GregInTheWater
CENTRAL SCOTLAND OPEN WATER SWIMMING COACH
A view of the course at Loch Ken
I had noticed on the openwaterswimevents website that there was a swim at Loch Ken in southern Scotland on the weekend before the Big Un. They were offering a 1km swim, a 2km swim, and a 4km swim, but the timings of them meant that it was possible to do all three. The online entry system though seemed to have an implicit bias that meant you could only do one swim. Now for those who swim a lot around Sydney, you will know that most events have a few races (such as a 1k, and a 2k+), and the timings make it possible to do both. They even tend to give a discount to the entry fee to encourage people to do this, and I had done just that at many events.
I contacted the swim organisers, and they admitted to me that they had never been asked if a swimmer could do all three races on the same day. They were delighted to be asked, and there was no hesitation in saying that it was fine, and they would discount the entry fee.
So here I was committed to doing the 1km, the 2km, and the 4km in that order. That is 7km over several hours, more practice for my 16km swim.
Loch Ken is in Dumfries and Galloway in the south-west of Scotland. Like all the other lochs I had swum in so far, it is a fresh water loch. The race was to held at the Galloway Activity Centre.
The drive down from Glasgow was quite pretty, though the closer I got to Loch Ken, the heavier the rain got, and the stronger the wind blew. As I parked my car and made my way towards registration after the nearly 2 hour drive, I thought I would not be surprised if the event was cancelled, postponed or delayed. I looked at the Loch, and the course was set out, and there were the occasional white caps on the water, when you could see it through the mist and rain. Another early autumn day in Scotland. I had noticed the weather forecast did talk about strong winds and rain early in the day, easing as the day went on.
I registered for my first race, the 1km race. When I told them my name they told me I was the famous one doing all three races. They had a film crew and reporter from a local TV station at the event, as the game reporter was going to swim in the open water for the second time by doing the 1k. So of course, they interviewed me on camera, trying to hide their incredulity that this crazy Aussie was not only swimming in the cold Scottish waters, but that he was doing all three races, and he looked like he was actually loving it.
Some of the swimmers in the 2 km race
The briefing for the 1km was held in driving rain, and it was cold standing in the wind, waiting to hear the important safety messages. We were then given our timing chips, walked down the pontoon and eased into the water. It was actually a lot warmer in the water than standing out, as we lined up for the start. The course was straight-forward, one lap of the 1km loop in an anti-clockwise direction. Looking at the wind direction I knew that the leg out the back would be straight into the wind, with two of the other legs cross wind. This should sort out the men from the boys with the small one foot chop.
I had lined up next to the start buoy and as the hooter sounded started strongly. I did try to swim slightly faster than normal, because I had got slightly chilled waiting for the in-water start. Going around the first marker, I was in 4th position. Then it was head down aim for the two markers on this leg, and allow for the drift. I did notice that the swimmers ahead of me were being pushed to the right by the wind and chop, so I was confident that I might be able to catch one or two of them.
Around the far buoy and half way, and I was level with third, though on a closer line to the marker, which meant I had swum a shorter distance. Now for the hardest bit into the wind and chop, as the rain came down obscuring the far side of the loch. I soon left the other swimmer behind, and I was clearly in third place, and slowly catching up to second.
Around the top buoy to head for home, and this time the wind was from the right, meaning I had to breathe left. I was catching second place. Could I catch them….yes I could if I swam hard, and soon the distance dropped to 10m, then 5m, then as we approached the finish line I was on their feet. It would be easy to swim around them and beat them into second place.
But then my logical mind took over, saying hey this is the first race of the day and the shortest, take it easy you have another 6k to swim today. So I eased off, letting them beat me by half a length.
First race over, third place, and a time of just over 17 minutes. And what’s more I felt strong: a great start to the day.
My new friends swam well, and it was great to see the smiles on their faces as they finished.
After handing in my chip and getting my time, I then had to rush to registration for the next race, the 2km. Now the 2k race was two laps of the course, once again in an anti-clockwise direction. By the time we entered the water, the wind had dropped a little, and the rain had eased off. I decided this time to wait near the rear of the pack of 40 swimmers at the start line, but as the hooter went I realised my mistake. Several of the swimmers started doing breaststroke, and I had to swim wide to get around them. By the time we had swum to the first marker, I was in the top ten swimmers, and I was at the rear of a pack of three who were swimming quite well and straight. I decided to do my usual and get on the feet and have an easier start to this race.
Once again into the chop, and this time I enjoyed the challenge, even if it did seem to take a while to turn out of the wind. Over the line, up the ladder, timing chip inserted. The second race was over, and I had come 4th, in a time of just over 36 minutes. I was happy with both my pacing and my placing.
Eagerly walking the plank to start a race
I spoke to the organiser and asked if we could swim clockwise in the 4k, as the long leg out the back would then be downwind. He was amenable to the idea, and we agreed we would make a decision closer to the start time of the 4k.
Now I had a few hours before my next race, so I had some food, drink and sat down. I actually felt tired after the first two races, but a rest and some food certainly helped. I met up with several swimmers from the wild west group who had come down just to do the 4k race.
The briefing took place, and I was asked my opinion on the direction of the race. I looked out over the loch, and while the wind had dropped, I still thought that a clockwise direction would be best. So it was agreed, change direction this time.
