Bridge to Bridge - 14k

O.M.G.

What an event this was.

The only time I have superceeded this distance was when I did CPCPCPC back in 2012.  And this year I've only met a 5k distance in one hit so this I considered a real challenge.

Very well organised and a really friendly bunch of emails coming through saying that if anyone had any dietary requirements, would they let them know so they could accommodate them.  Well, I don't have any medical dietary requirements, but for a 14k swim, I do need my Herbalife24 sports range rather than subject my body to the usual rubbish of bananas, cake etc.   They were very accommodating and said it was not a problem and please bring your own food, fully labelled and they would make sure it got to each section of the Thames ready for the next feed.

So we checked into a hotel on the Saturday.  A right dump.  3 star Travel Lodge in Reading Central.  What a dump - don't go there.  Only took it because they accommodate dogs.  Now I know why!  We had a nice meal in the high street and then headed back to the hotel for an early night.   7am registration!.

This was the weekend of all the storm warnings.  We were being threatened with the biggest storm to ever hit the UK.  The organisers weren't sure if the event was going to take place or not so we were on constant TWITTER watch throughout the night.  6am a final TWEET advised the event would go on but any sign of bad weather, they may have to stop it half way through.


Only other Redcaps I saw there were Tom Durhsen and Caroline Harvey, Julie and Rob Warren. Chris brought Millie with him and the intention was for him to travel to each food station to say Hi, before moving on to the next one.

We took this fab photo of Caroline, myself and Rob and it wasn't until afterwards that we realised we were a fabulous advert for HUUB wetsuits and we were standing right in front of the BLUESEVENTY stand.  Funny.



So, I queued for registration and then asked the question "where does the nutrition go for those people bringing their own".  The registration desk then went to enormous trouble to find out how they could get my bag to the 4k stop mark and then work out what POD I would be in, and then at that point, I could put my bag with the lead kayaker.  I really did feel a nuisance now.  And the ironic thing was, I had my CHILLSWIM with me but Chris had already taken my bag back the car, so if only I had known what a blooming nuisance I was going to be, I could have just carried my food in my CHILLSWIM.  I live and learn once again.

Yesterday had been a tough race and The Great Pier Swim had taken a lot out of me.  But I never realised how much until I started swimming. Hundreds of competitors and I was bruised and battered when the gun went off.  I immediately hated it and then when the heavens opened and I couldn't see a blooming thing for the rain splashes on the river, I hated it even more.  I'm not sure I've experienced this 'not wanting to do something' situation before, and I found myself talking myself into pulling out at the 4k stage.  Go home.  Crap hotel, doubt I will find my nutrition bag, been hit on the head and kicked several times and now its belting down with rain.  Just go home Lorraine.

I got to the 4k mark and struggled to find my bag.  No one knew where it was and the thought of cake now was Yuk with a capital Y.  When I eventually found it, soaking wet and most of the product in a sorry state, I got teary.  What a wimp!  At this point Chris located me and offered a cuddle and a smile and said those immortal words "No one is holding a gun to your head Lorraine - You don't have to do it".

That's all it took for me to MTFU (I just learnt this one recently).  Erm, excuse me. I am holding a Gun to my own head thank you.  I'm not a quitter, so let's get this job done. It seems that it's OK for me to decide to quit, but when someone else tells me to quit, my usual stubborness kicks in and I won't be told what to do!   My only issue was my bag to which Chris very kindly volunteered to get to each feed station for me (a decision he came to regret later on).

So, I was now in POD 3 with about 20 swimmers, much more civil and headed off with the instruction that one more clap of thunder, and please make your way to the nearest bank and then walk 4k back to the start!!!!    Wasn't looking forward to that one happening.

And so I pressed on, the stubborn swimmer that I am.  As each 2k feed station passed by, my hero for the day who was getting wetter and muddier each time, was there to meet me with my Herbalife.

























I gradually got into the swing of it so that by the time the last section came around, I was now up with the lead swimmers in my pack.   The finish was a site for sore eyes.  But, unfortunately Chris and Millie were not so happy this time to see me.  If you can imagine, whilst I was swimming down a tide assisted river, he was having to jump in the car, clean the mud off the dog, strap her in and zoom around the windy roads to find the next access point to the river.  Park up, Pay and Display and then get across muddy wet fields to see if he could spot me.   So when he finally found me, the dog and he were soaked and covered in mud so I won't go into the foul language that came from his mouth.   But he did mumble "don't ask me to come to Dartford with you next weekend"   Another decision that he would regret making - read Midnight Man to discover why !