The Salford Swim

Well, I did it! 1 mile in open water around Salford Quays. Wow, what an experience. It is now more than 24 hours since I completed the swim and I am still reeling from the experience! I couldn't blog about it last night as I couldn't easily put it into words and I felt elated, overwhelmed, dumbstruck and exhausted. Anyway, here is my account of the Great Salford Swim....

At 11:20 on Sunday 15th May, the Great Swim Series, sponsored by British Gas (!), started at Salford Quays. We arrived early and watched a mother duck swimming in the Quays with her brand new tiny ducklings and thought about the fact that we would be shortly swimming about in there with them....!

I was lucky enough to be swimming in the first wave of the first race of the year and it was a truly amazing experience. It was to be the first time I had swum in open water , in a wetsuit and I had been warned that is it different to a pool and I should try my wetsuit out first to ensure a good fit and to get a feel of it. Unfortunately I didn’t have an opportunity to do this before the event, and I felt confident in my ability to swim a mile as I have done a lot of training, so I made my open water début at the event.

As I plunged into the 14c water with 200 other people, I soon regretted this. I felt as though I had forgotten how to swim; my ankles felt really buoyant and floated up behind me. When I tried to put my face into the water to swim properly, the shock of the cold water made me involuntarily take a breath in (the rest of me was quite warm thanks to my wetsuit!). So I was swimming a very strange stroke because I had my head out and my ankles floating up behind me and it was pretty difficult and inefficient. At that point I really didn’t think I would make the distance. My husband, Dylan was swimming next to me and he is a seasoned tri-athlete and he talked me through the difficult parts, swimming just ahead of me, keeping me going. It was a very long 20 minutes, where I felt I was swimming slowly and with difficulty and struggling to breathe. The course allowed for spectators to walk alongside and there were helicopters buzzing overhead as the event was being televised. We had a lot of support from the crowds and from the crew. I passed the corner where we had spotted the ducklings earlier, I thought of my own children and kept going....

When we got to the half way buoy, I suddenly found my stroke and felt as though my body had warmed up (and I had calmed down) and I could swim again. Dylan stayed by my side and we finished in about 54 minutes which I was very pleased with. My aim had been to do the distance in less than an hour (I have previously swum just under 1 mile in 44 minutes in a pool). My legs were like jelly when I tried to get out and I was helped out by the lifeguards. One of my work colleagues was at the finish and he made sure the commentator gave me a mention as I finished (thanks Kev!) and it was a pretty good feeling to have made it!

We rubbed shoulders with famous swimmers on the day, including Duncan Goodhew who swam as part of a team of celebrities competing against each other in a charity contest; Olympic medallist Kerri-Ann Payne, who was the favourite elite woman to win, and who did not disappoint, by swimming it in just over 17 minutes. Also, the German, Thomas Lurz who won the men’s elite race in just over 16 minutes. Five times Olympic gold medallist, Ian Thorpe was there co-presenting the BBC coverage with Olympic silver medallist Steve Parry and the BBC's Matt Baker.

This morning I have woken up stiff in muscles that I wouldn't normally use to swim which I guess is a testament to my unusual stroke as I tried to cope with the buoyancy. I also have friction grazes on my neck from my wetsuit rubbing - I was offered some Bodyglide but I declined. Another thing I know for next time. And I have rosy cheeks! Most puzzling as it drizzled for most of the day, but they definitely feel lightly sunned, so I suppose the reflection of the water may have carried some UV rays to my face; just waiting for an eruption of freckles now!

I have entered the Great North Swim at Lake Windermere on 19th June. At this point I am feeling a little unsure about whether to do it all again as it was a pretty overwhelming experience wasn’t at all how I was expecting it to be. But I made the distance in the time I wanted to do it in, and the atmosphere at such events is quite addictive, so I suspect I will decide to take the plunge again in June…..

(Nb, I have since read a little about how common it is to hyperventilate when you (or your face!) enter cold water without acclimatising and about how badly fitting wetsuits can hinder your stroke. I will blog a separate entry about this shortly, after a little more research and some references. Won't be making the same mistake again....)