So we lined up in the water, and as there was only 20 or so swimmers, everyone was in the front row. Away we went, with the normal flurry of arms and legs, and once again it was not long before I tucked in behind some other swimmers (this is becoming a habit). The course felt so different going the opposite direction, and I felt I had lost my home-ground advantage.
First lap finished, then the second, and I had started to pull away from a group of three swimmers. Halfway round the third lap, I took a glance behind me as I turned a buoy and noticed I was 15m in front of the next swimmer. Third lap finished, and I was still swimming strong, which did actually surprise me. I had swum 6km and feeling fine, so it was time to push harder on the last lap. So I did, and even took the opportunity to observe and correct my stroke and look around me. By this time there was virtually no wind, and it grand to see that the sailing dinghies down the loch a wee way were going slower than me.
I swum up to the finish line to a round of applause. I had done it, and managed sixth place in 75 minutes. I was extremely happy with this as I drunk the hot coffee and waited for the others to finish. I had done 17 min for a km in the first race, 18 min a km in the second race, and just under 19 min a km in the third and longest race.
I stayed for the presentation, and happily put my third place medal around my neck and took the prize. Along with the event t-shirt and three caps, not a bad effort.
So now another summer of racing is over, and I have now completed 84 races. What is more, I had managed to pick up three 3rd places this summer, my best return ever over a season.
I was now very confident that I was up to doing to Big Un next week, even it took me six or seven hours to swim the 16km.
A lonely house on the road to Loch Ken
Waiting for the start of the 10km race at Loch Ard
The next step in my regime of increasing distance for the Big Un was to do a 5km race at Loch Ard. There was some doubt as to whether the event would take place at all, as the water temperature was being very stubborn and not rising above 11c. However, a week of warmer weather (by Scottish standards, which meant there was more sun than rain), had the water temp sky-rocketing to 12c: enough for the swim.
Loch Ard is in the Trossachs just to the east of the town of Aberfoyle in the Scottish Highlands. It is considered to be the source of the River Forth that flows into the North Sea past Edinburgh. The loch is nestled just to the west of Ben Lomond, and as the crow flies is not far from Loch Lomond.
The Loch Ard swim was organised by Vigour Events, and they had a range of swims on offer on the day: there was a 1km race, a 2km, a 3km, a 5km, and the 10km. Like a lot of swims in the UK, the swims are timed so that each race will finish at around the same time, so it is not possible to do a couple of races on the same day.
Once again I had debated with myself on whether to push myself and do the 10km race, or just do the 5km race instead. In the end I decided that I had not done enough base training over the summer to acquit myself well in the longer race, so I entered the 5km.
The peaceful loch early in the morning
I got a lift with Vince, a chap I had met this summer in my open water safety role, and had swum with on the 5 islands swim as well. He was going to Croatia on holiday with Swimtrek, so we had a lot to talk about on the one hour drive from Glasgow. Vince was also the Scottish National Champion in the wetsuit category for the 10km distance.
When we arrived at the village of Kinloch Ard on the shores Loch Ard just after dawn for the registration, the water was like a mirror, with no winds and plenty of blue sky. I had not been here before and I was amazed by the sheer beauty of the spot. Scotland really is spoilt for choice for stunning swimming locations.
Eager swimmers entering the cool water for the start of the 10km race
I was tempted to change my entry to the 10k, but it was only the cold water temp that stopped me (or so I told myself). I happily encouraged the 10 or so swimmers in the race, and was very much in awe of a crazy South African historian who was doing the race without a wetsuit. Off they went to do 5 laps of the 2km course.
I had a few hours to kill before my race started, so I had some more food, chatted to the event staff, and warded off the midges. Now it is good news when the midges show up, as it means the wind is light, meaning great swimming conditions.
After putting on the numbered tattoos on the outside of the wetsuit, and putting it on, I listened to the briefing. I was hoping that our 5km race would be 2 laps of the 2km course, and one lap of the 1km course. However, we were told that we had to do five laps of the one km course, which was set up inside of the 2km course. I was disappointed, as the 2km course went to the other side of the loch, and also would I be able to count my laps.
I chatted to the other swimmers in the race, there was only 14 of us, and some of them looked quite nervous. As the water was so cold, and I was planning to be in for over 90 minutes I donned my boots and neoprene cap. As I entered the water, it was cold, but quite soon the warm sun helped to ward off the chill, as we waited for the start. We even formed a line as we waited at the start line, for one of the 10k swimmers as he finished the second of his five laps .
So our course was in water, start at the buoy just near the finish line, then swim along the shore to the next orange pyramid buoy. Turn hard right to the circular yellow buoy, then veer right to the orange pyramid buoy, then back to the start line. Do this five times and the race would be over: easy.
Ben Lomond overlooking the loch
Off we went, and it did not take too much effort to slow down, as the water was cold. I was near the front of the field, and even managed to get a nice drag behind a fellow competitor for a couple of hundred metres. Around the first orange marker, and I was in 4th or 5th position. I looked up to find the yellow marker, and noted the nice hill (Corbet I assume) behind it to help with navigation. At this time I noticed some of the other swimmers were veering away from the marker, so I made the reluctant decision to get off their feet and swim a straighter and shorter line.
Around the yellow marker, and there was by a now a gentle breeze blowing slightly across us as I used ben Lomond to sight the next marker. Then around that one, and it was easy to see the start/finish line with the archway, and the inflatables in the activity centre.
