Catching up...

OMG it's been such a long time since I wrote in here and no doubt you are all probably thinking...she's given up!

I haven't, i now have less than a month to swim 10k..lol

Perhaps I had better recap on my journey to here...I last wrote in here in August.

I was under a lot of stresses and strains and although I lost my mojo for writing this blog, events sort of took over, and I know that is no excuse!

But I have emerged a much stronger person.

I did do my 5k swim at Eton Dorney in September. I completed it in 2 hours 5 mins and 4 secs. The boost to my confidence was second to none.

About a week later, when I was at the pool...I was struggling a little bit, feeliing lethargic...but I told myself..you are a 5k swimmer, you can do this and the surge of pride and knowledge that I can do these things pushed me just that little bit further!

So that was my longest swim completed. It is still my longest swm and I have to swim 10k in four weeks. If I said I wasn't nervous that would be a lie. I am incredibly nervous!

Since that swim I formed a new friendship with someone very much like myself. It's amazing in life how when doors close, others open. Sometimes there is little bit of effort to opening the door as it hasn't been opened before and sometimes it opens like it is well oiled and used daily. My friendship with Carol was the latter.

We went away for a swim in Dorset...Durdle Door to be exact and slept in a Pod. Pod Number Three is one I shall never forget as that was where Bimbel was born. More about Bimbel on a post dedicated to it..! It deserves it..!

For now, this is just to let you know I am still here, and I will be updating regularly! Oh by the way...I am still the same height and weight!! Some things just don't seem to change lol

all aboard....

Well since deciding not to pursue my 10k at Eton Dorney, things have changed. Now have my swim buddy back, have a team for Blenheim Palace and have received my entrance info for Great London Swim...which is NEXT Saturday.!!!!

Things are looking up....watch this space!

It's over....

Well today must be the worst of my life so far....
My swim buddy has pulled out of Blenheim Palace swim and Eton Dorney 5k...
I am gutted, so gutted that I can't even be bothered with swimming any more
My life is so full of let downs and this is just one more.
So signing off...not that I think anyone reads these posts anyway.

Double Dip Sunday

I woke this morning with a headache and I know I promised myself I would start training in earnest for my ultimate goal of 10k...but it's so easy to just roll over and forget about swimming. I think it's because things aren't going too well for me personally and it is spilling over into my swimming. I know I shouldn't let it, because my swimming will be with me for the rest of my life whereas my issues won't be. The saying "you are one swim away from a good mood" is so true...but sometimes, just sometimes, it doesn't work out like that.

Nevertheless, my dedication kicked in and I knew that if I didn't go for an early morning swim, I would regret it. SO I had to force myself to go. It wasn't easy...I went out of the front door three times before I had everything in my bag. Forgot my tablets, forgot my swim hat, forgot my shampoo...!!!

Eventually I got to the pool and sluggishly started to swim..it is so different to swimming in the sea and I have to say it isnt as enjoyable...but if I want the prize I have to do it. If I want something bad enough..I usually go to the ends of the earth to get it. A 10k medal is no different!

I managed to do a mile...1600m, but because I had a load of rests, I had to get out of the pool while they took the lanes out and then get back in again to do just four lengths...that'll teach me for hanging around the pool edges! LOL

my stats were:

Linda has completed a 1625m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG
Swim Time: 43min 8sec | Ave Pace: 159.3sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 23strokes/min | Calories: 417 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.61m/stroke

I didn't actually do 65 lengths, so when I edited the final length of backstroke (where swim tag got that from I don't know!) the time came in at 42min 37secs.

You know, all I want is to get round London in under 40 minutes...it's just beginning to look further away...sometimes all this monitoring is demoralising!!

Tonight I went back to the pool and swam with Bayside Tri...we had the whole pool available, so it was nice to just have one other in the same lane and for that person to be about the same speed!! Luxury!

