Saturday, 4 June 2011

Grim Weather and Open Water in North(ish) Northumberland

QE 2 Challenge Swim Course
Why was the weather absolutely fantastic yesterday but absolutely miserable today just in time for the QE2 challenge swim? This was the 1500 m swim I kind of entered on impulse a couple of weeks ago after the Fairy Snow Baby mentioned it to me.

I bowled up to find not only Fairy Snow Baby but fellow stars of this blog "The Park Ranger" (who beat me by 10 metres grrrr) and Awesome Emma (who bravely set forth in a shorty sailing wetsuit). The tropical weather which has bathed the North East for the last couple of days fortunately toasted the lake to a  balmy and very bearable 17 degrees.

The Gateshead Crew
Fairy Snow Baby, Park Ranger, Binge & Awesome Emma
The course was 3 loops of an allegedly 500m circuit, this came as a bit of a surprise to me because I hadn't read the briefing information. (as a lawyer should I make admissions like that?) and I had spent a few minutes quizzically looking at the course and thinking it looked a bit short.

There was a 10 minute warm up and then a 2 minute warning to line up in the water for the start. I almost missed the starting horn and set off when I heard the announcer wish every one good luck.Now I don't know about you but I just can't gauge how fast I'm going, or how far I've covered in open water. 

Looking at my Toosmartwatch print out I guess I might've taken the middle lap a bit easily but it all felt quite smooth and I really enjoyed it. Navigation was assisted by Bob's Aquasphere mask. I managed to take a reasonable line around the course except for the last buoy, on each lap my brain was unconsciously trying to cut off the corner and I had to double back a bit to swim around it.











I finished with a time of 24.09, the Fairy Snow Baby was 2nd man home with 20.06 (bet he wishes he'd ran from the slip way to the finish line!
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2 comments:

  1. Liz Brew5 June 2011 at 17:59

    You are looking really great Verity it must really be agreeing with you Keep it up for 2012 !!!
    Liz & the Brews xx

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  2. Binge Swimmer5 June 2011 at 19:17

    Thanks Liz

    But do you know how hard that Bl**dy rubber suit works to keep my wobbly bits in?

    Still haven't decided on summer holls but outside chance may end up back at CLS again, hopefully see you then, tell Tom I'm practising my 200 fly (not) although looking at his recent triathlon/biathlon performance I expect I could practice for the next 50 years and still get lapped by him, good job

    Cheers

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