter and try and see where to go next but the general splashing and swimming caps gave the basiuc diection anyhow.
I was actually quite enjoying it to be honest and once I’d passed buoy number 3 realised that my (albeit small) concerns were groundless and that I would get round OK. I was totally shocked with about 150m to go to realise I wasn’t last - as I breathed one time I saw a white swimming cap about 30 metres behind and off to my right! Blimey - I wasn;t going to be last out of the water!
Past the final buoy, line the big tree up on the right and set off for the beach. Increased my leg kick cadence to try and get some blood into my legs and the stroke was really smooth now, with a pleasant body roll.
Felt great as I came up out onto the beach - several watchers clapping ME!! janet - the coach for my openwater swimming day a week otr so ago - was there taking swim times and she gave me a big thubs up and a “well done” as the suit came off well enough, on went the shoes and off went I as the last swimmer was just reaching the beach joking to the onlookers how she had taken a wrong turn and had swum a lot further than 750m!
I had no idea of the time (no watch under the suit of course) and as I started I realised I hadn’t taken my small bottle of water with me, but what the hell. I was being lapped constantly by the faster competitors but everyone that passed me gave me encouragement - my experiences in running some 10Ks this summer had shown me that this wasn;t uncommon and that athletes are a very supportive bunch, but all the encouragement made me feel good and included. I have played rugby for 30 years which is a GREAT sport for “the right spirit” but I have been staggered (pleasantly) at the support shown to fellow competitors since I started running… its amazing.
The run concisted of two laps of the lake - allegedly 5K total but I have read elsewhere its more like a 2.3K lap which probably is correct (given my times :-). I wasn;t the first Km into the first lap before I realised that this really was a lot tougher than I could ever have imagined (buit then again, two years ago i would never have believed I would be doing this anyway!). I knew I could finish Ok, I knew I wouldn’t have to stop running, but God it was hard! As a prospective triathlete I of course have nothing but admiration for anyone that does this thing but bloody hell has my admiration shot up even more! And has my resolve to join that few, that happy few, that band of brothers (and sisters of course!) and become a triathlete myself!! [with thanks and aplogies to shakespeare - he has all the best lines you now!]
Any how, the lappers slowly stopped as the woman last out of the water
passed me and i seetled down into what I call a run but could be considered by many to be a fast walk! The weather was perfect now - absolutely perfect as the sun shone in an almost cloudless sky and reflected across the lake. First lap came around with lots of runners finished already of course, i shouted my number through the gate and set off on lap two. My legs did feel better by now though I was blowing, but I just stayed relaxed and knocked the distance off.
As I came around towards the final turn I could see another runner ahead of me (a way in front so at least i wasn’t going to be last by a huge amount. Came past a trio of teen lads who asked somewhat incredulously (no doubt cos this fat bloke in what looked like a victorian circus strngman suit came waddling past) if this was a triathlon. I managed to tell them it was an aquathlon, swim and run, to which one cheeky git replied (as i had passed them) didn’t that mean i was supposed to be running!
The finish line gratefull hove into view and I managed a bit of an extra spurt in my stride to complete my first aquathlon!
My times I was really shocked with - pleasantly! Considering I had never swum 750 non stop before (only in 20m pool laps) and felt knackered all the way around the run, I had swum and transitioned in 21:27 (my 400m pool time is about 12 minutes so I am totally chuffed with this, and especially as I don;t/can’t “go for it” swimming yet - it was just a very steady swim stroke cadence and I have no kick worth talking of whatsoever!). First lap took 13:52 - that’s just a smidge over 6 min/km which is pretty much my race pace WITHOUT a swim beforehand - again, really chuffed! Second lap took just a wee bit longer at 14:28 (and that at just 6:17/km which is quicker than all of my 10Ks pace!).
Finished in 49:47 … I was considering a hour not to be an unfair time before I began so and 100% dead chuffed!
I AM AN AQUATHLETE!!!
didds
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