Monday

Morning 

I did not have to get up quite so early this morning but the potential for a lie in was short lived has I was, yet again, heading for the pool. This time I was going by train as Loved One had a netball match and found it hard to be in two places at once. 

Alarm 

The bus ride into town was uneventful and because I was slightly early, I missed the train before the one I intended to catch by about a minute. May train rumbled up to the platform about ten minutes later. I was about to step on it when alarms all over the station went off. We were told that a fire alarm had been sounded and that we had to leave the platform area. I went past the barriers and waited. I few of the staff mentioned that they may need to evacuate the building. This was eating into my contingency time but at least I had some contingency. About five minutes later I was told that I could go to the trains. I was soon on my way 

Pool 

I was soon standing outside the pool with a group of people carrying massive mono fins. Today’s adventure was competing in the fin swimming. I was utterly clueless about the events but had entered on a whim, prompted by winning a snorkel in a raffle in Mallorca. 

Warm-up 

I discovered in the warmup that my snorkel was completely unsuitable for fin swimming. Firstly, the soft rubber section folded when I dived pulling the snorkel down my face, taking off my goggles in the process and secondly, the valve at the bottom was not allowed in the event as it was considered dangerous. I borrowed a legal snorkel, but I still could not dive in it. 

Race 

The first race was a fifty-meter surface bi-fin event. I started in the water as I felt that this was safer. I stormed down the pool and came in last with a time only two seconds slower than the first place. This was encouraging. The whole swimming with a snorkel was a bit strange but I figured that I would get used to it. 

Relay 

I do not like relays but, by a process that I did not understand I found that I was now swimming the first leg of one. Again, I opted to start in the water and for reasons that meant I was going first. I knew that I could swim the fifty meters required after doing the first event, so I had a lot less trepidation than the first event. Yet again the swim was over in a flash. 

Watching 

There was a long gap to my next event. This gave me a chance to watch the mono fin swimming. It was amazing and so graceful. I was offered the chance to try a mono fin but having the largest feet in the event meant that no one’s fin would fit me. 

Diving 

Near the end of the break, I was offered a with a snorkel diving lesson. I jumped at the opportunity. It turned out that I could do the diving part, it was the equipment that was letting me down. Someone lent me a proper snorkel and suddenly it became easier. The snorkel stayed on, and I did not end up trying to rearrange all the equipment on my head.  

Fast 

My nest race was the one-hundred-meter surface bi fin. This time I dived. I comfortably powered up and down the pool to record a decent time. I was much happier with my performance. Things were improving. 

Failure 

After a small pause, I was standing on the side of the pool again, ready to start the next event, the two-hundred-meter surface bi fin. The first two lengths flew by but that the start of the third I knew I was in trouble. I could feel the energy draining from my body and it suddenly became hard to breathe. I had gone out too fast and I was paying the price. Mid-way through the lap it all went wrong. My legs did not want to kick and breathing through a tube became a completely alien exercise. I stopped. I could not go on. 

Slow 

With the thought of the last event still in my mind I stood on the blocks for my last event, the four-hundred-meter surface bi-fin. Learning from the last event I decided that I needed to go slowly in this event. There was no point in kicking like a maniac for the first few lengths to be exhausted a long time before the end of the race. I was not worried about the time, I just wanted to finish. I plodded up and down the pool at a steady pace, trying not to kick too much. It started to get hard in the last half. It was the breathing that let me down. I could not get enough air down the tube. I wanted to put my face in the air, open my mouth and let the air in. Every now and again I pretended to sight but that was just an excuse to take a breath. I got to the end feeling that I had given it my all and knowing that if I am going to keep it up with fin swimming that I have a lot more work to do. 

Team 

I thought that I had finished, but the organiser had other ideas. I had been entered into a relay team. At least I knew that I could do this distance. As I could now dive with the snorkel I did not need to go first. I waited for my team mate to touch the side and leapt in for one last one-hundred-meter dash wearing fins and a snorkel. I was starting to enjoy this. 

Medals 

The advantage of being in a sport with very few competitors is that there is a high chance of getting a medal, I walked away from the event with a clutch of silver and bronze ones. Thay gave me a warm feeling of accomplishment. 

Home 

I got home a few minutes before Loved One and sat on the sofa with a cup of tea. I was feeling tired with the accumulated fatigue for three days of racing. I was not planning to move very quickly from the sofa at any point during the evening. 

Supper 

We finished the evening with a supper of cheese and biscuits. I did not need it by I certainly wanted it. The diet would have to resume in the morning.