Bettsyswims4heroes: Brighton 10k Sea Swim

Chris and I headed off for a long weekend in Brighton. I was swimming in the 10k on the Friday afternoon and Chris in the 3k Saturday afternoon.

The weather was absolutely horrendous. Just one hour before my swim, I was standing at the registration tent in torrential rain which was coming down sideways due to the heavy wind and wondering why on earth I was about to swim 10k in the sea without a wetsuit !

Once again, I had to call upon a favour from my dad and I prayed he would send me some decent weather for the next 3 hours. If you are anything like me and believe there is someone watching over you at all times, then you will fully understand what happened next. Just 20mins later there was a break in the clouds :) Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou. Yes, by the time the 10k started, we had clear blue skys, WOW - now that's spooky.

Four laps of a 2.5k marked course and it was tough. About 5k into the race, I had company. A man and a woman pulled along side me and the next 1k made for a much more interesting race. Us ladies managed to pull away from the man whoever he was and little did I know at this point that the lady I was battling it out with was going to give me so much grief at the end over the result.

Sighting was impossible. The wind had blown over the huge inflatable buoys so they were lying flat and with the brilliant sunshine reflecting on the water, the high waves made each sighting stroke impossible - just sea and more sea.

I battled and raced with this lady to the bitter end. Sometimes she stroked ahead, sometimes I did.

On the last lap, I managed to 'ditch the bitch' - You'll understand later why I became a bit bitter towards her. She pulled alongside me for the final 400meters and we both 'went for it' to the finishing line. Only problem was, no one knew where the finishing line actually was. Simon Murie, head of Swimtrek and organiser of the event made an announcement at the safety briefing that as the tide was constantly moving and as the waves were so strong, "we will decide when you are swimming where the finish line is". No one questioned this at the time, because after a 10k swim, no one really thinks 2 swimmers are going to be neck and neck.

As myself and my mystery lady eye-balled one another for the final strokes, we both stood up together and smiled at one another. In knee deep water, we both took a moment to find our land legs and then admittedly, she exited the water before me and I eventually walked up the beach.

With no wetsuit for the past 2.5hours, I was suffering a bit from hypothermia, so at 7pm I decided to head back to the hotel. The presentation was not till 9pm and I was in no fit state to hang around.

Saturday we headed off back to the beach for Chris's swim. Sad faced and reluctant to get in that water, the picture says it all. It was dreadful. Wind, rain and cold but at least he was allowed to wear a wetsuit! The red flag was flying and a decision was left to the very last minute whether to go ahead or not.

Meanwhile I headed off to the results table to see where I came. I was told that they gave the Gold to the other lady because she kicked up a right fuss insisting she was ahead of me. Completely gobsmacked, I told the chap, she is welcome to it. Bad sportswoman she is but if she needs it that much, she can have it. I genuinely wasn't bothered at that particular moment, but the more I explained the story to my friends back home that she contested the decision, the more I came to realise that the result was not acceptable. NO, she did not beat me, so NO, she ain't having the gold. Thankfully, I received an email the following week stating that the organisers had awarded joint 1st place after carefully considering the finish. Justice was served in the end.

Back to Chris's event. An impossible 'run-in' start as I doubt many swimmers would have made the first hurdle so it was decided that the safety crew would escort all the swimmers through the waves and once everyone was 'in', they would then sound the starter.

The 3k was reduced to 2k for safety reasons and it was hilarious watching some swimmers take several attempts to get in.

Chris had a spectacular exit from the water, having been rolled over several times and with 2 people attempting to help him stand up.

hilarious, made me laugh anyway, but the picture I took of him when he finally made it to the beach has been deleted from the camera - coz its too funny !!! Another bad Sport!