... and dead proud of myself. The British Gas Great Swim at Salford Quays, Manchester.
Right, I'll be honest, I'm not sure if its coz I'm fit from cycling, but I can pretty much get in a swimming pool for the first time in, say, 3 months and not have any problems swimming a mile. So I've been a tad complacent with my training. Anyway, my mate said I needed to try out my wetsuit (I suppose it would be a good idea) so I nipped down to Bosworth Water Park a week ago last Thursday to try it out.
OMG! How hard is it to swim in a wetsuit. If I'm absolutely honest, after about 300 yards and actually got a little nervous being out in the middle of a lake with no life guard. I mean, yes, there were other swimmers from the Tri-Club, but they are concentrating on swimming, and the Tri-Club organisers do check you come out at the end, but if you get in trouble you're pretty much on your own! I was seriously not liking it and feeling very vulnerable. Did one lap of the lake which is 750 metres and got out thinking I'd seriously underestimated the Great Swim Challenge. I phoned up Christian and told him to get his ass to the lake and try out his wetsuit (which he was only getting on Thursday!). He phoned me up on Saturday afternoon with the same thoughts as me.
So Christian picks me up last Sunday morning and we head to Salford Quays. He has the great idea of walking the course, which only confirmed the fact that we'd underestimated the challenge. The course looked SO long. It wasn't a case of I didn't think I'd finish, just in what time. I envisaged myself taking at least an hour, having to stop and tred water for a rest on route plenty of times.
Well, if there was one thing my near drowning experience at Bosworth taught me, it was to make sure my suit was pulled up on my shoulders properly and to get my head down in the water to make sure I'm streamlined. So that was Plan A. Get my head down and get on with it. Plan B was to get pulled out by the standby canoeists and Plan C was to drown. Quite like the sound of Plan A, if I'm honest.
Got my wet suit on and went into the "sheep dip" (acclimatisation area) with the others. Damn it was cold! 14 degrees. I know this, because the commentator kept saying it all day. Like we needed reminding?
Standing on the ramp with 150 people waiting to go was like that moment on a rollercoaster when your strapped in and there's no way of getting off. I stood there thinking "what the hell am I doing?". Then we were off. No time to dip your toe in first! You're just rushed in with the rest of the crowd and hitting the water isn't any less of a shock than when they put you in the sheep dip (I knew it was pointless). Anyway, I stuck to Plan A, got my head down and got on with it. Got used to the cold within 200 metres and by the time I got to the pink half mile bouy and I hadn't broken my stroke I was starting to think I could actually do this... and turning at the last bouy and see the finish 200 yards ahead got me a little excited and I took in a bit of water and came up coughing a spluttering. A canoeist was there in no time asking me if I was ok (reassuring to know they're paying attention!) and I said "Yep, just stopping for a drink!" which made him laugh. Anyway, I got my breath back and carried on.
Getting out the water was the strangest experience. It felt like the ground was moving, a bit like when you get on a boat and it's swaying on the waves. They had to help me walk for a bit until I got my balance. I didn't expect that!
Took my chip off and went to get a goody bag. What a great goody bag! ... a REAL swim bag (not plastic) and a t'shirt, flip flops, energy bars, energy drinks, a magazine... and... the all important medal! Whoop, I got a medal!
And then, even better, later on my time came out... 00:40:39
Out of misery comes glory! WHOOP! 40 MINS 39 SECONDS. I am so chuffed! I didn't expect that. I don't think that's bad for my first open water swim; especially considering the disaster at Bosworth.
I've got a 2 mile one at Windermere on 17th June and I can't wait now. Have totally got the bug for it.
Chris came it at 59 mins which is well good for him, as he only started training and getting fit this year, so I think he was dead chuffed.
Right, I'll be honest, I'm not sure if its coz I'm fit from cycling, but I can pretty much get in a swimming pool for the first time in, say, 3 months and not have any problems swimming a mile. So I've been a tad complacent with my training. Anyway, my mate said I needed to try out my wetsuit (I suppose it would be a good idea) so I nipped down to Bosworth Water Park a week ago last Thursday to try it out.
OMG! How hard is it to swim in a wetsuit. If I'm absolutely honest, after about 300 yards and actually got a little nervous being out in the middle of a lake with no life guard. I mean, yes, there were other swimmers from the Tri-Club, but they are concentrating on swimming, and the Tri-Club organisers do check you come out at the end, but if you get in trouble you're pretty much on your own! I was seriously not liking it and feeling very vulnerable. Did one lap of the lake which is 750 metres and got out thinking I'd seriously underestimated the Great Swim Challenge. I phoned up Christian and told him to get his ass to the lake and try out his wetsuit (which he was only getting on Thursday!). He phoned me up on Saturday afternoon with the same thoughts as me.
So Christian picks me up last Sunday morning and we head to Salford Quays. He has the great idea of walking the course, which only confirmed the fact that we'd underestimated the challenge. The course looked SO long. It wasn't a case of I didn't think I'd finish, just in what time. I envisaged myself taking at least an hour, having to stop and tred water for a rest on route plenty of times.
Well, if there was one thing my near drowning experience at Bosworth taught me, it was to make sure my suit was pulled up on my shoulders properly and to get my head down in the water to make sure I'm streamlined. So that was Plan A. Get my head down and get on with it. Plan B was to get pulled out by the standby canoeists and Plan C was to drown. Quite like the sound of Plan A, if I'm honest.
Got my wet suit on and went into the "sheep dip" (acclimatisation area) with the others. Damn it was cold! 14 degrees. I know this, because the commentator kept saying it all day. Like we needed reminding?
Standing on the ramp with 150 people waiting to go was like that moment on a rollercoaster when your strapped in and there's no way of getting off. I stood there thinking "what the hell am I doing?". Then we were off. No time to dip your toe in first! You're just rushed in with the rest of the crowd and hitting the water isn't any less of a shock than when they put you in the sheep dip (I knew it was pointless). Anyway, I stuck to Plan A, got my head down and got on with it. Got used to the cold within 200 metres and by the time I got to the pink half mile bouy and I hadn't broken my stroke I was starting to think I could actually do this... and turning at the last bouy and see the finish 200 yards ahead got me a little excited and I took in a bit of water and came up coughing a spluttering. A canoeist was there in no time asking me if I was ok (reassuring to know they're paying attention!) and I said "Yep, just stopping for a drink!" which made him laugh. Anyway, I got my breath back and carried on.
Getting out the water was the strangest experience. It felt like the ground was moving, a bit like when you get on a boat and it's swaying on the waves. They had to help me walk for a bit until I got my balance. I didn't expect that!
Took my chip off and went to get a goody bag. What a great goody bag! ... a REAL swim bag (not plastic) and a t'shirt, flip flops, energy bars, energy drinks, a magazine... and... the all important medal! Whoop, I got a medal!
And then, even better, later on my time came out... 00:40:39
Out of misery comes glory! WHOOP! 40 MINS 39 SECONDS. I am so chuffed! I didn't expect that. I don't think that's bad for my first open water swim; especially considering the disaster at Bosworth.
I've got a 2 mile one at Windermere on 17th June and I can't wait now. Have totally got the bug for it.
Chris came it at 59 mins which is well good for him, as he only started training and getting fit this year, so I think he was dead chuffed.
