Eton 10k, 28 May 2011

Realising I need to get my speed going again, I have spent the last two weeks doing sudden bursts in the open-water, peeking under my arm every minute or so to make sure Karen is still in sight.  As a newcomer to open water, I am learning the hard way how hard it is to sprint in wavy windy conditions.  But, after Salford, I know I need to train more at speed.  Thank god Salford was only 1 mile, as my giddy spell at the end was an early indicator that I need to do the right training.  Karen is confident now to be left on her own for a few minutes and is so understanding at my needs to swim a bit faster, not only from the point of view that I need to gain some race experience, but also, I do get rather cold out there when we stick together.  So I sprint off for 100metres or so, then sprint back to her, and then relax a little to check on her condition before I repeat it - for several hours !!!!

Tide's permitting we stick to Southend on Sea or the River Crouch but failing that the River Chelmer always offers icy cold water at all times.  Heybridge Basin on the odd Saturday morning when we can't get to Dover offers little more than distance work.  It's far too warm in that lake for Karen, but she turned the tables on me last Saturday and asked me to do a timed lap, so we could roughly work out the distance round the lake.  I'm guessing it was only about 450metres judging by my time, but again, judging by how knackered I was at the end of it, I have a lot of work to do to get my distance open water going again.  This is the tranquil Heybridge Basin and it offers a staggering 19+ degrees most of the time, so not good.

Friday I headed off to Slough by myself as Chris was in Switzerland on business all week.  He flew into City Airport then struggled to get across to Eton by train to join me ready for my early 10k race Saturday morning.   Once again, I had no nerves, just excitement.

My only worry for this race was my shoulder.  It had been steadily getting worse over the last two weeks, not sure why, don't remember injuring myself but I am putting it down to doing sprints in the sea with high waves. Last week, we couldn't swim back to our car due to the tide being too strong and I remember saying to Karen when we were embarrassingly walking the promenade in our suits to all sorts of 'idiots' remarks from passersby, that a few times when I lifted my arm out of the water, a strong wave took it from me.  So, I guess this is where it stemmed from.  I tried to rest it for a few days but as soon as I got back in the water on Wednesday, the pain kicked in again.  So now I have to do a 10k race, have rested the arm again since Wednesday and I am not sure what to expect.

I love everything about racing, and although I keep telling myself  'I am retired from competitive racing', there's still that little man in my head that tells me I need to win my category.  And, because of this 'little man', this is why I get frustrated and angry when things go wrong.

Only 3 laps !

Final moments of preparation.

As usual, I held back at the beginning - let the big boys get out of the way otherwise they will be responsible for drowning an old lady that can't fight back!  But the mass start, still left me with bruises.

I'm sort off in the middle with the blue back !

So, three times round the lake and I'm done.  From all the pool training Ive done during the winter, I set myself a goal of 2hrs 45 or under and I would be pleased.  First lap was 52mins so I was on target to come in somewhere between 2hrs 30 and 2hrs 45.  Perfect.  But, never take for granted the open-water, things can go wrong in an instance.  My shoulder was hurting and the pain had travelled down my arm and now every pull was pain in my elbow.  I was singing to take my mind off of it, which seemed to work but as soon as I told myself, "my arm's not hurting", so I realised it was hurting more than ever!  Those mind games again!   I wanted to just race the 10k without stopping as the nutrition stations were slightly off course.  There I go again, not wanting to waste a minute as it's all adding to my time.  But never having raced a 10k before, I thought I had better be sensible just in case I passed out before the next station.

Cheese Burger & Chips please - Oh, OK, I will settle for a gel and electrolytes!  And the reason no other swimmers are in sight, because you have to swim aside the racing line to get to the station.  So valuable time being lost.

Great picture Chris!  Took advantage of the stop and had a wee too........  But now, I am already getting agitated because I have added a couple of mins to that 52 by swimming across to the platoon.  The next lap I was in agony with my shoulder and settled on a nice chaps feet that was swimming at the same pace as me.  Then stupidly, after 20mins or so, I'm thinking, "am I too relaxed behind this man", it's time I did my own race and swum past him.  I pulled out to the side, excelerated my leg kick and then "@*@*@" the cramp that shot through my legs was unbearable.  I cried out in agony which brought a kayak zooming over to me and then had to get out of the way while at least 20 swimmers went past.  Don't think I have ever sworn so much in a couple of minutes before.  Why the hell did I do that.  If only I had stayed where I was, this wouldn't have happened, I kept telling myself.  So, kayak man is telling me to hold onto the boat and try to stretch my legs out, then I got cramp in my right thigh too and I had lost so much time so now I am rather cross!

