The 'S' Word

Anyone who knows me well enough, knows that I hate swimming. Why..? Well it goes back 30 odd years to swimming lessons at School where we had an awful swimming teacher. She used to walk alongside you while you were swimming, and hold a broom on your back to either push you away from the side, or worse still, under the water.

It got to the point where I'd feel physically sick just smelling the chlorine as you enter the pool building. This feeling has lasted ever since. Even taking my kids to the pool is an ordeal for me.

4 years ago I decided to get off the sofa which had been my friend for the previous 4 years (since I retired from competitive high end club hockey), and train for a marathon. At the start of the training schedule I blogged that in amongst doing a marathon, my other dreams were

1.Ironman – any location, preferable somewhere nice and hot where I can have a holiday with the family after
2.Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon – only if it’s not a misty day
3.Ride the TDF route
4.Run or cycle from one side of America to another
5.Cycle LEJOG, or JOGLE
6.Marathon – London and New York
7.Skate comfortably over half marathon distance – preferably without falling over!

I can tell you now, that I've only managed tick off a couple of things on my list. I've ran a (few) marathon(s) (5 official ones and many unofficial ones in training) but never London or New York. I also managed to skate a half marathon distance - I didn't manage it all upright.

My other 'dreams' on the list don't really bother me now, apart from one....Ironman. This has always been burning a hole, always present, but forever being pushed to the back of my mind. And why? Because in order to do an ironman, I'd have to conquer the swim portion of the event. I'd not only have to overcome my fear of pools (not water funnily enough), but learn to swim (further than the 25m I can just about manage now), and learn front crawl instead of breast stroke.

For 4 years I've accepted the fact that doing an ironman wasn't going to happen.

However, it actually bugs me that an incompetent teacher from 30 years ago, is influencing my decisions now...bugger that. I've decided to face my fears. I've downloaded the local pool opening times, and I intend to get goggled up and take the plunge!

This may lead to an ironman one day, or it could lead to disaster. But we never know these things unless we try, and keep on trying.