Well I’m feely really pleased with myself. I came 506th our of over 6,000 entrants which puts me in the top 8%. It was really surreal; one minute I am waiting with nervous anticipation to go into the water and the next I’m in the water and being pulled out at the finish. The conditions were perfect; beautiful sunshine, warmiish water and the surroundings – if you get the sun and weather in the Lake District it really is the most wonderful place on earth.
I’ve noticed that the date on JustGiving states that my swim is 12th September which is a mistake, I’m doing the event on 13th September. It’s going to be an interesting weekend as I’m staying in the Lake District in our little camper van, with wife, wheelchair, 15 year old teenage daughter (who is going under sufferance). Ah the deep joy of family life.
Well the day is fast approaching and I’m hoping for good weather. Training has been hampered by a mixture of bad weather, Palatine Swimming Pool being closed for a week and Kathryn going into hospital for knee surgery in Oswestry. Nurse Denys will prevail!
Hello my name is Denys Smith-Hart and I am the Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce North and West Lancashire. My day job is a Director of SnapBack Ltd where we develop software to assist small and medium sized companies with their backups and restores of their Windows servers including disaster recovery.
18 months ago, full of the joys of spring, my wife Kathryn brought me down to earth with a jolt, “Your’e developing a paunch” she said. I was horrified, me the Omar Sharif of St Annes on Sea, neigh the Adonis of Lancashire. I looked at myself in the mirror, sucked my stomach in and pushed my chest out. What did she mean, I look pretty good “oh stop kidding yourself” I said to myself, “she’s right your’e developing a paunch”.
I pondered on the term in the Doctor’s Surgery “The Well Man Clinic”. Why have a clinic for Well Men, surely one has a clinic for Unwell Men, I looked around, some of these men did look unwell, they must be thinking I wonder why is Denys here he looks like an Adonis? I waited my turn and then was weighed, 13 Stone 8 Pounds, height, 5 Feet Ten my BMI was 27.5 (www.NHS.uk/LiveWell) . I was told I was half way between overweight and obese; I demanded a recount!
Next was the resting heart rate; “aroooom, aroooom” I said in my mind, breathing in and relaxing, trying to draw on all my experience of Yoga, Chakra and Chi – if you don’t know me and think I know anything about mystic chants, medicine and life coaching then I have succesfully fooled you. If, however you do know me you will know that I know nothing of these mystic eastern arts and that I had given myself an unhealthy dose of claptrap. “Mr Smith-Hart your resting heart rate is 86″. Now that sounded good and I relaxed and smiled. I was about to flex my under-used muscles when I was told that a resting heart rate of 86 was something a bed-ridden, pensioner with narcolepsy would be ashamed of http://www2.northampton.ac.uk/estates/home/gym/health-fitness-advice/fitness-testing/resting-heart-rate .
Now came the Blood Pressure Monitor 163 over 116, there was a look of concern from the Doctor, “is anything troubling you at the minute Mr Smith-Hart”? “No” I replied “I am very happy; is there a problem”? The Doctor replied in a solemn monotone “I am going to send you to hospital for some tests”………