**I can be seen, entering the water on the BBC's iPlayer coverage of the Great Manchester Bupa Run, which was happening at the same time, just down the road. They broke off from the run to show the start of the Salford Swim, which can be viewed from 1 hour 19 minutes 30 seconds in. I can be seen waving at the camera in the left hand corner as I go in, at 1 hour 20 minutes and 54 seconds !**

Triathlons and Marathons!

We've had a busy couple of Sundays here as Dylan (my husband) was competing in the Tadcaster Triathlon and then the Leeds Half Marathon.

The triathlon was a sprint distance triathlon so the swimming part was indoors which made it simpler as there was no wetsuit to negotiate and this was a distance of 500 metres in the Tadcaster Swimming Pool. After that there was a half mile sprint up the road to the Molson Coors Brewery which housed the transition area. The bike leg was a 14 km ride on road around the surrounding villages, then back to transition and a run for 7km.

It was a lovely day to be spectating at a triathlon, with my camera and without the children and Dylan did a really great time of 1 hour and 15 minutes, which was 15 minutes faster than the time he did the Leeds Sprint Triathlon last year, which is a testament to the hard training schedule he has completed in the last 12 months.

There were 207 triathletes who took part and finished, including the elite. Dylan finished:

• 90 overall out of 207
• 39 out of the 108 his category (age 18 to 40 - not bad considering he is in the upper age limit!)
• Swim: 96 out of 207
• Cycle: 43 out of 207 (WOW!)
• Run: 110 out of 207

Highlight of the day was when he ran he half mile from the pool to transition across the town, barefoot! He is interested in barefoot running and decided to do this after making an informed choice and it gave him an advantage over other swimmers exiting the pool who stopped to get socks and footwear on. Many of the spectators thought this was amusing, shocking or downright weird... everyone was pointing and whispering as he ran past with a grin on his face and his goggles in his hand! I heard one woman say "He must be really hard, or completely insane"! Made me chuckle!

Here are a few photo's I took:







The Leeds Half Marathon took place the week after in the city centre. It was the first running event that Dylan has taken part in and at just over 13 miles, it would be the furthest distance he has ever run, including training sessions.

The atmosphere was very different to that of a triathlon. It was a huge event with 1000's of runners of all abilities, shapes and ages taking part. It was very well organised and very official-feeling compared to a triathlon and I have to say it wasn't as enjoyable as far as spectator sports go! Still we had a lovely day and Dylan did really well.

He completed the course in 1 hour and 51 minutes which is an amazing time for his half marathon début. This placed him 1195 out of an approximate 5000 runners. I am not sure how this places him in his category (he ran as a 35-39 yr old male) but to finish in under 2 hours at his first attempt is just amazing!

Here are a few photo's, including one of a friend's husband; A, who we met up with and who made his début half marathon too. A also ran a fabulous time of 1 hour 54, so very similar to Dylan and he is planning on running in his first full distance marathon later this year:

Swimathon, Wetsuits and Bikes

I completed the 1.5k Swimathon on Sunday 17 April at the Aquatics Centre in Leeds. I decided to swim the shorter distance than originally planned as my enthusiasm for training for more than 60 minutes at a time had waned and 1.5k is 60 lengths, which I easily swim in an hour.

The event was swum in a 50m length pool, which was quite daunting as I am used to 25m lengths and it made me really think about how it will feel swimming outdoors at Salford, with a mile stretched out in front of me. It was quite a sobering thought, however I swam the distance without stopping and in 44 minutes which was a fast time for me and the first time I had swam more than 10 lengths without pausing.

My husband swam the 2.5k in 1 hour and 4 minutes which was a great time for him too.


So wetsuits ... given that I work for the major sponsor of British Swimming (British Gas!), I did expect it would be easy to obtain a wetsuit for a good price as has been the case in previous years. With 4 weeks to go, I had read about no deals at all and got a few colleagues searching for me with no real luck. Last week, I received an email to say staff who were entering the Great Swim Series could apply for a limited number of FREE wetsuits, so I immediately responded. Only to receive an email a few days later to say they were overwhelmed by the response and had run out! This was very disappointing because I knew NO ONE else at work who was entering any of the swims and because I had responded immediately. Oh and because I had limited funds!

