Open Water Chills & Thrills
It has been an unusually quiet start to the open water swimming season in our household. That’s not to say that me & he have not been in the lake yet, because we have. Once again there is a stash of post lake swim Coca-Cola in our fridge and the smell of drying neoprene wafting from the bathroom. No, I mean an audibly quiet start to the season. The 6 months from April to September are normally punctuated with spontaneous shrieks and screams as Miss Molly enters the bathroom several times a day…and apparently forgets that our wetsuits will be drying in there!? She doesn’t just jump or gasp inwardly, nope…we have invested a lot of dosh, throughout her formative years, in sending her to various schools of ‘Performing Arts’…so we are treated to the full-on stage production of Psycho as she saunters in for a shower or an earbud!
…but this season is going to be less entertaining as our baby flew the nest just over a week ago to settle in to her own little country cottage with her boyfriend…cue my tears…
What are the lakes like where you have been braving it? You would think there was a prize to be had down at Box End early on a Sunday morning! Hoards of nut jobs like you and I apparently eager to strip off and get in, instead of rolling over and having a lay-in!
We have joined the growing posse of Shed Heads having a Sunday swim at Box End, followed by a gentle run around the two lakes afterwards. Feel free to join us all! Check out the open water swimming times at www.boxendpark.com. There is currently a 2 hour swim slot on Wednesday evenings if you can’t make the longer lunchtime swim sessions.
Keith was recently invited to speak and share some open water swimming insights at the H2O Open Water Swimming Show. It was a super event. Grateful thanks to T.I. coach Mike Weedon and Sheddies Jo Green and Philip Wright who got in the lake alongside some of the U.K’s elite open water swimmers, to demonstrate some open water swimming techniques. Fantastic job!
“Read all about it…” Grab yourself a copy of Top Santé June 2014 (out now) and be inspired by 3 amazing women who push themselves to exercise, to stay fit & healthy whilst living with chronic conditions. You may recognise one of them…uber energetic Sheddie – Emily Campbell, who having taken part in a hat- full of recent events, has just completed 100 days of training…beating the chaps in her gym (a minimum of 1 hours training per day) and finished the Manchester marathon…is also off to compete in her first Ironman in Frankfurt on July 6th!
Huge Shed Shout Out to…
Sheddie, Brian Drought, who is currently out in Mallorca, warming up – ready for his first Ironman 70.3 on Saturday! And to the growing gang of Sheddies (Kevin, Jo, Phil, Kathryn, Ian, Nick, Rob, Jason…to name but a few) acclimatising to our cold open water in preparation to take on the challenging Slateman next Sunday! Jo tells me that the organisers have released 50 more slots if anyone is at a loss for something to do next Sunday! And of course to Matt Cowing, David Longden and Rúna Bergmann Sigursteinsdóttir who are about to descend on the volcanic island of Lanzarote to compete in their first Ironman next Saturday!! Thumbs up to Rob Johnson and Jess Goodridge on completion of the half and full Milton Keynes marathon last weekend. And to everyone else quietly notching up successes up and down the country & around the globe!
Through the pages of the LOOP, I want to let you know about an excellent event being organised by our Sheddie friend Geoff Parker-Naples from Leighton Buzzard Tri Club. Take a look at Aquarush 2014 http://www.tri-lbevents.weebly.com. Taking place on Saturday 13th September at Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre, Leighton Buzzard.
Our fabulous Friday night drop-in swim sessions will continue through to Friday 20th June, whereupon we shall break for the summer, returning at the beginning of September. I’ll remind you again nearer the time!
Right I’m gunna love ya and leave those of ya with a ‘toughie’ event coming up with this…
Jane x