Once I sorted myself out, I was well p*****d off!   Seeing all those swimmers go past me, left me feeling so sorry for myself.  What an idiot.  I had a lot of work to do to get back to my 'man', my cramp kept kicking back in, in my calf and toes, I had lost my time completely and my shoulder and elbow were killing me.  I couldn't be asked to do the next lap.

But I am not a quitter.  When I think back to Lakeside last year when a cried in agony into my goggles all the way round 6 laps because my neck was ripped through the amount of wetsuit training I had done through the week, when I think back to Guildford 24/7 when I cried through the night in the 24 hour challenge, I knew that despite ruining my chance of meeting my 2hrs 45min goal, that I would have to continue.  A statement that I took great delight on underlining to Karen when I spoke to her when I got home.  Don't you ever, for one tiny minute, think about quitting when you are attempting your solo crossing, coz I will be throwing all my experiences of 'not quitting' to you.  Yes Boss !

Final time, 2hrs 56mins.  Position : 1st lady over 50 home.  Lessons learnt : Drink more before I start, it may help delay the cramp; if you are in pain before you start, take pain killers; don't change your stroke rhythm when you are cold; and as far as do I need to stop at the nutrition stations for a 10k, more research needed.

Next race, two weeks time.  Salford Great Swim Series, 2 miles.  Need to take it easy this week because of the shoulder and hopefully, I am gonna get it right for Salford.

May 15th 2011 The Great Swim - Salford

Sunday 15 May saw me in my first 'real' open water race.  Southend pier swim last year was non wetsuit and just to test out my fitness levels having been back in the water for just 1 month and then I did do the Swimfest, but it was disastrous.  I was already injured before the race started and practically cried my way round the course.  I have had 6 months of open water training, have now got used to swimming in a wetsuit and this is the first race of the season for me.

It was lovely travelling to Manchester on Saturday, because I had no nerves whatsoever and was just really excited about the forthcoming race.  I hadn't a clue what the competition in my age category was like having been out of the game for so long so had nothing to lose.  I hope I can maintain this 'attitude' throughout the whole Great Swim Series this year as I really want to enjoy races in my older age rather than get all those butterflies in the stomach that we are all so familiar with when you start learning the names of your rivals.

The morning of Sunday 15 May, the weather was abominable.  It was freezing, windy and raining.

We watched the early waves enter the water and then had to listen to some stories of just how cold that water was.  I have always suffered from 'brain freeze' and this was the only thing that was worrying me.  I would wear two swimming caps and make use of the acclimatisation 5mins before the race start - or so I thought.  I passed our time by trying on a super-dupa blueseventy wetsuit.  And I am not exaggerating when I say it took me about 15 mins to get it past me knees.  They had given me a small/medium and anyone who knows me, knows that I would certainly not class myself in this size.  It took three people to get me into this wetsuit, this can't be right I thought.  I laid on the floor (in a brand new suit that I hadn't purchased yet), while the assistant stood astride me pulling it up from the bottom upwards.  Surely I don't have to go through this each time?  Once properly fitted, I couldn't breathe.  Just relax and you will relax yourself into it.  Yeh right!  But hey presto, 5 mins later, I realised I was comfortable and that they actually did know what they were talking about.  At this point I think hubby took pitty on me.  I was only trying out suits to pass the time but after all the palava, he agreed to buy it for me.  Thank god for that, coz there weren't anyway I was gonna get this thing off in a hurry.

So I stayed in the suit, pulled down to my waist for the next two hours.  We went back and watched some more waves and watched the weather get worse.  At this point Ian Thorpe was being interviewed and we were positioned just at the entrance gate to the celebrity area.  Just as they tried to whisk him away to continue commentary on the course, I saw my moment and grabbed it.  Don't think his security was very impressed, but he was polite and obliging so I managed to get this lovely picture.  How cool was that.