I enlisted the help of my husband and his triathlon knowledge/links and hired a wetsuit made by Foor by a company who help triathletes get the gear they need at a good price. It cost £100 including deposit and posting and I have it from March- September so it can be used for both swims. If I decide to keep it in September it is mine for the money I already paid which is still a good price.

Given that I am short (4'11") and, um... curvy, finding a suit to fit is no easy task.. but it arrived today and it was easier than I thought it would be to squeeze myself into. The sight of it though set my stomach churning... I am really going to swim in a place which is cold and deep and outside!

I don't think there will be opportunity to give my wetsuit a go before the Salford Swim so I am just hoping I can manage to swim in it. It does feel quite restrictive and it will no doubt still feel cold, but given the time I have left to work with, it's going to just have to do!

I have been out on my road bike a few times this month too and I am finally feeling at home with it and learning to adapt to the differences between it and a mountain bike. It feels fast and fluent in comparison (now I no longer wobble every time I change gear!) and I can feel myself getting stronger much quicker. It was clearly designed to be ridden!

My husband has finished building his triathlon-road bike. His first triathlon of the season is on Monday so I will be keeping everything crossed than his new sleek, carbon fiber road bike pays off.

Spring is here!

It's been a while since I updated and my enthusiasm for swimming has waned somewhat over the last 4-5 weeks, meaning I am now considering swimming a reduced distance in the Swimathon event in 3 weeks time (eeek!) I think I will now be entering the 1.5k distance which is 60 lengths. Quite simply, if I do distances further than this, it is likely I am in the pool for more than 45 minutes and I am finding my boredom threshold being challenged. So instead of getting bored swimming up and down, I am concentrating on shorter distances.

I am certain now that I will quit swimming once the Great North Swim event in June, I need a break from it; though I do expect I will start again in the Autumn and I have plans to swim with a Masters Group next year.

I have maintained enthusiasm for Zumba though and have been twice every single week since it started in January!

And now Spring is here, and the lighter nights start happening from TONIGHT.. it was time to get back in the saddle properly! I took my road bike out today for it's first proper run and I did about 6 miles. I could feel the adrenalin pumping through me as I was pretty nervous about riding this fast, skinny-tyred, bumpy little bike which allowed me to experience very fast speeds with very little effort! The slightest movement from my hands (braking/changing gear) meant I was wobbling out on the front wheel. The gears were a dream compared to my mountain bike, if not a little odd to change because of the shape of the handlebars. Overall, it was fun, I AM BACK ON MY BIKE and this year I will be faster!

My husband has now completed his build-a-tri-bike project and he is the proud owner of a self-built carbon fiber road bike. I will post a photo as soon as I get my camera back from the insurance people who are trying to decide whether it can be fixed or needs replacing..... He has entered 4 triathlons this year and I will hopefully be attending them all with him and capturing the days on camera (once it is repaired... I feel lost without it!) He has already calculated how much faster he is this compared to his first year in triathlons last year, so expecting great things :-)

Salford Swim..

The Great Salford Swim was announced yesterday and will take place on 15 May. This is much earlier than we had hoped and clashes with two other major sporting events in Manchester that day, which means the BBC has decided to televise it live...exciting! But means it may be a logistical nightmare getting there, getting about considering we have children and grandparents tagging along.... however the end result is we decided to enter.

The website is down tonight, maybe they are overwhelmed by response? Hoping to register tomorrow for the 12:50 wave.. woohoo!

So I have the 2.5k Swimathon in April, the Great Salford Swim in May and the Great North Swim in June :-)

I gave myself a target of 60 lengths tonight which is 1.5k and I did this in approximately 50 minutes. I swam about 8 lengths in freestyle. All in all, feeling good, progress is happening!

Miles on bike so far in 2011: 29 Miles
Swimming lengths (25m): 310 lengths.
Zumba (hours spent dancing): 7 hours.

