Gentle Paddle around Ellerton

I am allegedly planning a training swim down the Tyne tomorrow, it is reputedly about 11 - 12 k and I'm a bit concerned as the furthest distance I've ever swum is 5k. My plan today was to have a day off and rest up!

I was then talked into doing a "gentle" 3k event at Ellerton Lake in North Yorkshire. On the basis that it was a very low key affair.

I decided beforehand that under no circumstances was I going to be drawn into a race with Bob and also that as it was such a lovely day and the temperature was a very pleasant 22 degrees that I was going to save my neck from any further vicious wet suit rubs and swim in my cossie.

I set off at a fairly steady pace and was happy to let Bob get on with it when he passed me at the first turn. (Happy may be slightly overstating my views about the situation but I wasn't going to chase him down).

A swimmer in a rather fetching pink cap also passed me at this point but managed to go spectacularly off course and started swimming back the way we'd come. My aim then became to stay in front of this navigationally challenged swimmer (believing "it" to be female). I was helped in this aim by a repeat of this error the second time around.

By the third and fourth lap I was beginning to get into my stride and picked up my stroke cadence to make sure I stayed ahead of Pinky and I was also pretty sure that I was catching Bob down the back straight (although I will concede this could simply be my wishful thinking).

So despite it being two-nil according to Bob, (who conveniently forgets about the 20 years worth of defeats I've inflicted upon him) a great morning out, a lovely low key event and I even managed to swim through some weeds without worrying about what was lurking in them! I also discovered that Pinky was a guy called Martin, as we swopped experiences about the race afterwards.

Fantastic morning but will this have completely bu**ered me up for tomorrow? Only one way to find out!