Swimming Day 229 – 12th April 2011

Still not feeling my best, which is most annoying. I can’t work out if it’s a physical thing or a mental thing as I am very bogged down at work at the moment and have some huge projects on the go and some major changes to put into place. Either way it is leaving me somewhat not at my best.

Last night I planned to use the gym and pool at home; planned an hour in each. As it turned out I ended up doing about 1½ in the gym and not using the pool; mind you I sweated enough to make me think I was in the pool – it was a hot one yesterday afternoon. This morning, whilst still bright outside, was actually quite a bit colder in the air; down from yesterday 18 degrees to around 9 degrees. The sea temperature averaged about 8.4 degrees, which is way better and heading in the right direction at last. I was down at the Arch before 7am and waited for the others to turn up; David, Bella, Little Bob, Mike and Martina were doing their things and I headed off at 7.15am with Big Bob, Shoichi and Damien for a longer swim than usual. Rather than head around the pier today, which I said I didn’t want to do as I wasn’t feeling up to a “deep” swim, we headed against the tide under the pier towards the marina. We swam fairly hard, although I was lagging behind today, and swam for around 20 minutes. Then swimming back to our beach with the tide the return journey took about 12 minutes; so I guess a 32 minutes swim. Certainly the longest sea swim this year. Shoichi is particularly fast, although both Damien and Bob are hardly slakers either! On a very good day I could keep up with Bob and Damien, but not Shoichi. I like to think that in a distance challenge I am the one who could keep going and going; I am certainly the only one out of us four who has done over 5 hours in the sea and over 6 hours in the pool; but in a day like today with my mind as it is I felt like the one who was struggling to just do the half an hour! Very frustrating. !

The long swim and my physical feeling meant it took me a while to warm up today; probably a good two hours if I’m honest. This afternoon I have a gym session with Ross at 4pm and was not going to do anything other than that. But I think it would do me more good to go to the pool first of all and maybe do a fast hour training session; the ones Fiona & Bob have been doing with me. The thought of hitting the pool again is not exactly exciting me, especially as it would mean leaving the office earlier than I had planned, but I think it would be a good idea both physically and mentally. As for work, well I always catch up well as I do work very fast and will end up working tonight when I get home into the wee hours probably.

Tonight Fiona is doing a Pier swim at 6pm with Big Mike and Tom; she suggested I join them. All three are crazy fast; Fiona and Tom both successful channel swimmers and Mike’s arms and legs are twice the length of mine. I would love to join them but I think that the fact that they will be hitting the shore just as I round the pier will not do my mind or ego much good.

Little Bob – Marathon in under 3.40 I think he said and Lindy in under 3.20 I think. Astonishing! Not to give any ages away, but Little Bob is out of his 50’s and Lindy, whilst looking like a very young lady is probably a couple of years older than me (sorry Lindy if I’m wrong!!!!). I certainly couldn’t do sub 3.30 in a marathon and I’m super fit at the moment and do a lot of running; what an amazing achievement.