My stats tonight were:

Linda has completed a 1600m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG
Swim Time: 40min 52sec | Ave Pace: 153.3sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 26strokes/min | Calories: 410 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.50m/stroke 

Picnic and a dip at Stokes Bay

Late afternoon and a liesurely swim and picnic at Stokes Bay with my grandson Adam and dear friend Becky and not forgetting little Harvey!...lots of lovely food and chat but not a lot of swimming...just a quick 10 minutes to the buoy and back:

yes that triangle thing and back again...the head in the sea is Adam...!

Then a big liner powered through the channel :) I will find out it;s name and post it here!

Going to start training properly again tomorrow...promise!!!

Cooling off at Hill head

Oh my God, it is so hot...it's boiling and there is no let up!! So the sea calls all day..beach, beach, beach is all I can think about as I work in the relentless heat in the van. It's so uncomfortable at times..

So i arrived at the Shack and swam with Shona, Claire and Jeannie...we went out to the 500m buoy and back again. It took about 35 to 40 minutes. Finally...cooled down :)

Unfortunately my Zoggs predator goggles decided to leak and I came away with a very swollen eye!

Sea Swim v Pool Swim

This week I have done more swimming in the sea and only been to the pool on Friday to train with Bayside Tri...I have to admit that when standing on top of hot ovens at work, the idea of a sea swim is far more appealing than getting into a crowded pool full of lane rage. It just has a feeling you cannot match in the pool and that is the freedom. Come and go as you please, plenty of space...beautiful view...what more can you ask for? The only thing is, I just swim, I don't practice anything I have been taught as my stroke depends on the state of the sea...sometimes the waves crash over your head and bilateral breathing goes out of the window as you can only breathe on one side, unless you want a mouthful of sea water each time. The benefit of the pool is that you can train in a controlled environment, albeit constrained into one length roped off..walls each end..lol. I think they both have benefits and I have always believed that I should learn it in the pool and then bring it outdoors to the sea, lake or river.

Today I intended to go for a sea swim, but my Grandson decided he didn't want to go at the last minute...but there was time to get to the pool for the final session...so that's what I did. Fortunately there wasn't many there and I got a whole lane to myself! Brilliant..! Only wish my stats were as brilliant though! :(

Linda has completed a 1650m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG

Swim Time: 41min 45sec | Ave Pace: 151.8sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 27strokes/min | Calories: 433 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.43m/stroke

I just can't see any improvement in my swimming at all..the only thing I have improved on is the distance I can swim now...ie the two 5k swims I have done, but other than that, I haven't improved my times at all. Perhaps I am just feeling a bit demoralised with the way I have everything recorded, times, strokes, DPS, and it's taken all the enjoyment out of it...perhaps I'm being negative!!

This evening I went for a walk along Stokes Bay...very pleasant, had my friends dog and he went running up to a young lady who came out of the toilet block..she had just been swimming, but I hadn't noticed her earlier as I walked from one end of the beach to the other...but anyway, we had quite a conversation in the short time I was talking to her....she was lovely to talk to, I gave her a lift home as she was staying just around the corner from my friends house. Hopefully I meet her again, her name was Anne. 

Which brings me to the other side of swimming...I had always felt fairly lonely swimming, particularly as I was doing it mostly at the pool and any interaction ended at the nods and hellos from the regular swimmers. This year I have changed that and joining Bayside Tri was the beginning..training with like minded people is so much fun...we all have the same goal..to get better, faster and win medals..lol...moving on from that came The Shack Sharks at Hillhead and then came the lovely people at Shore Road..it doesn't have to be lonely at all..thankfully! 

