The Day That Was(n't)

The Tauranga Half Ironman was yesterday and to make a long story short, I didn't finish it. To say that I am gutted is an understatement.

We arrived at the Mount on Thursday afternoon, which was very hot - lovely, but hoped that it was going to be cooler on Saturday. After unpacking the car, my sister Penny, her husband Roger and my nephew Troy and his wife Monique went for a walk down to Pilot Bay to see what it was like. It was very windy, and it was making Pilot Bay very choppy - so we decided that we would not be doing a sea swim until Friday morning, hoping it would calm down overnight.

Friday morning 7am, we walked over to Pilot Bay (staying at Anchorage, so just right there) with Monique and I going for a short swim so I could get used to some landmarks. Well, that was the plan. When we were standing on the edge, we wondered why some other triathletes were just standing around in the shallow water, talking and not doing anything. We soon found out.

After walking in, another couple walked over to us and the Scottish "what are all these jelly things?" - so we inspected closer ... and put our hands in. YUCK! The water was full of acorn size jelly things which we have since found out are a form of jellyfish - that don't sting fortunately. The Scottish guy described the water as being like "porridge" which was a perfect description of how it felt - I just can't describe it, as I have never encountered anything like it before.

So after trying to get our heads around this, we wandered a bit further along the water and Monique came across a huge jellyfish - she shrieked and turned and ran the other way! Me of course, following close behind. We started laughing, as Monique is supposed to be the brave sea swimmer, surf lifeguard and all - and here she is being as unbrave as you can be - just when I need the opposite!!

In the end, Monique said that she would do a maximum of 10 strokes out then turn around and get out - so we were doing our 10 strokes out and I was about to do a couple more, when she yelled out, that's 10 let's get out. So not the sort of plan I had in mind - but then again, I didn't plan on the water being invaded with jellyfish!

Later on, at registration, a friend of mine said he went with a swim with a friend the day before, and they were just standing about waist deep in the water at Pilot Bay, when his friend screamed - he had an octopus wrapped round his foot/leg!! Fantastic, I thought! Can it get any worse? All I can say is, that the talk of registration was about all the "creatures" in the water, and a lot of people getting freaked out. I wasn't freaked out by them, although not really overjoyed with them being there - I was definitely NOT going to swallow any water!

I was remarkably calm on Thursday and Friday which I was pleased about as I get very nervous prior to events. That was about to change.

Friday when I went to bed, I started to get a knot in my stomach - a very big knot. Relax, slow deep breaths. Luckily, I did sleep OK Friday night and woke up just before my alarm went off at 4.30am. Breakfast time. All ok - a little apprehensive, but under control. I noted that it was cloudy (great), a little cooler than days before (great) but fairly windy (not so great).

5.30am we walked down to transition with all the gear and I got set up. All going ok. Then went off to get body marked - there was a queue, so joined it. It was about then, that my composure started to crack big time. I started to feel nauseous and tears welled up. All sorts of emotions swamped me. Can I do the swim? Why am I here? Many thoughts of Mike - this was his domain.

Well, got bodymarked, then back to bike to get wetsuit on, and start heading to start. Relax. Relax. Relax. Yeah, right. Wetsuit on - getting better all the time at getting it on. Then joined the queue to go through the Blue Seventy arch, and get on the beach and into the water.

A final hug from Emily and Jenny and off into the water.

Ok - relax. Goggles on, and just get into the water and start heading over to the end of the wharf to the womens start area. Phew - the number of jellyfish was considerably less! This is a lot better. Oh boy. At this stage, I thought my nervousness was under control.

The start was very strange - there was no starters gun and the women around me said - they've started - so off we went. Major panics now ... just relax. My heart rate just seemed to climb through the roof. For some reason, my HR monitor wasn't working (probably just as well) so I don't know what it was. I stopped swimming to relax, and get things under control before getting going again - but things were starting to get bad. I started to get very weasy and couldn't breathe. When I get very uptight, and exercise, I can get asthma - and it was happening this morning. It doesn't happen very often at all - but it did happen a couple of swims ago when I was with my swim coach at Takapuna.

With all this going on, I noticed the field disappearing in front of me ... I told a lifesaver on a board near me what my problem was, so he stayed with me, just in case. I stop/started many times with the hope that it would settle down - but no. Nearly at the second yellow buoy I called it quits, as I couldn't breath, and I was running out of energy with the lack of oxygen going into my lungs.

Sorry Mike. Sorry Tony + Liz. Sorry to all my family and friends who have given me so much support - I just can't do this today. A big thank you to the lifeguards assisting at the Tauranga Half Ironman. Thank you to the Port of Tauranga for your wonderful support and hospitality - Mark and Graeme - I will be back.

Plan B then kicked in - get showered/dressed, and get out and support my nephew Troy, and everyone else I know that was competing. Troy - fantastic effort. Well done to everyone who competed.

So - now for some soul searching. The battle continues... ... ...