Race time came, and with the help of my lovely assistants once again, they squeezed me back into the top half of the wetsuit.  I never thought for one moment that I would test a suit out in an actual race, but once it was on, it actually really did fit extremely well and I was so comfortable and I didn't have the energy to get it off!

Once over to the start post, I realised our wave wasn't going to get the acclimatisation 5mins due to the real elite swimmers being in there.  So again, I worried how I would deal with the brain freeze.  My goggles were misty and wet from the rain and I had left my ear plugs in my bag, which by now had been carted off to the finish post.  So as usual, a professional start by Bettsy.  I'm so disorganised its untrue.  I didn't map the course out first either, how stupid was that.  God only knows I had enough time!   Live and learn Bettsy.

Our wave started 5mins after the elites and I think the pure adrenalin rush for me just washed away my worry about brain freeze and I'm pleased to say, it didn't happen.  My ears were OK too.  What a relief I felt during the first few strokes when I realised everything was good.

And so that was it, I put my head down and went.  I soon realised I had forgotten how to race.  I went out far too quick and soon got out of breath.  Whilst I have been doing all this endurance training with Karen, I have completely lost my speed and stamina so I had to re-focus, and settle down quickly or I knew I wouldn't make the distance at this pace.

When my feet touched the bottom at the finishing line, I was dizzy.  I knew I had pushed myself hard without the 'race training' and I think it was just down to the sudden blast of energy from nothing that sent me giddy.  I carefully walked through the finishing zone concentrating on not fainting.

I won the 50+ ladies age group, I was the 24th fastest woman overall and came 106th (with all categories/genders taken into consideration), out of 2000.  So I was delighted with the result.  The problems I encountered tho, make me realise, I am capable of better.  25mins 48secs but I know I am capable of sub 25.

Friday 13th !!!!! (May 2011)

Went off to Southend on Sea for a sunset swim with Chalkwell Redcaps.  Although I renewed my membership this year, I had not managed to swim with the team thus far due to channel training with Karen.  So I begged my little water slave for a night off from the River so that I could say Hi to the Redcaps and remind them all what I looked like!

About 15 of us braved the choppy seas at 8.30p.m.  Sun had already gone down behind a dark cloud, it was windy and grim.

As we all chatted on the beach employing our 'delaying antics' waiting for the organiser, Iain, to arrive (and secretly hoping he had changed his mind), the muttered words of 'are we mad' echo'ed all around.

Anyway, as 'dippy duck' went in for his usual temperature check, a surprised 17.5 degrees was recorded.  Fantastic.  The night air was cold, so what better way to get warm quick, - get in the sea.

I swam with Dominic and Mark to start with as my trustee partner Nick had decided to be 'stupid' once again and swim off by himself (obviously he still hadn't learnt from his rapid hypothermic incident in the river last week when both me and Karen had to rescue the stronger swimmer - MEN!), and we were pleasantly surprised at the warmth of the water.

Missed Karen though so hopefully she had a good river swim with hubby.

So off to Manchester now - The Great Swim.  BBC2 2p.m. Really looking forward to racing again - albeit all this long distance channel training has obviously played havoc with my speed but who cares, I am gonna enjoy it.

April 30 2011 - 2Swim4Life

Having made so many friends on facebook and following different blogs, it was bought to my attention that 2Swim4Life were doing a 24 hour challenge.  Swim a mile on the hour, every hour, for 24 hours.  And whats more, the charity was my favorite - Help 4 Heroes.  So with the channel swim only 12 weeks away now, it was perfect timing for us both to have a bash at this challenge.  For the past two weeks, I have done nothing else but prepare for this.  It's been on my mind 24/7, how I would approach it, how could I ensure I completed it.  I decided to ask my sponsors to sponsor by the mile.  To give me a motivational song, to give me a reason for choosing that song and why I should swim that mile for them.  I then downloaded them on a portable player to motivate me between my rest periods and downloaded them on my Splashgear MP3 player to listen to while I was swimming.  

