The Great North Swim

Despite an incredibly comfortable bed I had a terrible night's sleep. I kept having half-awake, half asleep dreams about having the pillow being on the wrong side (it wasn't!) on a loop all night. I woke up at 5am and didn't really get back to sleep so I felt pretty awful when my alarm went off at 6.45am.
I was first up and enjoyed my cup of tea and breakfast news on the comfy day bed/sofa in the dining room.
And had some reviving fruit loaf and a banana.
Then I felt much better!!
As it was tipping it down and I was swimming first at 9am I decided to put my wetsuit half on for the drive and walk to the lake. After what felt like hours of undignified huffing, puffing, yanking and tugging I managed to squeeze myself into it.
And get proper cross with myself for putting on a stone since last year's swim. Sigh!
We drove to the car park - just five minutes from our perfect house!! - and got one of the last spaces before they started turning people away. Then we walked the beautiful mile or so to the race start. It was raining but boiling so I was a bit toasty warm in my wetsuit and raincoat!
Trying to pull the top half of my wetsuit on once I got to the changing tent was impossible. I was all wet and clammy and the bloody thing wouldn't budge past my elbows. I started to get into a bit of a panic thinking I wouldn't actually be able to get it on but a lady I was changing next to helped me and I was finally trussed up in and ready to go!!
There was the usual quick dip in the acclimatisation pool and warm up exercises and then I was off. Having not done any training it was quite a bit slower than last time. I felt as if I was hardly moving!!
Luckily it was a balmy 20 degrees in the water, the view was beautiful and, as ever, I felt fabulous just dilly-dallying along and thinking how amazing it is to be swimming in Lake Windermere!
I did it in 33 minutes and 22 seconds which was surprisingly only five minutes slower than last year. It felt like it took hours!!
Once I wrestled the wetsuit off (not easy!) I got changed and went to wait with Mrs C for the others to finish their mile swims. Mrs C is doing the 5K in the morning!
Miss K was pleased to beat Mrs M for the first time here. Nothing like sibling rivalry!!
After a quick shower and tea stop at the house we headed into Windermere for a wander and some well earned lunch. I went wild and had a beer with my chilli prawn linguine!
A bit of fridge magnet, present, pencil and food shopping and we headed back to the house for a lazy evening eating baked potatoes, reading, watching football (bloody England!!!) and rounding off the night with Love Island. Oh my God!!!!
An earlier night and hopefully a better night's sleep.