Not at the moment, I’d like to do a race if possible later in the year but it depends on what goes ahead, I’d also need a bit of pool swimming because they are late Sept\Oct and the water will be getting a bit too cold for my liking by then.
It depends what you mean by small, it’s not particularly wide, but they put a barrage in downstream about 25 years ago so it’s a constant height as they use that to control the flow etc., but as it comes from high in the Pennines, if it’s been heavy rain up there the flow can be really high and bring down debris.
There’s a council park where we go in with a jetty, although there’s kids around on an evening but they don’t really give someone in a wetsuit any grief. There are a few boats and rowers etc. but not that many so far up, most of the watersports are near the barrage as there’s a canoe centre and slalom etc.
I have an orange towfloat which helps. There’s often people that go in and I do meet friends there now and then but have been in by myself as well, that doesn’t really bother me.
The lake is nice and there’s divers as well, it’s an old quarry and clean, but for now I’ll stick with the river when the flow isn’t too bad.
The Thames here is too busy, even its tributaries. But I have a local lake I am using, so all is good. I was getting concerned about algae a couple of weeks ago, but the weather is cooler now and the water quality is good.
I have 4 x 1 miles at the Henley Swim Festival at the end of August. The organisers say it is going ahead. If it does, I’ll be there, even if under-trained. I love the scuffle of a mass start but I think we’ll be looking at a very different scenario this year.
I am not fancying socially distanced pool swimming, so I’ll stick with the open water until the dust settles.
3rd swim last night after not swimming OW for 4 years.
What I am learning, is that sea swimming (versus a lake) is an absolute ball-ache for additional logistics due to the sand and all the extra cleaning. I’m cycling there and only have a small apartment, though fortunately have a second bathroom to clean the suit and a balcony for it to dry, but it feels like for 30 minutes of swimming I’m putting in 90 minutes of pre and post faff!!
Not only is it cleaning the suit, but everything else I have worn, right down to my cycling shoes that I use to get there, in order to avoid living in a sandpit for the next few weeks!
Would also be nice to start swimming before I start work for the day, but don’t think I can be bothered with the faff in the morning
There’s a few from our club who have apparently been going in with tow floats at Thames Ditton. They started doing this before any of the lakes opened. Not sure if they’re still doing it now there are more formal places to swim.
I’ve looked at where I swim in the local river and fortunately it doesn’t seem too bad.
Downstream a few years ago it was officially classified as dead, like many others, but the reduction of industry, a barrage and other improvements have seen life return, and there’s a very large seal colony at the end.
Right near the nuclear power plant Godzilla sized seals in the future.
Bonus OWS this morning. 8 laps of the Docks in 55:41. In my first session back after lockdown, I did 7 laps in 52:49, so a reasonable improvement. Drop off is the big thing that’s getting better.
-----24th May ---------7th July
It’s definitely not great being unable to do real technique work like you can in the pool, but the simple act of swimming once or twice a week for an hour still yields some improvement.
One that doesn’t know whether it belongs here or rant thread.
So Friday’s 2.5 mile Loch swim with noseclip, breathing in and out of mouth still had no effect of my 24 hour runny nose blocked nose stress, generally feeling a bit shit. What is wrong with you, stupid sinuses.
Bring on the snortable Beconase, jury’s out, let’s see.
My lovely calm swim at 0730 this AM made me wonder if everyone else is still flying the flag?
OK, admittedly I’ve cut down the 2.5 miles to 1.25ish, and this AM when I first got in, my hands were pleading for gloves, but once I had a chat with them, I think that they had a chat with themselves
Felt like somewhere between 7 and 9, but once I got started it was actually ok. So calm, like glass. Said to the missus afterwards, if I die, I will die happy. Love my outdoor swims
Still swimming here, but then my local lake is still in the high teens and actually felt colder in August. Rain forecast next week might weaken my resolve. Only doing 30-40min, but mostly because the earliest swim is now 8am and I can’t really push my work start back much after 9.
The lake is still pretty busy, but the clientele has shifted. I am now in the minority of people swimming in a wetsuit!
Lovely calm water again today at 0730 and just light, but clag down and so thick could hardly see anything on the skyline, just a very slight blur where the trees were.
It was quite cool, felt like it took me about 1/2 hour to get used to the water temp, but it was maybe less than that as I managed a very slow 0.75 mile.
Once I was warmed up it was all fine, bit of faceache and hands moaning, maybe next time I will put the gloves on.
Godzilla sized seals in the future.
