I was massively looking forward to this! To be fair I didn’t feel 100% getting into the pool beforehand. I did go to bed early but couldn’t drift off so I think I had less than 6 hours sleep. I still warmed up really well and ate the correct foods and breakfast.

With the injuries I got these could have been from the Good Friday Pike walking with Seb on my shoulders on the carrier. My back was absolutely fine throughout so that’s a positive but my knee and Achilles tendon, Not Good!

My right knee went about 2 hours into the swim, the same knee that’s been plaguing me since This Injury (click to read) from running. At this point I couldn’t use my legs at all. I tried to adapt my kick just using my left leg but it was useless – I spent the next 3 hours in agony using ONLY my arms which took on more strain. Three times during the main section I thought about giving up and going home early – the Easy Option. But my arrogance got the better of me and ensured that I got as much of the main section done as possible seeing how I got on.

Towards the end of the main section when I was in the upper pool at Manchester Aquatics Centre my knee felt a lot better, but then my left Achilles tendon became very sore so I had to reduce the power of my kick again. After coping with this the knee injury came back in the penultimate and final 70 length sections.

Throughout the swim I was so depressed and couldn’t distract myself and daydream to pass the time. I felt every minute of it! Still, I was SO proud of myself getting through it although I had no lumps in my throat this time because I knew I’m over-training. My knee today is still very sore and my left foot is also. I’m considering reducing Sunday’s 800 lengths to 500 and seeing how I get on, the slightest sign of pain I’ll just get out of the pool and save myself for the 1,000 lengths.

What also worries me is I need this knee for the Coast to Coast challenge for the 8 days of mega endurance. I might need to see a specialist but I’m unsure what they can suggest in the little time I have left.