End of January

I have been swimming twice per week throughout the month of January and have just completed my longest distance since I started swimming again in October; 56 lengths, which is 1.4k and this was in 40 minutes, doing mostly breaststroke. It felt good actually, I was really 'feeling' the water and feeling strong and stream-lined. I have been working on my breaststroke and really reaching into it and stream-lining myself during the underwater pull.

I have also entered Swimathon, after a nudge from an on-line friend. It is a national event, taking place in April, where you pledge to swim either 1.5k, 2.5k or 5k for charity. I have entered the 2.5k which is 100 lengths, and I am feeling a little nervous about the distance at the moment, although there IS 10 weeks until it takes place. No wetsuits required for this so if I can do this, I can definitely do the lesser distance needed to complete the Great North Swim (even if taking into account currents, going off-course and wetsuit buoyancy!)

So, I have a goal for the Spring!

It has meant NOT entering the Ride It cycling event taking place in Leeds because the dates clash, but I think this is the right decision.... 30 miles on a bike by mid-April seems very daunting because I simply am no putting in the miles on my bike yet. Plenty of time for bike riding in the warmer months, though I managed 10 miles on my MTB last Sunday.

Miles on bike so far in 2011: 16 miles
Swimming lengths (25m): 250 lengths.
Zumba (hours spent dancing): 5 hours.

The Great North Swim (and the Aquatics Centre. Oh and Zumba too....)

What an exciting week!

Oh Tuesday I went to a new exercise class called Zumba, which in case you hadn't heard, given it's 'latest craze' status.. is a dance/aerobics class inspired by Latin dance moves with a modern/street dance twist. Or something. Anyway, it was full of energy, great fun and a really good workout. I enjoyed it so much I have been twice this week, and I intend to keep going frequently until the weather/daylight hours allow me to cycle more....

On Wednesday, I decided to try a new venue for swimming (and miss my Pilates class.. I am started to feel irritated by the instructor!) so I went to the John Charles Centre for Sport, AKA the Aquatics Centre in the city centre. I was absolutely over-awed by it. In fact I was rather put off from my goal of 40 lengths, because I was so fascinated by everything else going on.

The pool is Olympic size and then has a separate diving area and shallow pool. The pool can be separated off by a moving wall and a false floor, to make it shorter, shallower et al, so different people and clubs can use the pool at the same time. The Leeds Swimming Club were training that night and that in itself was exciting for me, being a former junior club swimmer... brought back happy memories! At the other end there was a diving club doing some spectacular diving. The section I was in was divided into lanes for swimmers to swim 25m lengths, and in fact this was pretty interesting as you were swimming the width of the pool which happened to be 25m across which gives you an idea of the scale of the place. It was also full of club swimmers, coaches, and the occasional gob-smacked person (ie me!) and the atmosphere was absolutely fabulous - nothing like the local leisure centre pool! I plan to make regular trips there from now on, it truly was an inspiring place, full of inspirational swimmers.

And then... I got an email to say the registration process has opened for the Great North Swim in Lake Windermere! I ummed and aaaahed all day about whether I will be ready as it is earlier than I thought and will take place on the 18th June. There is the option to swim half a mile, rather than the mile, but I was brave and entered the 1 mile wave at 11am on Sunday 18th June. Eeek! Feeling a bit scared now in fact. Been planning to do this since last October, and now it will become a reality. Dylan has also entered today so at least he will be there jumping in with me and support me (then no doubt leave me behind!). So I WILL BE SWIMMING IN THE GREAT NORTH SWIM THIS YEAR!!!

On the bike front, I am considering entering a 'Ride It!' event as organised by Evans Cycles, which is similar to the Lake District ride I did last year. There is one held locally, in Leeds in the middle of April and there is again the option of a 30 mile distance. Hoping to make a decision on this in the next few weeks.....

And Dylan's Build a Tri-Bike project is coming along nicely, I will update with some pictures soon.

Miles on bike so far in 2011: 6
Swimming lengths (25m): 106