I competed in the Tri It Aquathon Qualifier held near Durham on Saturday 25th May, with the objective to qualify for the 2013 London ITU Aquathon World Championships as a GB Age Grouper.
And did I learn some lessons!
I arrived at the event thinking I could still compete while suffering from what I had convinced myself was a minor irritating chest infection. Having comfortably run just under 10km in a reasonably pleasing time the preceding Wednesday, I thought I could run through the coughing and congestion that had started on the Thursday and worsened on Friday. How wrong was I!
The first evidence of the challenge was in the swim. Getting out of the water, I realised I could not run to transition and was shocked by just how much I was wheezing. I typically swim 400m consistently around 6:45 but on Saturday I was just relieved to get out of the water. My swim time for 750m was probably 2mins slower than I expected.
On starting the 5km run I realised I had under-estimated the extent of the chest infection problem. Turning left out of transition, the shortness of breath and my heart rate rapidly reaching my maximum, I starting walking in less than 400m. Not even one third of the way round Lap 1 of 4 laps. I was devastated. Although walking, I couldn’t seem to get my breathing normal but the heart rate had lowered so I set off for another 400m, then walked and so on. Maybe it’s a Scottish hangover thing (!) or plain stupidity but I also had this repeating thought going around my mind that I could not have a DNF – so did the run, walk, run until the 4 laps were completed. My brain was in a turmoil – it’s only 5km! And I’m getting lapped!
The result: My performance on Saturday was significantly outwith the needed 115% of the winner Bud Johnston’s time of 32:55.
My health? Well hopefully – I have got away with it – but I should know better.
A difficult but salutary lesson – if ill or not feeling 100% – don’t compete…
Colin McLean
