Mooloolaba Triathlon

So, late last year my friend Belle told me that I was on standby to fill a spot in her team that was competing in the Mooloolaba Triathlon in late March. In late January, she told me she didn't want to train to swim the 1500m and that I was in.

I admit, I was thinking the whole time "how hard can it be, it is only 1500m..."

Well, last weekend was D-Day! I spent the weekend at Mooloolaba and had a blast. However when I woke up Sunday morning and realised it was time to actually do it... I FREAKED OUT HARDCORE!!! This only intensified when I walked down onto the beach and saw the entire 1500m mapped out by buoys.

In my head, 1500ms isn't that far. You know, it is only 15 x 100m - EASY! However, when you see the entirety of the swim out there in front of your eyes... it is really deceptive!

I also have a really irrational fear of sharks, and that course was a LONG, and I mean LONG, way out to sea! So walking the 800m up the beach to the start line, I really started to freak!

Luckily I had Dave and Clarkey with me, and conversation on anything other than the swim I was about to do was a welcome distraction!

Once I got up there the boys disappeared as their waves started before mine. Luckily their company was replaced by my beautiful friend Sian, her hubby Matt and the rest of the Japan crew!

One thing I should say is, I have never been a distance swimmer! Yes, I swam Ks and Ks before and after school for years, but my training is one thing. Racing is another and anything over 100m in a race was not good for me :P

My goal before the swim was to do it in approximately 30 mins. I though a 2 min pace per hundred was fairly acceptable.

So I started the course. It was an M shaped course. Out to sea, back in on an angle, through the buoy gate, back out to sea on an angle, around the buoy and then back to shore.

After the first part out to sea, I was feeling really really good. Minus the fight for "water" at the start where every one swam over everyone just to get "space". My feeling really really good was awesome... until I realised that that wasn't even a 1/3rd of the race!! haha.

Anyway, I finished the swim and when I caught up with Belle and the crew they thought I'd done it in about 35mins which I was happy about. Belle was waiting for me with a (read: LOTS) of Zooper Doopers (water icey poles for those who don't know). I polished off 6 very quickly :) Here is a photo of Sim and I. Sim did the entire triathlon by himself - he started hours before me, so had finished the entire thing by the time I'd finished my swim.

(That is my fourth or fifth Zooper Dooper, and Sim's first...)

I rang mum and told her. Her response was something along the lines of "35 mins is good. When you said 30, I didn't really think you'd allowed for waves, tides, and no tumble turns! Ocean swimming is a lot different to pool swimming!!"

Thanks for the support mum!

Anyway, the official times came out later that night and I actually did it in 30mins 32 secs - which I was stoked about! Take that mum!! My approximate was practically spot on!! WOO HOO!!

Anyway, I am really proud of that effort... What I am not proud of is the photo Sian got of me coming out of the water... I look like death and that photo should NEVER, EVER, EVER be shared with ANYONE - got that Sian?!?!?!?

xx love Breanna