From Fatigue to Fitness: My Unconventional Journey into Triathlons
Hello! Welcome to ihateswimming.com, a (currently very empty) informative blog about fitness. This is partly a place for me to complain about how horrible swimming is, but mostly it's just an excuse for me to pat myself on the back for occasionally going outside.
So a little backstory for those of you who may have the fortune of not knowing me. As a kid, I was never the sporty type. I was just your average guy, not overweight but not exactly a marathon runner either. Other than a 100-mile charity bike ride with my dad when I was 14 (which was awful) I really didn’t do much exercise aside from the commute to and from school or university.
After graduating and getting a job as a software developer, I focused my entire life towards learning how to computer and naïvely assumed my daily 30 min walk would be enough to keep my body going. After 5 years of this, however, a battle with glandular fever and subsequent ‘post viral fatigue’ left me feeling extremely unwell for what seemed like an eternity. My condition declined to the point that I could barely walk and had to rely on the help of my family to look after me, but despite some very pessimistic outlooks from doctors, something inside me refused to give up. Slowly but surely, I decided to fight back and reclaim my health.
I kicked off my journey by gradually incorporating walking into my daily routine. It wasn't much and it wasn’t pleasant, but it was a start. Then, I took on the challenge of running. I committed to the NHS Couch to 5k program, and though I hated almost every step, I persevered and my energy levels started to rise.
Motivated by my newfound vitality, I set my sights on a 5-mile charity fun run. I trained diligently, embraced interval workouts, and started to track my progress using tools like Strava. Six months after starting my running journey, I finished the run in 35 minutes, smashing my expectations. I felt unstoppable, I had totally conquered my issues with fatigue and the next step was a 2 hour marathon, probably…
Alas, my enthusiasm for running led to shin pain and injuries. I knew I had to stop to avoid further damage, but I couldn't bear the thought of sliding back into my sedentary ways. So, I turned to cycling. I had cycled a bit in university, and though it had never been a major part of my life I did have some fond memories of it and it was easier on the shins than running.
Cycling reignited my passion for exercise, and I even embarked on a fantastic cycling holiday in Tenerife, scaling the 50km "longest climb in Europe." Life was good again, except for my persistent shin pain which was still gradually getting worse despite the lack of running.
Enter swimming – the dreaded nemesis. With limited swimming experience, I had to start from scratch. I probably drank several pools worth of water in the beginning and even after getting comfortable with swimming lengths, I would regularly feel like throwing up after a swim. But I stuck to it, watching countless videos on technique and joining a local club.
As the months passed, my swimming improved, but the joy I’d experienced after my first few months of running and cycling did not come. Nevertheless, I persisted, taking it one length at a time. My shin injuries persisted too, leading me to spend more time at the pool than ever before.
I had never really taken part in New Year’s resolutions, but after seeing an advert for a half-price entry to a local triathlon on New Year’s Day, I took it as a good challenge to work towards and paid the (still unnecessarily expensive) entry fee. Gradually, I rebuilt my running, cycling, and swimming routines, finding balance and pushing my boundaries carefully. My numbers trended upwards, my general energy levels continued to improve, and I was finally experiencing something positive from swimming. not quite enjoyment but one step down from pure hatred.
Today, I can swim 100 meters in just over a minute, run 5k three times a week, and cycle around 7 hours a week. My fitness is at an all-time high and I recently completed my first triathlon - an Olympic distance event consisting of a 1.5km swim, 45km bike ride and 10km run - in 2 hours and 40 minutes. I’m still quite a way off the really fast people but considering my condition only 2 years ago I feel quite proud of the achievement as I would never have thought such a thing would be possible at the time.
Looking back on my unconventional journey into the world of exercise has been unexpectedly relaxing. From battling fatigue to reclaiming my health, embracing running and cycling, and spending far more hours submerged in water than can be healthy for any land mammal, each step, splash and sycle has been a triumph. Tomorrow marks another milestone as I face my first real challenge—the half-ironman distance triathlon I signed up for as a New Year’s Day impulse purchase.
With the memories of my progress etched in my mind, I feel a mix of excitement and nerves for the challenge tomorrow. Despite the ever-lingering shin pain, the dreaded 5 am alarm clock and the uncertainty of the half marathon, I am determined to give it my all and cross that finish line. Maybe I achieve my (probably unrealistic) goal of going sub 5 hours, or maybe I hit a wall I can’t yet get over. But whatever happens, I know I will feel both pride in my efforts, and drive to improve them in the future.
