The Start line...

Walking down to the start line of the swim I had a sense of calm-we were here and beyond that, all we had to do was swim. The pontoon was a busy place at 6am. Boats and pilots all seeking out their swimmers as we waited to load our feeding stuff to the boats.  We had 15 litres of water



Frances & I before we loaded into the boats..



15 litres water, Bananas, bread, chocolate, gels, powders

Preparing for a marathon swim is a plan.With other sports there are feeding stations or emergency plans...with swimming what we have on the boat is what we have-preparation is integral.

I am not a fast swimmer so I was careful to push all thoughts of speed out of my mind but I had my requirements, I think it is so important to want from yourself and to have a plan. I stayed away from the cameras and the pomp and calmly greased myself up. Where the swim suit would chaff with the rotation-



The sky giving us it's intention..All sorted I relaxed, I was going to be there all day and elevating my heart rate and breathing was certainly not going to help. My plan was to go out slow, I had to make a cut off point at Meelin 14.5km mark by 6.5hrs. That would happily be a 4.5 hrs swim in the sea but lakes are different.

41 Solo swimmers readied and we were off.. A startline in many events is filled with “testosterone” and adrenaline.. Little heads bopped in the water-we were all equal and very calm-a lot of smiles and mutual respect and a genuine wish that we would all see other at the finish line.

 I needed to have a chat with myself so in the first half hour I watched the boats disappear into the distance as I got a rhythm. I pushed out my stroke and decided that I would try to meet my tree at the 6km mark in 2hrs- My breathing pocket was in a different place from the sea-my head had to dip lower and my chin tucked in deeper.

Frances was busy straight away with my bottles. The space on the boat is very limited and for Frances, it was not at as organised as she had wanted. I had planned Maxin for the first two hours and feeding every 30 mins. First four stops were 15secs..it took effort to stay up to drink so I gulped it down and gone.

The rain started... it's a long day!

 After an hour I was able to pass a few boats and it pleased me.. I have a long cruise stroke and with the sea calmish, lot of movement but I was feeling strong.

I didn’t feel the rain but the stillness of the water, I knew it was coming. The umbrellas popped up and torrential rain arrived, my tree disappeared, so too did Frances. Frank, my pilot had little choice but to sit in the rain covered by a pink umbrella and stick with me. The boat had a tarpaulin cover that comes down tight, turning to breathe I spotted a torch sticking out from underneath making signals..it was like a Harry Potter movie..



The battle started..going forward was tough

 Frances was hunched on the floor of a boat, with a torch in the dark, trying to sort out hydration-knowing she would be having a melt down I couldn’t stop laughing “she’s going to kill me” is all I could think.

A little hand peeped out in the rain to give me the 5min to feed warning and pulled back in again.. The five minute to feed warning allows me to push hard for five mintues knowing I will get a drink. It's all psych but it is important. A big smile greeted me, Frances had the insides of the boat all tidied without the knowledge of Frank, so she was much happier with her space. After 2 hrs the rain disappeared, the water calmed and as I turned my tree, I smiled to myself. My goggles felt good, the chaffing was nothing, my hat was staying on, and with the exception of a few little twinges in my calves I was gliding though the water. 6km covered, that 20% of my mileage.. 2hrs completed that’s 12.5% of my hour allocation, that’s a double crossing of Ventry beach-I was well impressed. Next feed I would take a Dioralyte & some banana to contradict the cramping and change to electrolytes. I was always planning ahead. With distance it’s important to break it down to mini achievements. In distance you don’t drive on, listen to the muscles.

Peek a boo-a huge section of the day spent indoors!



I was so happy out there and as I watched the coast roll back I felt so strong. I picked up a swimmer ahead, she was in my category so I was delighted to trail her and once I realised I was stronger I waited until my boat came back, took my bottle in 10 secs and headed off to track down my new adversary.  I passed her and it felt great.  I wasn’t racing but I needed to validate my own fitness. 3.5hrs in I was excited as we passed the 10km marking so we were on schedule to make the cut off point. I relaxed. I decided to slow my feed to 20 sec, to relax a bit. I changed to electrolytes and added a gel. The water was challenging but not difficult. It was deceptive.



Where Frances had to rest for 12 hrs..



I watched as the red marker failed to write on the whiteboard, Frances tried writing on the back of the board, I could see the frustration as both marker and board were thrown on the floor.  



The water the ferry churns up is uuuggghhhh

 I watched conversations and imagined the chat between Frances and Frank. The waves started to lift again, umbrellas up and Frances went back under the tarpaulin. After 5 hrs swimming Meelin was in the distance, that meant little so I focused on fast feeding, stopping for no more than 20 secs and pushed on. I couldn't believe how competitive I felt, I didn't train to race then all of a sudden I wanted more from my body that I put in. It's just not fair how our minds work. Each stop I wanted to know where the other ladies were, maybe it was just part of the game.

No boats had passed me. The water about the outboard engine was giving out petrol and as Frank drove forward I swallowed quite a gulp of fuel. Instantly my throat gagged and I started to throw up. I moved away to clean water.  I asked the boat to stay behind me until I regained my breathing. In the distance a ferry was crossing I was excited to be reaching the 14.2km mark with an hour to spare. I focused on the ferry and the progress. I repeated "suck it up, dumb it down, you can't change it" I asked for coca cola in 5 minutes to try and clean out my stomach and get a buzz of sugar. I let the gas out last night so it was flat.

The water approaching the ferry was horrendous, it was like being in a washing machine, watching your clothes going right and left, I was being dragged in towards the marina section before the ferry. I decided that my next stop would be a minute and I focused on that as a reward for driving harder.  I looked forward which is not my job but I felt that I needed to sight.

 My left arm was starting to tweak, I was surprised as normally it was my right arm. Being so low in the water I was forced to lift my elbow higher and maybe this was taking its toll. I asked for a painkiller-Frances mixed 1000ml of paracetamol in the tiniest cup of water…oooohhhhhh but needs must. The rain was down again and the though I was swimming for 30 minutes I had only covered 500m-I was at Meilin & once the ferry passed I was allowed through.

Getting passed this marina took an age..

I was delighted to pass the half way-I had more distance behind me than ahead. I felt strong. The hour plus after the ferry was very choppy, my legs were higher than my waist many times. It was such a new experience. My lower back felt great, over all I was doing so much better than I had expected. I took a two minute stop, eased out my legs. The cramps in my calf were quite severe. I thought about the athletes on the pitches. Lying there as a physio scrambled out, massaged, sprayed, stretched, everything to allow their athlete tp perform.. In marathon swimming it was simple..Suck it up and save yourself. It's strange how you can grow in spirit out of such comparasions, making what we are and what we achieve so much greater. With 12 km to swim it was four more double crossings of Ventry beach, four more times to get to Cuan, 6 hours swimming, my feeding going well, drinking about a litre an hour, my stomach had settled and so did the lake.

Sun showed a face, tarpaulin pulled back, Frances re appeared and needed to head to shore to go to the bathroom so for the next while I was on my own as they disappeared to the land..