Sunday 23 June 2013

Bank of Lynne

Big warnings folks this is very long (unlike Richard Harris' and Chris De Ryke's)To by regulars you can skip the middle bit as it's a potted history of my triathlon "career"

A while ago I posted on Facebook “5k in the bank but not quite sure what I’m saving for yet.”

This got me thinking on yesterday’s 5K . You don’t just go and open a bank account do you? Well you might have done years ago when all current accounts were the same and gave you a cheque book, cheque card and a slap on the wrist fine for going overdrawn. (When I joined Midland Bank in 1980 there were no such things as cash cards but we did have this machine that had to be filled with 10 X £1 notes in a plastic container. If you drew the £10 out you had to post your plastic container back!!)

So what kind of bank account to open? Let’s be honest, I have very little to invest. How do you get the best returns? By depositing little and often? Then I have to consider what exactly I’m saving for, and what I am prepared to sacrifice short, medium and long term to reap the reward?

I started my triathlon journey on 4 November 2007. I can be very precise about this because I know it was 2 weeks before my 44th birthday. I’d read a blog in the local paper by a sports reporter who’d done Llanrwst. Before this I’d always thought Triathlons were Iron distance and you’d have to be certifiable to even contemplate such a feat. On discovering there were Sprint events (it had never occurred to me the fact that they were called sprint meant you were supposed to do it fast!) I thought “I can do that.” Bearing in mind I weighed 16 ½ stone and had done no exercise for 20+ years. I mean I could swim, I could ride a bike, although I didn’t own one and I used to be able to run.

I entered Chirk which was 27 April 2008 and enlisted the help of the amazing Iain Davies Moore.

My first run session revealed I couldn't even run the short side of a football pitch. Not to be deterred I walked the long sides and ran the short sides and gradually built up. Because of the time of year running around a football field at 7 in the morning soon became a no, no – it was too dark and I didn’t know of the existence of head torches in those days so into the gym it was.
I worked really hard on the treadmill and the gym bikes and lost a stone and a half in the 6 weeks up to Christmas. I swam once a week too and thought I was doing ok until I spoke to the leisure centre manager who suggested I turn up for an early morning Master’s session. The Coach, although he tried to disguise it I could tell was mortified. He said if I hadn’t been so buoyant, and I’m still not sure if he was referring to my boobs or blubber, I would sink. Apparently I was pushing forward with my arms and dragging back with my legs. One to one lessons it was then. Convinced I’d never be able to swim crawl we worked on perfecting my breaststroke technique.

In the middle of all of this I discovered Tritalk, from where I have gained a wealth of knowledge and met, either personally or virtually some amazing people, the most important has to be Sue. She removed “can’t” and “won’t” from my vocabulary for a long time and has the patience of a saint running with me and encouraging every step of the way. I also befriended the amazing Sally from Chester Tri who was always available at the end of an email to encourage, cajole and shout where necessary.

My Mum was totally horrified when I told her I was doing a triathlon. Her immediate lament was “You can’t. You’ll have a heart attack!” My immediate response was “If I don’t do something about this weight I WILL have a heart attack.” Once she realised I was serious she persuaded me to raise money for Hope House Hospice. This too was a wonderful decision as in the weeks and days leading up to Chirk when the doubts crept in I knew I couldn’t not do it because there was almost £1,000 riding on the fact I had to do it.

Crossing the finish line was, after giving birth to the kids, the best moment of my life. I’d worked hard and I’d done it, obviously with a great deal of help. Mark, Morgan, Mum, Dad, Iain, Sue and my lovely friend Lesley were all there to greet me on the finish line. It was amazing. I also met Sally from Chester Tri later. And I wasn’t even last!


The next event Deva Divas 20.7.2008 750m open water swim 20k bike 5k run. Piece of cake except I’d never swum open water and didn’t own a wetsuit. Andy Smith from Tri Talk to the rescue. Posted me his old one – sorted. First open water ok. Not pleasurable but tolerable. Second session horrendous. I felt as if I couldn’t breath so decided to knock this event on the head. When you have a support team like mine that’s impossible. Cerys, a Mum of my eldest former football team mates was not only doing the event but is a qualified swimming teacher. She agreed to give me one to one lessons on the strict understanding that she would teach me to breath correctly and I would swim crawl. Big tick. Sue suggested my wetsuit may be too tight so I invested in a £30 Tesco Direct men’s XL surf suit and cut the legs off. She then dragged me to Bala one beautiful, sunny, Saturday morning and made me swim. Sally wouldn’t let me pull out until the final training session. She said she’d swim with me and would give me an honest critique of whether she thought I’d make it or not. I swam with her no problem and knowing Sally the way I know her now even if I’d sunk like a brick she would still have made me do it.

The race was Fantastic. Fabulously organised. Lots of fun. Swim was great, bike was fine, pulled my back on the run but did run most of it. Super finishers photo what can I say?


