The Ultimate Binge Swim

As I mentioned yesterday after a fairly steady start to my swimming efforts in January, I'm about to step up my game to undertake the February Fitness Challenge. This is simply trying to swim everyday in the month. Why February? well firstly it's the shortest month, and usually entails only 4 complete weeks of work. It also lifts your motivation just as your New Year's resolution resolve is flagging.

There is the personal satisfaction of completing the challenge and logging your yardage, but for those of you with that ultra competitive genetic make up there actually is a great competition you could enter. Full details can be found on the Barracudas' website .

The event started in 1992 by the Crawfish Masters Swim Team of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In 1999, it migrated to the soggy hills of Oregon and fell under the tender loving care of "The Tualatin Hills Barracudas Masters" where it has flourished. In 2000 the Barracudas were awarded the United States Masters Swimming Fitness Award for their development of this event.

Have a look at some of the previous year's results they are really jaw dropping and for those of you with the ultra competitive gene you can send in an entry to claim a T shirt or a frog pin and see where you place. It is not necessary to swim everyday in February to enter.

So having completed the FFC you're well on the way to being a swimming obsessive and looking to later in the year you might be ready to take on the ultimate Binge Swim. The 2swim4life challenge, this event is being held for the second time following its successful launch in 2008.

The aim of this challenge is to swim 1 mile every hour for 24 hours, it’s due to take place at Guildford Lido from the 30th April to 1st May and the web site http://www.2swim4life.co.uk/ contains all of the information you could need and some really useful advice from the hardy souls who completed this event in 2008.

The nominated charity for the event is Help for Heroes. Bearing in mind that Guildford Lido is outdoors total respect to anyone who attempts this, never mind completes it, and has to contend with darkness, distance and probably rather chilly weather particularly through the night. It is worth bearing in mind that the Lido is heated to a fairly brisk 24 degrees so it should be about perfect to swim in.

If you are interested in taking part (and obviously completely bonkers), places are understandably limited then contact Lesley Zimmerman the driving force behind this fiendish little event, via the website.