Second lap, and I had moved up to fourth and was keeping a good 20m behind another swimmer. I was happy with my pace, and then started to think about my times. I knew the 3km was starting 45 minutes after our race started, so I hoped to be well past the start line on my third lap by then. I swam past the start/finish line to see the 3km swimmers waiting for their start signal. Halfway down to the next orange marker, I heard the hooter for their race, and wondered if any of them would catch me.
By now, my mind was starting to play tricks with me, and I had to concentrate to count the distance: two and a half laps gone, halfway. Back onto the 2k loop for the swim to the start/finish line, and I was swimming with and then past some of the 10k swimmers, but I had done only 3kms to their 6-8kms.
The swimmer coming third in my race was getting closer and closer to me, when suddenly he stopped as we rounded a buoy 5m apart. I hoped he was ok. I found out after the race that he had cramp in both legs. He was also going to take part in a team relay swim down Loch Lomond later in the day, then do the Firth of Forth swim the next day. Impressive.
Four laps done, and the last race had started just ahead of me, so I had some slow 1km swimmers to swim past. It was good to see other people I the water, because up until then all I had seen was the cameraman in the rib gliding up close to me to get some action shots.
The attentive water safety crew
Finally I came round the top orange marker for the last time, as the wind slowly increased in speed, creating a small amount of chop. One last look for the arch finish line, and swam towards it. Standing up, over the line finished, and in third place. I was very happy with that, though not with my time. I had hoped to do under 100 minutes, but had only managed 108. Based on the timings of the start of the other races, I suspected that perhaps the 1km loop was longer than 1km. It was either that, or I had swum badly in excellent condition, and it is always easier to blame someone else.
Vince by this time had eaten his lunch, got dressed and enjoying the sun after his 3rd place in the 10k. I hung around the finish line to congratulate other swimmers I knew in their 10k and 3k events.
So I had completed only my second 5km race, and in cold water, in another stunning location. I was also well on track for my plans for the Big Un in two weeks. My only previous 5km race was from Coogee to Bondi in Sydney, a totally different experience.
A huge thank you to the organisers and water-safety as I am only too aware of how much work goes into making these events run as smooth as they do.
Next year, I might have to do the 10k, or even the 12.5k if they run that.
A sunny day with Ben Lomond
The pod of four splashing down Loch Lomond
The day after the great Scottish Swim, a group of four fanatics from Wild West Swimmers, organised a training swim for the Big Un swim. What is the Big un swim? Well that is a 10 mile (16km) swim from one end of Loch Rannoch to the other, to be held in mid-September.
The training swim was to start at Aldochlay and finish at Balloch, down the western shore of Loch Lomond, a distance of around 11km. I was feeling a bit tired after my efforts at the GSS, but showed up at the rendezvous point at 8am to get changed, and leave my clothes in a car, and take George and Col to the start point. I would then leave my car there, along with the kayak car, and after the swim, George would drive us back.
Our intrepid kayaker was feeling a tad dusty after working late attending a rugby international in Edinburgh with clients. Though during the swim he did start to recover, and he mostly drifted along with us.
Ben Lomond disappearing behind a squall
We entered the water at Aldochlay, and I had decided to wear my boots to keep my toes warm. Even though the water was 15c or so, the day was much better than the day before, with much more sun on our faces, and a gentle breeze. We headed around the point at Aldochlay, swam past Wee Peter Statue, down the channel. This was the opposite direction to the one we had taken on our five islands swim.
It was clear that our party of four would split into two groups: George and Col were much faster, so they swam ahead and waited at the agreed meeting point, while Jess and I tried to keep within sighting distance of them. The first mile was tough, as my body adjusted to the requirement to swim again, just under 18 hours after my last race.
It was grand to swim past the bay where I had swum at dawn on the summer solstice, and to see it from a different perspective. Then it was along the shore of a golf course for a while, and I even managed to collect a couple of golf balls that some hackers had hit into the loch (they must play as well as me).
Just another summer’s day in a Scottish Loch. Notice the different techniques.
We stopped for some food and drink and listened to the whack of golf balls at another golf course, so I threw the balls onto the fairway. By this time we had swum through a squall, meaning we lost sight of Ben Lomond for a while. But just as quickly as it appeared, the rain passed, and the sun shone down on us, just to remind us that this was still summer, even if it was Scotland.
We swam around a point and there in front of us in the distance was our destination, with Duck Bay, Maid of the Loch, and Lomond Shores all clearly visible, yet still quite a distance away.
We approached Burnfoot ferry where we started the Pier to Pub Swim, and it did look different from the water. Then it was onto Duck Bay for our last feed stop, and those jelly babies tasted divine washed down with water. This was familiar territory again, as I had swum to Duck Bay from Balloch several times with the WWS; not long now. I was getting tired, but only had around 1.5 km to go, and I knew I would make it.
Past Cameron House we swum, past the leaning marker, waited for some float planes to come and go, and then onto the Marina where we waited at the end of the pier (well everyone waited for me). Now we only had a couple of hundred metres to go, and Jess called for a sprint finish. Now I did not want to be beaten by a pom and a couple of Scotsman, so I did try to sprint, but all I was doing was creating a big splash and scaring the swans and ducks. So I let my imperial masters claim the glory over the mere colonial boy. It was a huge relief to stand up on the sand, and take the wet suit off the shoulders and back and dunk down in the water to cool down. We had done it, 11km in just on 4 hours: the longest swim of my life. I felt quite chuffed.