Friday's Double Dip

My first swim today was at Hill Head. I met up with Oliver and  we decided to swim to the furthest bouy, which Oliver had been told was 500m away..the tide was high, but going out. We were both in skins and set off towing our floats behind us. It took about 14 minutes to reach the bouy and we chatted for a short while upon reaching our destination. I noticed we were drifting quite fast and it was going to be a hard swim back...so we set off...after a few minutes I stopped and noticed a boat coming out of the sunlight. I was a little nervous as I hadn't been out this far before, preferring instead the safety of parallel to the beach swimming. I signalled to Oliver to look out for the boat and carried on swimming. After a short while I stopped and looked back, to check Oliver and where the boat was...it was directly behind Oliver and was a Police launch...one of the occupants waved, so I waved back and then all three waved..lol...Oliver was not far behind me so I carried on heading for shore. The launch stayed behind for a while and then moved passed the jet ski area and into shore, where it stayed until we both reached shore. It was a hard swim back but it was completed in about 18 minutes...We both laughed as we imagined we had contraband inside our floats...but actually I had my beach shoes :)

As you can see from the picture it was a cloudy day...but it was still fairly warm in the sea

My second swim was at Gosport Leisure Centre with Bayside Tri. Incidentally, I am now the proud owner of a Bayside Tri hoodie :)

The swim was quite tiring with lots of drills, and as always I was last in the intermediate lane...but although I will never be as fast as my lane buddies..they do make sure I push myself and never let me feel that I am holding them up...cheers chaps!! I think they all have events this wekend so Good Luck to them all...!

I had a mental block in the pool with the Pink Watch and couldn't remember how to set it!! So I've relied on swimtag for this session:

My stats in the pool:

Linda has completed a 1725m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG

Swim Time: 44min 36sec | Ave Pace: 155.2sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 23strokes/min | Calories: 457 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.62m/stroke

Swimming at the Shack...

Well today was another hot one...and once again I heard the call of the sea. It is becoming such a routine now...finish work, sort myself out and off to the beach. What on earth did I do before?

Also today one of my friends posted this link on facebook and I have shared it on my facebook page and also I will share it here...its called "Coming in Last" and tells the story of an ordinary Mum who challenges herself to do a 5k run. The same can be applied to swimming or any other discipline...someone has to come in last and it doesn't matter if it is you!

Also today I have thought about doing a 3k swim as a stepping stone to the 5k in September. There is one in Marlow which has caught my eye...but sometimes you wonder if its really necessary to do these events. At the back of my mind,  is the thought that I have only ever done the Great London Swim twice...the first time was an ordeal..and perhaps I should post my thoughts on that swim soon. It serves to remind me of the utter despair I went through and yet as I swam under the gantry, the emotion was real. I never thought I was going to finish. The fact that I did showed me just how much guts and determination I actually have.  The following year was much smoother and more enjoyable. But the following year I had the benefit of knowing what was going to happen!! I will give the Marlow swim some thought. It's the week before the London swim...hmmm serious thought needed :)

Back to tonight...my visit to The Shack was eventful. I arrived on time, started getting ready...there were four of us again. Oliver had said he was coming, but he hadn't arrived yet and I was in the boot area of the car. I collected everything I needed and shut down the boot and locked the keys inside...FFS!!! What now? The car was locked...oh hell you're only one swim away from a good mood....so that's what I did...swam and swam and swam and got nowhere as we chose to swim aggainst the tide first...it was tough going!!

Hill Head with the Sharks

A scorcher of a day today...looked forward to my swim with the Sharks...spent 40 minutes battling the waves, felt strong and the swim was good!
Wore the new beach shoes...wonderful getting in the water...no stones to hurt your feet...but I wasn't as elegant getting out...found it difficult putting the shoes on...and I fell over...lol

c'est la vie!

No swimming today!!!

Well arrived at the Shack raring to get back into the water...still on a high from yesterdays epic swim....but we were greeted by a load of kite surfers in the swimming area and it was too dangerous to swim....

SO UNFAIR!!!! I wanted to wear my new beach shoes...

