Swim Hat's Here

Swim hat for Salford arrived today - Lilac! lovely!

Getting quite excited now... can't believe it's just a few days away. Also found out that BBC2 are televising the GSS, from 2pm to 3.30 - so will include my group's entry into the water.

you can look out for me - I'll be the one at the back, in the wetsuit with red sleeves.

Happy swimming

Royal Wedding

As the rest of the world (it seemed) was glued to the TV watching the Royal Wedding, some of us decided to take advantage of the quiet roads and go for a swim at Hatchmere.

Easy drive down, with very little traffic, and a lovely sunny morning. Did a few returns (without wetsuit - more fun). Was surprised when lots of the others decided to shed their wetsuits too for a bit at the end - very beneficial feeling.

Stopped for a quick photo shoot before getting out and heading home. Happy days!

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday - and I'm meeting some fellow swimmers for a dip at Hatchmere. It's a beautiful day, and as we head west on the M56 the high cloud breaks and the sun comes out.
By the time we get to Hatchmere, the sun is fully out in the blue sky - it's perfect for swimming. We don't waste any time (I've already got my wetsuit on!) and get in.
After 2 returns, I decide to shed the wetsuit and see how much colder it feels without it. I'm amazed! It's barely any colder, but feels soooooo much freer. I do another return much easier than the first two, and I'm not feeling the cold at all.

After an hour, it's time to get out - I've done 3 returns (about 900m, or 36 lengths), don't feel cold or tired. Just very happy.
Time to put on the bunny ears for a real Easter swim, and then time to get out and dried.

Drinking my juice when a swan decides I'm the most likely to feed it and wanders up to me - I'm a bit scared of swans (too many run ins) so I'm walking backwards, and it's following me. Fortunately, it gets distracted by James, who is now offering it grass (thank heavens!)

Great day - can't wait for the next one!

In the swim again

My wetsuit is, well, wet - or rather damp still from last night's swim - but there's a rumble going on down at Pickmere, so I'm up early and full of beans. The day is starting georgeous, blue sky, sunshine - so it's roof down and head south to the lake.
We get there just before 10, and meet up with the others - one of the things I like most about this outdoor swimming is the people you meet. They're all so lovely and friendly and encouraging.
Some swim a couple of miles, and some do less, and I probably do least - but I'm in, practicing, and again it doesn't feel cold at all!
Get out and let the sun dry me off, mostly, before getting changed at the car - always get a few funny looks from people who clearly think we're all mad - but we don't care, we've had our fix for another day...
take care

Catching up

So, it's only a few weeks to the Great Salford Swim, and so far I hadn't been outdoor swimming this year.
Not worried about the distance (did 75 lengths last week, well over a mile) but not sure i'm used to the cold water enough.
It's the Thursday before the long Easter weekend, so I join the queue to leave the office at 5 and hightail over to Hatchmere to catch a swim - arrive a bit later than everyone else (who managed to get there at 5.30, for me it was nearly 6!). Still, it was a lovely evening so in I get.
It didn't feel cold at all!
I didn't swim for very long - the others were soon getting out, but at least I know the temperature shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks to Acky for the picture - and to Ray and Acky for drink and chat afterwards - perfect end to a perfect day!
take care,

just keep swimming

Thought I'd better do some distance training last week - so off to the local pool. It's adult's only lane swimming on a Sunday, so that's ideal when I just want to plough up and down the pool.
I got in at 4.15 and just kept swimming, swimming until 5.30 when they made me get out!
I wasn't counting how many lengths (I find I loose my rhythm when I do that, and it's not as relaxing), but I timed a length and was doing about 1 per minute, so it looks like I did about 70 - 75 lengths.

As Dorey would say... "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming"

And We're Off

Having been swimming in a cold, cold pool on my holidays last week, I thought it was time to start thinking about whether to do a Great Swim again this year. I looked at the Great Swim website, and then just couldn't help myself! So, Salford it is, but much earlier in the year - mid May in fact, which gives me about 12 weeks to get back up to fitness and acclaimatised!

It may be obvious to many of you why I've chosen to do this for Dr Kershaw's this year. Dad died in this hostpice last year not long before I did my swim, and so I wanted to do something in his memory, and for a cause now so close to my heart.

So this is where I'll be logging my thoughts for this year. If you want to see what happened last year (where were you?) then you can read last year's blog.