Swmiiming tonight 8/6

Hi, Is anyone who is coming swimming bringing a non-swimmer who would be able to watch my kids for a bit please? It's my last chance before Wimbleball at the weekend and I could do with some more open water practise. Thanks.

Is this at sea swimming because my mums coming but not sea swimming so she could look after them at teignmouth

Thanks Sam it is but I can't go now as I have a sore throat and I am doing the half ironman on Sunday so can't take any chances at all. I need to be fit and on that start line 6am Sunday morning above anything else!!!

Which half IM are you doing, I'm at Bala on Sunday.

Wimbleball and skipping between nervousness and excitement. First time at this distance. Swim and bike not phasing me (although the bike maybe should be but that's where I'm most comfortable) but run could be interesting!

Nik wrote:Wimbleball and skipping between nervousness and excitement. First time at this distance. Swim and bike not phasing me (although the bike maybe should be but that's where I'm most comfortable) but run could be interesting!

I've not done that one; good luck, just save a bit for the run. I tend to fuel a lot on the bike and that helps with the run.

Second year at Bala for me; it's a bit of a lumpy course but very beautiful!

I have a gel, Mule Bar and Go plan for the bike (various combinations every 15 mins) and water (mouthful at every drinks station, it worked for the GWR) and gel every half hour for the run. It'll be sticky and sickly and I'll either be throwing up or looking for chips with loads of salt and vinegar by the end!

Hi Nik

The swim was cancelled tonight so you missed nothing. The water was choppy, but it was more the poo (literally) floating around that put the majority off - no one went in whilst I was there anyway!

Maybe I'll see you somewhere on the course on Sunday! It maybe a little difficult to identify me in the swim, but I'll be the one wheezing and groaning up the hills on the bike..... There are a couple of cheeky hills on the run, but by the time to get to them you'll be so driven to finish I doubt they'll worry you. Last year I took the walk up the hills run the down and flats strategy, this worked well for me - and a lot of others too it seemed. So no shame in taking the odd walk break here and there.

I found the mass start to be quite rough last year, lots of dirty tactics - I totally blame the men for this!! So if you can, and you just want to stay out of trouble and do the distance, try and position yourself toward the outside when you get in at the start. I took this tactic at a subsequant race and actually swam past loads of people that were almost grinding to a halt trying to go as close to the buoy as possible!! I didn't have to break my stroke at all.

Good luck - and I hope we both make it!!