What goes through your mind?

I'm not really a big fan of winter - as much as I love swimming in freezing cold lakes and breaking ice to get in them, I just don't like the dark nights. I can't swim as much, I can swim after work, head torches are a constant for running and as for cycling - well, I just have to hope the weekend weather is nice to get out on the bike.

This is the price you pay for long summer days - I know, I get it, but I don't like it.

So I was looking through one of my swimming diaries that I'd been keeping over summer - just to reminisce. I keep diaries/journals/whatever you want to call them, more so I can look back and see when I had a good swim, whereabouts it was, how far I went - nothing to serious - more just to remember and look back on. One particular swim made me chuckle, so I thought I'd share it on here, and see if anyone else has the same kind of thoughts when they're out swimming (whether in a quarry/lake/sea/pool).

I distinctly remember the swim - I had challenged myself to do a minimum of 6 loops and do 7 if I felt good. The weather wasn't particularly great, it was drizzly and windy which made the water a bit choppy. In the quarry there are always "sections" so if you start off and it's mega choppy, you know that by the time you get around to the other side it will be much calmer, and vice versa. On this particular swim it was a choppy first 300/350m and the rest was actually ok.

Lap 1: Oh bugger - I've really got to do 5 more laps in this - why do I do this to myself.... Ok, not too bad around the middle buoy - it might not be too bad!

Lap 2: Actually this feels really good - I feel like I'm swimming quite well - I'll try and catch up to that bloke in the green hat - hmmmmmm no chance, even with a flailing arm like that!!! Why can't I swim that fast!!

Lap 3: Ooh this is half way - brill - still feel quite good. Wonder what we're gonna have for tea - I can't remember what we've got in the freezer.... Ooooh look fish!!

Lap 4: OK, only 2 more laps after this one, not bad, feel like I've been pretty quick, I'll have a look at my watch at the next buoy.... maybe not - don't stop just keep going. I wonder why all the fish are in this corner of the quarry - it's feckin freezin

Lap 5: Shoulder hurts a bit now oh bugger!! Oh well, only one more lap after this - I think Geoff said we have burgers in, I wonder if he'll think to defrost them - if only I was telapathic!!

Lap 6: Yay last lap - I made it - I actually feel like I could do another one, but looking at the kayakers I don't think they'll be too pleased - they look p*** wet through, although it's quite nice swimming in the rain. They might try and drown me if I start off again to do another lap. Yay finished and actually enjoyed that!!

So what goes through your mind whilst your doing a swim, bike or run?

'Tri' another sport...

As kids we never used to ‘play’ at one thing – we’d be out running, getting on our bikes, swinging on rope swings, climbing trees, throwing water bombs – you name it, if meant we didn’t have to sit down and do some school work we would be up and out.

It seems funny when you get to ‘adulthood’ – you survive high school and all the challenges that comes with it – you ‘become’ a runner, a swimmer, a cyclist, a hiker, a mountain biker – you become a label.

I get it, if you want to compete for your country – but most of us here are about enjoying life and getting the most out of it, looking after ourselves and our mental health (whilst – usually – sitting at a desk/computer to do work that pays for the fun stuff).

So why not do 3,4,5 sports? If you’re simply ‘a runner’ – what happens when you get an injury? You end up not being able to do the thing you love – icing, compressing and elevating that injury, all the while feeling bad that you can’t get out and enjoy your thing. If you have several other sports to turn to, you can at least keep some sanity.

It isn’t about being the best or the fastest at something – it’s about looking after yourself and your mental wellbeing. If you haven’t tried another sport and you’re suffering with an injury, just try something else – anything!

If you’re anything like me – I told myself (and everyone else) I hated cycling, it was pointless, dangerous and I just didn’t like it and couldn’t see the point in it. I told myself that for years and years – having had 1 bad experience as an adult (as I child I was never off my bike, but something happens when you go to high school – all confidence gets knocked out of you, but that’s a whole other blog post). So from that one bad experience I decided cycling was a terrible sport.

Until one day (many, many years later), I got on a bike!  Ask me now about cycling and I love it! I always get excited if the weather is forecast to be nice at weekends, because that means a trip out on the bikes. I’ve also just got a spin bike for the house, so I can still cycle through the winter and dark nights!!

Obviously my first love is swimming, but finding something else to share with others – going out on rides (to cafes to eat cake!) with a group or with my other half – you just can’t beat it. I never fail to come back from a bike ride without a smile on my face!

