If At First You dun Succeed, Try Tri Again: SWIMMING ENDURANCE

I was always nervous and slightly fearful about swimming, not so much as a sailor cos invariably I would have my trusty life jacket on when sailing my cat or dinghy out at sea – and one would only need to thrash about after a capsize to get back to the boat and do all the correct drills for righting the boat - but the kind of swimming that takes u purposefully into the

All raring to compete in the OCC super Sprint Series

big sea! Prior to my first Triathlon, the only swimming I did in the sea in overhead water was swimming around our anchored yacht in the pristine waters of Tioman or Rawa. Now u are telling me we have to swim all the way out to THAT buoy and then some before coming back? And the half IRONMAN distance alone is 1.9km? What lies BENEATH??

Ok – too much. Let me go back two years plus and the decision to pursue the sport of Triathlon as a natural extension to swimming, which I was recommended to do as a sporting activity to help with my post – spinal operation care where I had undergone a laminectomy of my L5S1. They said it woulld help in building up my back again in addition to certain core strengthening and stability exercises. It was low impact and I look good enuf in my new Arena and TYR jammers so in I spashed!

Swims at the club and community pool were done in earnest, with 3-4 laps done with moderate ease, but still tired and panicky after the laps as I felt there was no way I could possibly continue swimming well thereafter. But it was a pool with known quantums and I preservered as the Freshman Tris I signed up for only had 250m swim courses. That should be easy, no? With enuf training? I tried my best and cld only muster two laps of continuous freestyle 100m before having to revert to breaststroke. But hey – as long as I am keeping the distance. Soon I could swim 6 laps with better speed and ease…alternating freestyle with breaststroke which I found to be easier.

The freshman and Mini tris came and went. I was doing well in my category in these super sprints – consistently chionging coming top three out of the water. The longest I swam in a race event was 500 m as a standalone (won a medal there!) and 750m as part of an aquathlon. I was gasping at the swim run out but hey I made it! I found out that I always went too fast too furious and had to learn a thing or two about pacing and endurance racing..in swims, in bikes and runs (but those other disciplines – akan datang stories) And then came the fated decision to pull out all stops and just sign up for the half IM distance with tehrest ofteh guys…who had Olympic Tri distances beneath their belts but not me. what was I thinking?? Swimming 1.9 km was unheard of in my vocabulary much less my experience thus far. And this was to be my nemesis and crutch for the last two months. But the training began: one fine day in September I tried splashing about at the OCC Club pool with my Ironman Team Epower member Adrian and managed 20 laps without stopping in 29 mins. Adrian advises that I put in nonstop 30 mins swims each time I hit the pool and build up the endurance from there...incrementally.

The next time I tried it- it was 28 mins and I even clocked a PB of 26 mins . All well and good but 1.9 km ..in similar form? I was doing alternate styles each lap and found that it worked best…giving me the peace of mind that I wld not tire out or drown as breaststroking was pretty much safe to me and I was kinda confident enuf about staying afloat and moving economically. We all know swimming is great for strengthening and toning muscles and developing your cardiovascular system as it improves blood and oxygen flow. Over time, I found that swimming actually provided me with greater endurance for running as I have larger lung capacity having found the strength to do 1000m swims.

This time I tried putting into practice what was preached : TO FOCUS, and to have POSITIVE thoughts during the swim. The focus is on the goal of finishing the swim..and not harbor NEGATIVE thoughts of failure or wanting to give up. It has been said that the mind is the control-center of this function, and in order for your body to receive an adrenalin boost, it's dependent upon one thing: the 'command' from your subconscious mind.

This means that if your mind is consumed with thoughts of fear, tiredness and the aching arms and legs, its mantra becomes "I can't wait for this race to end", and this means that adrenalin is regarded as 'unnecessary' and untapped. However, if your thoughts remain totally upbeat and positive during the race, and completely focused upon your goal of swimming a PB, your mind will signal the release natural power keg of adrenalin in its arsenal.

This Second Wind is also experienced in running. So the advice is out to keep your mind in super positive state during the swim - directed totally upon the goal (and not the negatives), and simply disallowing the fear, tiredness and negativity to cloud your mind. Well- I tried this out at the pool today – intending to draw on the adrenaline to push me and feed me till1.5 km...never be4 attempted...it went fine....and I actually felt fresh and calm and rhythmic even as I finished the 1000m 20 lap mark in about 27 mins....but alas – i couldn’t get up to the benchmark 1.5 km as halfway up the 24th lap – the lifeguard whistle blew a warning of a lightning storm so my experiment as an adrenaline junkie was curtailed. Oh well....next swim!!

Your mind and body are together a wondrous, incredible machine which can do almost anything you ask it to do, as long as you give it the right instructions. The Mind controls the body, and the mind is unlimited. I shall use this mantra when I get beyond the 1000m. Getting the strokes right an the swimming drills with aids and such? Now that’s another story.