Swim 1 complete!
Well the weather for the Swim the Cam even on Saturday couldn’t really have been better…calm water and warm sunshine 🙂
Distance 4,327 yd | Time 1:17:20 | Pace 1:47 min/100 yd
Source: Full Garmin trace details here…
I was aiming for my steady pace of 30min/mile which should have meant I completed the swim in 1hr 15mins but it was pretty clear from the outset that that wasn’t going to happen. The first half mile was very weedy and several fallen trees meant the river narrowed meaning a lot of sighting was required. That trend for much sighting continued for much of the swim, partially due to the width of the river in a lot of places, but mainly because of the number of canoes, punts and other river users (including several families of Ducks and Swans) we encountered.
I was therefore quite surprised when my final time was only slightly over my target. Talking about it with a couple of other swimmers afterwards I concluded that this was probably due to the, albeit fairly slow, current that was with us on the swim. One regular swimmer estimated it to be around 0.5mph.
My arms were starting to feel it a little towards the end but actually I didn’t feel too bad. The only real issues I had were with the Swim hat we were given (they always tend to be a tad small for me so I’ve got my own slightly larger one) meaning I had to stop and adjust it 2 or 3 times during the swim, and the small issue of being able to get out of the river at the end. Everyone managed it but the exit point was too deep to stand and had no steps, simply vertical concrete sticking 30cm or so out of the water. Nothing horrendous but maybe something to improve for next year!
For me the swim achieved its purpose in that I think I should be OK for Coniston Swim, but I’ve certainly got to keep the training up between now and then…and hope that by some miracle that Coniston Water doesn’t turn out to be quite as cold as I think it will be!
For anyone interested You can still add sponsorship to my Swim the Cam Justgiving page if you’d like to, but the push now is over on the Chill Swim Coniston Justgiving page 🙂
I gone done a silly thing…again
In 2014 I rather stupidly entered an Olympic distance Triathlon. This was initially a way to get me off my arse and do some exercise, the theory being there was no way I’d be able to finish without doing some and it worked!
In 2015 I didn’t enter anything and the amount of exercise decreased significantly because there was no nagging scared feeling in the back of my brain telling me I needed to do this.
With that in mind this year I’ve entered the rather foolish Chill Swim Coniston, a 5.25 mile open water swim from one end of Coniston Water to the other. As part of my training for this I’ve also entered Swim the Cam, a 2.5 mile open water swim down a section of The Cam in Cambridge.
You won’t be surprised in the least when I tell you that I’m supposed to be being sponsored for both of these events, but that other than one brief Tweet a couple of months ago I’ve completely forgotten to publicise that bit! #oopsie
Swim the Cam takes place this Saturday (23/7/16) and is being run to try and raise funds for Cambridge Sustainable Food, more specifically their Sustainable Food Hub project. I’ve pledged to raise £100 for them as a condition of entry. Please take a look at the links and at what they’re trying to do and, if you’re feeling that way inclined, please sponsor me/them on this Justgiving page.
The big swim is on either the 3rd of 4th (weather dependent) of September up in the Lake District. I’m doing that one in aid of Arthritis Research UK which could be classed as a little bit selfish in a way…but it’s not like the money is going straight to me 🙂
I haven’t had to commit to any specific target for this one but obviously more is always better! If you feel like helping men and Arthritis Research UK out, please donate on this Justgiving.com page.
Thanks hugely in advance for anything that you’re prepared to give to either cause…see you in the water!
