Introduction

I came, I saw, I concurred. Well may be not the last one, but I did concur that fear of would my swimming stand up under (serious) stress. As it turned out the answer was mainly a yes it did (stand up).

We went as a threesome: myself and Gary and Dianne (head and assistant coaches from Buxton). They are on a mission, aiming for the World Masters in Perth (Australia) next year. Me I was on a mission to get a proper racing swim under my belt.

Now I've been training pretty well with Craig in Stockport, but still had a number of nagging doubts (would I be fast enough? Would I look silly? Would it be worth it? ...) And last week I had a bit of a "wobberly" over diving, something that joe-public-swimmer doesn't get to do very often (i.e. ever).

My diving consisted of a couple of kids practices, diving from the side and a couple of Craigs sessions diving from the sides. Now I arbitarily picked the track start style over the traditional dive, but when trying this with Gary last Wednesday, he said I'd be disqualified for wobbling, so I swapped to the traditional dive - still rubbish, but no wobbling. And then on Friday I used Stockport's blocks and couldn't stay upright on them, so went back to a track start - altogether more stable...

And then there's the contact lense issue. I am slightly "blind" but it doesn't normally bother me when swimming because I know both pools I swim in, where to go and what to do. But a new pool where I've got to be in the right lane at the right time... that calls for a day in my lenses. Okay no problem, I've swum in them a few times before, but never dived in them. And my old favorite goggles were starting to leak. So new goggles (Speedo aquablades) and I love them, practiced in them all last week - no leaks and they survived all my dives, so I've a solution to my main worry.

Sunday Morning - Arrival and Intimidation

We spent the night in the Holiday Inn Express and got to the pool at about 9:15 and here started the butterflies! I got out of the car and there were a good number of "big" athlete types (you know the ones who have that athletic "lope"?). And when we got in to the pool (very nice is GL1 in Gloucester) and found ourselves some pool side seats, just looking around and there were "professional" groups of swimmers in matching team tracksuites, or t-shirts (saying things like Portsmouth Masters Club, or Bristol University...). Even Gary and Dianne (and why wouldn't they) were wearing matching Buxton club/PTI t-shirts. I guess a good 60-70% of people looked the part. And then there was me: wearing trendy shorts (that's okay) and a "Shawn-the-Sheep" from Wallace and Gromit t-shirt (mmm not so good).

So yes a touch intimidated, or may be in awe (if at 38 that's allowed). And then it was warmup time

Morning Warm-up, a knotty problem

9:30 female warm-up, followed by 10:00 mens. Gary said pick a lane that you're going to be swimming in and get used to the pool, the walls and so forth. So I did, and found that it's a "proper" pool - with no guttering!!! So how the hell am I suppose to turn in my butterfly and IM?!?! Tried a couple of open turns and...not good. The swimming itslef was okay and at least stopped the main worries. And even managed three or four practice dives with goggles intact and no one laughing).

10:30 - "bully off" time, so it's out of the pool to dry off and watch the mixed 200M free. And here some more intimidation starts as the middle heats where people had put in times of 3:00(ish) were being won in 2:40/2:30. And one chap who was in my age group and swimming the 100M free posted a 1:08 for his first 100M. So I'm thinking they're all much faster than there times and my times were about as good as I could do (When I submitted them), so I'm going to get pasted...

Anyway I couldn't worry for too long because my left calf suddenly knotted right up (and is still incredably painful now). Oh bugger, thinks I, not only is everyone faster than me, I'm going to flounder with cramp half way through!!

Mens 50M Fly

My first event was at 11:30, so at about 11:00 I decided to start warming up and try and remove the knot from my leg. Oh yes and change into one of my pairs of Jammers. Oh, forgot to mention the number of body suites, long tights and stuff on display. Still at least my jammers looked the part (but didn't cost anywhere near the price of some pieces of kit). So warmed up and very tense, it's up onto the blocks for my heat, which happend to have Gary in as well. Into my track start position (did I hear someone giggle?), and don't wobble... don't wobble. Well I didn't and dived in when told and... my !")!ing goggles had a fit and suddenly both lenses are full of water. So I swim the race in blurred vision, not knowing where the wall is, not knowing whether I've still got my lenses in and completely missing my finish because I could risk another stroke and smashing into the wall (no depth perseption).

So 31.75s later my event one is over and I later find that I've come 4th in my age group. Well not bad, and very good coonsidering the goggles fiasco. The depressing bit was I can go faster because I've done just over 30s with Craig. Still I didn't loose and noone laughed (that I heard).

Mens 100M Free

I had about half an hour between the 'fly and the 100M free. So after drying myself off I decided to tighten my wonderful goggles, just a bit. Now I am really scared that they are going to fail me for the rest of the gala, and the 100M free is goign to be swum very badly indeed.

But I shouldn't have worried (too much) because this time, perhaps it was the tightening, or a better dive. But the relief when I surfaced and they were still on my face, where I wanted them, with no water leaks was pallitable! As far as the race went, the first 50M was good, the second was bad. Afterwards Garry said I've got to stop breathing every stroke cycle when sprinting. He said the first length-and-a-half I was ahead (at 50M I was winning my age group) but then the second half, breathing every two killed my speed. I finished with an official 1:03.50 which is about the time I last did with Craig. I went out in 30.3 but lost in on the second half. But I got a medal - because I came third in my group!!

Mens 100IM

This was my first event of the afternoon. we went to Asda for a sandwich lunch and only got back with 10 minutes of warm up left. I hopped in and did 200-300M in my second pair of Jammers. Again for this race Gary was in the pool with me. And again my goggles stayed on for the dive. I didn't think I swam this particularly well and came in with a 1:13.60 which was way behind Gary. However it was enough for second place in my age group - a silver medal to me!

Mens 50M Free - bring on the speed merchants

There were 93 entrants (across all ages) for the men's 50M free. In my age group there were four who'd got entry times way ahead of my PB. But for this one event, because I knew there were several much faster than me, I relaxed and just wanted to set a PB, just get under 30s proper.

I warmed up quite well, and decided that I'd breath at most every four strokes (two cycles instead of one). Also Craig, this last week, had been saying dolphin kick off the turns, and in the 100M I didn't I just reverted to type (streamline and kick into my first stroke).

Now when I got to my lane there were two full body suite people being zipped up and a third saying he wasn't bothering with his suite for the 50M. This last chap went in the heat before me and posted a 30.03 - fast I thought, but I wouldn't buy a body suite swimming at that pace! And then it was me... I got up and did a good dive (I think) goggles intact and charge. I hit the wall on a proper full stroke (that was rare) and four dolphins off the wall. I was aware the chap in the lane next to me was right up with me, which forced me not to be lazy keep to my breathe every four, or more, tactic. And I think I hit the wall on just about a full stroke as well. Panting, I turned and looked at the score board, and for that heat I was FIRST!!! in 0:28.92!!!!!!! Oh my God I'd done it, best swim ever (by me). So when I got out I was chuffed to bits. And better yet that was eventually good enough for my second silver (the winner did 28:09), but hey I did it - one very happy bunny here:)

In Summary

So in the end a really good time. Things to remember - in these events you are really only swimming against yourself; don't be intimidated by good looking athletes - if there better so what? But some of them won't be; turn better and breathe less and you'll do alright.

So between us we entered 14 events and got five golds, four silvers and four bronzes. We came, we saw, we did alright actually.

And I think I can almost start calling myself a speedie, because one of my criteria was sub-30s for 50M and 28:92 sounds under 30 seconds to me!!