Now I have had some feedback that my swimming distances to date have not been commensurate with some of my previous swims in Australia (for example a 5km race from Coogee to Bondi in Sydney, or the three times I have swum the 3.8km Cross the Lake Swim at Belmont in Newcastle Australia). I hope those commentators are satisfied with this swim, and I challenge them to report on their recent attainments. The month of August has also resulted in me setting a new high for the monthly distance swum.
This is what open water swimming is all about. A beautiful swim in a stunning location with great company, and a huge sense of achievement. And we could not have done it without our guide in the kayak, who must have been regretting his choice of career that morning.
We made it, and then the sun came out.
Part of the course of the Great Scottish Swim on Loch Lomond
The biggest swimming event in Scotland was held on the last Saturday on August on Loch Lomond. The event known as the Great Scottish Swim is the last swim of the summer in the five race great swim series, with the over four swims held south of the border in England. Usually at this time of year, the loch is at its warmest and can get to 18c. But as this was a very cool and wet summer, the water temperature was only 15c, which may have been a problem for the 2600 swimmers.
The event has a range of distances to choose from, with a half mile, several waves of one mile, two waves of two miles, and a five km race to finish off the day. I had debated doing the 5km, but at the time of entry I had not completed enough training, so I entered the 2 mile race.
More of the course, with the Luss Hills in the background
The event is held at Balloch on the southern shore of Loch Lomond, near the Maid of the Loch, a place I was very familiar with due to the number of times I had swum there with the Wild Westies, and the Lomond Loonies. I had swum near the course on the Wednesday night with a visiting friend who used to swim with me in Sydney. I had also swum again on the Friday evening, taking the opportunity to swim over part of the course.
The finish line overlooked by Ben Lomond
The course was a one mile loop (about 1600m), so my two-mile race meant two laps of the course. Unlike a large number of other swims, this race does not start in the water. Instead, the swimmers get the opportunity to acclimatise to the water at the foot of the slipway that forms the start line, by getting in a line and having a short paddle of 10m or so, before getting out. All the swimmers then stand around behind the start line doing some group warm up exercises, as the wind blows over cold skin. My wave of 250 or so swimmers then waited for the starting siren, and then we edged forward over the timing mats. The slipway was wide enough to only take seven or eight swimmers at a time, meaning it took me at least a minute to actually get in the water after I had crossed the timing mat. But that was my fault, I should have stood closer to the front to get a better position. Maybe the organisers could consider a start in the water to give swimmers a chance to acclimatise to the water temperature, and allow the large numbers in each wave to spread out before the race started.
The crush as the swimmers try to enter the water after the start
On the day of the race, there was a fresh breeze blowing diagonally across the course, which meant the first leg was quite fast, though for this part of the world it was a good day as the sun was shining between the showers. However, on turning at the furthermost part of the course, the small chop became a hindrance to fast swimming. By the day of the race, I had done quite a lot of swimming,so I felt quite strong, despite the conditions. Once I had started and worked my way into a clear patch of water, I quickly swam past a large number of swimmers. Once again, I concentrated on getting into stride, and not swimming too quickly, and I even managed to enjoy some of the scenery of Balloch Castle, a cloud covered Ben Lomond, and the Luss Hills.
The safety crew taking a break between waves
Fairly soon, the first lap was over, and I had not been passed by any other swimmers, and I still felt quite good. As we headed up the downwind leg, I noticed a squall wash over us, increasing the chop still further. It was good to swim in these conditions, as it forced you to make sure every stroke was strong. I even tried to catch up with some of those swimmers ahead of me, which managed to do. I was even surprised to pass swimmers from a one mile wave which had started thirty minutes earlier. I had to admire their determination to finish the event.
Before long I got to the finish line, and heard my name read out by the announcer. My time was a lot slower than the time I had done at Coniston, but I put that down to the tougher conditions, and the delay getting into the water at the start. At least my plan for the summer swimming was on track. After crossing the finish line, it was time to hand in the timing chip, collect the t-shirt and medal, and go back to the over heated changing tent to get dressed. I kept running into people I knew, who had completed waves earlier in the day, or were getting ready for the 5km race. It was great to see so many happy smiling faces. Overall the event was extremely well organised and I enjoyed the day. I will try to do it again next summer.
Swimmers leaving the slipway at the beginning of their race
The welcome to the island of Inchmurrin
This swim is not the famous Pier to Pub swim in Lorne in Victoria Australia where they have 4000 swimmers with places allocated by a ballot. No this is the bespoke Pier to Pub swim in Loch Lomond in Scotland. The start line is the Burnfoot ferry wharf on the mainland, and the finishing point is the pub on Inchmurrin the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles. The total distance to be swum is around 2.3 km.
The swim was originally scheduled for the Sunday morning, but a strong easterly wind of around 30 mph created a 2 to 3 foot chop on the loch, making conditions unsafe for the swimmers. The swim was then switched to the reserve date of the last Tuesday in August.
Swimming in Loch Lomond on a sunny windy morning
It was fortuitous that the swim was postponed on the Sunday morning, as my social swimming group had organised a swim from one side of Loch Lomond to the other and return, a distance of at least 10 km. We did go ahead with this swim, but once we got out from behind Inchtavannach and swam towards Inchconnachan we started to notice the wind and chop. We headed towards Inchlonaig and the side chop was quite heavy, and really tested the navigation skills. When everyone arrived at the island we then swam for 200 metres straight into the chop to test whether we were going to try to get to the eastern shore of the loch. However, in the interests of safety we decided to not attempt the long 2km push into the wind, and turned around. After a stop for food and drink on a secluded protected beach on Inchlonaig, we changed our plans. We headed to Luss, and then swim back to our starting point at Aldochlay. So instead of swimming 10km, we only swam 7.5km, but the conditions were not suitable, and it as sensible to be flexible.