Here we are at the start.  All bright and cheerful.  The water was freezing.  Although the sun was shining, there was not enough time to warm the inner body between miles.  Brian Hammond my swimming coach from the past came to offer his support.  It was lovely to see him, but when I climbed out after Mile 1 and he said 26mins 10secs, we both laughed. Sorry Lorraine, old habits die hard, I couldn't help myself, just had to time you.  Well, it was a bit unfair, a) coz I didnt know he was timing me, b) I was taking it real slow and c) I was in a very slow lane with breaststrokers and allsorts of traffic going on.  Mile 2, he said "that was a minute faster", so now it was my time to laugh, "Yes Brian, old habits do die hard - just look what you have done to me, coz I knew there was a stop watch on me, I went faster".  Well enough of that joking about, I still had 22 miles to go.  Brian put his stop watch away and I settled into 24 - 26 minute miles according to the lane traffic.  

I remember saying to Karen mid afternoon that I was so bored.  How are we gonna keep this up.  It's not that I didn't want to do it, it was just that I was bored.  Thank god I had my songs on my Splashgear MP3 player.  I concentrated on the person sponsoring me, I thought of them, I listened to their song and only thought of that mile, that reason, not how many were left.  Karen had a real mental block at Mile 7 and myself, our two boys and our swimming friend Nick had to work hard in the time available to get her going again.  I'm pleased to say she went on to complete 18 miles.

As the cold night settled in, I settled into a pattern with my husband and son Gary.  They were fantastic.  I had already told them before hand, as long as my health is not in danger, then no matter what excuses I am throwing at you, just keep me going - and they did.  Gary said to me at each mile "What do you want for the next rest period mum"?  I would answer, tea, minstrels, painkiller, hot water bottle or hot chocolate, noodles, dextrose, or red bull, sweets, cereal.   I would come back to a dry bed each time coz I had enough towels, blankets and sleeping bags to keep an army going.  My gloves and socks were hot coz they were wrapped round the hot water bottle.  My bed was made, I would climb in semi-wet, eat, drink then quickly rest till he gave me the 5 minute warning.  And so it started again, he bundled up all the wet stuff and got all my dry stuff for the next break.  Hubby was length counter or they would swap duties.  I cried a lot in the early hours and they both just laughed and on one occasion threw marshmallows at me and told me "they were sooooo tired".  They kept my spirits up by making me laugh when I was crying.

The comraderie at the event was brilliant.  I wish I had time to meet more people, but most important I managed to track down Mark Robson and Colin Hill, my facebook friends that I had never met before.  That was lovely but during the night, no way could I find them.  We all had to concentrate on utilising our rest periods the best way possible to ensure our own success.  My tent neighbours Mark and Lucinda were, by now, people that I just walked past between miles.  The occasional nod had replaced the 'well done' chatter and smile of early afternoon.  As the challenge took its toll, we just looked at one another and I knew she was wishing me luck and she knew I was saying well done.

I took to the big tent twice in the early hours for extra warmth but I needed to lay down more than I needed the warmth, so soon went back to my tent.

Miles 19, 20, 21 and 22 were the hardest.  I couldn't be asked to do them.  I just went on auto-pilot, sang and pretended to be warm.  As I was doing mile 21 I remember thinking by the time I do 22 the sun will be up - but it wasn't so I cried again.  Daft!  I remember trying to get my wetsuit off in the little time I had coz I thought I needed to go to the loo properly - but I couldn't get my wetsuit off coz my knuckles were froze, so I cried again. Daft!  Then when I got the suit off, I couldn't go - so I cried again. Daft!  It was all getting too much by now but my buddies continued to laugh, dance stupid dances to my songs which we played quietly by my tent and continued to lift my spirits. They were my saviour. When I finished another mile, the first thing they said, was "smile Bettsy" or "smile Mum", but this is what I gave them.  And we all laughed again.

Mile 24 was for my late dad.  I listened to Tina Turner 'Simply the Best' before I got in and throughout the last mile. He loved that song.  We once went to see Tina Turner together.  I once marched round the pool when I got my European Masters 1500metres record to 'Simply the Best'.  And my dad was 'Simply the Best'.  And now, once again, because of a Splashgear MP3 player, I was able to listen to our favourite song whilst swimming the final mile for my Dad.  I can honestly say that the music definately motivated me through this challenge. It helped me to focus on something completely different and it makes long distance swimming so much more fun.  I just concentrated on the music and the distance took care of itself.  


