From beginner pool swimmer to 2 mile open water swim race

Whilst training for the London Marathon, I started cross training with a bit of pool swimming. I’ve always enjoyed swimming but never been a strong swimmer. After lockdown I heard inspirational stories of people trying open water swimming. I figured I could swap my pool swimming for open water swimming. And if I was doing that consistently I might as well sign up to… Swim Serpentine 2021

Where to start

It seemed a big challenge to undertake especially since I’m not a strong swimmer in the pool to start. I read a lot of blogs and articles but really there are things you need to know for safety and then you can start. The swim race recommended a wetsuit(this was the biggest expense by far and not a must)so I decided I’d do all my swims in that. I also got a tow float for safety(you can get one that fits valuables in as well).

Gaining confidence

I decided after doing a bit of research to do an introduction to open swimming at London Royal Victoria Docks. It was around an hour and a half with one instructor and three of us learning(this might be based on the timing of my course). It was all about tips and gaining confidence in the open water. I would highly recommend!

Training plan

Swim Serpentine was a big race for me but not my goal race(London Marathon). I had to decide how much time I could dedicate to it. I trained for 12 weeks and 2x swims a week. That consisted of a 30 min swim and a long swim each week. I would usually to run to and from the lake I would swim in to fit around training. A training will look different for everyone. It’s important to note as well that I was just aiming to finish

Finding the lake

A pivotal moment in my training (and probably my life) was finding my local lake. It’s 3 miles away from my house and I would run to it. It wasn’t the clearest water and there was plenty of underwater plants but it was perfect! Swimming a real outlet for me and the beauty of it really grounded me. And quite importantly( for a tight Northener like me) it was a public lake near a park so no paying.

The big race!

Swim Serpentine is a swim festival in London Hyde Park’s Serpentine. You’re not usually allowed to swim in the Serpentine but this was a special occasion. There are many distances: 500m, 1 mile, 2 miles and 6 miles. I went for 2 miles which was 2x around the lake. There were loads of people and I was definitely amongst the slower swimmers. I was able to talk to other swimmers and soak in the atmosphere. I couldn’t believe what I had achieved!

If you ever want to start open water swimming there’s always a place to start. You’re capable of more than you know! If I can do it you probably can as well