This weekend we went out into the wavy waters of Brighton to train. We made a video about it!
Playing fetch with some Brighton pebbles!
Last weekend we finally had our first training session off the great British coast, 20 minutes wetsuitless out and back from Brighton beach. Really I would’ve preferred a wetsuit in order to stay in a little longer but with the hangovers of the day 20 minutes seemed like plenty. Hopefully we will be back down soon to swim Pier to Pier!
Sally practices her starfish stroke in the Mediterranean off the Island of Lipari.
We were fortunate enough to have a week away for Sally’s sister, Amy’s, wedding recently in Sicily. We took the opportunity to spend as much time in the Mediterranean as possibly going out into the deep water and up and down the shallows watching the fish move with the waves. Sea swimming is quite a different experience to the fresh water we have done so far. For one it tastes really bad, secondly you seem to float a bit better but mostly the feeling of the vastness of the ocean you are floating in instills a feeling of dread (in me anyway). But other the mental fear (and sunburn) it was a really beautiful week.
A week and some swimming in the chilly but delicious water of Lake Annecy, France
I (Sam) was dragged kicking and screaming (not really) on a one week jaunt with my family to the wonderful Lake Annecy in France. Between the eating and drinking and spectacular cycling we actually managed to get some swimming in. Swimming in Annecy was pretty cool, at 16C we had to have the wetsuits on and swimming out and around the buoys in the deep water. My Dad, being a trained triathlon coach, gave me some tips on my stroke but me, being his son, instantly forgot what he said. In any case we had a great time and I’m starting to get to grips with proper open water swimming.
Sally post-swim at London Fields ignoring the cricket
Too much work on both mine and Sally’s end means little time for swimming. However we did get 45 minutes in on a beautiful day in the delightfully 22 degree London Fields Lido. Neither of us had been there before but both agreed we should go much more often!
In two weeks we have been training two times – a strong start, I know.
Day one was 45 minutes leisurely ploughing up and down the 30m of the externally very fancy looking Kentish Town pool on a bright breezy spring day.
Kentish Town Pool April 2013
Since this was our first swim for 4 months the next week involved a surprising amount of aches and pains.
Day two we took advantage of a chilly grey bank holiday Monday and did as long as we could in the 13 degree Hampstead Heath Mixed bathing pond.
Hampstead Heath Mixed Bathing Pond May Bank Holiday 2013 – 13 degrees
Without wetsuits this totalled 15 minutes of breathless breaststroke followed by a half hour of zombie hands…
Sam’s Zombie Hands
We may need to toughen up a bit but we have officially started!
Here is a test image of a sailfish
This is a test post
With a picture of a dugong!
Sally and Sam Swim the Solent 