In the back of my mind is the thought that September is just around the corner...and with it comes the 5k at Eton Dorney. And I still feel ill prepared. So the thought of doing a 5k in the lake at Fordingbridge started to mount in my mind...an 80 mile round trip for a swim? Yes, definitely worth it...!! So the idea kept springing to mind as I carried on through my day and I justified the travel and the time...and decided at 2:30pm that I would do it...
Rushed home from work and put on the coffee machine (new gadget!) and filled up my sports bottle and put some fruit in my cool lunch bag...filled up the flask with coffee and hey presto...I'm ready to go!!
Off i went and joined the mad exodus leaving Gosport at this time...the beginnings of rush hour, not a good time to go...but the time i had to leave to reach the New Forest for the start! Th traffic was horrendous and I ggot caught up in even more traffic at Ringwood...at last I turned into the lakes and felt a bit nervous...I had never been here on my own before...and suddenly doing 5k in a big lake on my own wasn't so appealing!!
But like a lamb to the slaughter I signed in, paid my money and got changed...the first upheaval was that we were going to swim in the wake board lake which is "500m approximately" according to Ben from try tri. Down in the changing room it was the main topic of conversation, nobody seemed very happy and for some reason my only worry was..where do we enter the water. Thinking back in all of my events this has been a worry...how to get into the water!! I don't understand why, but I remember when the Great London Swim changed venue just two days before the event...I immediately stressed myself out worrying about how I was going to get into the water!! I messaged the organisers, asked the question on facebook...but never got an answer...then on arrival in London...my first priority was to see a wave set off and see people finish...just so I knew how to get in and out of the water..LOL...must be my "thing"!! I digress...but in the changing room I never got my aanswer becaue nobody knew the answer, having never done it before!
With the wetsuit on my body temperature rose and I had to get out of the changing room and get in that water as quickly as possible! But there was a gathering on the bank and I was told that the swim was back in the big lake and the buoys were being put out...I walked to the end of the pontoon just dying to immerse myself in the lake...I was so hot...Couldn't wait for the buoys to go out...and everybody else felt the same...we all got in!!
As I swam to the first buoy, I did wonder whether I should go ahead with this...it was hot, I felt as though I couldn't be bothered with any more added stress....but I know what I am like and I know I would have regretted it...so I set the pink watch and began the first stroke of my very own 5k event.
I started fairly slow and gradually increased pace as I warmed up...I felt quite strong and the conditions were good...there didn't seem to be a lot of weed this time and I was careful turning at the bouy as I didn't want to set off any cramp.. As I was coming up to the end of the first lap I decided I wouldn't stop...and only stop every two laps...but I would check the time on the watch..My first lap was 13mins something. I am saying something because I didn't have my contact lenses in so I could 't read the seconds on the pink watch! I immediately started the second lap and in my head I am hoping that the next lap will be the same pace so I am looking at a time of 26 something or 27 something...again this lap went well and I didn't feel the need to stop, so in my head I am telling myself...stop at halfway...at Eton Dorney that's what you do...stop after the first lap which is half way..so on the final leg of the second lap I decided not to stop but keep going and see how I get on. As I passed the buoy at the end of the second lap, I checked the watch and it said 26 something. That gave me an enormous boost!! I carried on an my brain was then working out the goal for the end of the next lap...I seemed to be averaging 13minutes something per lap, but didn't know how much the something was! it must have been below 30 though....so the next lap shoud be 39or 40 minutes....it was 40 at three laps down! I was going well and felt fine and strong, no cramp so all was going well. The next lap was the fourth and as I started I had in my mind to have a short rest at the end of it, just as if I was at Eton Dorney...but when I completed it and saw my time was 53 minutes, i decided I would rest after the next one.
With four laps completed in 53 mins and something, I was feeling spurred on...it was now all count down...I was past the half way mark. I started to work out what my final time may look like and if I completed it in the same time of 53 minutes...then it would be 1 hour 46 minutes. I would be thrilled with that!! My first bout of cramp happened on this lap as I went around the third buoy. I had changed to breaststroke to negotiate it and the change of kick caused the cramp to start. I managed to carry on swimming with just my arms and tried at the same time to stretch my foot,..it seemed to have worked and I took extra care around the next buoy so it wouldn't happen again. The time on the pink watch was 1hr 6 mins something when I finished the lap and again I didn't stop, only momentarily to check the watch..three laps to go I thought...it's not too far now. I just kept going and the cramo set in again, but again I managed to stretch it out. This lap was completed and the watch said 1hr 19mins and something.
I was now starting the penultimate lap and I felt good as I told each buoy as I passed it that i would only be passing it again one more time...again I got cramp on this lap, and again I managed to stretch it out...the pink watch showed the seventh lap completed in 1 hour 33 mins.
At last the final lap...could I possibly do this in 1 hour 45 mins and something?? I desperately wanted to and tried to up my pace on the final lap. It wore me out and as I passed the last buoy on the home straight I looked at the pink watch and it said 1 hour 41 mins...and something...I looked a the finish and tried to do reach it in double quick time...the cramp was becoming unbearable..but it was sheer determination that got me to the finiah, where I could see that I had done it in 1 hour 46mins and 38 seconds...i wanted to cry..I was quite overcome, I had done it in a time that I would never have dreamed of!!
I still had to get out and the 20 or so meters to the pontoon were the hardest of all...rhythm now broken, myself exhausted...amazing...!!
I sat in tha car once I had changed and drank a couple of cups of coffee and also a cold drink...and felt as though I had finally accomplished something. I had to be better than average now!!