Even if you’ve told yourself you hate any other sport – just have a go – you never know, you might surprise yourself!

London Marathon - Here We Go!!!

Well it’s that time of year again when the London ballot results start to be sent out.

I kind of forgot all about it until all the photos of the commiserations/congratulations magazines started to clog up my time line. This was attempt number 5 for me and with a record number of people applying this year, never for one minute had I even contemplated that I could be one of the lucky ones.

I had to nip out of work to quickly go home and walk the dog, I just scooped all the post off the doormat and plonked it on the coffee table - not giving it a second thought and headed back to work!

I had seen both of the magazines on Facebook and knew Big Ben was on the cover of the congratulations one, in previous years the the magazine could be seen through the clear cellophane and I was always one of the last people in the whole world to find out my fate so I had no idea what I was about to open.

After checking all the other post first I just casually tore open what I was expecting to be junk mail and I actually think my heart stopped momentarily when I saw the top of Big Ben poking out of the ripped plastic and I quickly covered it back up .. not sure why I did that!!!

After a few seconds I had another peek... and yup it was still Big Ben F%!k F%!K F%!k followed quickly by OMFG I had to sit down... I was in full blown shock... “me in the London marathon ... no way” omg omg what do I do now??!!

I know... take a photo of it and send it to my bird & bezzy... literally within seconds of it landing in their inbox’s my phone was ringing... it’s my bezzy screaming down the phone with the now standard omg omg omg!! Of course I replied with exactly the same... obvs 🙄 she’s that pleased for me that I cried and also had a little wee what with the excitement of it all haha!! 

I was overwhelmed when she said she would join me on my journey from the tedious training to being there in London on the day of the run 😀 I say run and not race... as I certainly won’t be racing anyone or for any particular finish time! For me running the London marathon will be one of best but also the hardest experiences of my life and a huge tick off my bucket list 😃 

Of course I will be following a training plan... I might be mad, but not that mad!!! But - and it's a big but - I will not allow it to take over my life! I have a goal and that goal is to enjoy my training runs, finish safely and to enjoy the atmosphere on the day, the time it will take me is totally irrelevant. My training plan will be tailor made for me to get me through the 27 miles .. well 26 miles and 395 yards to be exact!! So in a nutshell my plan will be to stick to a realistic, enjoyable, hard but totally achievable goal 😄

So why am I writing about this??? 

Well the approach I’m choosing to take for my marathon journey has been met with both positive and negative reactions! On a whole the majority of people have been genuinely pleased for me, but I’ve also received a few negative comments and attitudes... mainly about me and my abilities as a runner. The one that really stuck in my head is what someone at work said “it’s people like you that stop people like me getting a place”!!

What does that even mean!! 

Does it mean that just because I’m not super fit or that I’m not super fast that I am less deserving of a place?? 
Does it mean that just because I’m not chasing a PB and just want to enjoy the experience that I shouldn’t be on the start line?? 
Or maybe it’s because I don’t intend for the training to take over my life, that they assume I’m not taking it seriously?? 

So I suppose the point I’m trying to make is no matter how old, or how young, how fit or how fast each you are... everyone deserves the chance to follow their dream! And this is my dream and I know it’s lots of my fellow runners dream too!!! Don’t be put off doing things that other people think you can’t or shouldn’t do. I entered the ballot for a challenge just like everyone else did, I had the same chance of being successful as everyone else had and I know I’m lucky to get this chance... which I will be grabbing with both hands... So just because my approach may not be the traditional approach - or the approach that others think I should take - it’s the one I’m choosing to take and the one I know I will enjoy. 

Nic K 

Stop (over) thinking - start doing!

If you've seen any of my previous posts you'll know I like my swimming/life analogies. This morning was no different!

I've been trying to get my 400m time down. I'm not planning on entering the olympics or anything, it's just something I like to challenge myself on. Like people aim to run 10 minute miles, or 5k under 30 minutes - you do it for the self satisfaction.

So, I started doing a few lengths, trying different speeds - some were comfortable, some were a little uncomfortable and some were, well, close to drowning kind of lengths!!

Yes, I know, get to the point... The thing I found was that the harder I tried, the slower I was. The more I relaxed the quicker I was, I felt I was just gliding through the water with ease (in my head I was like a shark, stealth like. In reality I'm sure it was completely different - but, hey, that's a whole other post!!)

