Last Saturday I did the Go Swim 3km swim at Loch Tay, and despite of (or probably because of) the conditions, it was great fun. And likely because I went along with the lovely Nina Swims too. She was great company and great chat for the whole day.

This is a long one, so if you want to read it, maybe grab a cuppa! (And note that most of the pics and videos were taken by Nina).

The swim started at 1pm at Loch Tay, so plenty time to get there and be fuelled. I had breakfast before I left then I got to where I was meeting Nina at 930am as planned. When I was in the meeting place / car park I met Mike and another Glasgow Triathlete who were going on a big cycle (in between rain showers).

The weather forecast was to be rainy in the morning, clearing up for the swim.. and that’s how it was, brightening up as the day went on. Plus some wind – and some big waves too.

I’ve been training most of the year for these three Go Swim Events … and for some reason I’m starting to get a little bit fed up of swimming… but that all washed away on Saturday when I did the 3km event at Loch Tay. My training did me well and set me up just right for the event.

Even still, I was the usual amount of nervous… asking myself why I’d signed up for it… and the next two (Lomond 5km on 3 Sept and Morlich 5km on 17 Sept)… but once I got chatting with Nina the nerves seemed to disappear, and it probably helped that she was driving, and she knew where she was going so no pressure on me.

We got there about 1120, and registered. Nina put in a last minute entry for the 1.5km swim and I collected my number and timing chip – I got number 170. A timing chip and a pink hat was in the envelope. And I’d later get 170 marker penned onto my hand for safety.

Looking at the results, it seems there would be about 70 entrants for the 3km swim and about 100 for the 2.5km swim. With a 4.5km swim happening as we got there and a few other shorter distances.

The first thing I noticed about it all was that the waves were really choppy. Wind and big rolling waves coming up the loch. We had a bite to eat, then wandered over to see the loch and see where we’d go l, before we got changed.

Back to the car and we got our wetsuits on and got swim ready, and walked to the start area. We cautiously looked out to the loch where the 4.5km swimmers were doing (attempting to do?) six laps of the 750m circuit.

We could see that it was a triangle shaped circuit, presumably set up that way to take advantage of the current and waves, and limit the hard swimming required. We also took a bit of time out to go visit Sean (from Glasgiw Triathlon Club) at the Big Bobble Hats stand where we had some banter, and I got him to take my pic, sort of ready to go.

We got ready for the swim and dropped our bags in… then before I knew it just before 1pm, I was standing on the start line, in the second group of 5 swimmers who would take to the water. As I was walking down the slipway, I heard Nina cheer me on, and I turned to see her and waved. Eeek.

I love my wetsuit and how it stands out (although there were maybe another two with the same one on!)

Nina was to start her swim half an hour later, so she took some photos and cheered me on. That was nice. I felt a bit like I had my own little fan club (even though she’d be up soon herself).

I was I was up first for the race briefing, where a key focus was put on safety and the challenging conditions out there. And what to do if you got into trouble – roll onto your back and wave. There were lots of kayaks and a safety boat out for that, and it’s likely the reason the course was kept at the 750m. 

Nina and I had had lots of chat in the car on the way there, and I mentioned that how sometimes when I’m swimming in open water I think of my Granny (or my Dad) to motivate me…

Then Nina told me about how her Grandad David would come along to her swim meets and cheer her on. She’d be in the water and she’d hear him shouting ‘up up up’. I decided that was likely a good thing to remember when I was in the water, to listen for her grandad saying that and I figured it might help me when things got challenging (and I was right). 

When I think of my Granny when I’m swimming open water, I think of how impressed my Granny would be that I’m doing it, or how crazy I was to do it (and know it’s something she’d likely never try but she’d be impressed with my bravery no doubt).

And bravery was what I needed. Walking down the slipway with four others, I knew I just needed to get in and go. A couple of guys in our group just slipped and and went and I knew I had to do the same, so off I went.

Earlier Nina and I talked about the swim and we decided that it would be a good idea to describe the course and swim as ‘fun’ to ourselves … sort of to take any worry or negativity away, but also because hopefully that’s what it would be – a big fun wet rollercoaster. We would see.

Back to the course and we would swim out to a first bouy on the left, then head 100-200m towards the next bouy. Then swim to the end of the loch – current and wave assisted! – to the third bouy. And then take a right again – against the current / waves – to get back to the first bouy. And we had four laps to do.

Once in I started swimming and I almost had a panic. With the waves as they were in the first 100m or so, I thought there’s no way I can keep doing this for 3,000m. It all felt like a very bad idea and I wondered to myself why it wasn’t called off!

Then some logic maybe came in and I thought just keep going and try to sight and swim towards the first bouy (or follow others). But it was even challenging to see over the big waves to see where you were going.

Before I knew it I was at the first bouy and getting into it. Onto the next bouy and against the waves… once I turned right with the current it became a bit easier, but it still felt a bit like a big wet rolllercosster or washing machine. 

I managed to navigate around the end bouy, before being hit on the return leg with waves again. It was at this point that I maybe went a bit off course towards the shore, but a kayaker noticed me and pointed me back on course. I knew to be careful to try to stick to the triangle after that.

I had no real idea how I was doing. The waves and conditions took over any focus on pace or 250m splits. It became and challenge of endurance and technique against the waves instead. By the second lap I was starting to get into it and realised I sort of needed to ride the wave on the way into the end bouy, and relax to do my best.

Right from the start I threw any time expectation, or any comparison to my performance at last years other go swim events, out of the window. I would see how I got on, if I would even finish it, and everyone else was against the same conditions so we would see what the outcome would be.

