Team PRA Triathlon Blog, Entry 3: Let the tapering begin

Having gained my ‘water wings’ badge at 7 and then dominated the 100m in my pyjamas at 10 I was all over the swimming section of the triathlon when Damian put forward the idea. A couple of glasses of wine down at the time, I had the faith that my pre-adolescent ‘gills’ would come good and 750m in open water at 24 would be no dramas.

Turns out I was a touch optimistic…One length of a 33m pool at Richmond and I was seeing the old regulars about 50 years my senior cut me up laughing at me in their wake. So I took a more serious approach and committed myself to some regular early morning swims.

A few weeks later, I stepped up from my nice heated saga-holiday-style pool at Richmond, waved goodbye to my new ‘swimming buddies’, wished them well as if they were my own Grandparents and decided to go swim with the big guns down at the 100m long, unheated Tooting don’t-swim-here-unless-you’re-serious-and-don’t-smile-or-talk Lido. One length of the seemingly infinite pool was a worrying struggle and I looked well out of my depth, but my housemate and I have continued regular 6.30am Tooting Lido visits and now nearly resemble locals (no longer talking or smiling, in fact just crying).

Now enjoying the swimming I’m looking forward to the day and although I don’t enjoy just how much lycra and skin tight equipment is needed to perform in this race, I am looking forward to getting competitive!! Aside from the obvious concerns of contracting some sort of toxic disease from the Thames, getting smacked in the face during the swim, wetsuit filling up with water and drowning, I hope I make it and do it in a decent time all whilst raising some good funds for the PRA Benevolent Fund.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far, it is all massively appreciated and we all hope we do a good/sufficient/all turn up at least job.

Guthers

If you would like to sponsor the PRA Triathlon team, who are raising funds for the PRA Benevolent Fund, the Players' Charity, please visit www.justgiving.com/pratriathlon

To read previous PRA Triathlon blogs go to www.prarugby.com/triathlon