The swimmers at the start line
Tuesday evening arrived and the conditions could not have been more different to Sunday. There was no wind, and the only waves on the loch were caused by the pleasure boats. We arrived at the ferry wharf, not really knowing what to expect as we had been told to arrive in time to be ready to swim at 7pm. We lined up and were given our race numbers written on the back of our hands, and put our bags on the ferry. We were then given our race briefing, which was quite simple. Swim out past the moored yachts, and then to the point on the edge of the island, go around that, swim another 400m, and finish at the beach in-between the two wharves. There is a moored boat about half way, and there would be kayakers to guide us.
Just after the start of the race
That sounded easy, and the 40 or so swimmers entered the water, with one brave soul doing it without a wetsuit. The water felt a bit warmer than it had been a few weeks, as we prepared for the start signal. We started, and I soon got into my stride, thanks to all the swimming I had been doing in Loch Lomond and my favourite new training area at a quarry on the southern outskirts of Glasgow. It was a delight to be swimming on such a beautiful evening, with ben Lomond clearly visible as I breathed to the left, and Balloch to the right, with the island straight ahead. The water was very calm, and there was no problem in navigating, as the island was clearly visible and there were also a few swimmers ahead of me.
I soon started to catch a swimmer, and for a while I sat on his feet, enjoying the drag and the fast pace. Suddenly he stopped, and I had to veer around him to avoid a collision. I then thought, good, I have left him behind, when he noticed me, and then started swimming again, soon going past me. I tried valiantly to catch him, but despite my best efforts, he stayed 5m or so ahead of me all the way to the beach.
Swimmers lined out on their way to the island
Before I knew it I had arrived at the finish line on the island. I had swum quite well, and was very surprised to find out I had finished in sixth or seventh, with a quick time of just over 37 minutes. My friend Gary had come second for the third year running, and Jess was the first woman home and fourth overall. It was great to talk to all the other swimmers when they arrived, with an excellent atmosphere of enjoying the occasion on such a stunning evening. The hotel then turned on a nice supper for us all, and I even ran into a fellow Aussie serving at the bar. As night fell we were then ferried back to the mainland, with a truly magical event coming to a close. This was one of my top 5 swims of all time, and I look forward to the chance of returning next year to do it again, and I will wear the cap with pride. A huge thankyou to the organisers of this wonderful swim.
The finishing point on Inchmurrin
Finish Arch at the Epic Coniston Event
I had been looking for some events to undertake as part of my preparation for the 10 mile swim at the end of September. I found an event at Coniston on the wonderful openwaterswimevents website (www.openwaterswimevents.com) to be held on 16 August. This was the third swim of the season hosted by Epic Events at various lakes in the Lakes District in North West England. They also do events earlier in the summer at Ullswater and Derwent Water. On offer at Coniston were a 3.8km swim, a half-mile swim, and a one mile swim. I thought about doing the 3.8km race, but was concerned my training level had not been of a high enough standard to do that distance, so I entered the one mile race.
As this was the Lakes District the next challenge was finding accommodation, and we found a bed and breakfast within walking distance of the race in Coniston. We drove down from Glasgow on the Saturday and soon hit the infamous narrow roads of the Lakes District area. I found them fun to drive on after a few hours on a motorway, and they add to the charm.
The Lakes District is famous for its scenery like this
On the morning of the swim I had a leisurely full english breakfast, and then walked over to the registration tent to get my timing band, cap and t-shirt. The morning was quite cloudy so I dressed like I would in Scotland on a similar morning, and I was soon sweating with too many layers on. It really was warmer here, and I guess I had adapted to the joys of the wettest coolest summer in 40 years in Scotland.
There was no wind, and I wished that I had entered the 3.8km race instead which started at 9am, especially as I noticed some of the swimmers in that race walking back afterwards with big smiles on their faces. Oh well, maybe next year I could do the longer race.
Swimmers near the end of the half-mile race
I met up with a friend from the Wild West Swimmers from Glasgow as she was also doing the one mile race. Like her I had been placed in the fastest wave of the three waves of the race, so we were the first to enter the water for the deep water start. The orange wave lined up near the start line, with the green and pink waves lined up behind us. I did notice that the water seemed a bit warmer than the water in Loch Lomond, and also that a slight breeze was picking up, bringing with it a small chop. The course was a rectangular one where we would swim downwind for about half a mile, then turn right for 100m or so, and then return to the start line and onto the arch on the shoreline.
The waves lined up for the deep water start
I am still trying to get used to these deep water starts, as it is something I have not done much before. I decided to wait near the back of my wave to reduce the chance of being swum over, as I was a bit doubtful that I had been placed in the correct wave. After floating in the water for about 10 minutes, we finally started with the normal chaos of arms legs and splashing. I had made the correct decision, as I soon was able to get behind a group of swimmers doing a comfortable pace and I settled into my rhythm. A few of the swimmers were having problems with navigation, so I steered clear of them and concentrated on my sighting.
Before long we had made it to the half way point and I was feeling strong, even though the pace was quicker than I would normally swim. Perhaps those long 4km swims at the quarry were paying off. As we turned to head back I noticed a small chop which brought a smile to my face, as I have noticed that a lot of lake swimmers do not handle it very well. Sure enough I was soon catching other swimmers and passing them, even as some of the fastest swimmers in the green wave passed me.
