Back at Bilston! 28th September 2011

Okay you know what Bilston Baths looks like by now! Also can I point out that I the till was playing up so I paid on the way out this time, I didn't just get there at 7:30pm, thank God!

Well, I was so lucky tonight! They'd put a lane on, and I actually had it to myself for the whole time! Knowing that there was a 'milestone' ahead and hasving the luck of a lane to myself I managed 1.25 miles, taking me to 11 miles! A quarter of the way there!

I'm halfway to Calais!

11 Miles, 7 pools.

The story so far!

Date	Pool	Swam today	Running total	Number of pools
Mon 12th September	Wolverhampton Health and fitness centre	1 mile	1 mile	1 pool
Wed 14th September	Erdington Leisure Centre	1 mile	2 miles	2 pools
Fri 16th September	Dudley Leisure Centre	1 mile	3 miles	3 pools
Sun 18th September	Bilston Leisure Centre	1.25 miles	4.25 miles	4 pools
Mon 19th September	Monmouth Leisure centre	1 mile	5.25 miles	5 pools
Wed 21st September	Bilston Leisure Centre	1.25 miles	6.5 miles	5 pools
Fri 23rd September	Bilston Leisure Centre	1 mile	7.5 miles	5 pools
Sat 24th September	Tipton Leisure Centre	1 mile	8.5 miles	6 pools
Mon 26th September	Wolverhampton Central Baths	1.25 miles	9.75 miles	7 pools

Wolverhampton Central Baths 26th September

Wolverhampton's got class!

Tonight having been late back from working in Birmingham I went to the lane swimming session at W-ton Central, man those sharks tear up and down the lanes! I surveved, and hear I am to tell the tale- I did 80 lengths of the 25 metre pool, bringing me in at another mile and a quarter! I'm sghattered and looking forwards to an early night!    :-)

9.75 miles, 7 pools

Tipton Swimming Centre- Saturday 24th September

I really should have gone at 8:30 when they opened! Forgive me blog watchers but this is rather tiring! The pool was VERY busy, but only in the shallow end. The whole of Tipton were teaching their kids to swim- and what a positive and healthy way to spend a Saturday morning, so I'll try not to moan about the little darlings!

 So, I found the 10 metre mark in the middle of the pool, and proceeded to do...160 x 10 metres in the deep end! This was a rather slow mile, but I did it! This pool is very close by to me, but I doubt I'll be going again- unless it's to buy one of their fab Black Country T-shirts or mugs, think my fave was 'Raised on faggots and paes' on a George Cross :-)

8.5 miles, 6 pools.

Bilston Leisure Centre - a mile on empty- Fri 23rd September

What a day! I had to go to a meeting in Cambridge yesterday. Unfortunately the traffic coming back was horrendous! What should have been just over a two hour journey back took four and a quarter hours!

Having driven for six and a half hours altogether on Friday, I had to fight my body and brain to complete this mile. The angel on one shoulder was encouraging, but the devil on the other shoulder didn't want any of it! The pool was busy and I had to do a lot of weaving about to avoid a collision, almost persuading myself at half a mile and three quarters of a mile, in fact most of the way through, that that would do. I was so tired that this is the first one that I did a lot of breast stroke and took little more of a break than a few breathes in between- just in case once I had stopped that was it!

So for my hardest mile yet, I'm pretty proud of not only getting to the pool (home looked pretty appealing!) but also completing a full mile. I guess promising myself a kebab helped!

7.5 miles, 5 pools.

Bilston Leisure Centre- another mile and a quarter!

I've realised that if I continue to swim in a different pool each time, this blog is going to get a bit boring for the last few weeks when I've done my 22 pools! So here's my receipt so that you can see the date on it and that I was back at Bilston today.

I managed 80 lengths- this time they'd roped off the shallow end so I was back to 25mtr lengths. It's tough to keep up swimming at these levels and I was tired- if it wasnt for the challenge I might have had the night off! I pushed through and made it to a mile and a quarter, the pool was quiet which really helps! It does get boring but I knew that I had cake to come home to which was a great motivation!

Six and a half miles so far! Over an eighth of the way...must be mad!

Last night's pics

Who'd have known that 'am' was 'yb' in Welsh?

Monmouth Leisure Centre (Yes, in WALES!)

I'll have to upload my pics later, it seems bluetooth has died on my phone and so can't send pics to work computer. :-(

So I'm working in Hereford for two days and thought it would be an ideal opportunity to 'bag' a Welsh pool! 35 minutes drive after work and I was in Monmouth. The pool was quite quiet and I did 80 lengths! Alas the pool is just 20 metres so that was a mile. I crossed the border back into England at 7:48pm and sat down to order dinner at 8:30pm- I really am going to have next to no time for myself in the next 11 weeks!

My knee was hurting afterwards and isn't feeling good today, it hasnt been quite right since just before the challenge began. Knees not swollen but feels swollen in the joint- oh oh! Luckily today is a rest day.

Bilston Leisure Centre

Okay, I know it's not Haden Hill and it's also not yesterday...had a bit of a car crisis- mine was declared unsafe and I had to sort a temporary one for the week ahead!

I managed 1.25 miles today! Really pleased! Would you believe that I also went on a 5 mile walk this morning!? I arrived at Bilson baths for the 2pm session and was the only one in there! By 3pm there were 3 of us but then the calm was broken by some kids- I was nearly done anyway. I did 60 lengths in 1 hour 10 minutes - it's a 33.5 mtre pool, so equates 1.25 miles. I feel great right now but suffice to say an early night is on the cards!

Dudley Leisure centre

Sorry I didnt get on last night, i'm so busy and ran out of time. It's not just the swimming, it's the logistics as well that make this such a challenge! I went to Dudley pool because I had to put the car in the garage for a service.

Last night I did another mile, 64 lengths though I'm holding a stewards enquiry to the length of the pool! I can't find what length its meant to be but it took an hour to do 64 lengths this time- I might just be tired but we'll assume it was a 25 metre pool until I know different!

I quite like Dudley pool- they still have pins on the locker keys and the changing rooms are in a ladies only area, plus there are private showers. The other two I've been to this week so far are ones with showers on the pool side and I'm not sold!

Right I've had my fry up and am off to Haden Hill leisure centre shortly for the 1200 public swim - am carless today!

Erdington Leisure Centre

Now, not to sound like a grumpy old woman but....swimming pools note- if  members of the public cannot be trusted locker keys on safety pins anymore for health and safety reasons, please can you give us something better than a wristband that comes off every few lengths? Ta!

As you can see from the sign above, this pool is 30 metres, and so I only did 54 lengths to make up my mile today, didnt get in the house til 8:15pm - now that's commitment to the cause!

Wolverhampton Health and Fitness Centre

Back from swimming my first mile- 64 lengths at Wolverhampton Health and Fitness Centre (Bentley Bridge). Took me about 50 minutes, not bad, oh and yes I did go on the water slide to celebrate the first mile :-D

Monday 12th September

Day 1 of the challenge and I'm excited and nervous! I'll need to swim an average of just under 4 miles (3.6875 to be exact!) per week, and I've been swimming about three times this year! 236 lengths per week will get me from Dover to Calais and back in the 12 weeks, but I cant afford to be ill or injured, so once I've built a bit of fitness up I'll be looking to get some extra lengths in to act as a buffer.

1st swim scheduled after work tonight!

Wish me luck my friends!