AKA Mustard SwimRun - Spring Lakes

After winning the As Keen As Mustard swimrun series last year I was looking forward to racing this year however with Covid all the races were rescheduled for September and October meaning I definitely couldn't do the whole series. But on Sunday I headed to Spring Lakes in Nottingham ready to race the 21k, well as ready as I could be having done no open water swimming this year.

Registration was quickly done and I walked the dogs round to the start and realised it was actually a fair way so I'd better head back to the van and get my wetsuit on! 

Due to Covid the start was done as individual starts, people lined up and I just waited till the end to go. Luckily for me Ali was tail biker so cold be with me for registration and the start, Covid means no spectators to be brought with you to the event.

I actually caught the team in front pretty quickly before entering the water for swim one. Where Imanaged to head towards the wrong point bu sighting off the wrong flag, fortunately I realised I couldn't see any other swimmers going that way so only did about 100m extra. I went past someone on the next run and then for the first lap (it was a two lap course) the only other competitors I saw were two going the opposite way to me! Turns out they had pulled out.

I passed the finish just after an hour and a half and I was still feeling strong. Coming out of the first swim on this lap I was surprised to see another competitor ahead of me and went past him on the way into the next swim.

I was beginning to notice the cold on the swims but warming up enough on the runs, I was very glad when I got to the longest run to get properly warm and it meant there was only one swim left.

It turns out I actually did pretty well with the water temperature, considering I hadn't been swimming outside so hadn't had any acclimatisation. There were quite a few people didn't finish and one competitor had to have an ambulance called for her due to hypothermia. 

I finished in just under three hours so I did the second lap faster than the first which I was very pleased with and I finished 3rd female and 6th overall.

Unheated swimming.

Last week Vikki mentioned she was going swimming, I was lamenting the fact I hadn't got round to going to Hathersage Pool before the season closed (it's a heated outdoor pool). It turns out that is where she was going as they do limited sessions of unheated swimming throughout November and into December. Next thing I knew I had talked myself into joining her. The water temperature was 19°C so invigorating but not cold cold cold. It was so much fun and reminded me how much I enjoy swimming.

Next Thursday I was there again this time in a wetsuit, the water temperature was 12.5 °C and Vikki was very jealous of my wetsuit. This time I managed to swim 1km and was looking forward to the next swim. So Saturday Sarah (who's in the photo - taken by Vikki) came over from Leeds. All three of us were in wetsuits and glad of it! The water temperature was once again 12.5°C but the air temperature was 0°C, there was even snow in the hills. I had to persuade myself to get in and the first two lengths were hard, but once I got going, as long as I didn't stop, it was okay. Well except for my googles struggling to stay sealed and letting water I'm, think the temperature was just too low for them. Managed another kilometre but the getting out and changed was hard... It was freezing.

Looking forward to going again on Thursday, can't believe how much fun it is. Especially as I normally get too cold to even paddle in the sea when on holiday and Ali is paddling.

Swimming 50metres

So swimming, after not swimming last week I was determined to get in a pool this week. Logistics weren't so easy as I was office (manchester) based all week. A change of pool was required so yesterday me and my bike got on the 6:35am train from Bolton. Off at Oxford Road and a quick spin down to the Aquatics Centre. Silly as it sounds I was quite anxious about going to a different pool, even more silly as back when I lived in Manchester I regularly swam there. To add to my worries the pool is 50m which felt like a long way!

Getting there, locking bike up, paying, changing was fine. I was then scared to go in, would I know which lane to swim in. It was too late not to go in so I made myself. British Swimming had half the pool so I got in the medium lane, one length and I moved into the fast lane as I was doing breaststroke to avoid lots of overtaking. Here I settled in, most of us were the same speed which was nice. 50lengths later I got out and headed to work. It hadn't been as scary as I thought and it is nice to swim in a 50m pool.