I hate swimming.

 

That was the solitary thought in my mind as I struggled to disentangle myself from a forest of weed just below the surface of an otherwise lovely lake in the middle of Ripon racecourse.

 

Some 25 minutes earlier I'd been feeling good. I was joined by a friend who was doing his first tri ever and the look on his face reminded me of the nerves I'd experienced before my own first race last season - just one year on and it felt almost normal to be tip-toeing into a murky lake with a bunch of rubber-clad strangers.

 

I'd set off as I meant to - slow and steady - but by the half way point of the swim I was knackered and my stroke was starting to look more like doggy paddle than the smooth freestyle of the scores of people from the next wave passing me.

 

So it was with a sense of mild disappointment, rather than surprise, that I hauled myself out of the water 33 minutes after starting. I really have to sort my swim out - it's embarrassing. Not much I can do about it this season though.

 

But now for the bike - my strong suit. Time to get my Wiggo on. I settled into my aerobars as best I could just in time to hear the cheers of my family who'd managed to find a spot on the roadside. 

 

Spurred on, it took a little longer than I'd hoped for my legs to adjust - not enough time in the tri position over the past few weeks...

 

I consider myself something of a diesel engine on the bike, a bit like Ian Stannard from Team Sky (were he running on half a cylinder instead of four). My preferred conditions are pan-flat and totally windless, so the undulations of North Yorkshire coupled with one of those 'always a headwind' winds meant I wasn't totally comfortable save for a few sweet moments when I could really get the wheels rolling.

 

But 1hr 10mins for 40k was OK - and there was no sign of the intestinal issues that had dogged my last race. Phew.

 

So I headed out on the run. Legs like wood. Dammit. I tried to relax into it but it just wasn't happening. Maybe the heat? Maybe not enough fluid on the bike? Maybe not enough training...

 

Live music on the course and numerous hosepipes and sprinklers from people living along the route were super welcome and kept me going as I endured rather than raced the run.

 

So I crossed the line feeling a little deflated. Then the first thing I saw was my one-year-old's beaming face. I might not be breaking any records but I think it's really important to show my boys that sport is fun, rewarding and worthwhile. And that it can be done to a respectable level by someone with no natural ability whatsoever - that'll probably be an important lesson for them but hopefully they'll inherit a little from their mother's side.

 

A visit to the timing tent confirmed I'd got round in 2:35 - worse than I was expecting (2:30) and a lot worse than I was hoping (2:20). 

 

In the cold light of day I have to face some home truths. I'm just not quite as fit as I was last season. With the benefit of hindsight, it's pretty easy to pinpoint the reasons why. 

 

Last year I drank less beer (I was teetotal most of the first half of the year) and I did a lot more longer, harder sessions. I've probably done more volume this year in the form of shorter sessions, but the number of times I've beasted myself for two or three hours solid has been significantly lower.

 

With my main goal - Liverpool - now just two weeks away there's not a lot I can do to fix it. I'll just give it everything between now and then. But I'm already looking ahead to next season, maybe with the help of a proper coach-written training plan...

 

But Ripon was fantastic. NYP Tri Club deserve a massive amount of praise for what was a really wonderful event - the best I've ever done by a mile. Alright the weather couldn't have been much better, which always helps, but the organisation was perfect and the site was so well set-up for families. 

 

There are many reasons why it's top of my list for next season already, but one of the main ones is the simple fact the helmet stickers actually came off my helmet in one go. Organisers of other events take note!

 

One last push before Liverpool - hope to see some of you there. I'll be the big fella in a Leeds & Bradford Tri Club kit attempting to not drown.