Solitude in swimpractice

I guess swimming is a lonely sport.

There is no chatting about during the swimsets.

They are rarely followed by coffee unlike the longer bike sessions.

And there is never anyone breathing down your neck like during some runs.

But swimming? No. Swimming you do by yourself -for yourself.

But the swim session I had yesterday afternoon was one of loneliest I have experienced for a while. But I guess that is what happens when you are the only one in the group turning up to a open water lake swim.

The set we normally do on a Friday afternoon is all about rhythm and strength endurance – along a rowing course. It’s about 500m to get there, then 1800m one way. Along bouy, after bouy, after bouy… It starts with yellow boyus, then they turn into red ones, then orange. It’s very stimulating….

But in one way it summarizes all what triathlon is about.

Ultimately it comes down to yourself – and your rhythm. It’s nothing fancy about it really.

I kind of enjoyed the solitude.

I had a kayaker withing reach for safety.

And I swam.  In my own pace and rhythm.

It was great.

(This picture is of course not from yesterdays swim. As you see I have company (Vicky) and the backdrop is the old town of Mombasa, Mombasa Triathlon 2009)

Categories: Training

Tags: fancy, lake, open water, rhythm, solitude