Llanrwst 31.08.2008 400m pool swim (20m pool) 25k bike (hilly) 5k (hilly) run. I dragged the kids on a picnic to reccee the course. Well I know it said hilly but… the hill went up and up and then when it flattened there was another one just around the corner. What goes up must come down. The descents were spectacular. In fact the whole bike course was pretty spectacular. The run was in the Gwydyr Forest and the hill went up, and up, and up and flattened into a fabulous trail run through the forest.
A week before I pulled my back and emailed the organisers to pull out and offered to marshal. The night before, high as a kite on tramadol, diclofenac and red wine (I know naughty, naughty) I decided sod it I’m doing it anyway. I had to get off the bike twice and push and I had to walk the hill of the run but got a spectacular reception from Wrecsam Tri at the finish. I was last and I still hold the slowest course record. Talking to Paul “Willy” Williams at the finish who was the male winner (Rhian, the goddess, Roxburgh was the overall winner on the day) I was bemoaning my pathetic performance. He turned around to me and said “99.9% of the population couldn’t do what you’ve done today. You turned up and you finished.”


2009 passed pretty uneventfully Chirk 26.04.2009 4 minutes quicker


2010 Chirk 25.04.2010 10 minutes slower (last and a slowest course record)and an absolutely awful DNF in the Deva Diva’s. I’d done the practice swim the week before easily and come race morning was reasonably confident. Looked at the swim and thought that’s way longer than last week and that’s when the wheels came off the wagon. My head went into a tail spin and that was the start of my DNF. Was off in the first wave. Kept to the back and just plugged away. Negative head was not how far I’d swum but my God look how far I’ve got to go. Was soon caught by the second wave they swam all over me and I hated it and wanted to ask the Kayak to pull me out there and then but was too afraid of sinking it. Eventually finished but was incredibly dizzy getting out. By now I’d got a reasonable road bike which I fell off loads clipping in and out. I was terrified of falling off on the mount line. I didn’t. Weather was wet, warm and windy. The roads were filthy. I was passed and passed and covered in mud splatters. I had to get off and push up a hill which I hadn’t two years previous. I cursed the bike. I cursed the weather. I cursed myself and then I was joined by the bloke from Chester Tri who rides with you to let you know you’re really last. I decided to quit after the bike. I saw Sian from Wrecsam Tri come in and screamed at her and then Deb another Wrecsam lady. The marshal pointed out that if I’d got enough energy to scream at them then I had enough energy to do the run so I set out. It’s out and back twice. I ran the whole of the out and back and sneaked into transition. I’d given up. The worst decision of my Tri life. I could easily have finished. I had no problem with coming last my head wouldn’t let me suffer the humiliation of being out there on my own for 20 minutes. Everyone was fantastic with their well dones and not far to gos but I knew I wouldn’t finish. I just cried. Well dones coming from everywhere. No it’s not well done. I quit.

Sally appeared with her congratulations and just hugged me and let me cry she even offered to walk the last lap with me. It wasn’t about walking. If I’d have done the second lap I’d have run it. I quit not because I couldn’t do it but because I was ashamed. She said if she’d seen me quitting she would have forced me back out there. She was right.


From when I finished Chirk in 2008 the “Grande” plan had always been to complete an Ironman before I was 50. This, given it was a 5 year plan was very doable. Even if I only lost a stone a year I wouldn’t be overweight and building on my sprint training I could certainly achieve the Iron distance.

My Dad passed away in April 2011 and whilst I’d like to blame this for lack of consistency it’s not true. My Dad was incredibly proud of my triathlon achievements and he’d be mortified if he knew I’d let them slide.

I’ve never stopped training I just haven’t done very much. I formulate a plan, go hell for leather for a few weeks, miss a session, then two and I’m back to square one again.

I will only ever be competing against myself and the clock so is there actually any point in entering events? I can work on improving my 10K time, increase my run to 13.1 miles and reduce that time and eventually run 26.2 miles. I can cycle more, and more, and more and learn to swim more efficiently and for longer. I won’t though. It’s not the competition of the race I need it’s the focus.

So what do I want out of this bank account and more importantly what am I prepared to put in?
“Do something for 30 minutes 3-4 times a week” is Andy Smith’s suggestion and a mighty fine suggestion it is too. I’d be making small regular deposits into the bank which will mount up and yield a tidy reward.

I could commit to the 60 minutes 6 times a week account that would probably yield me a get around marathon, an Olympic distance tri and a pretty solid base to start IM training for 2014 but, the problem with these kind of accounts is they come with the warning the price of investments may go up or down and whilst you may be allowed one or two withdrawals over the period if you fail to make a payment your home could be at risk (ok I’ve always been a bit of a drama queen!)

There’s another option of opening the Andy Smith account and trying to pay more into it when I can and when I can’t don’t worry as it’s about reaching the goal safely and not when or how quickly. I can easily save up for Llanrwyst in September with the goal being bike all the bike and run all the run and the Flintshire 10K in October. I could even add to the mix and say Flintshire 10K in under an hour. Part of the no obligation plan could also be to build up to a 3 hour long bike which will prepare me for Bala Middle 2013 and IM Wales 2014.

19th November 2013 is my 50th birthday. Bank of Lynne will register fitter and less heavy body and a mind that has erased the words “can’t” and “won’t”


1 comment:

Fudgey said...

Lynne you are one inspirational lady, not one but 3 disciplines that is hardcore. I know you think peoples comments suggested lack of faith, I can't speak for anyone else but I have faith that if you want to do the full tri you can, my suggestion you do sprint is based on my own journey & putting too much pressure on myself. this already happened when I signed up for a 10k when Em was born thinking 20 weeks was enough to have to pull out - I was gutted.at the end of the day you know what is best for you & what is achievable. whatever you decide I'll be cheering you on - you are amazing Mrs x x