We were warned that we would notice plant life on part of the course, and sure enough I noticed quite a lot of reeds growing to within a metre or so of the surface. I love swimming over these and to be seeing the Old Man of Coniston as I breathed to the right was just magical.
Getting close to the finish line I tried to sprint, but the pace had been too much for me, so I just maintained my stroke all the way to the arch way. I ran over the finish line feeling quite jubilant about my English debut. it as great to swap stories of the race with the other swimmers afterwards in that way that swimmers do.
When the results were published, I found out I had finished the mile in just under 29 minutes, finished in the top 20% of the field and 15 seconds off a place in my age group. I was very happy with these times and results. I would definitely do one of these events next summer, they are well organised, the water is warmer than I am used to, and the lakes are fun to swim in.
As mentioned in previous posts, I have joined a social group of swimmers called the Wild West Swimmers. This group is fortunate to have numerous lochs and waterways to swim in near Glasgow in Scotland. The biggest waterway is Loch Lomond which is the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the UK.
A call went up from some intrepid swimmers in the group to do a five island swim in Loch Lomond, a distance of about 8km. For some of us this was the next step in our preparation for a 10 mile swim in late September.
Aerial photo of our swim
I decided to join the ten other swimmers, but was worried about my level of preparation, having done one 3.5 km swim, and another 4 km swim. I thought if I was struggling to make the distance I could reduce the distance by missing an island or two.
The plan was to leave from Aldochlay at noon on a Sunday afternoon in early August, and swim in a clockwise direction around Inchtavannach, Inchconnachan, Baccinch, Inchcruin and Inchmoan and returning to our starting point.
Inchtavannach is also known as Monk’s Island and was used as a mission by St Kessog to bring christianity to Scotland in the sixth century.
Inchconnachan is also known as Colquohoun’s Island and is owned by the family who own the nearby Luss estate. There is allegedly wallabies on the island having been introduced in the 1940s, but I did not see them.
Baccinch is also known as the Island of He-Goats and was gifted to the National Trust in the 1940s.
Inchcruin is also known as Round Island, but as you can see it is far from round.
Inchmoan is also called the Island of Peat as it used to be used as a source of peat for fuel. It also has some nice sandy beaches.
So we all met up on a rainy cool day with a breeze blowing in from the south. Now this required us to have on our normal summer clothing for Scotland:
Five robes for five islands
I have noticed that to go swimming in summer in Scotland requires more gear than I was used to in Australia: wetsuit, optional gloves and boots, robes, beanies, jumpers, warming liquids, a swim cap or two, a swim float and goggles; plus all the gear to get warm afterwards.
So we all got prepared, and off we went on our adventure. We quickly crossed over to Inchtavannach and then swam around to the northern sie of the island. Luckily the island was sheltering us from the breeze so it was excellent swimming conditions, though somewhat on the cool side of comfortable.
We stopped as a group on a regular basis and those with sat navs on their wrist would read out the distance covered. All I could think of was that is 2km gone, only six to go.
We skirted around the northern edge of Inchconnachan and took a break before the long leg to Buccinch. I noticed that there was a slight breeze blowing from right to left, so I tried to take this into account to navigate across. We were all spread out and only had to stop once for boat traffic. Luckily we were all wearing our floats that helped other loch users to see us, as the last thing they would expect to see in a cold loch is a bunch of idiots swimming in the middle of nowhere.
The other good thing about the floats is that they can be used to carry food and drink and at Bucinch we had some sugar sweets and drinks of water.
Then it was down to Inchcruin and when we arrived there we were halfway. It was here that we found another island to go around, so we did. This island was Ceardac which is also known as Tinker’s Island. Back then to Inchcruin as the sailing boats scooted past us in the freshening breeze. At the bottom of the island we realised that we were about to swim into the chop and wind.
Up until now I was either the slowest of the fast swimmers, or the fastest of the slowest swimmers; though at no time was I more than 100m from most of the rest of the group. However, as we swam into the chop I realised that I could suddenly keep up with the fastest swimmers.
We stuck close to shore where we could see the bottom to get the sensation of moving forward, and also to use the island to protect us somewhat.
The push from Inchcruin to Inchmoan was straight into the wind and it required some effort to get around the point. I was starting to get worried about the risk of getting cold as there was no sun to warm us up. We did have a kayaker with us just in case.
At the bottom of Inchmoan we could finally see Inchtavannach again, and we all knew we were almost there. Across to Inchtavannach and then home. By this time I was starting to get cold, but my fingers were ok, and I as glad I had decided to wear some boots on the swim.
Setting of
It did not take very long to swim the last couple of hundred metres, and there was huge sense of achievement in getting out. The various devices had measured distances ranging from 9 km to 9.3 km, which just goes to show how much further you can swim if your navigation is slightly off. That was the longest swim I had ever done to date. There were lots of smiles all around.
A big thankyou for everyone in doing the swim, I did enjoy the challenge. Now what is next?
Loch Lomond with the green hills
I entered a swim at Balloch on Loch Lomond called the Wee Beastie swim to be held in late July. This event comprised three distances of 400m, a half-mile, or the full mile. The swim was to be held on a Saturday afternoon, with the Scottish Aquathlon in the morning, and a full day of triathlon on the Sunday. After my last swim event I decided to enter the half-mile, and was surprised to be placed in the super veteran class.
