Friday 25 January 2013

20.01.13 The Swim

As I walked from transition to the swim start I was slightly excited about the upcoming swim.  The conditions looked really good, the weather looked good and I was feeling confident.  The swim start 'holding area' was on one side of the Maritime Museum hidden from the crowd whilst the actual swim start was on the other side.  We all knew our wave start positions, I was the next wave after the male and female pro's.  I was standing there knowing we had at least 10 minutes before we got in the water and there were people already fully suited up in the morning Auckland heat.  At the last possible moment I asked a fellow swimmer to zip me up and before I knew it we where being led through a gap in the building to the swim start.  We went underneath a mini tunnel and could hear the crowds on the other side.  It sounds ridiculous but it was like Gladiators just about to go into battle.  We came through to the other side and could now see and hear the crowds of people before we made our way to a small jetty and began jumping into the Auckland Harbour.

We had around 5 minutes to warm up before the start.  Not a great warm up as I like to swim for around 10 minutes as a minimum to get the wetsuit in the correct position and my heart rate up so I am not starting with a cold engine.  This is not going to be the case in this race.  Before I know it we are at the start line waiting for the whistle to go.  I am visualising the course in my head from all the times that I have reviewed it on the website when the whistle goes off.  The sprint is on but the field is defiantly smaller and more spread out compared to Tauranga and it is a good sprint.  I am heading towards the first buoy and feeling quite good.   I know the first buoy is around 300 metres away according to my calculations and I get into my rhythm quickly.  Before I know it I am at the fist buoy and turning for the second which is a good 400 metres away.  My goggles have been tightened so as not to have the same leaking incident that I had in Tauranga and I am feeling good.  I feel a pulling sensation on my head and in no time at all my swim cap has come off my head and is floating behind me.  I carry on a little pissed off that I have lost my cap as it was a good one.  I am nearly at the second buoy and still feeling good.  I round the second buoy and head towards the third buoy.  There are two distinct groups from what I can see and I am leading the second group.  We hit the third buoy and begin to make our way to the fourth buoy when the leaders of the age group behind start to pass us.  The fourth buoy is passed fairly quickly and we are heading back under the bridge we crossed to get to the swim start and the last buoy before transition.  I am heading towards the bridge but it doesn't seem to be getting any closer.  I keep looking up and eventually I pass beneath it.  I see the last buoy which is around 40 metres from the finish.  I round the buoy and head into shore.  I swim for around 30 metres before I hit the stairs and I am on my feet running up stairs from the ocean to the transition area.

Below is the link to my swim:

ironman Auckland 70:3 by IronmanBarefoot at Garmin Connect - Details

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