Diva's Reinstated

Off we pop on Sunday to Manley Mere, armed with my secret weapon the tesco wetsuit. It’s a bit like Jimmy Grindley’s magic football boots and Dumbo’s magic feather. The fantastic Sal, the race secretary of the Diva’s had asked to swim with me just to establish exactly what my problem was. She looked at my feet and said “you can’t race in those” erm Sal, they’re not shoes it’s the legs of my wetsuit too long.

It’s never been a 750m problem. It’s been the other side of the mere looks so far away. It looked even further away. So the pep talk to myself starts. I’ve swum across it before. I can do the distance. I can swim in a wetsuit. Just take it really steady.

And we were off!

I kept right to the back. I didn’t want to be kicked and I didn’t want people swimming over me. I loved it. I don’t mean like. I mean Love. With a passion. Im parts it was like being in a warm bath. I didn’t do much breast stroke. I didn’t do any crawl as in with my face in the water. I did an over arm of a fashion and soon got to the other side. I did have sighting problems but being at the back just followed everyone else.

It was an exhilarating experience and the kids cheered when I got out. They were pretty gobsmacked that there were 9 behind me. Not that it would have mattered in the slightest if I was last. And I wasn’t in the slightest out of breath.

So that’s me back in then. The kids want wetsuits and they can’t wait until Sunday so they can do the adventure trail.

A very strange training week. Struggled with the bike on Monday. Absolutely blitzed 5k in the rain on Tuesday. Struggled again with the bike yesterday so did as Sue had suggested and turned it into a brick with a longer run which was fine and today did a 10.5mile bike easily and a shortish run after no problems.

Was reading a thread on Tri Talk this week about someone spending £350 on new bike gear to reduce the weight by 500g to go faster. I’ve put on 5lb since Chirk so that’s obviously why I struggle with the bike.

Had my legs massaged this morning and Tracey commented on how much smaller they were.

So that’s me ready then. I’ve done the swim. I’ve done the bike and 5k is 5k in anyone’s money, especially when it’s flat. Just don’t want to get too cocky.

It has been a fabulous week. Paula had an amazing result in Boundary Breeze. Carolyn was fantastic in IM Austria and I’ve read to fantastically inspiring reports from IM Austria. One girl beat her PB by 1 hour 15minutes and another, despite being knocked out in the swim and beating the cut off by seconds and having to stop on the bike because of a thunder storm still achieved a PB.

This is what Triathlon is all about. To all you lovely girlies in the Diva’s on Sunday “Good Luck and have fun.” To Sue, Iain and all the Wrecsam Tri guys competing in Oswestry “Good Luck and ride safe – that bike is a bit lumpy”

To everyone else have a good weekend.