Two weeks ago - The swim buddy and I returned to Whitby for our second swim. I were all too aware that part of our training needed to include more sea swimming, because there are open water skills needed in the sea that weren't the same as in a lake, which was where we had done almost all of our training for the swim, and as we needed to be adequately prepared for our Channel relay, we needed practice more in the sea.
Thankfully after our last swim in Whitby, Ally, who very kindly offered to accompany us last time, offered to swim with us again. We basically bribed her with the promise of coffee and cake afterwards. Ally, an experienced sea swimmer, was really familiar with the sea in Whitby, so we felt confident that we were in really safe hands. She also happened to mention that she had swum the Channel, something I wonder if she would regret sharing with us later as we chewed her ear off for a whole hour and a half after the swim…
The drive to Whitby was pretty much through pea soup. It crossed my mind that we may not be able to swim after all, and if we were, it was clear (or not as the case was) that this swim was going to be poles apart from the last, very sunny, one. I would be getting no tan lines today! Nonetheless, the swim buddy told me she was taking no chances and would be lathering up in sun lotion regardless (remember, the one with jelly fish repellent in it that didn’t work that we used last time? – well that one). Fortunately, as we arrived into the town the fog lifted and we were good for the swim, although as we walked past the harbour and the RNLI lifeboat, I noted that the wind was whipping up around us and it had become a little chilly. I had to remind myself that the Channel could be like this on the day of our swim, and was one of the reasons we were there. To prepare for the worst.
As we arrived on the beach I could see that the waves looked really rather high. We were reassured by Ally that we were fine to swim here. She also added that our relay swim would be likely to go ahead if it were like this on the day, basically, if it was, we had to just get on with it!
I spent the first 10 minutes in the water acclimatising, trying not to swallow large amounts of sea water, being paranoid about jellyfish and trying to not be knocked off my feet, which despite only being up waist deep at the time, I failed at. Rather spectacularly as it went! I’m not sure I’ll live down the face-plant, but it makes me feel a whole lot better about the whole thing knowing that the swim bud took in a mouthful of sea water whilst she stood laughing at me.
We set off swimming in the shallower water, Shark was already having swim goggle issues, and my new green safety light wasn’t working – despite me turning it on off and on again several times. I was also having a small, okay large, panic after feeling something slimy brush past my leg whilst I attempted to swim. As was usual, before any swim, I had already researched what creatures favoured this shoreline- I researched sharks basically, of which none chose knee deep water under the west cliff of the Whitby shoreline as its home, but despite this, I managed to convince myself that today was the day that a shark would relocate or swim off course and swim right next to me. Finally, after much deliberation, I plucked up the courage to brave a look under the water, only to discover a large tangle of seaweed with my leg in it and not a shark after all!
Ally told us we needed to go through the breakers to get to the calmer and deeper water on the far side. Easier said than done. My first encounter with one of the larger breakers did not end well for me… or Shark for that matter. I have no idea why I thought that I would be able to swim straight at it and come out unscathed. I was instead tossed backwards and landed rather unceremoniously on top of the swim buddy. After a quick check that Shark was only shocked and surprised and not injured, and that my costume was still attached and covering everything that needed covering, we set off again.
On the back of my failed attempt, Ally kindly showed us how to dive into the waves which would stop us from being tossed about. Despite ALL previous diving attempts that have gone before this moment not once going to plan (but that’s a whole other, really long blog, dedicated to the very, very long list of injuries/embarrassing moments/costume failures on the back of many really bad diving attempts), I had a bash, and actually, if you discount the dislodged goggles and the mouthful of wave that I took as I grappled for air, it all went unexpectedly rather well!
