Swimming day 518 - Monday 16th July 2012

With under a month to go until the swim you’d think that the weather would give us a break. 

Once again this morning the winds were high and the clouds were open.  If you know the Sadlescombe Road in Brighton, the one that runs from the Dyke to Henfield, then you can get an idea of what swimming in the sea was like this morning.  One minute you are flying down a huge dip and the next you are up high amongst the hills; unbelievable.  All in a 14.3 degree sea (1 degree down on last week !) Also the tide, with help by the wind, was racing East, which made going where you wanted somewhat harder than one would like.  Bob and I headed out into a massive sea and straight to the second buoy; a straight line it was not!  Having got there, being bounced around and having our goggles and hats bashed and pulled, we headed West to go passed the donut groin.  Twenty minutes of non stop swimming at full pelt kept us rooted to the spot!  Eventually we came back in and were putting on our crocs when Bob got figity and wanted to go back in and try again; a kid in a sweet shop!!  So of we went, back into the raging waves and gave it a go; nope, the sea 1, the Bobs 0  !!  A bloomin good workout though and despite a crazy sea we got in and out safely and unharmed.

Tomorrow was meant to be our 2 hr adjudicated swim, but with the conditions as they are Fiona called it off.  It means we all still have to do it of course, but frustratingly it will be on our own rather than together; just no way 6 of us with all different lifestyles and commitments can get a day together when the weather miss behaves.  So it’ll be a case of each of us looking out the window and just going for it and then reporting it back.  I guess it’s our own fault for choosing to live in a country that refuses to have a summer.

On another note entirely tomorrow is a MASSIVE day for my 17 year old nephew, Zac.  He is one of only a small number of people in the Country chosen to be an Olympic Torch bearer.  He was put up by his school for all his charity work since we lost Dad.  An amazing honour for him and so well deserved.  He will be the first Bearer in Brighton at 7.20am and along with thousands of excited Brightonians we will be cheering him on and celebrating a wonderful and once in a lifetime experience for him.  A torch bearer in the family; amazing!!