Claire asked me to write a note on some of my experiences in trying to learn to swim for a triathlon over the past couple of years. If any of you reading this are contemplating doing a triathlon and, like me, have doubts over your swimming ability, then I am proof positive that with some effort and perseverance, it can me done…and don’t be surprised that having done one, you’ll want to do more!

In January 2005, my employer, CLSA, offered staff and clients the opportunity to be coached (by Claire) and compete in a triathlon in May. I knew a little bit about the sport, a Danish friend had competed in Hawaii Ironman a few times, but being unable to swim more than a few lengths, it had never crossed my mind that I might one day do one myself, especially at the tender age of 41. Timing, however, is everything. A few months earlier I had jiggered my back playing squash and my doctor had recommended swimming to help alleviate the problem. As it was January and I was a few post-Christmas pounds heavier, getting involved in some sort of training programme seemed the thing to do, especially if the company was going to foot some of the bill. I bit the bullet and signed up.

My first weekly training schedule of swimming, biking and running arrived while I was up in Tokyo. The first session instructed me to swim 1km – that was 40 lengths of the super cool granite-lined Hyatt pool. After four lengths I had to stop and catch my breath. To my left, a “speedoed” swimmer was cruising up and down his lane effortlessly. How on earth was I going to swim 1.5km in the sea when I couldn’t even manage 100m?

After this sobering beginning, I returned to Hong Kong for my first Monday evening group session dispirited and apprehensive. The group sessions, however, turned out to be great fun, not least because I found I was not the only one who swam like a brick, but because the drills that Claire and Joss put us through did, over the weeks, make me more confident in the water. Slowly but surely, I was able to do 200m, then 500m, then 1,000m in my own training sessions without stopping, even if every third or fourth length was still breast stroke.

Swimming in a pool is one thing, swimming in the open sea is another! Our first foray was a Saturday morning session in early March into 15°C waters at Shek O. What a shock! The cold water and my nerves made me hyper-ventilate forcing me to resort to a panicked breast stroke right from the start. Emerging from the waves after a “quick” 300m loop I was shattered - only for Joss to suggest we do it all again.

Lack of technique and cold water apart, learning to swim for me has been more about mind over matter. Given how uncomfortable I felt in the water, half the effort is convincing yourself to keep on going, when all you want to do is stop or resort to breaststroke, even if you’re not especially tired. Unfortunately I didn’t find any short cut to getting better other than sticking at it and getting encouragement from Claire, Joss and all the group. By May, I had managed to swim 1.5km without stopping, albeit very slowly.

I did my first Olympic distance triathlon in late May 2005 in Bintan, Indonesia. I was dreading the swim and, to add insult to injury, a tropical storm brewed up just as we were about to head off. The start was delayed due to driving rain and I was praying for the race to be called off or at least the swim leg shortened. No such luck, and as the horn sounded to set us off we had a metre swell and forked lightening in the distance. In spite of my best efforts to remain calm, adrenaline got the better of me and I was already doing breast stroke by the first turn wondering what on earth had possessed me to get involved in something like this. On the second 750m leg my attempts to get over the swell caused my arched back to spasm. One of the safety guys on a jet ski threw me a float. I would have “thrown in the towel” there and then but he went to help someone else leaving me floating for a minute or two to catch my breath. My spasm eased off and with another 3-400m into shore I decided to press on and completed the swim in 41 minutes. As I came out of the water I expected to be disqualified given my assistance. As I have since learnt, however, unless you are “in contention”, race officials are as encouraging as the next spectator to get newbie’s like myself on our way round the course! I ended up finishing in 3hrs 6mins.

Always a glutton for punishment, no sooner had I crossed the line and I was plotting for the next race in Phuket in December. Over the Summer I plucked up the courage to do more open water outings with the stronger swimmers including a couple of 2km swims round Middle Island on the South side of Hong Kong. In addition to my lack of technique, I’m not overly keen on swimming in deep water and must confess that I still keep my eyes shut when I am looking down into the sea. More of that mind over matter…

Phuket in December 2005 was a lot more fun as a race but the adrenaline rush at the start of the 1.8km swim continued to dog my efforts and throw me out of my rhythm. Having my goggles kicked off my face at the first turn bottleneck didn’t help either. Nevertheless, the final 650 metre swim across the fresh water lagoon to the transition area went well and I got out of the water in 49 minutes. I finished the race in 4:04.

2006 saw slow but steady improvement. In Bintan, I managed the swim in 36 minutes, 5 minutes better than 2005 and finished the race in 2:53, 13 minutes better overall. We left Hong Kong over the summer to move up to Beijing. Ironically, in spite of only having a small 20 metre pool and no open water in which to train, my swimming has still improved. The vast Chinese countryside is my oyster for running and biking.

Phuket last month was the turning point for me. The swim, for the first time, was free of the adrenaline that usually screws me up and I confess I might have even enjoyed it a little, especially as I managed to beat some of my colleagues. I came out of the water in 41 minutes, 8 minutes better and finished the race in 3:45, improving on 2005 by 19 minutes.

It remains to be seen if I have bitten off more than I can chew this year, but with a little persuasion from Claire, I am now down to do Ironman France in Nice in June. That’s a 3.6km swim, further than I have ever swum before, but at least I get to do it in a buoyant wet suit!

Mark Stevenson, Beijing
7 January 2007