The Long, Long, Long Swim

About six months ago Simon sent out an email asking who was up for doing 'The Long Swim at Box End'. This would be good training as it is a 3.8km (2.4 mile) open water swim. We even got a special "no Wet Suit" category created for us.

It was a lovely day and Richard, Woody and I stood around at about 8 in the morning wondering if Dawn and Simon would actually turn up. They didn't. Guy (FVS TRI swimming Conneston Water the next week) stood rubbing goose fat all over himself. and soon it was time to get in the water.

It was cold.

No time for real acclimatising we are under starters. Is is 3 laps of the lake. The first leg is around 500 meters. As you start swimming towards to buoy the thing that strikes you is that each 'sighting' seems to bring you no closer to the thing. It is rather disheartening. But that feeling continued for the next hour. It was hard. But we all made it.

Woody did brilliantly finishing first out of the non-suited in a time of 1h 4minutes. I came second and Richard 4th (just out of the prizes, Guy came 3rd - not sure if the goose fat did anything though). But Rich did look rather pleased with himself as he 'danced' out of the water. It was all I could do to get up the ramp and not be sick. But it stands us all in good stead for the day.