Swallowing Fish :oS

Distance: approx 1km
Time: no idea - took my watch off!
Discipline: Open Water swimming

Yup - that's right peeps - Open Water Swimming (somehow the capitals seem appropriate). It was finally time to leave the relative safety of the swiming pool with the nice blue lines painted on the bottom (the pool that is, not me!) and head off into "Proper Grown Up Triathlete Territory". The open water swim - wibble :oS

This was meant to happen last week, but I had a cold hit me suddenly, so it got put back until today. Fortunately, I had Lindi and Dave Bennett with me, both experienced open water swimmers. We headed off to South Water Lake.

That's it in the middle in the gap towards the bottom. Not the pristine clear blue water further up and to the right, the murky green looking one!

I was worried about it being cold, as I didn't have a wetsuit, and was not reassured to hear someone plunge in and scream like mad. As it turned out this was just someone practising life saving drills, but I didn't find that out until later! The following sight also did nothing reassure me!

I jest! That wasn't at Southwater, although the water was pretty much that colour! My main worry was swallowing a fish, which Lindi had told me there were some of at South Water. Anyhow - I eventually got up the nerve to plunge in, and found that I could stand on the bottom by the jetty (to the right hand end in the aerial shot). Right - time to set off. Dave stayed with me as I took my first tentative strokes. I was amazed by how little I could see in the water - I could just about see my front arm going forward for the next stroke. I concentrated on sticking to swimming just like I'd done, length after length, in my local pool. This seemed to work great, and I relaxed into it.

The next thing I knew, I felt something grasp my ankle! Gulp!



Fortunately, it wasn't that, it was Dave, trying to attract my attention to tell me that I was about to crash into the reeds! Hmm - I understood why the swimming pool had lines on the bottom! I had a chat with Dave who talked about sighting - taking my head out of the water every few strokes to look ahead. This was worrying, as it was going to interrupt something that I'd practised a lot. I tried it, and found it hard going. I eventually reached the far bank (shore seems too grand a word) and rested, rather depressed. It had been a tough journey across, and rather spooky, as at times it seemed as if I wasn't getting any nearer (a trick of perspective I think). Lindi swam up, and we had a further chat about sighting. I decided that I was going to have to master this, and that it was bound to take time. The swim back was easier, but still not fantastic. I decided to do a couple more "lengths" and then call it a day, the sun was getting close to the trees.

The next couple of lengths were better. While I never found the sighting technique easy, I did manage to get a little more to grips with it, although almost by definitions it's going to interrupt the smoothness of the stroke. I also went to bi-lateral breathing consistently rather than just when I felt I needed a breath more often than every four strokes, and that seemed to help me keep naturally straighter. It still took time for the far bank to approach, but it wasn't too long before I'd completed four lengths :o). I got out exhausted but very satisfied.

Oh yes - swallowing the fish! Lindi and I went back to her place and stuffed ourselves full of fish and chips!!