Which got me thinking that sometimes life (and work) is a lot like that, the harder you try at something the more difficult it becomes. All that effort and time you put in to that pitch, and then don't win it. All the research and business planning only to be told it's not viable, or you can't have the funding.

I'm not saying that if you do a pitch, or put in a bid for a business loan that you shouldn't bother. On the contrary, go for it. Just do it without the 'over-thinking', without the 'trying to be someone else'. Answer the brief, answer the questions - there's no hidden meaning in there, be yourself and don't over-think it - often the simplest answers or solutions are the right ones.

Like life in general - it really doesn’t have to be that complicated. It can be fun and swimming, for me, puts the fun into things, and filters all the nonsense that goes on in my head.

For you it might be running or cycling, or skipping or horse riding - whatever it is - get out and do it - don’t over think it, and have fun1

The Barmouth Hurly Burly 2018

Obviously it helps when your friends are equally as bonkers as you and you’re all staying on the same caravan park, within a stones throw from each other – it can only mean one thing – lots of fun!!

I was expecting it to be a weekend of fun and laughs, with a killer, exhausting 10km swim in the middle.

I tend to enter these long, marathon-esque things to challenge myself. I usually enter them every few years, after I’ve forgotten the pain of the training and completing the damn thing. I often end up hating the activity for a while after the event and never want to participate in anything ever again – hence the reason for entering stuff every few years!!

The run up to the Barmouth Hurly Burly was no different. I trained, and trained – tried to follow a training plan, but never quite got up to the 8km I was aiming for. I also did a training swim in Lake Bala – which, if you’ve never been, can sometimes be like a washing machine on full spin!! Two and half hours swimming in that was not fun! This was 2 weeks before the Hurly Burly, which planted all the seeds of doubt in my mind that I was probably going to need to be brought in by the safety boats – which would mean (in my mind) I failed!

So, as you can see – the weekend, in my mind, was going to be some fun times with great friends and a failed 10km swim in the middle, then I would probably end up hating swimming forever.

That could not have been further from the truth! To be fair, I know, once I get into a rhythm I can swim and swim and swim – but we only had a small window of opportunity (as the safety briefing guy kept reminding us) to go with the tide, before it turned and went back out. If that happens there’s no way you can swim against it, it’s that strong. Needless to say, my nerves were on edge, I was worried about everything.

At the briefing and registration there was a big map of the route showing where we needed to aim for, when to turn left and right, where feed stations were etc – which amplified my nervousness!! I’m used to swimming from one bright yellow buoy to another – I’m not used to navigating my way down an estuary. There was absolutely no need to worry! The number of safety kayaks, paddle boarders, jet ski’s out on the water guiding us along was amazing. At no point did I ever feel lost, or like I was going the wrong way – we were constantly guided.

The feed station came up in what seemed like no time at all – however, the tide was that strong we whizzed straight past it!! Thankfully there were kayaks further upstream with drinking water. I only needed drinking water, as I'd stuffed my face with caffeine blocks at the beginning, so energy was not a problem!! The estuary did get colder the more in land we got, I had bought a new base layer to go under my wetsuit and I’m glad I did! Towards the end I was shivering whilst I was swimming, but I could see the finish line and I didn’t care – I was not stopping now!

The finish line was a big white pub - The George III Hotel! What better landmark to aim for! Before I knew it we’d finished – it was over, I’d swam 10km (albeit with some tidal help), but I had thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. The view down the estuary as we were swimming along was beautiful, the sky was blue and the atmosphere was terrific. There wasn’t one thing I would change (except there was no medal at the end – we did get a towel/scarf type thing, but I always prefer bling!)

I actually got out of the water and wanted to do it all over again! That is a first for me! We did spend quite a long time to get to the warming tents – around about 10 minutes in a bottle neck of swimmers shivering away was possibly not the best way to finish, but in all honesty I was buzzing so much from the swim I kind of didn’t notice how cold I was – it was only when someone spilt hot chocolate on my bare feet and I couldn’t actually feel it I realised I must be pretty cold.

That said, my trusty base layer must’ve helped, as once I was in the warming tent I defrosted almost immediately - no white fingers or toes that I'm used to having.

It’s really hard to describe how brilliant the whole event is. This 'review' of mine is a condensed version because I could waffle on for ages about each element - from the first taste of the salty water, to slipping on the mud getting out at the end!! All I can suggest is that you’ll just have to try it for yourself next year – and I'll probably see you there?!

For more info about entries to Barmouth Hurly Burly, and other fantastic swims - visit the Outdoor Swimming Society website