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Why you SHOULD join a TRI Club!! Please Take 5 to read...i need to thank 3 guys!!

Hi...ok, here's my little ditty as to why you should consider a club.....

My event is looming, June 8th! Knee inhury has forced me off the run, and yet, can still swim, and bike slightly..will NOT be beaten...anyway...Open Water called and so looked into 2 clubs in my area...Chester and Wrexham..decided on Wrexham for various reasons...SO, put a post on the Wrexham Tri Site and a chap replied and said they was a planned swim in Chester, on Sunday, 5pm!

RIGHT, needed to get in, so off i went! Hard enough actaully going alone, pi**in down with rain, but hey, were gonna get wet anyway!

So i sat in my car @ 4.45 and waited..... sure enough, 4.55, 3 cars Turned up, not knowing WHAT to expect, only to find, Tim, Shane and Chris. Anyway, lashing down with rain, and not the nicest of days, but hey ho, was looking forward to it and to be greeted by these 3 really welcoming guys!!

So, I explained I was new, never been in open water before etc etc!!

They were absolutely FANTASTIC!! I genuinely mean it, FANTASTIC!! They explained stuff, were SO helpful and supportive it was unreal!!

What they were also HUGELY supportive when I had to bail god knows how far in just because of the sheer shock of it all!!

What made it worse, I failed miserably, and yet, met 3 really really nice and helpful guys and for that, want to say THANK YOU!!

It’s because of the support these guys give I will be back in the water to try again, rather than jacking it all in and going back to me sport of biking!!

The sheer shock of the cold, not that I was expecting warm, was unreal! Took my breath away, and I never recovered after that! I panicked, and Shane who swam with me was just awesome, really helpful, and trust me mate, I don't bail easily, so I mist have been worried! But I thank each and every one of you, so that’s TIM SHANE AND CHRIS... THANK YOU!!

I can't stress enough how much shock to the system it was, the whole thing, eveything that has ever been talked about on this Forum came real for me last night, and until you experience it, it's NOT real!!

I spent all last night pondering, big dent in my ego, going through what each of you said and as I say, I WILL try again!!

I apologise for slowing you up, but your advice and support was invaluable.... :D:D:D:D

Comments

  • Espace, i'm in a similar situation to you.



    I have my first open water event at Blenheim and then the UK Ironman 70.3 the week after. I had never swum in open water nor worn a wetsuit in my life though!



    I heard about a place called Heron Lake out near Heathrow Airport (I live in Tottenham) that does early morning sessions. So last Saturday I got up at 4 and did a 35 mile cycle to get there where I paid for an introductory session by a guy named Rick Kiddle. He basically took a group of us through how to swim in open water, which went through all the technical stuff like putting on and taking off a wetsuit and other hints and tips. Then we spent about an hour in the water doing some swimming, sighting and other stuff. All really really useful and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone else who is thinking of trying open water swimming or who wants their confidence boosting (he does different levels of courses I think).



    The only bit of advice that I would pass on - before you get in the water spend 2 mins breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then when you get in the water spend a couple of minutes doing the same thing and acclimitising yourself to the water temperature. IF you just try and swim straight away you will have real problems.



    I then had to cycle back another 35 miles before spending the whole day working in my garden putting up a fence - thankfully I had Wine to keep my company!



    A big thanks to SBR sports as well who hired me a wetsuit for the swim and then sold me it for a good price at the end. I now feel set for Blenheim!



    Jack
  • epacseepacse Posts: 92
    Hi Jack...thanks for the reply!

    It went to sh*t big time, just all fell apart!

    I never had time to get used to the water, the walk in was only about 3 foot, up to your shins and thats it, you were IN!

    Then as we swam up river, i;d not recovered and was panting, the banks closed in and went to nothing, as in, no acces out, felt very enclosed and yet the river was so wide!! That it'self also played a part!

    Not judging where i was going didn't help, Oh it just all went PETE TONG!!

    Really worrys you for your event doesn't it..... well it has me, glad to see yours is coming together and good luck, keep us posted as to how you get on?!

    Thanks again... [:D]
  • GallantryGallantry Posts: 38
    Epasce Jack's spot on - I also did the Rick K course (although last year)... spend a good couple of minutes ankle/ calf deep in the river, get your hands in and used to the water too then splash your face a bit... all of this will help you acclimatise... If you walk straight in you're likely to get breathless on contact with the water as your body basically says WTF and goes into a bit of a shock like response... if you get in more slowly it may help reduce the feeling of enclosed space you felt... also try and remember you can float in your wetsuit so just hangout a bit and float back downstream!!



    As for Jack - Oh my I'm doing 70.3 too - sounds like you're well prepared, 35miles each way indeed !! Well done!



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