22nd June Summer solstice swim

Since arriving in this part of the world back in 2018, I have travelled out to Thurgarton to lead services and do pastoral stuff a couple of times a month, without really knowing that there are a series of lakes less than 1/2 a km from the road along which I travelled. 

But it turns out that if one turns to head down the road less travelled, or at least less travelled by me, there they are. The invite from one of my running clubs was to celebrate the summer solstice with a run around the perimeter of the lake but with a little bit of wild water swimming thrown in. So I guess today I officially became bi...a biathlete that is.

I struggle to remember when the last time I went for a swim was? I certainly swam when I went out to India / Bangladesh to visit the families, or at least entered into the village pond to have a bath. But here in the UK, I have no idea. I certainly can't remember the last time I did what is now refered to as wild water swiming and certainly not in an old gravel pit.

The run was lovely mainly because it was a lovely run but also because it wasn't at a greyhound pace (although we did have Sid the greyhound with us) and it was also flat with only 18ft of elevation in the initial 2.5miles. Then it was into the water for a 15 minute paddle about. Or in my case a swim and then float on my back, simply watching the sun filted through the clouds with all the bouyancy of a prime time Adam Peaty. With the sound of the world deadened and the water a lovely ambient temperature, it was so peaceful. And certainly something I would do again within the safety of a group setting.

Emerging from the water, several people gathered on the bank remarked how similar I looked to Daniel Craig emerging from that Caribbean sea in Casino Royal. Whether the beer they were drinking and joint they were smoking had anything to do with observation is open to further investigation. Judge for yourself.



 

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