We made it - tired but happy!
Today was the annual swim form Padstow to Rock and Team Richardson entered again with the same hard core and a couple of newcomers. This year we managed to volunteer Claire who has been working for us during the last 3 summer holidays while at Uni and before she goes to Oxford Brookes to do an MSc in Hospitality management and Andrea from The Fowey Hotel brought her little sister with her - who it turns out is a triathlete!
There was quite a wait before the start with much nervous conversation and thought turning to “why am I doing this” and how cold the water was but once we were off it was just a case of head down and get on with it. We did start a bit too early as the tide was still running quite strongly. At one stage I was lining up my course on an orange buoy and the prow of a white boat and the next minute I was lined up on the stern! This does add a little to the time it took to get across but the last two years I have managed to go straighter and straighter so taking less time, though there is no way I will be able to join the elite section who have to get across in under 30 minutes.
The results: I came in about the same time as Andrea and Emma - I did pass Emma on the way but that was before my drift upstream. Claire came in about 5 minutes later and Mel 5 minutes after her - never has a cold pasty tasted so good.
What was really nice was that some of our guests came down to see us off and offer some moral support - Andrea and Emma had their parents waiting for them on the other side as well as Louie, Emma’s son.
Once we had got our breath back and eaten the pasty we did start to get pretty cold so headed back over on the ferry. As it was just running for us swimmers it docked at the slip by the harbour commissioners office which just happens to be right next to The Old Customs House - that was the most welcome pint we’ve had for a while!
After a long and very hot shower iIam now fit to face the world again, though not intending to do too much operationally this evening but it is good to have a little rest before getting on my bike to go back home in a little while.
Roll on next year - must do some training for that!
