After watching my son compete in the Hever Triathlon for the last two years I decided it was about time I also gave it a go. As a basic non-swimmer this was always going to be interesting. After spending the summer splashing up and down the local pool, eventually progressing from an exhausted single 25m length to a reasonably comfortable 400m, race day arrived. Time for the Super Sprint Event 400m, 20k and 4k...
So just before 9:00 am on Saturday morning and still feeling remarkably calm it was time to jump wetsuit clad into the Hever lake. Thankfully it was not as cold as expected and I headed to the start line keeping well out to the left to reduce the risk of getting drowned by any of the other 100 competitors in my start wave.
The gun went and the swim started. I think I lasted about 50m before the trouble started; a complete lack of ability to breath due to the wetsuit. Made it another 50m before I started looking for the rescue canoes, but realising that I was not last by some margin decided to struggle on. So with a combination of strokes which I am certain don’t exist in any swim manual I reached the 200m turn around, time for another breather and a brief chat with a fellow competitor who was having as much fun as me. Going round the turn the end was now in sight and I eventually made it back on to dry land.
Into transition and off with the nasty wetsuit, time to put my time trial experience to good use. The lap at Hever starts with a long steady climb and I was soon passing plenty of other riders. Whilst some of them were from the earlier waves on the longer course, it was all the motivation I needed to overtake anyone I could see in front without going too deep into the red zone. Triathlon was now starting to be fun and far too quickly the 20k was done and I was entering back into the Hever grounds again.
Time for the run.Having done a few Duathlons I knew what was coming and it wasn’t time to start thinking about why I hadn’t done any brick sessions leading up to the event. The off road run route also starts with a climb - time to ignore the strange sensations in my legs and just go for it. The route then flattens out before descending, time to let the legs go and try and hold it all the way to the end.
A fast finish across the line and I hear the commentator announce my name and mention that I am the first male 50 home. Maybe all is not lost, but having gone off in the first wave there are plenty of others still to race.
Checking the overall results later proved interesting. After my difficult swim, placing 750th I had managed to eventually finish 39th out of 1133. In the v50 category 4th place, 1:44 off 1st and only 3 seconds off of 3rd and a podium spot. If only I could swim!
Will I be back again? Possibly. I fear that my son who raced on the Sunday in the 13-15 youth race is looking forward to a head to head in two years’ time when he is 16.
Nick.
P.S. Any swim coach recommendations would be considered.
P.P.S. Any tips on fitting a wetsuit. Whilst it did feel very tight, I suspect that this may be because I did not adjust it correctly when I put it on. I have also read that people soak them the day before and let water in through the neck when they enter the water so that it moves over the body better!