Bournemouth Pier to Pier July 13th 2014

I never set an alarm to get up...but for this morning I did. I tossed and turned all night, worrying about all kinds of stuff, none of it swimming related. I knew I had to get up at 6 O'Clock and when the alarm sounded...well I was already awake, but I just pressed snooze. I just didn't want to get up!! I repeatedly pressed the sonooze button until eventually I had no choice but to get up and then I had t rush about getting ready...Always always last minute!!. Had to leave home at 7:45am to be at Richards house for 9am.

I drove down and wasn't excited or even fearful. Usually I feel sick with nerves before an event like this....Anyway it rained on the way, big black clouds, lots of torrential blasts of rain and then the satnav took me to Richards address. I parked up and was greeted at the door by him in his wetsuit and his wife still eating breakfast...but they are a lovely couple and make me feel very welcome.

I got changed into my swimming kit and gathered up the hat, wristband and luggage tag. Sue drove us to the top of the hill overlooking Bournemouth Pier...this is my first view of the Pier and in the far distance you can see Boscombe Pier and that is where we have to swim to....

There are quite a few waves in the sea....but i know from experience that the depth is not huge....the beach is lovely, flat and sandy and suddenly I feel nervous...and the old feelings have returned. The adrenalin is starting to pump and i suddenly start to worry about stupid things which just won't happen...but nevertheless the fear part of me, keeps saying it will be too much...I will get cold, I will get cramp and I will have to get out...I can't visualise reaching Boscombe Pier!!

As we neared the pier there were lots of swimmers in wetsuits milling around and a few wthout but not many. Registration over and time to hand your luggage to the man with the van, who will drive your luggage to Boscombe Pier...I feel like asking for a lift too..lol

I apply as much aqua glide as I possibly can to my neck and a little over my face as that always dries up in the sea. Also I take four puffs of ventolin...then my luggage is handed over and i'm left with my hat and goggles...!! It's all about to happen, no turning back.

A young girl asks me if I need any help pullling up the zip of my wetsuit, but I thank her and say I'll be ok. I don't want anyone doing up the neck as I now am becoming paranoid about it. I remember the swim earlier in the week with Mark, where I ended up having to take it off because my neck hurt me so much,. If I get to that point today, I will have to exit the water.

Richard and I stood on the sand for a short while and then I wanted to acclimatise myself in the water. A quick dip and I made sure I was used to the temperature...the waves were rolling but not huge, so made the decision to go further out to sea. We were chatting on the sand again when one of a group of girls next to us, which included the young girl from earlier caught my eye and we both smiled, laughed and said hello...she was Celine from Beyond the Blue and I had been swimming with her the week before at Shore Rd. It was nice to have a friendly chat before the start as it helped my mind think about nicer things!

The safety brief went ahead and then the claxon went off and the people at the front ran into the water, while the rest of us walked slowly behind...

Richard and I walked slowly out to sea, until I was up to my shoulders...we then decided to turn left and swim...unbelievable...thought I was at a January Sale...I was pushed, barged, kicked, people swimming over me, umder me and around me...shocking!! :) Next year I will be last !!

In the scrum, I lost Richard...I found a clearing and stopped...I looked back and could't see him, took my goggles off and looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen. So I turned and started to swim. It was an awful first 200m as there was just too many people...I was weaving in and out and around everyone...I moved closer to the jet skis so that I was out of the way and swam from there...I felt good and strong in the water. I was sighting other swimmers rather than the pier...I couldn't see the pier it was just a line on the horizon, my main worry was keeping clear of the other swimmers. I swam for quite a while and the pier was becoming a bigger line in my misted goggles...and at one point I stopped completely and lifted my goggles to see...The pier looked like I was about half way, but when I looked at the pink watch it said 17 minutes...So I reckoned on time I was only about a quarter of the way, so head down and carried on swimming...I did front crawl all the way, only the occasional breaststroke to get around people...all of a suddden I seemed to be at the groynes...I must have been swimming diagonally....great sighting eh? I stopped again and lifted my goggle ans the pier didn't seem far away at all....I reckoned it was about 20 lengths of the pool. I was feeling very confident, very strong, wasn't tired and put my head down again and upped my speed slightly...in no time at all, I could see the pier and the swimmers to my left were standing up and wading in...I felt a rush of emotion...I had done it, it was over. I felt very proud of myself..stood up and could hear the shouts and screams of my family amongst the line of people along the beach

 This is the finish line...you can hardly see Bournemouth Pier...its the whitle building in the far distance! You can see the jetskis in the water...they are bringing in the first swimmers!

