The plan? To swim my first open water mile of the year, and then eat a mountain of cake to celebrate. Unfortunately, when I got to the lake, I wasn’t sure whether I would even be swimming one stroke. It was surrounded by thick fog, and for safety reasons we were not allowed in until it had lifted enough for the safety crew to be able to actually see us. Now I am not a fog expert, but I was not confident that it would be happening any time soon, and I admit I was tempted to call it a day even before I’d put my toe in the water, rather than wait it out, especially since the water temperature hadn’t made the gains this week that I would have liked, and instead of the double figures I had hoped for, it had instead dropped since last week. I say dropped, I would have preferred the term 'plummeted' but I was told that the point six of a degree colder temperature could not be considered to have ‘plummeted’ at all. It certainly felt a lot, lot colder. Added to my misery, the fog made it feel really miserable. Having said that, I had driven for an hour, in said thick fog to get there, and so decided to wait it out with the other swimmers… in the warmth of the café.
One of the best things about open water swimming, has always been for me, the amazing people that come with it. These people that I was sitting with waiting to get in the water, have over the years undressed me (just out of my wetsuit, to be clear), picked me up from the shoreline after some quite spectacularly non-elegant exits, re-dressed me, fed me, made me cake (I do always feel obliged to pass it round of course, but not before making sure I have had the lion’s share first), and at the moment, as I made the decision to give up chocolate for Lent, which by the way may have been one of my most stupidest ideas (but much to my surprise and delight, I was succeeding it, even if it was by the skin of my teeth)! Bake Off Chris had really been pulling the baking out of the bag, and coming up with some non-chocolate variations, which I’m afraid might have meant that the sales of cocoa nibs be temporarily in decline on the back of this! They have bought me coffee, cheered me on and unceremoniously zipped me into my wetsuit, using some much needed brute force at times, as it really had recently become quite the mammoth task! I did think, in my defence, that it had definitely shrunk over the winter. It was safe to say that these people have seen me at my worst! These same amazing people are the ones that also keep me safe in the water, and today was no exception.
As I said, I am not a fog expert, which definitely showed, because when I emerged from the café a short time later, I still expected visibility to be bad, and although I wouldn’t say it had lifted, I could easily see the far side of the course, and there were swimmers getting into the lake. Who knew? I was about to call it a day and just head for the pool and it’s twenty eight degree water and fog-less air quality…
I have discovered that I am not a swimmer that can just get into cold water and get on with the job in hand (actual swimming) quickly, and today was no exception. The fog had lifted enough for the safety crew at SwimYourSwim to deem it safe to swim in, so once I was suited and booted, I got in… slow and steady to avoid tripping and chipping my nail varnish, or worse face planting the water, which I knew from bitter experience, would be much to the amusement of my fellow swimmers. I also needed to take my time getting used to the temperature too, and this started with a lap of heads up breaststroke. Because I had my head up, I didn’t think there was any point in putting on my goggles, after all it was a lovely excuse (when the visibility was good) to take in the surroundings, by which I meant locating my nemesis swan, and any other above the water line (mostly feathered) lake residents nearby. It was good to be prepared for every eventuality, like finding yourself eye to eye with one of them, and knowing where they were meant I could locate my nearest exit point, and quickly – just in case! Heads up also meant I was completely oblivious to anything IN the water with me, which in a lake where there wasn’t actually anything in it that could eat me, or so Leon (SYS) had informed me, but he had told me a white lie before now – like the time he told me it wasn’t all that cold in the water and it was actually ****ing freezing, but was choosing, in this instance, to believe him, to avoid complete hysteria on my part! Heads up breast stroke without goggles was less lovely when I forgot I was goggle-less and put my face in the water. If I had remembered to put them on I would have avoided the eyeful of nasty cold water, and the subsequent mouthful of the stuff after that, but once I had pulled myself together (basically stopped spluttering) I began swimming really fast. Not really, it was another steady lap. I’m not entirely sure what the stroke was that I used, but it was kind of doggy-paddle/breast stroke combination lacking any style or form.
I became concerned half way round this second lap that the fog seemed to have worsened. I could still make out the safety boat, but the shoreline was difficult to see. I did feel a small amount of panic, and so took off my goggles to get my bearings, only to find that the fog hadn’t worsened at all, in fact, if anything it had lifted slightly, it was just that the inside of my goggles had also become foggy. Double fog if you like! Nothing that a bit of spit wouldn't sort (my own of course…).
The last two laps were uneventful, which for me was a novelty, but it certainly didn’t stop me from being my usual vigilant, ready to exit the lake at neck breaking speed at the expense of anyone, or thing that got in my way, self and as much I would have liked to/should have swum on, my hands were really cold, and I wasn’t enjoying the conditions all that much, so decided to get out rather than risk hypothermia or the need to be rescued half way round because I wasn’t paying attention to the early signs. It wasn't the mile I had hoped for, but it felt like the right choice for me.
Getting out sooner rather than later also meant that I would be able to secure a piece of the lovely looking cake that Bake Off Chris had made. I was glad I had made my timely exit, for if I had stayed in much longer I would have risked everyone else eating it all before I got to it. As it was there was already hardly any left, and so only felt like I could have a slither. There was just about enough to replenish SOME of my depleted sugar levels (after what was such a lengthy swim after all), with the delicious, but small slice of cake. In no time at all I had finished, and made my way back outside to the shoreline to say goodbye to everyone, and would you credit it? The fog had completely lifted, and the sun had come out, which was all rather lovely for those clever swimmers that had stayed in the cafe for longer... eating the lion's share of the cake!
