I often refer to myself as the 'Pandemic Cliche' and as having 'stepped through a portal to another dimension' over the last couple of years. I suppose the latter is true for most people given recent events but here's my story.
In 2020, the pandemic hit and lockdown ensued (for a few weeks we hoped at worse). After the initial shock had passed, I actually thoroughly enjoyed March to June 2020. I had time to get fit again, took up yoga and started doing online open mic nights I sing and play a bit of guitar). I was developing my self care so much that I didn't realise (at first) that I needed to rethink a long term relationship. To cut a long story short I decided to go it alone and as I was working from home, find myself a place to reassess, hibernate and heal.
A new life by the sea
I had never heard of Shoreham by Sea until one day in August 2020 when a friend was visiting a mutual friend there so I popped along from London. I was quite taken with the river, the calm of the place and of course being by the sea. In January 2021 a flat came up an and I went for it.
So here I was in Shoreham at the beginning of February 2021, new home, new life, new lockdown I needed to train for a 5k swim I had signed up for whilst in London which was only 7 months later. I had no access to swimming pools etc. or any contacts for help. Short of me throwing myself in the sea alone (which did not seem like the best idea), I was a bit stumped as to what to do.
The first person I met here suggested that I contact Mike Porteous aka ZigZag Alive about training. I couldn't go to a gym, or a swimming pool and had no idea what I was doing in a completely new place so met with Mike and decided to go for having a personal coach. He also helpfully suggested that I walk up to Mill Hill to get a sense of the South Downs. I loved going up there to see the view of the river and the sea – it made me happy about my move and new surroundings.
As I had brought my bike with me I thought about some all round training as I ran a little too. So I embarked on Mike’s training plan, usually 6 days a week incorporating at first running, then running and cycling, then swimming in addition once the pools opened. I also started swimming in the sea with various groups as I started to meet people.
Going for it
I remembered in 2020 seeing the West Bay triathlon on Facebook and wondering what it would be like to do such an event but never really thought about it again. As I had my bike and was also running, I chatted with Mike about it and we decided that this could be something I could aim for (it was the end of June 2021) although getting up to speed may be a tall order. I saw no reason not to try and signed up.
I had no idea about kit but, (on Mike's helpful recommendation) I went to the Tri Store in Eastbourne and purchased (with great help from Lawrence there) a tri suit and a wetsuit.
Mike suggested I try a sprint triathlon in May as a 'practise run'. No wetsuit required (I could simply wear a tri suit for the whole thing), and I remember (strangely, perhaps complacently) feeling very at ease with the distances (400m lido swim cut to 250m due to COVID, 18k bike ride and 5k run) as they were much smaller than I had been doing in training. It was raining,a practical faff but I loved it. This was at Arundel (sounds like the film) and as there is a castle there (looks like the film) , my friend and her daughter visited and we dressed up as princesses and ran around the castle pretending we were in 'Frozen' as a post event treat. It felt fantastic.
There were mornings that I had to cycle to Steyning pool, do a swim and cycle home before work. But I didn't mind. I was cycling through the cute airport in Shoreham, then countryside in Spring and actually enjoying getting fit and healthy. I had always liked to keep fit but often found the gym or pounding pavements a chore. This was largely down to the wonderful approach of Mike. I remember him saying once, “exercise should never be stressful” and that has stuck with me. Although with a strong propensity towards the sofa, it was happening naturally and as part of my day to day life.
It was all gearing up for West Bay. I had needed to get the pool swims in for distance but the sea seemed like a different and scary beast. I had been dipping in the sea and enjoying the cold zing with new friends but until I had a wet suit to practise with and it was warm enough, doing any sort of distance wasn't possible. I started swimming in the sea about a month before West Bay and have to admit that the waves and mouthfuls of salty sea water made me think at first that I would never be able to swim 1500 metres, let alone as a start to a triathlon. But I started to learn to enjoy and respect the waves and although I had, through my pool training, improved my stroke to breath ratio, learned to breathe only towards the beach when a bit rough. I liked that I was picking up little practical things to acclimatise to the majesty of the sea.
and on to West Bay and far beyond
I had done my training, got a t-shirt printed so I could shout about a fundraiser I was doing and off I went in my camper with bike, wetsuit and the rest of the kit. I had no idea about all of this but again with Mike's help and that of friends I had met here in Shoreham I had inner tubes, gear levers and the like – albeit that I would not know how to use any of it if needed. All the gear, no idea.