I am swimming in the background here...somewhere! Actually I think I am the one to the left swimming...its time to get out!

This is me and I have a big smile on my face...I've done it!!!

My smile is even bigger when I look at my watch and see the time...I just couldn't believe it and thought it wsn't working or i hadn't set it right ... duh!!!

While collecting my medal, I hear someone ask for the time...a lady says "ten to"...my brain starts ticking again...we started after 10am, I waited until I was in position to swim and then set the watch so HEY!! YEY!! It's right...I did it in 43 minutes 41 seconds...an unbelievable time...so fast...I am now so proud!

I am greeted by Vikki, John and Adam...I am pleased to bits at my performance...I am on a high!!

Looking back down at Boscombe Pier...you can see Bournemouth Pier in the far distance....what a swim!!! So proud!!

Just don't want to do this Bournemouth swim!!!

It's Saturday...I'm having a bad day in my personal life and it's spilling over into my swimming. Well no swimming today it's a rest day...but i need to get my mind focussed on tomorrow...but i'm not looking forward to it at all.

I've even eaten a large chinese meal..well special fried rice and curry sauce. Not something ive done in a long time...it's almost like I am deliberately sabotaging my efforst tomorrow. I think deep in my heart I just don't want to do it...!!

Then I think..."Oh just get on with it...do it and then you never have to swim in the sea again!" But then I remember my neck is still sore...that I will suffer in the water tomorrow...so now I'm wondering if I should do it in skins...but I don't think I will last an hour or just over in the water without a wetsuit...

Not sure what to do...watch this space.... :(

Friday Night is Bayside Tri Night!

Gosport Leisure Centre was the venue and once again I was in the intermediate lane with Andy and Tony. I was always at the back but being the sportsmen they are, they didn't seem to mind and enjoyed the longer rest they got while waiting for me to regroup! LOL

I did enjoy the swim, but was aware that it would be my last swim before Sundays Big Swim in Bournemouth! I noticed tonight that I was feeling much stronger at the end of the session, compared to how I felt at the start! Wore my pink watch...but I'm not sure I've got the hang of it as it didn't seem to be recording much..lol Also wore my swimtag...results as follows:

Linda has completed a 1375m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG

Swim Time: 35min 56sec | Ave Pace: 156.9sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 29strokes/min | Calories: 369 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.32m/stroke

Swimming with the Sharks

Met up with Tom and exchanged chill floats....I am now the proud owner of my very own chill swim float :) It is a saga, but eventually it arrived safely into my hands and now I will never let it go !!

So tonight was a swim in quite rough waters with Jeannie, Oliver and one other whose name escapes me right now..lol..it's an age thing!! I am feeling very confident in the water now, and was able to use my new pink watch to time myself...35 minute swim, about 1k I would say, but not too sure... Deborah was at the shack and she had completed a 6km swim from the Isle of Wight to Hillhead Sailing Club the day before...she was on a high and brought some birthday cake which was very nice!!

After the swim I went straight to Zumba and danced for an hour...feeling tired now...so must be bed time!

8th July...another swim at Shore Road

Another practice swim at Shore Road for just Mark and myself. Suffered terribly today...my neck from last nights swim is extremely sore...so much so I ended up taking the wetsuit off in the sea and putting it into my borrowed chill float. I was amazed how cold I immediately felt despite the fact I thought it had filled up with lots of water as I didn't have the neck done up! I was freezing and moved into shore and almost walked all the way back...not a good day for swimming!

