Harwich Olympic: Eat you heart out Eric the eel....
9:33am, 22nd Jun 2009 | 8 Comments
Blog by TROSaracen
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There’s two things positive I can say about yesterdays (long feared) OW swim at Harwich Olympic Tri:
1) It’s over
2) Chances are I’ll never have such a bad swim experience again.
Day started fine. Got to the venue at about 8:20, and the sea looked calm and inviting. I began to get excited, and curious about how the uber-bouyancy of wetsuit plus salt water would feel. Registered – I was in wave 4 of 5 and due off at 11am, then went to transition which was about half a mile from the swim start and I had to make 2 trips (memo: bring a holdall next time). Set up, chatted to a few folk and went back to swim start for briefing and to see the first waves start.
Come my time to start and I entered the water. Jeeze, it was cold – felt it most on the hands, but got myself fully wet and acclimitised. Dorney was like a bath compared to this. We shuffled along the beach as the way the tide was running meant this gave a better line to the first buoy. A quick whistle and we were off. I felt bad immediately. The cold on my face, the uber-bouyancy, nerves/adrenaline and the waves threw my swimming off completely and I knew I was inefficiently thrashing. I ploughed on, hoping to settle but it was not to be. Reached the first buoy after what seemed like an age and turned left; this was only 200m into the swim and I knew that I had the long drag of over 1km parallel to the shore ahead.
I had two main problems. My breathing technique had gone completely. I usually breathe either every 4th stroke or every 3rd. Here every 4th was proving way too long (a sign that I was thrashing through the water), and every 3rd was not working as I kept mistiming and taking great glugs of North Sea rather than air. I was trying every 2nd stroke but was rotating way too far and this was throwing the stroke and making me almost swim in circles and required frequent sighting and continual correction.
Second problem was sighting itself: there must be a technique that down not involve stopping, breastroking for 3 or 4 strokes to sight and then carrying on. Whatever that technique is, I need to find out about it, learn it and use it.
I struggled on labouring through the water and at just over halfway a third problem arose: I was bloody knackered and fed up. Wanted to quit and I had fallen off the back of my wave with perhaps 2or 3 other strugglers. Struggled on but that bloody lighthouse never seemed to get nearer and a caneoist hovered nearby in case I got even worse and needed pulling out.
Finally turned at the lighthouse but the final 200m seemed to take ages. I had no idea what time I had taken as I exited – it felt like hours. Time was 43:23. I was dizzy, exhausted and bit demoralised and deliberately took a long T1 to compose and get mentally together.
Off for the bike and it took a long time to shake the effects of the swim. First 10 miles averaged a disappointing 17mph and only after 10 miles did I get above and stay above 18mph. I had hoped to average 19 mph. Ride was scenic, undulating but not too difficult. I took on water and gels once my stomach had settled after the swim.
Finished the bike in about 1:27 for the 26 miles (42k), had a quicker T2 and exited for the run along the front. Finally felt good again, settling into 7:10 – 7:15 pace after that first km. After the traumas of the swim and a disappointing bike it was nice to overtake people and feel strong. Finished in 44:49 for 10k.
Overall tired, shocked at how the swim fell apart but pleased to have hung in there. I can swim; I need to learn to sight, practise OW and practise in the sea. I have another Olympic on July 5th and some nice soft times to aim at. Yesterday took me way out of my comfort zone and despite the horrors I loved it; there was an easier, softer way and I didn’t take it. Hoping to learn and get better next time.
1) It’s over
2) Chances are I’ll never have such a bad swim experience again.
Day started fine. Got to the venue at about 8:20, and the sea looked calm and inviting. I began to get excited, and curious about how the uber-bouyancy of wetsuit plus salt water would feel. Registered – I was in wave 4 of 5 and due off at 11am, then went to transition which was about half a mile from the swim start and I had to make 2 trips (memo: bring a holdall next time). Set up, chatted to a few folk and went back to swim start for briefing and to see the first waves start.
Come my time to start and I entered the water. Jeeze, it was cold – felt it most on the hands, but got myself fully wet and acclimitised. Dorney was like a bath compared to this. We shuffled along the beach as the way the tide was running meant this gave a better line to the first buoy. A quick whistle and we were off. I felt bad immediately. The cold on my face, the uber-bouyancy, nerves/adrenaline and the waves threw my swimming off completely and I knew I was inefficiently thrashing. I ploughed on, hoping to settle but it was not to be. Reached the first buoy after what seemed like an age and turned left; this was only 200m into the swim and I knew that I had the long drag of over 1km parallel to the shore ahead.
I had two main problems. My breathing technique had gone completely. I usually breathe either every 4th stroke or every 3rd. Here every 4th was proving way too long (a sign that I was thrashing through the water), and every 3rd was not working as I kept mistiming and taking great glugs of North Sea rather than air. I was trying every 2nd stroke but was rotating way too far and this was throwing the stroke and making me almost swim in circles and required frequent sighting and continual correction.
Second problem was sighting itself: there must be a technique that down not involve stopping, breastroking for 3 or 4 strokes to sight and then carrying on. Whatever that technique is, I need to find out about it, learn it and use it.
I struggled on labouring through the water and at just over halfway a third problem arose: I was bloody knackered and fed up. Wanted to quit and I had fallen off the back of my wave with perhaps 2or 3 other strugglers. Struggled on but that bloody lighthouse never seemed to get nearer and a caneoist hovered nearby in case I got even worse and needed pulling out.
Finally turned at the lighthouse but the final 200m seemed to take ages. I had no idea what time I had taken as I exited – it felt like hours. Time was 43:23. I was dizzy, exhausted and bit demoralised and deliberately took a long T1 to compose and get mentally together.
Off for the bike and it took a long time to shake the effects of the swim. First 10 miles averaged a disappointing 17mph and only after 10 miles did I get above and stay above 18mph. I had hoped to average 19 mph. Ride was scenic, undulating but not too difficult. I took on water and gels once my stomach had settled after the swim.
Finished the bike in about 1:27 for the 26 miles (42k), had a quicker T2 and exited for the run along the front. Finally felt good again, settling into 7:10 – 7:15 pace after that first km. After the traumas of the swim and a disappointing bike it was nice to overtake people and feel strong. Finished in 44:49 for 10k.
Overall tired, shocked at how the swim fell apart but pleased to have hung in there. I can swim; I need to learn to sight, practise OW and practise in the sea. I have another Olympic on July 5th and some nice soft times to aim at. Yesterday took me way out of my comfort zone and despite the horrors I loved it; there was an easier, softer way and I didn’t take it. Hoping to learn and get better next time.
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