Jess achieves her first 3km Open water Swim

Swimming Lake Llangorse.  In her words – Jess’s story.

As for the swim, well it was really weedy and I just wasn’t used to that and at the beginScreen Shot 2015-09-29 at 09.26.28ning I was really frightened.

This was one historic lake, not only is there a Crannog there, but the lake was famed in Welsh folk lore and has an Afanc (lake monster) as well as being a site of special scientific interest and there are many giant pike living in that lake (a cheerful thought when swimming)
There were four marker buoys and the course was rectangular so you went up the long side of the rectangle first sScreen Shot 2015-09-29 at 09.25.50wam along the short side and then another long side
The first side of the rectangle was hell.  But then by the time I got to the second long side I was getting used to the conditions and was calming down.  Visibility was tough so both my buddy and I lost a bit of time with that.
Thanks to all my work with you my head had now got into the right place, I knew it would be a challenge but I knew I could do it and by that time I just thought forget time, forget everyone else I am just going to enjoy being in this special lake in this special place – the weather was spectacularly gorgeous by the way.  So I pushed on round, I got cramp loads and Screen Shot 2015-09-29 at 09.26.51pushed on through that and slogged my way though the full 3km and when I got my time it was just under 2 hours like 1 hour 57 and a half which is not bad because I did 3k in the pool in 1 hour 49 and it was much harder and much further in the lake.   I am pleased with it overall and all the work I’ve done with you I think made a big difference to me both in getting head together but also not going bonkers the day before and coping with the cramp by not panicking and pushing through.
Jess xx