7th July ~ Swimming in Fordingbridge Lake

I had made myself a promise the last time I was at Fordingbridge that I would attempt a 5k swim...just so that I would know that I could do it. Now I know I can, as I have done it in the pool...but I needed to be sure that I could do it in open water in a wetsuit :)

Today I received the lovely gift of a pink poolmate:

Another Gadget to learn how to work!!

Now although the name does imply that it is for use in the pool you can time your laps in open water too....!!

Fordingbridge is a 650m circuit so I worked out I needed to do 8 laps plus another 100m .......and now I am writing this and questioning my maths...and the maths of my Oxford graduate in mathematics, swim buddy :)....or perhaps I am tired or my brain is just not functioning...anyway I am off to ask Mr Google the size of the lake..lol 

Well back now and it's definitely 650m...so 5k would have been 7 laps plus another 450m. But Mark and I actually did 8 laps and another 100m..lol Oh dear, we are not very clever are we???

The uspide to the miscalculation is that we did it in 2hours...so our time would have been under 2 hours if we had worked it out correctly...so there is always a bonus!!

Here is a panoramic view of the lake:

Each lap was completed in under 15 minutes, and there was a bit of rest time to add in too, but in all it was 2 hours with the rests included...so happy with that and of course it means that in my head I now know I can do it....thank you Mark !!

Swimming at Shore Road with Beyond the Blue

What a great bunch of people to be swimming with. I met these wonderful people in a facebook group called Beyond the Blue...a group of people who swim at Shore Road. One of them with the grand name of Marisa Aqua Nut (Channel Swimmer!) organised some practice swims for the Bournemouth Pier to Pier. Unfortunately I ws working during the three she arranged, so posed the question to the group about me doing one myself and Marisa came straight back and organised one for the Sunday I was free.

So today I set off with my grandson Adam to Shore Road to swim with them...

 

Why the pensive look? Well it did seem that the building we were swimming to was so far away!!

It was a 2km swim and I completed it in roughly one hour. The big day next week will be just over 2.25k. Definitely left Shore Road today feeling much more confident....and with a VERY sore neck :(

Training with Bayside Tri

Tonight more drills with Bayside Tri....but I did enjoy them :) For some strange reason... lol :)

Anyway...here are the statistics :)

Linda has completed a 1450m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG

Swim Time: 37min 50sec | Ave Pace: 156.6sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 23strokes/min | Calories: 389 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.63m/stroke

Back in the SEA!!!

Well it was another scorching hot day...the hottest day of the year so far..! After I finished work and did a few things that I had to do...the sea was beckoning....yes I needed to get in there and swim, swim, swim!!

I didn't get home until 5:30pm and immediately asked if anyone from the Sharks was swimming tonight...and Oliver said he was....! so not time to stop, quickly put swimsuit on and grabbed wetsuit and into the car!! Deborah was there with our new swim hats....couldn't resist a photo....!!

 

It was rough in the sea, but I must admit that I am no longer worried about being out of my depth, or indeed having waves crashing over me....I powered through them and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. There were four of us in all swimming, but two got out early on and Oliver and I weren't quite sure if we were just stupid or just tough cookies!! We decided then to also go back to shore :) I suppose we must have been in the water about 30 - 45 minutes, but not too sure.

When I got home, I then went for my walk for an hour and immediately after that, it was in the pool. I was going to just do a leisurely swim in front crawl....but someone got in the lane and was hot on my toes....he is a regular there...Mr Splashalot...and swims quite slow..in fact my breaststroke is faster than his front crawl...but today he thought he was on fine form and exhausted himself trying to overtake me but we hit the wall together and of course he was then too slow on the way back...he turned into a bloody nuisance!!!

Anyway....swim tonight:

Linda has completed a 1250m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG

Swim Time: 29min 38sec | Ave Pace: 142.3sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 27strokes/min | Calories: 339 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.54m/stroke

Calories eaten today:         1400
Calories used in exercise:  1341