Today I had two great things planned and it all worked out well. First up was a swim in Loch Lomond with Nina, then back home and in the afternoon I was going to Helensburgh to collect my first ever brand new car! Eeeeek.

Nina came to mine for about 8am, and by just after just after 9am we were in the water in Loch Lomond. The loch was really high, much higher than I’ve ever seen it at the spot I usually swim at.

It was raining quite a lot when we pulled up, so we decided to leave the changing stuff in the car, and walk to the water in our dry robes. Nina forgot her tow float, so we out by phone and the car key (in a sealed tub) in my tow float and away we went.

We got settled in, it was a bit chilly…. Turtle thermometer said it was about 12’C… and it felt like it. Fortunately I had my thermal wetsuit on, my warm cap and my neoprene socks on. We hadn’t talked about how long we’d be out for, but we figured we’d swim out for a bit (north) and back.

It was pretty misty and rainy in the water. But it didn’t matter much as we were already wet in the water, as usual. We swam for about 500m, and stopped to clear our goggles, then went about another 750m before taking a video or two with Nina’s GoPro. It so nice and calm, even with the rain.

Because she didn’t have her two float, we tied it onto a carabiner on my tow float and it seemed pretty secure. We ended up swimming around the head, and it got to about 1,800m in, before we decided to turn around. About 35 mins.

I was feeling good, swimming alongside Nina. She seems to just go on and on and on… effortlessly. My hand were getting a little cold, but I was actually feeling quite warm overall.

We got another couple of snaps, then we swam about another km back towards where we got in. With about 800m to go or so we got back going again. By about an hour in the water my hands were feeling cold and my feet too… it was time to get out.

About 600m from the shore, we stopped to check we were heading in the right direction… and to check we were both ok. It was then we made the grim discovery that Nina’s go pro was no longer attached to my toe float. Oh no.

I was needing to get out, so I went into my tow float and got Nina’s car key (in the sealed tub out), and gave her my tow float to so she could go back and see if she could find her GoPro. I knew I couldn’t go back, but we decided she had to go back to try to find it.

It was on a floaty stick with a bright orange top, so there was a good chance she’d find it… although we didn’t know where it had come off. And I wasn’t in any right mind to think about much by then.

I asked Nina if she felt ok to keep going, and checked if she felt she had the endurance to keep going. She did so she went and tried to find it.

I went back to the shore and got out. My feet were like block off ice and it took quite a bit to get them working. And my hands too… opening the dry bag to get my dryrobe out was a challenge.

But I got my dryrobe on and went back to the car to change. I was back at the car mid changing for maybe 15 minutes or so…. Happy Nina turned up with her GoPro in hand. She’d found it about 250m away from where we were! Phew.

Nina did about 4,100m and I did about 3,600m. What I didn’t mention is that Nina was watchless, so when I left her, I gave her my Garmin so she could see how far she was going etc. it was quite a feat doing all of that changing tow floats etc, with cold hands, but we managed it.

A few learnings came from it, for Nina to wear a watch and remember her toe float, if we do tie a camera on to a toe float to make sure it’s secure, and for me to limit my time in the water to probably under an hour when it’s 12’C or less. I was ok to be in for 1:20, but an hour probably would have been better (given I’ve not been swimming all that much recently).

We got to mine dead on for 12 which was what we’d planned, even with the additional detour back for the GoPro. So that was good. I got my wetsuit cleaned and washed, and got ready.

Then Fit Girl and I went to drove to Helensburgh to collect my new car that I ordered about 7 month ago! I was so excited. Like a kid at Christmas. It turned out a nicer afternoon for the drive to Helensburgh and we got there, the sun was shining brightly.

I hit lucky in April by going to the Toyota dealership in Helensburgh (just 40 mins away), different to the usual car salesmen Stephen was so good I deceived to buy brand new, which I don’t usually do, because there wasn’t much difference in the price, it meant I could spec it the way I wanted, and I could get a 0% deal at the time too. All a no brainier.

I spec’d it up with a panoramic roof (like my last car); got the top model the Yaris Excel, out black alloys in it, a tech pack that puts a heads up display on the windscreen and another pack too. But even just the standard functions that come with it are amazing- self charging hybrid, auto everything including full beams, lights and wipers, adaptive cruise control, CarPlay, keyless entry, pre heating / defrosting from the app. I’m sure there is more that I haven’t seen.

And safety – it has an inbuilt SIM card for emergency situations… if the airbags are deployed (touch wood this never happens) it contacts the emergency services. Or I could press a button to do it.

Offt. It’s amazing. And everything I wanted. I drove it home from Helensburgh and enjoyed the ride, then drove it about some more to get used to us. 51 miles on her first day. I’m calling her ‘Blaze’. I wouldn’t usually name my cars, and only did it one. But this one is special.

Then after we picked it up we went a half hour walk in Maxwell Park to get some steps … (and to get a wee drive there). The moon was out and it was a nice wee walk full of excitement from me to get back to the car lol.

So that was my ace Saturday. I had a good week training too… sore legs from running, so I had a rest day on Friday and Sunday, but I did: Monday – 30 min strength, Tue: 8.5km run, Wed: 5km run, Thu: 2,400m swim, Fri: Rest, Sat: 3,600m Loch Lomond swim with Nina, Sun: rest (and make my car my own!)

I’m so pleased. Everything has settled down to be just the way I want it and every thing good. just the way it should be. It’s been a long time coming. 🙂