For 20 minutes we swan through and beyond these waves, with Ally offering advice and suggestions as we went, and once we got a better hang of it, it felt absolutely amazing, and not half as frightening as I first felt. I learnt a lot too, like for example, I would not win against the large breakers. Any and all attempts to, ended in a face plant on the seabed or being pushed back to shore. It was easier to swim beyond them – nearer to the preferred habitat of the porbeagle shark (yep, I did really did do the research) which were usually found 10 miles or so out to sea (although knowing that they were so far away didn’t stop me planning for an emergency evacuation), because that’s where the good, and shall we say less turbulent, swimming was to be done. I also learnt that in these conditions that my bilateral breathing came into its own, breathing only to one side was necessary in parts to avoid a mouthful of salt water. I was glad I’d taken the time to learn how to do it. I learnt that because there was no obvious pattern to these waves that I needed to continually adjust my stroke. It became easier in these conditions when I shortened it. I was also used to swimming in a lake, but because salt water was more dense (because of the salt and other substances dissolved in it) I found it a bit easier to swim in once I had adjusted my body position to suit the environment, which was handy because if I WERE being chased by aforementioned great white's cousin, I would need to be able to swim real fast... or at least faster than everyone else!
By mutual decision we swam not too far out, I say mutual, Ally said that with the fog being visible on the cliff top still, there was a chance that it may come down, and quickly, which meant spotting us could become difficult should we get into trouble. I was a bit scared so absolutely agreed, and half hour later we decided to head back to the beach to get dressed, and then the warmth of a nearby café to pick Ally’s brains. First though, we had to do a quick photo shoot amongst the waves, that turned out to be not as quick as we would have liked, because taking my eye off the ball (or wave as the case was) for a second, I was hit in the back by what felt like a wall of water, which I thought had only managed to knock me off my feet, but as I watched my tow float head towards the beach without me, I realised that my tow float and I had parted ways. I quickly charged after it, finally catching up with it further down the beach, by throwing myself unceremoniously on top of it. The manoeuvrer wasn’t all that pretty, nonetheless I caught it!
We headed back to the beach to get dressed, me, tightly holding onto my useless tow float, and swim buddy holding her neck after yet another jellyfish sting. After administering some anti-sting cream and lots of sympathy I carefully suggested that like my broken tow float, her sun cream was not really all that fit for purpose, and we remined ourselves that’s why these training swims were invaluable. They weren’t just about swimming, they were also a great opportunity to check our equipment and kit was working correctly, and whilst I wouldn’t be swimming the Channel with a tow float, the CSA did recommend a safety light, and assuming they meant a working light, and I now had time to get a replacement one sorted.
Today - Todays' swim was completely different in comparison. I say swim, barely any was done (the back of the fact that the breakers were coming in so fast that by the time I had managed a single stroke another one was bearing upon me, and knocking me off kilter and by the time I had caught my breath and pulled myself together, yet another one caught me off guard. It was like the waves were traveling in packs, and were continually engulfing me and then spitting me out. At first it was fun, but actually being tossed around like a rag doll was exhausting. I can’t actually believe how easy it was for the sea to dislodge parts of my clothing either (by which I mean my costume!?!?). Another casualty was my goggles and new green safety light, which were dislodged, and after a frantic scramble around to look for them, I resigned myself to the fact that they were lost to the sea. I returned to the shoreline to get some spares, and assigned Dawn who was spectating and taking some photos, to be on the look out for them, and do whatever it took to retrieve them (also this would ensure that she was doing something that meant she was unable to take any photos which would most likely be quite unflattering). Dawn told me that she would probably be willing to get the bottom of her ankles wet, but that was as far as she would go on the back of the fact that she didn’t have a change of clothes with her. Without checking it was okay, I offered her the swim buddy’s spare trousers, unbelievably she still said no…
I have to say, these preparation swims have been worth their weight in gold. They have been about building up our confidence, our endurance and our mental resilience, they have also been about ensuring our equipment was fit for purpose, and that we packed spares, and yes, I am still a little bitter about the whole losing my goggles part of the swim, especialy since I know better. Ally had lost hers (temporarily) in the first swim, and so what possessed me to attach the safety light I had just purchased to mine, when I knew there was a risk they may come off, I have no idea. Having said that, it was best to have cock ups prior to the swim, even if it has cost me a small fortune in replacements, and the swim buddy a small fortune in useless sun lotion...
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Our swim window is W/C 23/9 (3rd wave), so not long now!
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