The Beastie Course
In order to get more swims in I swam a few times at Balloch with my social swimming group the Wild West Swimmers. On one of these swims, we were greeted by eight ducklings as we entered the water. They were fascinated by our feet, and they enjoyed showing us how they surfed the four-inch shore break. On that day a group of us swam around 2.5km swimming into a decent chop for the first half, before turning for home to receive the push. A few days later we swam a bit further from the slipway at Balloch up to Duck Bay and back, a distance of just under 4km, where we had to wait for ferries, jetskis and float planes. Good to see so many people enjoying the water.
This gave me some more confidence for the Beastie swim, especially as I swam in a swim wet suit instead of the surf wet suit I used at Milarrochy. It sure makes a distance.
I also did a few swims in Glasgow at a quarry which was the clearest water I have swum in since Croatia and Vanuatu. Like the blue hole in Vanuatu, this quarry had limestone rock which helps to purify the water, meaning visibility was at least 8m. I also did a few swims at a secret lagoon with some friends on the southern outskirts of Glasgow. One of the great things about this city is its proximity to a range of wild swimming places.
Swimmers coping with the chop
Now one of the lovely things about living in Scotland is that you never take a sunny day for granted. The day before the swim was to take place there were gale warnings and heavy rain. For those of you who are golf fans you may have seen the British Open at St Andrews dealing with adverse weather on the Friday. I was working outside on the morning of the swim and the wind was blowing a dog off the chain, and the rain was showing why umbrellas do not work here. Would the swim be on?
I drove up the A82 to Balloch as the sun started to reassert its presence. I parked the car and walked past the grounds holding the Highland Games as pipers played their bagpipes. I must be in Scotland. I arrived at the registration area for the swim as the presentation was being made for the aquathlon. So while that went on I wandered down to the shores of the loch and looked at the course.
Maid of the Loch
The wind was still quite fresh, and it was coming across the course. So there would be a bit of chop to deal with, which would create some issues for some of the local swimmers. They do not have the sort of experience I have in adjusting your stroke in these types of conditions. I went back up and registered, and noticed they insisted on writing your swim number with permanent marker on your left arm and right leg, even though every competitor was wearing a wetsuit. This was in case of emergency for identification purposes.
The course was straight forward for my half-mile event: start in the water, out to the first circular buoy, then to the pyramid buoy, back to the other circular buoy and back to the starting line to finish. I entered the water for an acclimatization in the cool 13c water, and it was cool, even though I was not wearing boots, gloves or neoprene hat. The other swimmers looked concerned by the chop, but I thought that would even out my potential lack of pool time.
The start and finish line
I like they way the swim organisers in Scotland conduct a count down at 2 minutes, one minute, 30 sec, 10s, and then go. This helps swimmers get used to the cold water, and reduces the potential for cold water shock. When the siren went I pushed off and headed for the first buoy. Now my race was combined with the 400m race, and we all had the same coloured caps, so it was not possible at the start to determine who was in your race. There were around five swimmers ahead of me after 50m, and I noticed that some of them were not swimming a straight line to the marker. My regular sighting confirmed that I was swimming a good line, despite the push from left to right by the chop and the wind. By the time I was near the top of the course I noticed that some of those who had been 30m or so in front of me were now doing breaststroke. This told me they had gone too fast. I tried to keep a constant pace up and swim my own way.
Close finish in the one mile race
The chop did make it interesting, and I was glad that I could breath on both sides. At times the chop did interrupt the stroke, but I recalled all those times I had swum in the ocean in Australia in similar conditions. I reached the half way point of the course and headed for home, dodging some swimmers swimming the other way. I noticed the leader was off to the left having been pushed there by the chop and the wind. I caught the person in front of me who was alternating between breaststroke and freestyle. We matched strokes for a while before he too fell behind.
At this time my thoughts turned to advice my coach in Australia had given for situations like these. I had not listened too closely as there I was never in a situation where I challenged for the lead. But what I did remember was to increase the pace, keep a good line, and save some energy for the sprint at the finish.
We passed the last buoy and the three of us were within 15m of each other, and I seemed to have the better line. I tried to slowly increase my pace, but the combination of the side chop and my lack of tough training made that difficult to hold for very long. As the finish line draw nearer, thought hey I have a chance of at least a top three finish here, and with any luck I may just win. Two of us were swimming stroke for stroke, but I just could not keep up, and about 10m from the finish I dropped back.
As I climbed up onto the slipway I had my time recorded and congratulated the first two place getters. I did notice they were quite a bit younger than me as well. I went up and got changed and then came back down to watch the one mile race, and cheered on the swimmers.
So in the end I was the third finisher, which is my best effort ever. I was also first in may age group.
Now that I have been involved in swims as an organiser, water safety and competitor I wanted to thank the efforts of the organisers and water safety for this swim. They did a good job in less than favourable conditions.
With the confidence I have gained from this swim, I will enter the two-mile race for the Great Scottish Swim to be held in late August. I will just have to get some more swim time under my belt.
Loch Lomond Dawn Summer Solstice
After my last swim event at Milarrochy Bay, I realised that I just had to get in and swim some more to adapt to the Scottish conditions. As part of that plan I went for a sunrise swim on the summer solstice in Loch Lomond. The above picture was taken just after 4am on that day, as at that time of year the sun rises at around 4.30am, after setting around 10.30pm. It should also be noted that between these times there is not any true darkness as Glasgow is that far north. Leaving home just after 3.30am I noticed a number of people walking the streets of Glasgow coming home from a night out.