I was choking as I was swimming the last two lengths.  And then it was over.  I was smiling, delighted, no more tears, the sun was shining and I had done it.  Finished on 29min miles and suddenly I wasn't cold anymore - how weird was that.  I have raised over £1,600.00 so far.  

'Simply the Best'

April 2011 - The closure of Gloucester Park Swimming Pool

My mum sent me a cutting from the newspaper asking for any 50+ swimmers that had history with Gloucester Park Swimming Pool, to get in touch.  I was pleased to be one of three people chosen for the making of a film 'The history of Gloucester Park Pool'. The first man to swim in the pool, the architect and a 'swimming success story'.   It is intended to be kept in the archives in libraries around Essex so that in hundreds of years to come, it will still be possible for residents to see what Basildon used to look like long after the old buildings have been brought down.  I have also been advised that they are in negotiations with BBC to broadcast the film on 'The One Show'.  So with my scrapbooks under my arm and all my old photo's off I went. It was a very emotional afternoon as I soon learnt that they wanted me to be the very last person ever to swim up and down in the pool.  I was so choked walking around the changing rooms, now in my 50's, and it being completely silent, and remembering when I used to be running around them in my teens with all the laughter and messing about, dodging sessions etc.  Now you could hear a pin drop.  I was the only person in the room and I slowly made the journey back out onto poolside for the very last time.  I cannot even begin to think how many lengths I had trained in that pool as a teenager, all I could think of was, these are the very last lengths that anybody, anywhere will ever swim in this pool.  So with camera crew on me, I did a pathetic belly-flop in from the deep end (never could drive) and swam two lengths.  A mahoosive hose was draining the pool as I was swimming so I swam fast to avoid scraping the bottom.  I was then interviewed outside the building.  It was nerve wracking.  I wish I knew the questions they were gonna ask me beforehand so I could have given more thought to my answers, but I think I did OK.  So another chapter closed.  Next Saturday April 30th, the new Sports Village is being opened by Mark Foster and Duncan Goodhew.  I cannot be there, coz I will be doing a 24 hour swim challenge.

December 2010

Horrendous weather conditions and extreme work pressures make it tough for me to get motivated.  As a P.A. to a firm of accountants I am heading into the busiest time of the year - self-assessment.  And what with the snow, dark nights etc. training is getting difficult.  I have managed two separate straight 16k swims in our local pool which is warm and 25m but its all getting so tiring.  And my stress levels at work just make me want to come home, curl up with a glass of wine and watch rubbish on t.v.  But I have been a good girl, and I have made myself train.  Swimming is a stress reliever and it does help, but its just the motivation to get to the pool that is hard.

October 2010

And so another month passes.  Another month of 4 swims a week, with one being a continuous non-stop one and with as many gyms as we can physically handle when trying to run a family and hold down a full-time job.  I have to say it’s a complete pleasure working alongside Karen.  Her enthusiasm to succeed in this challenge certainly makes my job a little easier.  October’s continuous non-stop swim of 8k has now been achieved in the pool with a very reasonable time from Karen of 2hrs 40mins.  We had already achieved this distance at Dover back in September and in some respects, doing it in the cold sea is actually easier than a pool.  You need so much focus for swimming up and down in 30 degrees in the pool, and it’s boring.  You are swimming the same bit of water over and over again and the heat just zaps up your energy levels so quick.

This month, I had a poignant trip down memory lane when a failed attempt to swim in the sea one Sunday morning, meant that we ended up in Warrier Square baths.  My old haunt from my childhood days that saw me progress from County swimmer to an international back in the ‘70’s. As we swum through our 6.4k there, all I could think about was the 1000’s of lengths I had clocked up in those baths as a child while my dad, who is no longer with me, slept outside in the car at ridiculous o’clock in the morning.  I drifted away in my own little world on this morning remembering how many hours my parents had sat on that very poolside every week, encouraging me to succeed.  Sad to say that this very weekend, Warrier Square baths has closed for good.  But, I am happy to say, that my coach from those days, Mike Higgs who now lives in South Africa, still speaks to me on Facebook and is following our channel experience.  And not to forget my swim mate from those days, Penny Palfrey (Pedley) back then, and now the open water Queen of Australia, is also giving so much welcomed support and advice all the way from down-under. 

