Hi all, my Midlife Crisis has taken another turn this year. In November 2011, having spent at least twenty years doing sweet FA I foolishly accepted a drunken bet that I could run a Marathon ( Never having run before, unless I was being chased by an angry mob!) I surprised myself by getting off my arse, training and running the 2011 London Marathon. Little did I know this idle pissed up bet would change my life. Although I'll never give the Kenyans any sleepless nights I have three Marathons under my belt now and am 2 1/2 stone lighter.
However...... being of that age i.e mid forties, I always, much to my wifes amusement/ annoyance, seem to be looking for the "Next Challenge". This manifested itself last year with a Duathlon and a couple of Sprint tri's. Despite my wifes protestations about scaring young kids and looking like the only gay in the village I even went so far as to buy a Lycra tri suit, although it must have been faulty as the front of it looked like it had been ironed over a wok.
The Duathlon went OK, apart from going out too fast and blowing out of my arse after 5 mins and never recovering fully.
My first Tri in the Gower was a real eye opener for me . Not knowing any different I found myself at the front of the pack when the hooter sounded. BIG mistake. What seemed like 20,000 angry bears kicked, punched, clawed and generally smashed seven coulours of sh!t out of me in the first 30 seconds. I was duly spat out the back of the mob and just about made it round, probably last, cant say for sure as my goggles were filled with blood. I promised myself ther and then this would be the last time I'd ever enter another stupid, poxy, poinless event ever again.
After a good bike leg and painful run this was soon forgotten however in the euphoria of that finishing shoot. What a feeling!
Second Tri, Tuska Porthcawl. What a wonderful feeling descending into the sea amoungst a dirty brown froth with rubbish floating in it. Apart from not getting quite so battered the tri took similar course... hated swim but loved finishing...but I was hooked.
Next challenge please!
This year I've taken out a second mortgage, (bloody expensive hobby this!) and committed to the Long Course weekend Tenby , Wales Triathlon Fishguard, (half IM) and also Iron man Wales and maybe a sprint or two if i can afford it.
Herein lies my prob. I have hated the swim on my last two and the IM swims make me go weak with fear when ever I think of it. I've read through the Swim Smooth book, watched their videos and my swimming has improved but now where near where I think I need to be. I've have enjoyed a couple of short OW swims in Tenby but find endless lengths in the pool about as much fun as catching my old boy in my zip
Any thoughts, help or general mickey taking would be greatly appreciated.
Once i've exorcised the demons of my swim I can then get on to having sleepless nights over the bike/run.
Apologies if this rambled on a bit
Comments
You gave me a laugh if nothing else!
Its a very slippery slope to IM as most of us will testify .. swimming, love it or loathe it its the only way to get to T1
Join in a couple of the pre-existing threads already this year and you will find a miriad of advice and banter and even a few people local to you to train with ... there are only a couple that bite
Welcome to the darkside!
Cheers, Ive studied the various rules and regulations but can't find clarification on whether armbands and flippers are banned
Tuksta.How far from junction 32 of the M4 are you..........as soon as it warms up a bit we will be swimming in the Taff there.most welcome to join us
I don't have any advice but look forward to your updates
Yes it is a bit lumpy isnt it. I ran the full marathon in 2011 and the half last year and the pull out of Manorbier up to the ridgewayon the way back is an absolute killer. Also in 2011 the sneaky sadistic b@st*$ds had us run past the finishing line at the square ( where the half marathoners were finishing) and then down to the coast path by the lifeboat station, up steps to towards the gun emplacements and then back up the hill into the square to finish.