The arrival point for this swim was on the western shores of Loch Lomond at a wee beach, a short five-minute walk from where we parked our cars. When I arrived there was already a dozen cars in the lay-by and we all chatted as swimmers do in the pre-dawn twilight. We all picked up our bags to carry our swim gear, wet weather gear and breakfast food, and walked down the wet track. We picked our way to the beach and I was met with the scene above of a calm Loch Lomond with low clouds hugging the surrounding hills. It really was magical to be in this place at such an early hour.
The sun is there somewhere
As the party of 15 or so prepared to enter the water, the local midges celebrated by swarming around us all. This was my first experience of these wee flying creatures that are in plague proportions, and I was not very impressed. We all dashed into the water to escape them. As you can see from the photo, it was windless morning, just perfect for dip, though the water was quite refreshing. We all floated around and had some fun, but before long we headed back to shore for a quick breakfast.
Nothing like a dip at sunrise in mid summer to make you smile
I thoroughly enjoyed the swim, one of the top five swims of my life, swimming so early in the morning in a beautiful location. It was a shame to leave the group as they huddled around the fire and ate their breakfast, but I had to work later in the morning and I wanted to get some sleep before then. It was nice to walk through the misty rain back to the car and drive back home on deserted roads. A big thankyou to the wild west swimmers for giving me an opportunity to have this experience.
Swimmers in the 3km event entering the water
It is mid June in Scotland and I had entered my very first race in the UK. The race was to be held at Milarrochy Bay on the eastern shores of Loch Lomond, a place I had swam at in the winter. There were three races on the day with a choice of a 1km, a 2km, or a 3km over a 1 km loop. Unlike most of the Australian swims I had done it was not possible to enter more than one race due to the starting times for each race. The 3km was scheduled for 9am, the 2km to start at 9.15am, and the 1km was to start at 9.30 am.
Milarrochy Bay is situated along the West Highland Way Trail which snakes its way from the outskirts of Glasgow up through the highlands to finish at Fort William in the shadows of Ben Nevis. Today there were numerous walkers looking on incredulously at the crazy people having a swim in Loch Lomond. The reason? The water was still a chilling 11.5c despite three days of lovely sun. Summer takes a while to arrive in Scotland, and it does not hang around long when it does.
A map of the West Highland Trail
I had been for a few swims in Loch Lomond with the Wild West Swimmers a social group of people who enjoy the delights of swimming outdoors in Scotland year round, though sometimes I think it is an excuse just to having something to do before having a coffee and cake afterwards to warm up. One of the swims I had done recently was around 2km from Luss on the western shores, out and around Freoch Island and return, a distance of 2km. So I thought I could handle the distance of the 2km, and the cool water.
I had arrived early in the morning to assist with the event preparation to find the clouds had returned, and it was a pleasant 10c air temperature. The midges were out as well, which meant that the wind was light (if the midges go the wind has got up, making the water choppy). Sure enough as we placed the buoys around the course the wind was light and offshore, and the forecast was for it to stay that way most of the morning. It looked like a lovely day for a swim.
A view of the course
The course was a 1km rectangle swimming downwind on the way out, and back into the wind on the return leg. Though by the time the races started, the wind had dropped making the conditions even better for swimming. The entry into the water was via a beach of pebbles and rocks with an in-water start, with the finish line at the same place. So different from all those swims in Australia where we would run down the sand, go through the waves, out the back for a loop, and then finish through the waves zone for a sprint up the beach. Some other differences of this event included no risk of sunburn, no wee beasties in the water, no tides, and cold water. Sounds easy.
swimmers in the 3km event wait for the start
Before long it was time for the swimmers in the 2km event to enter the water. I entered gingerly in my wetsuit, gloves, boots and skullcap to ward off the effects of the 11.5c water. There was that no familiar trickle of cold water in the small of the back, and the shock of the face hitting the water. I had become familiar with this over the last six months, though I was still not used to it. I had learnt about the effect of this cold water shock on the body doing various courses recently to obtain qualifications to coach open water swimming, and manage water based activities.
The siren sounded, and I settled into my stroke and even managed to get some drag from some of the others around me. Before long though my body was yelling abuse at me for subjecting it to all this activity and asking why we were in the middle of a cold Scottish loch on a cool Saturday summer morning. In response my mind reacted by telling the body to shut up and focus on getting the rest of us out of there as soon as possible. Good idea, but the lack of training over the last 12 months soon became evident, as I could not keep up with the pack, so I concentrated on trying to improve my form, and watch the countryside drift by. I was very tempted to only do one of the two laps, but I did not want to have a did not finish next to my name and ruin a 100% record.
I did manage to finish, and even enjoyed looking at the fish on the bottom, and even caught several swimmers doing the 1km event. My lack of pool training was evident, so I will have to get back into doing the laps and getting that fitness back.
Hopefully this link works, as it is a YouTube of the event, with an aussie accent finding its way onto the video amongst all those Scottish ones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0D9hypoSAk
It was great to see so many smiling faces of the swimmers as they finished, and I shared their views. It was a lovely swim, my first in the UK, my first in water so cold, and my first event for 15 months or so. It was good to be back doing what I enjoy so much, and it was good to be the first Australian finisher for a change.
Next challenge….what about the 12.5km event in September….mmm
GregInTheWater 