Monday 28 February 2022

🎶Just keep swimming, just keep swimming🎶🐠

So New Year, new start with the exercise regime. OK, OK so it's not exactly the start of the year but hey, better late than never!

A couple of weeks ago I saw a post from Diabetes UK about a sponsored swim, Swim22, taking place from 22nd March to 22nd June.  

💡"Oooo that's a good idea" a little voice somewhere in my brain piped up and before I knew it I'd signed myself up! 🤦🏼‍♀️  My sister is a specialist diabetes nurse and I also have a few friends with diabetes so it will be good to raise some money for Diabetes UK.

Now I do like swimming, and a few years ago I went quite regularly.  Time to dig out the old swimsuit and see if I can still squeeze into it.....thank God they're stretchy!!

Off I went to my new local pool, which I haven't been to for years! On that occasion I paid by card to save taking cash and even remembered my locker coin. Get me!  But then l came to use the lockers.....So I was changed, shoved all my stuff into the locked and put in my locker coin, only for it to jam because, on checking, they are 20p lockers not £1 lockers. Now I had a dilemma, leave my stuff in an unlocked locker or get changed again to go back to reception for help.....

Thankfully a very nice lady came in, took one look at me and asked if I was OK, I explained what had happened and she kindly gave me 20p.  This is where things got worse and she probably decided I was a complete idiot.  First, let me explain my, possibly slightly illogical, thought process....

I had put a coin in the locker which, ideally, I wanted back but was stuck. With a correct coin I could push my coin out and the correct coin would release the locker key. Seems straightforward enough right? Wrong. 

I'm sure all of you intelligent people reading this saw the error in my logic straight away.  I popped the 20p in the locker and yes, obviously that then got stuck as well.  I then turned to the kind lady, who was looking at me with an expression somewhere between disbelief and fear at the crazy lady she just tried to help as she said "have you just put that in the same locker?!'  I gave a small smile and tried to explain my rationale as she side stepped me telling me an attendant was on his way anyway.  I felt so stupid!  Two attendants did then come in and I explained my predicament. One of them pressed the reject button I hadn't seen and both my coins fell out as I received my second 'are you stupid?' look of the evening.  Things were getting off to a good start!

When I finally made it to the pool I did actually manage 32 lengths, which I worked out was half a mile, so I was quite pleased with myself! The nice lady was in the changing room when I got out so I was able to thank her and give her the money back 😁  I had chatted to her and her friend in the pool and think I'd managed to convince them I am actually fairly normal!

My plan after that was to swim every week when the kids are at cubs. The next week was half term so I missed that week but the following week off I went again.  This time I was determined not to make a fool of myself so I went with cash so I could pay and get the correct change for the locker without any hassle.  There was an issue with a customer when I got there so we had to queue for ages but finally I got to the front keen to pay and get going.  Offered my fiver for the session, which was regarded as though it was something that had never been seen before. The receptionist looked at me, pointed at a sign another side of the desk and aid "it's contact less only".

End of session 2!

Tomorrow I am hoping to get it right! I have my card ready and a stash of 20p coins, surely nothing can go wrong?!

I have tried to be realistic with my target. There was a choice to aim for 11 miles, 22 miles or 44 miles.  I would love to go for 22 miles, however, realistically I can probably only go swimming once a week and there are 13 weeks to complete the challenge.  That means that if I can double my lengths per session, which will be a challenge in itself, then I will complete 1 mile a week.  So I am aiming for 11 miles and may even have to fit a few extra sessions in to achieve that BUT, if I can do more I will certainly try.

If anyone feels able to donate then please see the link below to my just giving page or just a few words or encouragement will also be gratefully received!

https://swim22.diabetes.org.uk/fundraising/teresa187#share-page