I surprised myself last year at the Loch Lomond 3km swim (in much calmer conditions), to do a great time and place third in my age group.  So it would be interesting to see how I got on today. But I wasn’t holding any hope out for it. 

Now here’s where it’s a bit funny… if wee look back at the results of my Loch Lomond 3km swim… look at who was just above me in the placings there – Nina! I didn’t know her then, and I’m so glad to have met her now. We both placed 3rd in our age group last year at Loch Lomond.

At Loch Lomond I was 3/17 in my age group, 6/43 in gender, and 12/62 in the overall standings. (So top 19%).

Then at the Loch Morlich 3km last year, in a slightly larger field, I was 3/21 in my age group, 8/58 in gender, and 20/87 overall (top 23%). 

Back to this years Loch Tay swim…. Then I knew what parts of the circuit would be challenging… it was a bit like running uphill in a big massive storm for two sides of the triangle, then careering downhill with the wind behind you on the other side of it. 

I got into a good rhythm with my stroke and managed to somehow get into a bit of a way of turning onto my back, to get a breath to my left when the waves caught me and prevented a breath.

I did worry a bit that a less confident swimmer, or one who can’t breath bilaterally, might get into struggles – and thought about how dangerous it could be – for them – but also for me. It just takes one wrong wave or one mouthful of water and who knows what could happen. 

When swimming I was thinking, would I have swum in those conditions if I’d have just rocked up? And it’s safe to say I probably wouldn’t have. A good learning for the future to abandon a swim if it looks like it did that day. The safety crew and event staff made the difference here, along with others swimming.

But there was also real reassurance that the kayakers and safety boat were close by and were on it. I could see them watching me when I rolled onto my back, and I could also see that they would likely be right on me to help if I needed it. It was very reassuring. 

As I was swimming, sometimes it felt like you were thrown up, your body clattered by the waves. And it took some amount of positivity and effort to keep going.  I had to stop a few times to fix my goggles, but the stop didn’t seem to matter as it felt more important to get set up and going again.  

There were times when I really needed an extra push, so I thought of my Granny looking down, and of course I thought of Nina’s grandad too, and could hear him say ‘up up up up’ in time with my arms entering the water. 

A lot of the time I seemed to be swimming on my own, but there was a nice time with the current, where I was in the middle of two other swimmers. Powering through, I felt strong and almost mediative. 

By the fourth lap, and the last straight, I actually found it so much fun that I started laughing out loud. It felt so crazy that I’d managed to get through the most challenging swim of my life. With so many waves crashing on me, such a challenge, and I got through it.

It might sound a bit weird but I related it to the challenges of life… and I knew that if I could get through this swim for 3km, I could get through anything (and I have!).

You couldn’t really see much over the waves, and you just had to keep going, try to sight and make sure you were on track between the kayakers and bouys. It was a little crazy, but I managed it. 

Towards the end I did wonder how I’d know to get out, but I kept an eye on what was happening with others and before I knew it, I looked left and saw the slipway and made a beeline for it. 

Finally… I’d be about to get out. After about 70 minutes of swimming… if that’s what you can call it.. or 70 minutes on a Loch Tay spin cycle or rollercoaster… I was about to achieve what I set out to do and finish.

A lady marshall was helping someone else out when I got out of the water, and she looked at me and seemed to decide I didn’t need help. And she was right. I felt good and able to stand up vertical and get out.

Up the slipway to get my medal, and there the amazing Nina was again…camera ready for my walk down off the pink mat.

She had just finished in an amazing time, and ended up placing second in her age group. We both talked and laughed about how much of a challenge it had been( but how fun it had also been. The positive spin from earlier most definitely worked.

I got out and my watch said I’d done about 3.5km, but then it also said I swam 100m in 27 seconds… and going by the map, the gps went out a bit, so I adjusted the distance down to 3km on my Garmin. The splits maybe show where I was pushed into shore, and where I wasn’t (or maybe not).

Afterwards the results were online very quickly, and it turns out, that although it took me 10-15 minutes longer to swim 3km here, I placed 2nd in my age group (out of 7), 7/32 gender and 20/61 overall (top 32%). 

So probably not as good a performance as my previous swims, but totally understandable given the conditions (and my inexperience in them). 

And something I noticed too, was the higher DNF ratio this year. I looked back at the Loch Tay results for the 1.5 and 3km swims last year (it was a bit choppy I understand), and it looks like there was a 4.5% DNF ratio. Whereas this year it was 12%!

It looks like 10 people out of each of the distances I looked for this year at didn’t finish – so I feel very pleased and proud to have got through it and out the other side. (This is me likely trying to justify the challenge and my results – shhh).

But to be honest, for anyone who didn’t finish – I wouldn’t feel bad about it as the conditions really were challenging. I seriously thought about it and wouldn’t have let my pride get in the way of putting my hand up to get out, if I’d have needed to. I imagine it could be easy to go from fine in the water, to not fine, so to choose to get out can often be the best decision.

So that was that. I have to say it was a very well organised and safe event, with a real focus on safety and just the right amount of goodies in the medal and tshirt (with the option to decline the tshirt if you wanted). The marshals and event staff were good and welcoming and on it, and the venue was good. We could have done with a bit less waves… but they maybe added to the fun and challenge. The medal was cool too.

If it’s as choppy as that again, considering the potential danger (even with the safety boats and we’ll organised event), and given the distance to the event, I could likely give this a miss in future years. And I’d not recommend it as a first open water event as it could put you off for life lol. But it certainly was a challenge and a great day out.

I had a great time, enhanced by the company of Nina helping to make it a great day out. And, she seems to like my Lorn stories, as she called them. lol.