I have been really making sure I have been getting in my swim distance leading into Busselton. I don’t have much chance of getting faster in the short time I have but I can improve my endurance. On a Tusday and Thursday morning right after my squad is finished, I get into the pool and swim as far as I can before Trent my coach arrives to put me through my windtrainer workout.

My plan between Hawaii and Busselton is to improve my swim endurance and my level of sustainable power on the bike. I have the necessary endurance on the bike but I’d like to hold a higher power output. Two windtrainer workouts a week hurts but it has to be done. It’s only for a few weeks.

On Tuesday after the squad all got out and went for their run, there was only about fifteen members of the public in the whole eight lane pool. I started out with a lane to myself, most of the regulars know me and leave me to do my own thing while they stop at each end for a chat and generally catch up with friends in their lanes.

Half way through my swim another swimmer joined me in my lane. I thought OK, we’ll keep an eye on each other and stick to the left. Not this tosser, he starts by swimming breaststroke straight up the black line. I thought, I don’t take up much room and he probably won’t be doing much of it.

I was doing an endurance set of 500m, 400m, 300m, 200m,100m all with fins and with a 100m kick between each piece. I didn’t stop between each stage of my workout and moved straight into the kick or whatever was next. This tool kept breaststroking up and down the middle of the pool. I passed him several times, dodging his kick.

I started to ask myself, why this lane? I’m the only one in the pool swimming fast. I thought to myself, am I overtrained? I always say if you meet more than two bastards on any one day, chances are you’re overtrained. I thought it’s only 7.30am and I’ve already met one. I thought, is there something I have to learn from this experience? I believe everything which happens to you is a chance to learn something.

I thought what can I learn from this tool? Then I thought, I’m three weeks out from Ironman WA. On race day I’ll get my best performance if I focus only on my own square meter. I have to block out any thought of other competitors, whether they’re in my category or not. I can only control my own square meter.

I brought my thoughts back to my technique, back to my streamlining, my turns, just went past my breaststroking  training buddy as fast as I could every time. After passing him about ten times I guess he got sick of it and changed lanes. I went on with my workout and got 3500m in before Trent got there. For about 300m the breaststroker had come into my workout, he’d got into my head, once I started using him as a teacher, it was easy to tolerate him. I was back in my own square meter.

Sometimes even the most annoying people we meet have a message, if we’re open to it. I do believe they should ban breaststroke in lap swimming lanes.