So here we are at the end of April and my sister Tania asks me and my brother, if we would do an open water swim with her. It's crossing the Falmouth harbour.
Sounds great and something that had crossed my mind many years ago. I say crossed my mind but not an aspiration that I felt strongly about.
It's an easy reply - Giancarlo my other sibling is an active triathlete and completed an iron man only last summer. So he is the logical choice.
As it turns out he will be out for a bike ride on the weekend of the crossing event i.e. the 2nd June.
I feel rather obliged to accompany my sister on this challenge - or as a good friend says to me ' you owe her!' - something to do about getting drunk at a cocktail party but the less said about that the better.
I haven't been swimming for some time, just over 4 weeks doesn't seem quite long enough to train...

Week 1
My kite buddy and good friend Ernst is down for the weekend. we manage to get some kiting done in Tankerton (gorgeous evening) and Camber sands. By chance he is in training for a triathlon and we also go for a swim in the pool. This is a very painful experience for me - one length of crawl and am done!  Ok relax try another length swim back breaststroke - stop rest and go again one crawl one breaststroke. I can see why it's called crawl very apt in my case. 16 length later and am feeling exhausted. Ernst makes it look very easy - but he is very supportive. Acutely aware that I am sports specifically unfit if that sport is swimming!
I receive the news that my sister has suffered whiplash froma car-shunt. Thankfully it's not very serious but it's unlikely that she will recover in time to train for her swim. It's suggested that Ishould give up on the swim as the original motivation has gone. But I feel that I have to see this through. The RNLI are a very worthy cause and I don't feel good quitting.
Two days later manage another session in the pool - feels much better and increase to 32 length. But still lots of rests and mixing crawl and breaststroke. Only half the distance achieved.

Week 2
Am in Cornwall for my mum's 70th birthday - a very bittersweet affair - the brass band play beautifully and it's good to see friends and family.
Truro pool is open and I head for another swim - my brother gives me the polite advice of stop fanning with breaststroke and just do my half mile all crawl. I take his advice and manage my lengths but feel really tired at the end of it. Lots of rests along the way. Still - a step in the right direction.
Another aspect of the swim is the acclimatisation to the cold. I have my wetsuit with me (winds are pathetic for kiting) and go for a dip in Marazion. Bloody hell!!!! Ice cream head - freezing fingers - woah! this is too much, and only stay in for a few minutes.
Next day I take my niece kayaking in Swampool beach. I don a hood this time and after the kayak venture once more in to the sea. I meet a local nutter wearing just trunks - he tells me the water feels cold on his head but he goes in every day - freak!!
I swim out to a buoy and back, and realise that my wetsuit is no good for swimming - no mobility - too hard to get the arm over for the stroke. Thankfully am only in the water for a total distance of 1/4 mile as am fatigued very quickly fighting against the suit. Have serious doubts that I will be ready in time. I do now know that I need to invest in a swimming wet-suit.

Week 3

Well it's more of the same. Am slowly increasing my distances. Each time it hard work and am really feeling it. Am exhausted coming out of the pool - my shoulders ache, my lats, pecs, ... It's also a mind game. Feeling tired and counting down the lengths. Mid week cold doesn't help. But with ten days to go have done my distance, so swimming a mile - finally! It's taking me over fourty minutes but I can do it without stopping for rests, other than for pool 'traffic'.
Bilateral breathing - now there's something that I can't get my head around...
I do keep trying to practice after my lengths are done but my breathing goes all out of sink and I end up swallowing water or stopping to catch my breath. Have been focussing on getting the distance under my belt and it's hard to practice technique, speed and stamina in one go. In fact I haven't tried all three - am working mainly on distance. Am however worried that on the day I will need to breath on my unpracticed side due to wind or waves.

