Flying danish colors (for some danes at least)

As a triathlete and a dane, i must use this opportunity to salute a countryman Rasmus Henning, that crushed the course record today in the Abu Dhabi Tri Race. Congratulations Rasmus!

Danish Triathlete Rasmus Henning

Here in Copenhagen the weather is great, the sun is shining, the february frost is currently held at bay by a mild and almost spring-like weather. All the bikes (but with and without motors) are outside with happy owners on top, the woods are crawling with smiling joggers and i sit here watching all that with my nose pressed against the window, and a sulking expression on my face i suppose.

I could go on a walk or a light bike ride, but its not quite the same, whispers the sarge cunningly in my ear, but just as quickly he appears i lock him down in the stockades. This time i stick to the plan - Today weight training - and tomorrow a light jog for 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) with a steady and SLOW pace (got that sarge!?).

But despite shutting down for the drill sergent i still have a bit of bad conscience, since i've been neglecting my swimming. I can't exactly blaim my knee injury for that and since swimming is my least favourite of the three legs, i HAVE to train more.

When i started training for triathlon, i was all ready a reasonably accomplished cyclist and proficient runner, but my swimming was definitely lacking. I could swim breast swimming from morning to sunset, but unfortunately you use your legs a lot when you do brerastswimming, and with 56 miles of cycling and 13 miles running right after your ocean swim, i think its a good idea to be as kind as possible to your leg muscles during the swim.

I could freestyle allright, yeahh...for like 40 yards (i had always freestyled short sprint-distances after balls when i played as a teen at the beach, and tried to impress the ladies) but then i started to having trouble breathing, then my swimming became even more laboured, then i needed more air...and i think you already can see a pattern here. I stopped after a short while gasping for air shocked at my bad form and got a mental DNF (Did Not Finish - A term used in triathlon for participants that, for some reason, do not finish the race, but have to quit during the race).

Should it stop right there in the pool, before it all really started? All my plans and visions shattered by 2 lengths in an indoor swimming pool while old ladies passing me by in the pool, quietly blaming me with their sharp glances for blocking the lane.


And it wasn't just my poor swimming form i was worried about. The swimming leg of the triathlon race i'm supposed to participate in, is roughly 1.2 miles of ocean swimming in cold water with a LOT of other swimmers, and many of these will be blundering amateurs as well. Sounds like a great recipe for disaster, panicking, drowning and what ever unpleasent terms you can throw in there.


After a few deep breaths, and apologies to the old ladies, i signed up for a swimming course with a pro trainer - A very competent man named Mark that took me through the basics of freestyle (crawling) - After about a month i got more confident, and after 2 month i could swim withoout thinking about the movements, but just getting in the "zone" and train endurance, like i do when i ride my bike or run.

So if you're scared about the swimming part or don't feel confident about it i STRONGLY recommend you sign up for a swimming course with a good trainer - Don't try to teach or correct yourself, its impossible - You need a pro trainer, that can look at your movement in the water and correct your errors before they litterally weighs you down, and give you a DNF.