On the day of West Bay, I was nervous, mostly about the 1500m sea swim but I had done that distance in the sea as part of training so kept telling myself it would be fine. Mother Nature had other ideas though and a couple of minutes before the event, we were told that everyone was to swim the sprint distance swim, 400m, due to wind making conditions unsafe. I was a bit gutted, mainly due to the fundraiser I was doing and it did throw me a bit as the adrenalin was already pumping.
I remember getting in the water to start and immediately feeling anxious because of this. And of course everyone runs into the water like maniacs at the start of a triathlon so it is extremely hectic! I do recall getting to the end of 400m and wishing I could swim further as I had settled into a rhythm. The 50k bike ride was both stunning and challenging with at least 3 very steep inclines (Mike said he knew more about the route than me as he had looked – I would rather not know). I felt very pleased with myself on my old pink ladies' Raleigh racer as I rode all the way! The 8k run ended with a jog down the cliff to the seas and three of my lovely friends turned up at the end with flags/streamers and the like. I stayed for a couple of days and enjoyed the area.
Before moving, I looked back at the Swim the Lakes website after buying my winter swim gloves and socks and perused their guided swim days. I had never been to the Lake District so picked two days in July 2021 a week apart, drove round in my camper van and did as much swimming as possible. My favourite moment was an early morning swim alone across Buttermere – the furthest I had swam at over 2k. I packed just flip flops, phone and poncho in my towfloat/dry bag, swam across, swapped my wetsuit and costume for the poncho and off I walked back in the morning sunshine – magic.
Although I had the 5k Dock to Dock swim booked (and as it happens a 5k swim the week after here in the Adur River as lots of swim buddies were taking part) it was niggling me that I was unable to complete the full swim at West Bay. I found another olympic triathlon in nearby Seaford on 21 August – 2 weeks before the swim and Mike and I decided that this would be well placed to continue my training. The distances for the bike ride and swim were slightly different (48k bike and 10k run) but the all important (to me) swim was the same, 1500m. Off I went to find that the organisers were extremely happy that this was the calmest they had seen the sea for years. In fact, the last event (pre-COVID) the swim had to be almost abandoned altogether due to wind. It appeared that Mother Nature was smiling on me that day.
I successfully completed the event and felt excellent. I think the fact that the event was able to go ahead, the calmness of the water and having done a triathlon before meant that I felt no trepidation at the start and felt elated after the swim. The bike ride and run were much easier here and probably less interesting because of it (laps up and down the beach) but the support from marshals and people watching more than made up for that. I remember feeling so surprised how much I took this event in my stride – mostly because my swimming had moved on leaps and bounds.
The Big One
But to me the “big one” was the 5k Dock to Dock in London. Who would have thought when I turned up for a leisurely swim with my cossie (and sometimes bikini) at the Royal Victoria Docks in London in September 2020 and gazed in wonder at the neoprene clad swimmers that within a year that would be me? I was nervous, the most nervous I had been all year as I did not swim the distance before the event (I had gone up to approx. 3800m). I reminded myself that when I did a marathon 15 years ago, I also ran less than the distance. I also had all of my training behind me, advice from Mike and friends but couldn't stop the jitters.
The Docks feel very different to the sea as it is enclosed so there are mini currents in all directions. Psychologically I had picked the right distance as there were 1.5K, 3K, 5K, 10K and 15K to choose from. The 5K was enough of a challenge and one lap out and back. I forgot to put my watch on which was a blessing – I didn't want to know how far I had left, just when I went past the half way point as I knew I was on the home straight. When I got to the end I couldn't believe that I had done it and in around two hours which is not too shabby! I chatted to two fellow participant ladies in the beer/pizza bus afterwards and realised I had completed everything I had set out to do in 2021, in both my sporting and personal life. Definitely worth celebrating.
A week later I did the Adur river swim – it was cut down slightly for various reasons but I didn't care. I saw this as a jolly with all my wonderful friends I have met here in Shoreham by Sea and a great way to finish off my sporting season. I remember taking another trip up to Mill Hill with a friend shortly afterwards and showing them the river I had swum in just weeks before.
While not everyone is persuaded about the medical and psychological benefits of open water swimming, the camaraderie, joy and sense of achievement in the people I have met is incontrovertible. I am not training every day now, but finding myself going into the sea sometimes, having a swim in the Olympic Pool in London when there for work and going for occasional jogs around Shoreham beach. As Christmas and the New Year approaches I can look back at 2021 and say “what a year”.
And there will be plans for 2022...but who knows what that will bring.
