Eastenders

With just 46 days to go until my swim, I was just watching Eastenders & wondering where I will be swimming:

My 1 mile open water swim is being help at the Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre, it was moved to this location last year after the usual location was deemed to have unsafe water for swimming! Which reminds me, I must ring my doctors & make sure my tetanus vaccination is up to date!!

The Watersports Centre is the backwards L shaped body of water on the Isle of Dogs (the U shaped dip in the Thames):

‹Overlooked by the impressive Canary Wharf, the Great London Swim is your opportunity to join thousands of likeminded adventurous swimmers and take a dip in the heart of the capital's docklands.

The new venue allows family and friends to follow swimmers around the full course, cheering them on from the dockside. I'm quite looking forward to having my family there to cheer me on, after all, family is the reason I am swimming! I'm using the swim as a catalyst to raise money for St. Mark's Hospital Foundation, the charity arm of the hospital who continue to care for my sister as she battles IBD.

If you think swimming a challenge like this is worthy of your sponsorship or you would like more information about St. Mark's please visit my Just Giving page:

http://justgiving.com/swimkellyswim 

I'll Take You To The Candy Shop

As promised, tonight I swam! I did my full mile again, 50 minutes seems to be my standard pace. All helped along tonight as I had my waterproof MP3 player to listen to... I won't be able to listen to it for my actual swim (dems da rules) but it really does help to pass the time when I swim.

A lot of people have asked about my MP3 player, it's a Sony one that I spotted on Amazon & my sister in law bought me for my birthday:

I have quite a broad appreciation for music and so the music on there ranges from classical to hip hop and rap to 90's boy bands & even my friend's band My Psycho Analyst (they're pretty good you should check them out!).

Tonight I discovered the most PERFECT song to swim to, the beat it right in sync with my stroke... Candy Shop by 50 Cent! Just need to remind myself not to sing out loud to that one in the public baths, as if my singing isn't bad enough, it is rather explicit! Another  favourites to swim to is Goo Goo Dolls - Iris, this is just a favourite song in general but does have a good beat as does my all time favourite song RUBY by the Kaiser Chiefs... Just wish I knew someone called Ruby so that I could sing it to her!

Oh yes, nearly forgot, I got complimented on my legs today... all that swimming (and horse riding) must be paying off 😉

Progress Update

Training for the swim is going OK, I'm finding it difficult to fit time in to swim around work (or even just wanting to relax on the sofa after a day in the office!) but still aiming for at least twice a week. Definitely training tomorrow as my swimming buddy's car has died on him & so I am driving him to/from the pool so no making excuses to get out of it! I really enjoy swimming when I'm there, it's just difficult to motivate myself sometimes!

I'm excited and nervous about the swim, I don't think that the distance will be a problem as a mile is pretty standard for me now but there are a few things that I am concerned about; I've never swum in open water before so it will be a first, I won't be used to the choppiness of the water or the current, the crowds of people, the temperature or even the added buoyancy of my wet suit. I'm also nervous after hearing that a gentleman sadly died taking part in the Great North Swim last weekend!

So far we have raised £260 but there are plans for more of a push for sponsorship closer to the time and my friend & I have been talking about a cake sale (our last one raised over £100 for her charity) which should all boost our contribution towards St. Mark's fantastic work.

My post on my sister's blog

My sister asked me if I would like to write a guest blog post for her More Than Just a Bag Lady blog. Of course I said I would. It was quite difficult to write the post as it is quite personal and talks about things that I have only ever spoken to my Hubby about and definitely not my family, like how I feel guilty for being healthy! The response to the blog post has been overwhelming; I think it's very important to help raise awareness of IBD and the impact it can have not only on the person who suffers but also their family.

Well, if you fancy a read please follow the link:

http://morethanjustabaglady.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/guest-blog-from-kelly-my-sister.html?m=1

Wetsuit

So tonight I decided it was finally time to try on my wetsuit:

It's times like this that I'm actually pleased my Hubby works away in the week because me pulling and squeezing my way in to that thing was not a pretty sight - as my Dad says, a video could be worth a few quid from Harry Hill in You've Been Framed!  I did get worried at one point that I might get stuck... Pretty sure I looked a bit (a lot) like this poor girl:

And oh my goodness it was so hot inside that thing! Let's hope 30th August is not as hot and muggy as today or that will be unbearable, though something tells me the water isn't going to be that warm so I might be thankful for the insulation!

