You know my feelings on open water swimming but…

So, I trained for my London Triathlon and I forced myself to get on with open water swimming. I finally discovered somewhere, Loch Ard, that wasn’t too scary and I almost found myself enjoying one swim. I haven’t felt too inclined to go open water swimming since completing the triathlon but you never know. There is a part of me that doesn’t want to waste all that training.

Are you up for an open water swim?

So I might, just might, think about entering the Great Scottish Swim. It’s Scotland’s biggest open water swim in Scotland and is expected to attract some 3,000 swimmers.

The event takes place on Saturday September 24 in Strathclyde Country Park, which is also the venue for the 2014 Commonwealth Games Triathlon (a sneak preview?!).

The big swim is open to swimmers of all abilities and comprises two distances:  a 2km swim of the length of the loch or a slightly shorter half-mile swim.

There will be soe big names taking part, including  Scotland’s top swimmer Keri-Anne Payne, who became Great Britain’s first qualifier for the 2012 London Olympics. Running legend Liz McColgan is also swapping her running shoes for a wetsuit as she takes part in the big event.

I’d advise some swimming pool training, as well as a few outings in open water. Swimming in a wetsuit and in outdoor surroundings is a very different challenge. But, as I now know, completing an open-water swimming event (mine was in the Thames as part of the London Triathlon) is quite rewarding. I still can’t quite believe I survived!

Are you up for the Great Scottish Swim challenge?

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