Week 4
After chasing up the suppliers I finally get my ex-rental tri wetsuit. A few nicks but at the price it's great. Don't get a chance to try it on so take it with me for a long weekend in Holland & Germany. It's a hard life!
Meet-up with Ernst and manage a spot of kitesurfing on the friday morning - this is good for the cold water preparation - and it is cold! - 7 degrees in the air. In the afternoon we head off for a swim and consolidate the mile distance.
Mid week I discover that Lydd lake will let you do un usupervised open water swim - this is great and I head off to finally tri my suit. It's a beautiful evening - the water is 15 degrees - and I have to wear a bright yellow swimming cap. All this effort to look uncool...  The water feels cold when I get in and it takes me some time to get used to the suit and the boyancy. It's a 1km circular route and there are a few others out there. After my first lap I am feeling more comfortable - the sighting needs practice but it's roughly working and I'm relaxing more and starting to enjoy it. The second lap is much better. Am enjoying myself. Am almost tempted to do a third lap but my time is up. 2km in roughly fourtyfive minutes. Am feeling much happier now. Of course the lake is warmer than the sea will be and there will also be chop and swells.

3 days to go
Am in Cornwall and it's the friday before the sunday. I go for a short morning swim in sunshine. My niece who trains life saving comes out with me - but she is worrying about messing her up - teenagers! So I don't get a proper swim but I do stay in the water for about twenty minutes - it's cold! am guessing 9-10 degrees. The ice-cream head lasts for about two minutes - otherwise I'm feel that I can cope with it.

Zero days to go
So... have travelled to Cornwall - have known about this swim for some time..and what do I do? I have a really good sleep and am chatting with my sister in the morning after breakfast - everybody else still sleeping - when...aaargh I'm going to be late!! What a muppet! Tania gives me a lift and I register with about 15 minutes left on the clock. After that it's half-suit up and hand clothes bag be ferried over to St Mawes. It's a hot sunny day so in keeping with most I have my wesuit off at the top. We all get called around for the safety briefing. Interestingly we are in a recess in the ground when we are briefed, so no one can actually look out to sea and work out what the directions are. We then get sent down to the 'beach' which is actually about the size of a tennis court, and there are best part of 400 swimmers standing around. On my way down to the beach I ask this pretty police officer if she would kindly zip-up my back... Not an opportunity I was going to miss :)
I have a pre-dip in the water to get a feel for the temperature - it's a good idea as it's sunny and it's hot standing around in the wetsuit.
There is a very friendly atmosphere amongst the swimmers, and I notice another swimmer is wearing lipstick and she kindly leaves me with a kiss mark on my cheek before we get set for the start.
And we are off! White water frothing everywhere - I stay calm and get in to my usual pace and let the faster swimmers steam ahead. I try to avoid collisions but it's not easy. Sorry to whoever I kicked!
The conditions are ideal, sunny, no wind and very little chop. Thanfully am not punished for not breathing bilaterally but I soon realise that it's really hard to work out the swim line. Boats and ribs looks a bit like buoys through steamed up goggles. Have to do my best and follow the mass, although I feel relatively isolated. Not sure if I'm going off track or not. Eventually one or two other swimmers cross my path and I keep heading in the general direction that I mentally signposted as we set off. The route is supposed to be curved to allow for currents. I am relying on the safety kayaks to nudge me should I drift off route. But am getting there, even if it's with more breaststroke than I would have liked, to sight myself. About half way in the channel I turn around to have a look at where I am and enjoy the moment. The feeling of being in the elements is amazing - the sense of freedom wonderful. I can see why people get addicted to open water swimming - I am so happy to be there. Eventually the shore gets nearer, I can see a crowd on a beach and I head in that direction. A swimmer is alongside me and yes ladies and gentleman we have a race! I have no idea who this person is but I do my best to push the pace - silly I know but it's what human nature is about. This person is pushing it too. I am slightly quicker but lose ground when I sight, so I trust my stroke and just go for it. No idea who 'won' as when I get near the shore a steward's hand grabs, pulls me up and tells me to keep swimming in a different direction owing to a rocky outcrop. I come out of the water - slightly wobbly from the change horizontal to vertical.  Make my way past the timing gate. The crowd are cheering very loudly - what a great reception!... Turns out the actor who plays 'Phil Mitchell' was close behind me :) Managed my swim in thirtyseven minutes which was a pleasant surprise. I was prepared for the swim, just! but not fit enough to push the pace. I placed 125 from 316 finishers out of 390 who started the swim. Probably the cold or the wrong wetsuits proved too much for some. I meet up with some of the swimmers I chatted with before the start and we share our experiences. For me this has been very enjoyable and I know that sometime in the future I will do another open water swim. If you have read this far consider joining me. Thank you for your support. Stef