The GingaNinja races a lot less than I do – not difficult given even on a quiet year I’ll still race twenty times – but this weekend was one of those rare occasions where the GingaNinja was giving it welly and I was spectating.

The Great Swim Series are an excellent, well organised and inclusive set of races. Just the kind of Open Water swimming experience you’d want as a beginner or even an experienced athlete and this event marked the Ginger ones third Great swim.

We rolled up Saturday morning to Alton Water to face the grey and murky clouds but the atmosphere was as usual, jovial and mirth filled – it had that hugely positive sporting buzz that you only get from people really achieving something. We wandered around the farmers market, ate delicious onion bhajis and dipped down to the waterside to catch up on the action.

Swimmers of all shapes, sizes and speeds were dunking themselves into the cool water of the reservoir and thundering into the headwind. In my view was a sea of little pink swim caps and flailing arms looking to pass by the 600 metre point where the swimmers would then have the wind behind them. This looked like it was going to be a difficult swim.

The GingaNinja, UltraBaby and I drifted over to the small but pleasant children’s playground and bounced around on the slide and monkey bars for a bit, this had the bonus of giving the GN the distraction to go and get her wetsuit on.

Now suited it was acclimatisation and warm up time and despite the GN being a little nervous from a lack of training time recently it all looked like it was going to go smoothly. UB and I waved our athlete away as she went to complete the slightly silly warm up exercises and then we watched as the horn was blown and the swimmers ran into Alton Water.

The GN would say that the first 600 metres were a battle to keep on course and make forward motion while the last 1000 metres were a battle to the finish.

UltraBaby and I did out best to hide from the wind and rain but (at least in my case) this was pretty pointless and I accepted wave after wave of wet passing straight through my clothes. Moist to the skin we went over to the finish line about 20 minutes after the start, listening to the excellent entertainment laid on by the event and we waited, joining in with the cheering of swimmers home.

We missed first swimmer in – 19 minutes 5 seconds but lots followed soon after. An older chap from the 12.30pm wave who hadn’t done any exercise in a decade since last year rolled in from his mile at just before 2.30pm – he was exhausted but elated. His wasn’t the only exceptional story of endurance over speed and several new to open water swimmers came home slowly but determined.

In the distance I could see the distinctive googles of the GN. I raised the lens of my camera and waited. I watched the water bobbing in all different directions and I could see her battling the conditions but with a final huge effort she flew under the finish line and onto the timing area. She had, of course, done it and done it well. Both UltraBaby and I beamed with pride!

Elated at completion though wishing she has gone faster the GN now turns her swim attention to the Great London Swim in July but her weekend of adventure was far from over – there was the Amba City of London Mile to complete first.

If you’re looking for a well organised and value for money swimming event then this series should be considered – you can easily see where your money goes, Tshirt, medal, organisation, facilities, safety crews, locations.
Between us the GN and I have completed 6 of these in 3 of the 5 locations (Manchester, Lake District, Scotland, London and Suffolk) I’m confident we’ll go and complete the others at some point in the future, because we hold these events in such high regard.

So if you fancy a safe and fun Open Water adventure then try this. Excellent.