Bet you never saw that headline coming?!? I never….. let me reiterate, I swam 750m before 7am this morning and it was amazing!!! For some perspective that is 30 lengths of a 25m swimming pool. I have NEVER swam 30 lengths in one go before. Ever!

Until this morning that is, so now I have. 🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️

Always love a new emoji!

So one of the swimming ladies I met through my swim buddies Ellison and Eileen, Chantal, swims at a pond close to Tartan HQ. It’s the same pond I have had paddle board lessons in.

This is it a 6am. A group of ice-men in dipping.

I messaged Chantal last night and asked if she was planning a swim either today or Thursday and she said could meet me this morning.

Big grins excited to get in the water.

Bookers pond, as it’s located known due to its location next to Bookers Cash and Carry in Irvine, is actually Shewalton Water. It’s been set out with 4 buoys in a rectangle to distance triathlon swimmers.

We got changed here!

We set off for the first buoy and I get a wave of concern wash over me. What if I couldn’t swim that far, what if I held her up, what if I was knackered half way round and couldn’t get back….. I voiced my concerns…. As I do!

Chantal said that we could cut across the pond half way instead if I was tired, or we could turn round and swim back obviously… as soon as she said that I knew I’d be disappointed if we didn’t swim the whole way. With that in mind… off we went.

In true Julie fashion, I felt the fear, did the full lap anyway and loved every single minute of it.

I cannot tell you how beautiful it was. The sun a huge low ball in the sky, in between two windmills. The sunshine made everything seem that bit more magical.

I have no photos of the swim as I couldn’t get the phone to work and it did end up with water in the wee “waterproof” bag. 🥴 the few photos I did manage to take were awful 😆

I felt very comfortable as we swam. No fear, no panic, only a deeply relaxing exercise. I say this a lot these days but it really was out of this world. I never used to say that in my old life unless we were in the Maldives or Cuba, somewhere exotic. I love that I can find the beauty in the everyday things.

When we finished our 750m we got out and stripped wetsuits to the waist (swimsuits underneath, don’t panic!) and got back in for a cool down. The pond is a lovely 18/19°C which is much warmer than the sea. We were fully wetsuited up as we knew the swim would take over half an hour and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

I’m reliving the moment looking through all of the photos I managed to get at the end.

What a wonderful way to start the day.

I got ready for work at the side of the pond. (Should say I’d had my shower the night before and hoped that would do me!) and was at work for 7.40am. Can’t wait until I can do that again soon.

It was really hot again today. The office up at 27°C but I’d left the pop top up in Abbie the Campervan so she was much cooler when I left work tonight. Only 33° versus last nights’ 48°!! Will do that again tomorrow.

So in other very exciting news…. The hookers are on the move tonight and we are going down to Portencross for our crochet session!!! I am so excited that I get to back to the beach, and get a lift as Evelyn has kindly offered to drive. Sharing my happy place with the hookers!

Hookers on tour, here we come!! Pics tmro!

Stay safe everyone 🏊🏼‍♀️☀️🏊🏼‍♀️