The Great East Swim this last Saturday did not go so well I am afraid. I have done quite a few swimming events this past year. I also did last year's Great North Swim (which was really good) and this year quite a few triathlons as well as the Great Big Open Water swim at Dorney Lake, which was 3km. Unfortunatly I had had to send back my triathlon hire wetsuit the week before this swim so I had decided to use my old surfing wetsuit.
However, disaster struck when I discovered that I have lost weight recently and I when I put on my wetsuit I discovered it was loose around the neck and arms. Not good as it kept in no heat at all and made it harder to swim but I thought it would not be too bad, especially seeing as there were several people swimming without wetsuits at all. Unfortunately the weight loss also seems to have affected my ability to deal with cold water. As the swim went on I got slower and slower and colder and colder. Eventually I was shivering and shaking so much it was obvious to the safety kayakers that I was in serious trouble. Although I really didn't want to I asked for help. I don't really remember that much of what happened but I was pulled out of the water put in a boat and rushed back to shore and then taken to the medical tent. By this time I was shivering so much I could not even say my name to the first aid people and was having trouble focussing on anything. I'm not a trained medical doctor but I am a trained first aider and so I recognise the early signs of what I suspect was hypothermia. I have never been that cold before and not being able to speak was quite scary. The medical staff were fantastic though. They had in in front of a heater, talking to me and calmed me down and although it took me quite a long time to recover I was eventually able to get myself home to Cambridge.
I am obviously bitterly disappointed to say the least. I really enjoyed the Great North Swim last year and had hoped to do all the great swims this year. Unfortunately work commitments meant the Great East Swim was the only one I could do. Having not finished the only event I could make I was absolutely gutted. I guess the important thing is to not lose the lesson and to do better next year. I will be back and I will do every Great Swim event I possibly can.
PS; If you go here
http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/galleries/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=Galleries&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=IPED27%20Sep%202009%2022%3A05%3A17%3A040
and look at pictures 14 and 15 you will see me in a shorty wetsuit looking very cold (having just come out of the practise) this was a hint of things to come.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
2 in two days
I ran not one but two (count em) marathons a couple of weeks ago (12th and 13th Sept 2009). The Three2go Lee Valley Trail Marathon (http://www.three2go.org.uk/) down in Ware on Saturday and then the Nottingham Robin Hood marathon on Sunday (http://www.experianfestivalofrunning.co.uk/). Pics from the latter are online at http://www.marathon-photos.com/scripts/event_entry.py?event=Sports/CPUK/2009/Robin%20Hood%20Marathon;match=11979 as well as a video of me limping over the line.
The Lee valley marathon was nice, I got lost on the way there and started 13 minutes behind everyone else but managed to catch up and not come last. The run itself was through some very nice countryside and I was happy I was able to do the distance after being in Japan. I had a bit of pain in my right leg at the end but did not think much of it. I also had a bit of trouble getting back to the start to go home but it worked out in the end. As soon as I got home I had to have a quick shower and jump on the train to Nottingham. That worked out quite well and my cheap as chips hotel was right near the station.
I started the Nottingham marathon OK but the pain in my leg from the day before soon came back. By half way I was in quite a lot of pain and considered pulling out and just doing the half marathon but I was determined to keep going. The pain eased off after a while but I had to do a sort of limp/run for a while but I did not stop or walk even when I got to one section by a lake where you had to go up and down and double back on yourself for a couple of miles (very depressing sight). I finished in around 4 hours and I could not walk afterwards but I felt very pleased with myself, until I saw this - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8256589.stm.
The Lee valley marathon was nice, I got lost on the way there and started 13 minutes behind everyone else but managed to catch up and not come last. The run itself was through some very nice countryside and I was happy I was able to do the distance after being in Japan. I had a bit of pain in my right leg at the end but did not think much of it. I also had a bit of trouble getting back to the start to go home but it worked out in the end. As soon as I got home I had to have a quick shower and jump on the train to Nottingham. That worked out quite well and my cheap as chips hotel was right near the station.
I started the Nottingham marathon OK but the pain in my leg from the day before soon came back. By half way I was in quite a lot of pain and considered pulling out and just doing the half marathon but I was determined to keep going. The pain eased off after a while but I had to do a sort of limp/run for a while but I did not stop or walk even when I got to one section by a lake where you had to go up and down and double back on yourself for a couple of miles (very depressing sight). I finished in around 4 hours and I could not walk afterwards but I felt very pleased with myself, until I saw this - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8256589.stm.
Monday, 7 September 2009
Great Yorkshire Run
I went to Sheffield this weekend for the Great Yorkshire run. This is a 10km round Sheffield. The friend I was supposed to run with let me down and cancelled by text on the morning of the race which I was really annoyed about. The race itself was good. I stayed at my Dad's in Manchester had a very nice weekend with family and drove over to Sheffield on the Sunday morning. I parked near the Don valley Stadium and got the tram in. I'd been wanting to try the Sheffield tram to see how it stacked up against the Manchester one (quite well as it happens). I missed my start time but just went in the next wave 7 minutes later so so worries.
The race was not quite as big or nice as the Great Manchester run but I got a time of 43:51 which I was quite pleased with, not quite as fast as the 43:12 PB I got in Manchester earlier in the year but then the last 400m of this one were uphill.
To get there from my Dad's this required a drive through the Pennines. It was really, really nice country side sort of heathland and valleys and reservoirs and I wished I could have stopped to look round. I like that kind of countryside, To quote one of my favourite quotes
"I love all waste And solitary places; where we taste The pleasure of believing what we see Is boundless, as we wish our souls to be"
Shelley
I was thinking that perhaps I will go could go back there and do some hiking next time I am in Manchester.
Pics to follow when I get them.
Now back to training for the marathon this weekend. I hope I can do it. I have not done any long runs for a bit due to being in Japan but I ran for 1:36.03 this lunchtime with no problems so I hope I should be OK, I just may be a bit slow.
UPDATE
Pics are here
http://media.greatrun.org/index.php?page=search3&st&race_id=58&runner_no=6462
Results are here
http://raceresults.greatrun.org/results.aspx?race=132
just do a search for my name.
The race was not quite as big or nice as the Great Manchester run but I got a time of 43:51 which I was quite pleased with, not quite as fast as the 43:12 PB I got in Manchester earlier in the year but then the last 400m of this one were uphill.
To get there from my Dad's this required a drive through the Pennines. It was really, really nice country side sort of heathland and valleys and reservoirs and I wished I could have stopped to look round. I like that kind of countryside, To quote one of my favourite quotes
"I love all waste And solitary places; where we taste The pleasure of believing what we see Is boundless, as we wish our souls to be"
Shelley
I was thinking that perhaps I will go could go back there and do some hiking next time I am in Manchester.
Pics to follow when I get them.
Now back to training for the marathon this weekend. I hope I can do it. I have not done any long runs for a bit due to being in Japan but I ran for 1:36.03 this lunchtime with no problems so I hope I should be OK, I just may be a bit slow.
UPDATE
Pics are here
http://media.greatrun.org/index.php?page=search3&st&race_id=58&runner_no=6462
Results are here
http://raceresults.greatrun.org/results.aspx?race=132
just do a search for my name.
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