Bad Bad Boy

I really didn't want to go for a swim today.There is a syndrome that effects triathletes; Sometimes when you have a couple of days off plan and then have to start training again you get this huge psychological resistance. You just don't want to train. And so it as today

I flew to England on Friday night and managed to get a few lengths in the super heated, super chlorinated 10m pool at Dubai. Actually I didn't swim that much just practised my pushoffs and made 3 strokes. Then I was at the other end.

It was brilliant for destressing from the flight - but for training purposes it seems to have little effect. Muscle memory aside. That as it for Saturday but on Sunday I had one of the big treats. It wasn't the real reason for going to England, but the thought had gnawed at me since it popped into my head.

I headed up to Curbar, intending to meet Amy (who wimped - unfair but true). I parked on this really steep road and after a bit of faffing I remembered my instructions and went up the hill hard. This was all very well for a few seconds. My lungs though are delicate things and are used to the arm and moist heavily oxygenated malay air. Sub zero, zero moisture English hill air. ...

I don't know if any of you have ever eaten a ball of doughy bread and then felt it stick in your craw. There is a huh huh huh feeling as it's trapped; but not really trapped. Blocked; but not really. The it goes with a draft of water. The air as like that bread - except it was cold and hot at the same time at the top of my lungs. Uggggguggg! Kept running though and it soon cleared up; coincidentally as the slope slackened actually :)

I ran out for about 30 minutes which was mostly down hill splashing happily away and then eventually reached another road and turned round. The ay back as mostly up hill and I slowly put the pace up and pushed hich was really nice. Cool with the wind in my face and super heated sweat inside my jacket as I over heated. Nice.

A most enjoyable run - but bashed my toenail a bit more - and I say thank you God for giving me a pair or gortex socks.

On the flight back on Monday night - or Tuesday morning I had another pointless but relaxing swim at Dubai and then spent Wednesday looking after  Maya and trying to find time to Cycle. It didn't happen - despite being needed as I was in a foul mood all afternoon.

Today was the swim day. This is usually at lunch time but for some reason I called Senay as I left the office. Trouble at home? Of course I'll come over right away. :) After a while of helping move wardrobes around I headed off for the pool.

Go even if you don't want to. Do 5 minutes and then go pack to work. But get in the pool before you decided. That was my conscience. I didn't care. It was touch and go as I drove don to the turning for work. Would I go back to work or go for a swim?  Work on and I skipped the swim.
  
No I didn't, but it was that close. But I had a terrible swim. If you replaced an elephants legs with the legs from an Ant and asked the result to swim I'm sure the result would have been better and more graceful. Utterly diabolical. I was so negative in the pool, convinced each length was going to be worse than the one before - and they were. I fought back but they were feeble attempts.

And so I gave up trying to be elegant, and gave up trying to have a decent stroke. I just didn't give a shit. And so I managed to beat my best time by about 3 seconds with an abysmal effort that involved lots of white water, uber speedy arms  with very short pulls and absolutely no pretence of rotating my body. Total crap - but it was fast. I then had the dilemma of trying to do it again or not. So I dithered and ended up doing crap but slow.

Quite happy when I got out the pool as I'd done everything, I'd tried my best and fought back against everything that as being negative. Yes it was total crap - but it was a success in it's own way. Lots of good reasons why - no training for a few days, no mentally on the right level, still shattered from  a very fast out and back to the UK. Tomorrow I'm on the treadmill and I'm going to give that a pasting.