New Shoes

I had a pair of flip flops that I used to slip on for driving to and from the pool as it made it so much easier than having to fully dry my feet and worry about putting socks on after so that I could wear trainers/shoes/boots. The flip flops broke a good while ago and I don't have any others that have a strap that goes around your heel so didn't have any suitable to drive in. After a few soggy sock episodes, I decided to buy myself some new shoes for the sole purpose of driving to and from the pool, shoes that won't need socks, shoes that won't matter if my feet are still a bit wet, shoes that my Hubby thinks makes me look 'special'...

What do you think??

It's Been a While

Tonight I got back in the pool after nearly 4 weeks away... No I've not been lazy, granted work has been hectic but that's still not the main reason, I've actually been injured!

As some of you may know my other passion in life is horse riding. I ride once a week at a local stables, riding the school horses as I'm not lucky enough to have my own horse (yet!). It was the Thursday before Easter and when I got to the stables I was told I'd be riding Paddy, a new horse at the stables I'd never riden before. 

He's such a handsome boy and a real sweetheart to ride. That night we were playing games, on the way back from one of my runs Paddy's saddle slipped to the right, I remember my teacher telling me to get off so I pulled the reins to bring him to a hault and took my feet out of the stirrups... Next thing I remember is being sat in the stables office very confused, being asked if my Husband was at home.

Apparently, as I tried to stop Paddy he'd brushed his leg against a post which had spooked him and caused him to run... With a sideways saddle and my feet out of the stirrups I had no chance and had fallen off. I must have banged my head pretty hard as I was knocked unconscious even though I was wearing my riding hat. I'm told I wasn't out for too long and slowly got up and with a bit of help walked to the office. That explained the confusion! However, I had not taken my phone with me, couldn't remember if Hubby was at home or not and couldn't remember his mobile number! 

As I had been knocked out my teacher rang the non emergency version of 999 (is it 111 or 101? Something like that!) and because I didn't know whether Hubby was at home they didn't want to risk me being home alone with concusion so I agreed to a little trip in an ambulance to A&E. 

After racking my brains and so far only remembering the home phone number for our old house (which is no longer in service) I managed to remember my Mum & Dad's phone number. I also vaguly remembered that Hubby was home as I'd eaten some of his pasta tortellini. So before being taken away in the ambulance, I rang Mum & asked her to contact Hubby and for him to meet me at A&E.

I don't remember a lot of the ambulance journey, but remember being very uncomfortable as my lower back was very sore. When I arrived at A&E Hubby was there and he stayed with me as I was examined. The doctor explained to him that I had concusion but that they were not too worried and quite happy from the obs that I hadn't sustained a more serious head injury. What they were worried about was my back. The doctor felt down my spine and I had to tell him when it hurt and boy did it hurt when he prodded me! "I just need to lay you down flat" I was told and the bed was lowered flat. I thought he wanted to know whether it was still as sore when I was flat but no... I wasn't to move, I was being sent for spinal X-Rays as I may have damaged my vertebrae! GREAT!

Anyway, the X-Rays came back all clear and I was allowed home. The pain in my lower back and right in the centre of my right buttock hung around for a good couple of week, slowly easing last week from the constant pain to a dull ache every now and then, just in time for my bestie's hen weekend in Barcelona 😊

Despite the pain in my right buttock making a reappearance last night, I was determined to get back in the pool today... It's amazing how much you miss something like swimming when you are unable to go! I started off with a few lengths in my usual medium lane but was concerned I may push myself too much if I swam at my usual pace so decided to swim with my friend in the slow lane and take it a bit easier. I did 40 lengths (1km) at a nice steady pace and feel ok... Think I will feel it in the morning as my back is starting to make itself known but I'm glad I managed to get back in the pool. 

Next swim will be Wednesday, probably another gentle one before easing myself back in to the medium lane once I'm happy my back will be OK... Just need to make sure I stay on my horse between now and end August so that there is no more distribution to my training!