The past month has seen my house being turned into a circuit training area.  Hubby came home to ‘Sit ups and push ups are being done on the landing dear’, bike, weights, trampoline is in the back bedroom, medicine ball in the hallway, not to forget jogging up and down the stairs – oh and then there’s Wi-fit core body strengthening in half hours time in the garden room.  Luckily, he loves spending lots of time in the garage polishing his golf clubs! 

I guess the most memorable thing for this month has to be the low temperature that we are now swimming in.  Another book we are both reading at the moment is Lewis Gordon Pugh – Achieving the Impossible’.  Hopefully, by the end of the book, he will have taught us how to ‘train our minds’ to achieving the cold-water challenge.  He is known as the Ice-man or Polar Bear and once swum 1k in minus 2 degrees to bring awareness to environmental protection.  Swimming in 14 degrees is just about bearable for the likes of Karen and me, as long as you have ‘trained your mind’ so to speak, that you are capable of doing it.  And just dropping half a degree less than that, you really notice it.  So our 1 hour and 10mins in 10.5 degrees in Southend last weekend left us (apart from hypothermic), elated.  I guess, if you can do 1 hour in 10.5, it maybe equivalent of surviving several hours in 14 degrees.  That’s the theory we are working on anyway.  Get our bodies used to swimming in this temperature so it no longer becomes something new to us.

It’s hard to explain, but when the alarm goes off on a cold frosty morning, it’s dark and the house is lovely and warm, and it’s quiet and your hubby is all tucked up in bed, fast asleep.  What possesses someone to get out of that very warm cozy bed, and head off to the beach to swim, in ice cold temperatures just as the sun is rising.   The answer is simple – Prepare yourself for your challenge to succeed.  And we just pop back into a nice warm bed when we get home.  Life’s too short.  It’s for living.  My life was full, happy and complete before Karen came back into it full-time, but now, I realise there is always room to make it more complete.  Anyone who wishes they had the time to full-fill a challenge – just do it.  By saying, I wouldn’t have the time to prepare, it’s another way of saying, I have managed to find an excuse not to do it.  We are living proof that if you want something badly enough – then you do have the time to do it.  You just adjust your daily priorities/routine accordingly.  Karen wants this challenge to succeed and I need to ensure she succeeds in her challenge.  And whats more, I am gaining experience for my own needs later on and so this year I am really enjoying myself.

September 2010

At the end of August, Karen and I headed off for 3 days camping, trekking and swimming across Crummock and Buttermere in the Lake District with Swimtrek.  This was more for the benefit of getting used to the cold water (14 degrees), rather than distance training.  The highlight of the weekend had to be when Karen decided to wear a wet suit after hypothermia almost settled in on the first day!   About 400metres out, she realised she was extremely uncomfortable and needed to get it off quick.  I had the opportunity to swim on this day, rather than be my usual ‘human kayak’, swimming beside her with all her little luxuries, so I had moved on ahead.  Just as well I took a sneaky check on her because way, way back in the distance was this little hat bobbing around, not swimming.  I quickly realised she was in trouble; so a quick dash back to the rescue and a quick unzip of the suit was called for.  This wasn’t sufficient though. She was still uncomfortable and the panic attack kicked in! She couldn’t breath and needed to get it off.  Our safety kayak whizzed over and insisted that she held onto the side, while I doggy kicked backwards as hard as I could whilst tugging at her wet suit.  I almost disappeared under the kayak myself a couple of times.  Any of you regular wetsuit users will know how difficult they are to remove, let alone trying to do it in a 14 degree lake!   

Having already achieved a continuous 5.2mile (8.4k) swim in 3 hours at Dover harbour in September, things are looking good.  The 5 mile stage was not scheduled to be attempted until October so Karen is doing real good.  Freda Streeter (mother of Alison Streeter who has swam the English Channel 43 times!) has welcomed Karen to her channel group of swimmers that regularly meet at Dover on Saturday mornings and we have been enjoying their company for the last few weekends.  So we are on the road to gaining open-water experience. And from my own point of view, I am loving it and wish I had started open-water swimmng earlier.  I have just read Penny Lee Dean's Open Water Swimming. She is a holder of no fewer than 13 world open water records to her name, and certainly offers good advice.  And also just read Gordon Lewis Pugh - Achieving the Impossible - Another good read all about, if you train your mind properly, you can achieve anything you want to.  I often refer back to this book when I'm bobbing about in the open water and losing focus.  It really does have a lasting impact on how you approach things when you mind is wandering.  

