10K #GreatScottishSwim

The first thing to say is thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone for the incredible support you have given me in the run up and during taking on this ridiculous swim. The time leading up to this went so quickly. Ross convinced me to sign up to do this back in December 2017 after a lot of tequila when we felt invincible. So much has happened since then. A lot of it has been swimming. There is still the chance to sponsor me if you can. I am overwhelmed by how generous you have all been, Thank you for raising over £500 for Macmillan. This is a long post, but I feel like I went through a fair bit!

Usk-ing for a swim

With my new absolute love of combining music festivals with outdoor swimming, I was very lucky to realise some lovely friends were willing to do both! Yet another not really training swim for the 10K Loch Lomond 10K #GreatScottishSwim (1 day to go! Please sponsor me) Green Man festival is in the Brecon Beacons and is a beautiful festival, where I was the most responsible and well-rested I have ever been at a festival. And a swim a few miles from the site in the river Usk was an absolute recovery treat.

Ship-shape Shepperton

This was a proper training swim for the 10K Loch Lomond #GreatScottishSwim (please sponsor me – only 2 days to go!). A beatuful lake suggested to me a few years ago, which I FINALLY have been to. This is the most beautiful organised lake swimming spot I have ever been to, and swam the furthest I ever have, 7.5K.

The Green, Wood Green of home

In yet another swim to help prepare for the 10K #GreatScottishSwim in Loch Lomond (please sponsor me – eek it’s in 3 days!) I couldn’t possibly visit so many swimming places without popping home to Banbury.

Fancy Fordwich

Here we are again, not really doing proper training for the 10K #GreatScottishSwim in Loch Lomond (just 17 days to go, please sponsor me), but right now I need to do anything possible to keep swimming interesting and fun and try not to hate it. Fordwich is a beautiful town on the river Stour near Canterbury, where you can swim, sail, paddleboard, canoe and have all of the fun in the water, but you can’t get a cuppa anywhere before 10am. You can get 2 bodies of water in just one day if you try.

The Rabbit’s Watering Hole

This is one of the best places I have ever been, ever. In or out of water. Again, not much ‘training’ towards the #GreatScottishSwim 10K in Loch Lomond took place (it’s SO soon! Please sponsor me) but technically it’s a swim so it counts. Whilst there have been incredible swimming/music festival experiences, like going in the sea before Primavera Sound starts each day, or even the slide at ATP and wave pool at Rockaway Beach, being able to jump in and out of the water between bands or even watch them(ish) whilst having a swim in the sun is something else.

Hythe-End Depths

I can hardly believe this place is so close to London. I was thinking about doing a trip further afield but then discovered this little gem through wildswimming.co.uk. Training for a long swim gets pretty boring (please sponsor me to raise money for the incredible Macmillan when I swim the #GreatScottishSwim 10k in Loch Lomond on 25th August) so I’m well up for finding as many new bodies of water to dip into as possible. Get on a train to Wraysbury and it only takes about 15 mins to get here from Richmond Station.

Kenwood (but can’t, go to the) Ladies’ Pond

This is only my second ever trip to the Ladies’ Pond at Hampstead Heath. The first time was over a year ago in March to try to prep for the Great North Swim 3k. This time it was for a much more leisurely swim, all in aid of Macmillan and to get ready for the not so leisurely #GreatScottishSwim2018 10K. Please help raise money by donating here! THANK YOU SO MUCH for the donations so far.

I can totally recommend the Ladies’ Pond if you want to get close to nature, have plenty of open space and not have to walk in a load of sludge to get in and out.

#GreatScottishSwim training: Beautiful Barca

This is obviously going to be one of my favourite posts. I am extremely far behind with writing these. This is my first post about swimming in the sea and it’s in one of my favourite places in the world, Barcelona. I can’t say that a huge amount of ‘training’ towards the #GreatScottishSwim in Loch Lomond 10k happened (please remember this is all in aid of Macmillan and you can sponsor me here), but it was an amazing few days and I managed about 5 swims in that time.

Training for 10k, Great Scot!

I thought I’d start writing again, as the swimming journey goes to new lengths with the 10k Great Scottish swim in Loch Lomond in August. This means loads more outdoor swimming and adventuring to different lakes, reservoirs, rivers and even seas over the next 4 months. Please remember that this is all to raise money for Macmillan and you can donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rebecca-jennings18.