Racing is back! After most events were cancelled this year we can finally take part in a non-virtual race. I was fortunate enough to get to race the week before we were put into lockdown but many people will only race once this year.
My first and only race since lockdown was the exmoor 2k open water swim which I also did last year. The event is for over 18s unless a coach has said you are capable of doing the distance. This year however things were a little different. It was done as a time trial and the race briefing was on zoom the weekend before. There was also a socially-distanced bag drop area (pictured below).
After waiting in the socially-distanced queue ready to start I had finally reached the front. The part of the lake where we started had become very muddy from all the other competitors walking down the same bit meaning the first challenge was to enter the water without slipping. when I first entered the lake the water was very cold but I soon got used to it once I started swimming.
I reached the buoy that marked the 1 kilometer point and realised I was halfway round. I still felt like I was swimming well. Just after this point I turned around the wrong buoy, but was quickly redirected by a kayaker.
When I reached the final straight with about 500 meters to go I started to pick up the pace for the finish. When I reached the buoy that marked the turning point for the swimmers who had chosen to do the 1 kilometer course I knew I only had about 200 meters to go I started swimming as fast as possible towards the white finish buoy.
I reached the finish buoy and swam the last 10 meters to the shore where the finish banner was. Running out of the water, I felt like I had had a good swim.
The results came out later in the afternoon and I found out I had done it in 32 minutes 53 seconds compared to last years 37:02. I came third in the under 16s category and 12th overall.
This was a brilliant and very well organised event and I would recommend it to anyone who has the chance to take part in it.
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First Place Tri 