July 2010 - The Great Pier Swim

Just one month back into training and what better way to kick off the 'new me', than with an open-water race.  The Southend Great Pier Swim.  The great thing about this race was that I hadn't trained for it, wasn't bothered if I came first or last and just wanted to see how I could cope with an open-water event. So as usual, I throw myself in at the deep end and off I go, coupled with my 'Jaws' theme ticking away in my brain, I am about to do my first ever open-water race.  Karen was absolutely petrified, nerves were getting the better of her and I was just prancing up and down with a big smile on my face and so excited to be back.

Result : Fantastic.  Loved it.  Won my age group (OK I know, I was the only 50+ woman in it), but more to the point, I came 13th overall, men and women combined of all ages out of about 60+ something.  And whats more, I didn't come across JAWS!

June 2010

Having been retired from Masters swimming for approximately 4 years, at 52 I had put on a bit of weight, got re-married and was settling down into a lifestyle that I certainly wasn't used to.  Working full time, coming home to a glass of wine and telly, 6 years of that was just too much and I was getting very sluggish.  Having obviously already lived half my life, I could see the remainder of it becoming a couch potato and it needed to change.  From the moment I learnt to swim at 8 years old, I just couldn't stay away from a pool.  With various county records under my belt, a 'B' International status in 1976, various county masters records, British and European Masters 800 and 1500 metre champion in 1998, British Masters 1500 metre champion in 2003, my life was certainly busy.  So needless to say, having had the longest time out of the pool, I needed to get back.

I knew I didn't want to race again from the block.  My nerves always got the better of me to the point where I felt sick when I knew I had a tough race coming up.  That's something I never ever overcame.  But on the other hand, I also knew I would  not be content to just swim for fitness.  I always have to have a goal in life.

So it came as no surprise to my husband when I said I needed to re-join a swimming club.  As coincidences go, just one month after getting back in the water, a call came from an old friend of mine that had also been a bit lazy for a few years and needed a challenge.  The only difference was, she already had her challenge set - to swim the Channel - Solo.

I had been a swimming teacher most of my adult life, taught in schools, clubs, was even a manager of a diddy squad at one point and also a swimming coach to a triathlon group, so when Karen Eyles approached me and asked me to coach her to swim the Channel, I had some serious thinking to do.  What did I know about 'open-water' swimming - Nothing.  Did I like the open-water - No.  Did I have time to take on such a huge commitment - No.

But, it got me to thinking.  I don't want to go off the block anymore.  Open-water swimming is so much more challenging, so much more interesting - and the world really is your oyster.  There are lakes, ponds, rivers, the sea all over the world - and they are free!   I also love endurance swimming.  Having been a long distance pool swimmer, it seemed the next obvious step.  But and it was a big 'but', I was petrified of the sea.  However, just so happened - so was Karen!!!!    So my mind was set - Yikes, I found myself saying 'Yes'.   I would use the next year to coach Karen for her channel swim, I would read and study everything I had to, to assist her and throughout the journey, I would make my own mind up whether or not this is where my future relationship with the water lay.

As soon as I started surfing the net, I became aware of how popular open-water swimming was becoming.  And I couldn't believe how many people recorded all their experiences for others to read by way of a 'blog'.  I found these so useful.  Just reading others peoples experiences, achievements, advice etc., it was all helping me to educate myself on the huge task ahead.  And so now - guess what - I have a blog!

So that's it.  I am back in the water full time.  Gonna coach and learn and train with Karen and then gonna enter some open water competitions - only this time round, I am gonna try not to get nervous.  I don't care anymore if I am not the fastest - I want to enjoy it this time round.  I want to use my events to raise money for charity.  I want to socialise with my old swimming buddies again.  I want to forget all that rivalry stuff that brings butterflys to your stomach.  (Well, perhaps I do care a little bit if I am not the fastest 50+ woman around, but I've got some serious catching up to do), so for now, I will take one step at a time.  First step - get past my knees in the sea without the Jaws theme creeping into my head !