Dear fellow swimmers
One problem with the British Summer is that it’s too short for all the swimming and swimrun events I want to do. There is something about events that keeps drawing me into them – even when they are in stretches of water where I could swim anyway.
Last weekend, I actually did two.
The first was the King of the Thames, organised by swim holiday company SwimQuest. This runs from Hampton Court to Raven’s Ait, an island just upstream of Kingston Bridge. In fact, I’d swum this stretch of river the weekend before with some friends,
just for the fun of it.
The second event was the Seahorse Swim in Studland Bay, Dorset. I’d been here only two weeks previously for the Studland Swimrun, and had done a recovery swim afterwards at the same beach.
But events are
different.
First, there’s a buzz and energy about events that you can’t find on solo swims, a mixture of nerves and excitement, and of shared endeavour.
Second, and I know this isn’t for everyone, is the competitive element. King of
the Thames was billed as a non-competitive swim, but I still found myself in a head-to-head race with two other swimmers. I enjoy the tactical elements of open water racing, the decisions about whether to draft and conserve energy or to strike out alone, and the final dash to the finish line.
Third, there’s the reassurance of safety cover. You can relax and
enjoy the swim without the worry of being run over by a rower (in the river) or a jet-ski (in the ocean). Also, if you do get into difficulty, there is someone there to help you out. We also know that organisers monitor water quality and potential pollution.
Finally, there’s the post-swim celebrations. King of the Thames did a great job of this, with a picnic
and band on Raven’s Ait. And while there was no picnic at the Seahorse Swim, swimmers stayed around for prize giving, and just to enjoy some time on a beautiful beach.
If you’ve been sitting on the fence about entering an event, I’d like to encourage you to sign up. Most events cater to a wide range of swimming abilities. There is no expectation to be fast or to race.
In fact, at King of the Thames, I saw several swimmers pausing near the finish because they didn’t want to swim to be over.
When you look back at your year, I expect events will be among your highlights.
