2 years on.....Join a Tri Club & go to the Velodrome

So here we are almost two years on, it's the first week of February 2022 already, 2 years have just disappeared in lockdowns and isolation of one sort or another! The UK has had a relatively mild winter, the birds have started singing and we have daffodil buds in the garden, spring will soon hopefully be here 😘

My challenges have changed beyond any recognition.  I'm still swimming at Stoney Cove, at least once per week. The water is cold at the moment, about 6.3o, because we have not had a cold winter I'm not sure it will get much colder, but who knows.  I've been back to the swimming pool for the first time in 2 years!!  Actually a friend invited me to go along to a taster swim session at a local Tri club - Welland Valley in Market Harborough.   

Having been before to a different club and made to feel ....well old, slow and pretty useless, to say I was apprehensive would be an under statement. However, on this occasion I was very surprised and impressed!!  Do you know that there was actually a swimmer slower than me, someone I could relate to, who understood that not everyone can swim at what I consider to be lightening speed. 

The instructor Nicki was lovely and she actually had me doing drills in bilateral breathing - Who knew I would ever do that.  I've been practising it and Wow what a difference. So if like me you are a nervous / new swimmer and do triathlon, go join a Tri Club. 💪 The right Coach can make such a big difference.

I've also been to the Velodrome. it was on my bucket list for my 60th so it needed to be done. I scared myself witless, I have been back a couple of times now and with a few deep breaths, a lot of concentration and the support of some good friends, I can now get all the way up to the top. 

Have to take my hat off to the Olympic Team the likes of Laura and Jason Kenny, Katie Archibald and all those people who do it professionally. It is so much harder than it looks and the angle of the track (42o at Derby ) is scary when you see it up close and personal.

This year I'll be doing a Sprint Triathlon, The Breast Cancer Night ride at Windsor and the NC500 bike ride around Scotland - It looks very hilly, so in the best of preparation I'm doing some Hilly Sportives and not looking to closely at the NC500 route as scaring myself is probably not a good thing.  

By the way, the lady I swim open water with, doesn't wear a wetsuit, with water at 6.3o in my opinion she is either brave or mad, either way she is a kind caring person but still slightly bonkers 😎

Thank you for reading this update, and hopefully I can make you smile and give you some tips or if you have any advice for me, please leave a comment, it will be most welcome