Camilla Cresswell reviews her experience of swimming her first 10k down the Thames in the Lock to Lock swim last year.
My season’s triathlon plans had been scuppered by a knee injury. I usually swim three times a week but, because of the knee injury, upped this to five or six – and I decided I needed a swimming challenge, pronto. What better than a 10k Swim, Lock-to-Lock, at the end of the week?
That’s right. I bit the bullet and entered only five days before. I hadn’t ever swum that distance in a pool but, with the volume of swimming and a few 70.3 Triathlon’s (2k swims) under my belt, I felt it was an endurance event that I had the grit and determination to complete. A solo 10k swim, why ever not?!!
I arrived at the event very relaxed. My only real concern was how my hands were going to survive.
I suffer from Reynaud’s and had had two carpal tunnel operations only months before. That was another motivation, as this time last year, pre-op, I wouldn’t have been able to swim the distance due to my hands going numb. No other parts of me worried about completing the actual distance. Just my hands!
On arrival, I registered with the very friendly team who organise the event. As they gave me my swimming cap, they asked me a bit about my swimming background which I kept reasonably quiet about (not much). I actually only learnt to swim in 2021, when I hopped into a lake and realised, even with a decent level of fitness, I couldn’t do front crawl. (Shhhh!)
It turned out that I had arrived at a true open water wild swimmer event. Everyone looked like seasoned distance swimmers. With no fuss and as if I knew what I was doing, I got my wetsuit on and headed down to the tractor and trailer which transported us to the start. At this point, I asked a few swimmers whether I should put vaseline on my neck to stop chaffage. The answer was YES – spot the newbie! I ran back to the car to apply copious amounts of vaseline around my neck, the best decision I ever made. I have suffered with neck chaffage in a triathlon previously.
I got chatting to a chap as we were in the trailer travelling to the start. He was very friendly and it was an ice breaker, chatting as though this was a normal thing to do on a Sunday morning. It was for him. He kindly took a photo of me at the start as I wanted a memory that I’d made it this far.
As we got into the water, everyone was super friendly, having a chat before we were waiting for the gun to go off. A very surreal moment… I am about to swim 10k in the River Thames. 10k???!! I’d never have believed you if you had told me that a few months earlier.
The swim was beautiful, meandering down the river, narrow in parts, which kept it very interesting and fun. I got into the zone and, putting one arm in front of the other, just swam, relaxed, focussing on my breathing, and enjoying it. Always keeping an eye out for that yellow buoy, we were told was our landmark for jelly babies. I hopped out at the first lock after 4k for a couple of jelly babies that I savoured every moment of, before hopping straight back into the water. I couldn’t believe this was me on this journey downstream (with very little, if any, current!)
The second part of the swim was as enjoyable; a beautiful river that got wider in places, although I did start feeling a little hungry. A little? In fact, I was starving, having only had my porridge first thing and nothing else. There’s the yellow buoy! We hit the next lock for a couple, maybe three, jelly babies, then back in for the final 2k.
500 metres in, I hit a wall. My arms were feeling it and my pace definitely dropped. However, I was determined to finish the 10k swim. I realise I’d bonked and ran out of fuel. But I wasn’t going to stop. With sheer grit and determination, I carried on swimming. When I finally sighted that last buoy, I even managed to pick up the pace, knowing I was on the final stretch. The best feeling ever.
As I got out of the water, I remember some very friendly faces whom I had a photograph taken with, then walked a few hundred metres to a very welcoming tea tent. There were cheers and claps as we came in, and copious amount of cake. You name the cake, it was there, all made by volunteers. I couldn’t believe I’d done it. I was in that tent having a slice of cake and an orange squash. Perfect.
I was so chuffed with my achievement, it was definitely a moment to buy the t-shirt. This was a very special memory that will stay with me a lifetime. I hopped onto a mini bus that took us 10k back to our cars, feeling very relaxed and proud of myself. Another very surreal moment for me, having had zero experience in distance swimming. I will definitely be back for another. Next time, I will put some gels down my wetsuit as I need fuel to operate and definitely feel this will help me keep up the pace.
I completed the swim in just over three hours. I hadn’t set myself a time but knowing I could easily swim 1k in 20 minutes, three hours for 10k sounded good going to me. I really recommend this swim to anyone considering a challenge. If I can take it on, so can you with pool training. Don’t be daunted by the distance; providing you’re getting into that pool and training, you’ll be able to attack it as I did!
CC.
