Sea Breezers in the Sea at last!

"Look at the Waves" "let's find the lifeguards and ask them where to swim." "OK, but let's tell them we are experienced open water swimmers but that we haven't swum in Brighton before" "Have you got suntan lotion on?" "No, I never wear it, we'll be fine" !

Saturday 30th June

The sun shining, the wind blowing, we ventured to Brighton. Just Niki and I with our new GB Olympic styled swimsuits and new white mirrored goggles, and pink Gnarly Nutters hats - Funny how your kit seems so important to set you up for a good swim!. With 18 mph ssw wind, and 0% chance of rain, it was still surprising how empty the beach was, in fact when we arrived at 11.30 (we waited for the cloud to clear), there were no swimmers, and anyone else who was mad enough to be on the beach was fully clothed.

Please take our picture?" we said to the couples next to us who were watching our rituals of getting ready, and the man with the two small children called at us and our bravery:)

'

The advice was to swim in front of the buoys (about 100 meters out from shore), it took 7 minutes just to get out to a place where the waves were breaking slightly less over our heads, we squealed and giggled as we leapt up over the enormous waves, trying to look like we had even been in the sea before, eventually we realised we just had to swim.

So we swam! and we smiled, and swam and swallowed sea water, and swam some more, The sea was powerful, and as we relaxed into the rhythm it struck me that the one thing I didn't have to think about was the swimming, my arms and legs were working as they needed to, thank goodness for the relentless pool lengths, the cold water swims, the lake challenges, and the muscle memory. For the first time, I truly, really, just thought about the conditions, rolling with the waves, aiming for the top of the big crashing ones, and waiting for the next breath if the waves crashed over me. And of course, every time I looked left there was Lemon, a pink hat, reminding me that we are in this together.

That was just before we both lost our goggles. 42 minutes into our first swim. Gone within 60 seconds of each other. Once more a reminder of how powerful the sea is, dunked, rolled, bashed and stripped of sight. And a 15 minute walk back to our towels on the stony beach. Advice from the Lifeguard "Wear your goggles under your hat, that way they can't get swept off" DUH! Seeemples!!!

Not to be outdone. We warmed up for an hour, ate, drank, sunbathed fully clothed, and snuggled under towels, blankets, and Johns big dressing gown. Then we got up and did it again, spare goggles under our hats this time, and the waves even bigger. 25 minutes to swim to the buoys this time, In the end we just swam, as if in a wave machine in a pool, going nowhere, but exhausting swimming and such great experience. A few vomiting sessions, alot of gagging on salt water, and a thousand flashes of memory of the sun breaking through, shining on our shoulders, the GB swimsuits flashing white and blue, the pink hats visible above everything, and the noise of the waves with the silence of being amidst them. 64 minutes. Done. A little sunburn won't stop us doing it again:)

Simply beautiful. Simply swimming. Simply the Sea. Sea Breezers Go.

Command your thoughts...

Wednesday 27 June 2012

“Are you going slower or am I going faster?” I said to Niki Lemon this morning during our early morning sabbatical to the Serpentine amidst the mosquitos and weeds...

Funny how we compare ourselves to others (or is that just me :) Every time I hit another milestone I think about all those who do it better, faster, smarter, more efficiently, for longer, and remind myself I can do more. Well, not as gently as a reminder most of the time.

That little voice that sits on my shoulder asking me if I am good enough, or telling me i’m not. She’s the one that visits when I am feeling vulnerable, scared, defensive or just a bit low, and then I doubt myself. Over the years I have built various strategies for dealing with that, and whilst some of those are still external, (it’s good to be reassured), the most powerful is when I have a quiet word with myself, revisit old affirmations, re-read the inspiring words of Marianne Williamson, or with my belief in synchronicity something drops into my inbox/is said/ appears on facebook:- This morning it was ‘If you want to be happy set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates energy and inspires your hopes’ Andrew Carnegie.

Command your thoughts. They run away with you!

Saturday 14th June

The Sea Breezers set a goal to go to Dover to swim our 2 hour ratification swim for the channel. The weather was horrific, so instead we hit the serpentine at 6.45 am, had a morale boosting discussion, committed to each other that the 5 of us (including our coach and friend Pete) would do the 2 hour swim no matter what. It was pretty non-negotiable, and with that at the front of my mind, the rest was history.

It was a first, a first for me, and a first for everyone else! None of us had ever swum 2 hours constantly in one bout and certainly not in 15 degree water. We talked about it afterwards and realised the collective commitment was by far the biggest determinant of success in the end. For me, I didn’t even allow any thought to enter my head except a gentle countdown, an easy rhythm, and staying in the present, no dramatising, no forward projecting, and no doubt.

When we are in the channel in September, I will know that I can swim 2 hours, and with that knowing comes a little peace.

With all the preparation in May and June - Eton for 2 different open water swims, Marlow Lake Monday and Thursday nights, and the Serpentine for early morning day break swims, I was ready for a trip to the Seaside - June 30th 2012 - Niki Lemon and I couldn't wait!