After a bit of break, back for the third time
Coniston is one of the classic UK long distance swims, with a current that either pushes you along nicely or gives you a more vigorous workout. At 5.25 miles its the shortest of the triple lake swims in the area, the other two being Ullswater and Windermere.
I’ve completed this swim twice before. The first was back in 2023, finishing in 3hrs 3 mins then again in 2024 with a time of 3hrs 20 mins.
2025 wasn’t great for me as far as longer distance swims went, with my furthest being 4km at Rutland water in August. So coupled with wrist surgery earlier this year (I know, I know, you’re getting sick of hearing about it now) I wasn’t quite sure how I would fair swimming Coniston.
As always though, when you arrive in the area the views are just breathtaking. The nerves were kicking in slightly but a stop by side of the lake to look at the water and see the clouds resting over the fells you can’t help but feel calmed.
Excitement and Nerves
Arriving at registration, you can sense the mix of emotions coming from other swimmers. There’s smiles, laughs and maybe a bit of nervousness in the air as you stand in the queue to collect your event pack.
I’d arrived early which is unusual, because I normally arrive a bit later when the queue is already trailing back into the car park. Luckily it was a queue and I was at the registration desk, giving my details and presenting my ID. While I was waiting for my swimmer number and registration pack, I got chatting to a couple who were taking part for the first time. They said they were a bit nervous, but their laughter and excitement was really nice to see.
A couple of minutes later and I had my event pack and number in hand and I was all set for the swim the following day.
Wetsuit wrestling for the toilet
The morning of the swim and I’ve fueled up on porridge and flapjack so I’m all ready to go…almost..
As usual at this point I’m running a bit behind and by the time I’m parked up its a race to get changed. Of course, after wrestling to get in to the wetsuit it dawns on me that I’ve not been to the toilet and so now I have to wrestle myself back out. (I really need to start logging this on Strava, because I’m sure it should be classed as an event on its own).
By this time, I’ve probably sweated off all the anti-chafing cream I’d put on and I’m starting to flap that I’m going to miss the bus to the start. After sorting myself out I make it outside in time to jump on the bus, and we’re off to the start line.
One thing I will say is that Chillswim really know how to put on event. Considering there are around 1000-ish swimmers taking part, the organisation and planning to co-ordinate everything is exceptional.
From getting off the bus there is a short walk across a field and we arrive at the start tent. Music is playing, swimmers are laughing, joking and all psyching ourselves up. There’s the safety briefing and route instructions and we’ll know we’ve reached the end when we see the giant inflatable duck. We’re also given a warning to watch out for the Coniston Caiman, which I’m pleased to say I haven’t seen…YET!
History on the water
And with that, we make our way over the timing line and get to feel the water temperature for the first time. How can I describe it…erm….lets go with…hmm…. refreshing! I found out later the water temperature had been recorded at 15 degrees, so a bit fresh.
I’m not one for racing at these events, I like to position myself on the edge and aim for the open water. Let everyone else battle amongst themselves and I enjoy just cruising along at my own pace. This swim was no different, the calmness of the water just made the swim sublime.
There was a couple of odd moments of turbulence which kept the swim interesting, but these were few and far between. Even more fun was seeing the Gondola passi by with its spectators watching and cheering us on as we passed. The Gondola dates back to 1859 and has a fascinating history which you can read about on the National Trust website.
Missing the jelly babies
On my previous swims here, I’ve always struggled towards the end. The first time I seemed to be aching everywhere and my back felt wrecked, so around the 4 mile mark I had to pause and stretch. This caught the attention of the safety kayakers who came over to check on me and encourage me to keep going. I cannot speak highly enough of volunteers who give them time to look after us swimmers on these events. They are absolute heroes!!!
The second time I wasn’t aching but tiredness started really hitting hard and my arms felt like lead, so I decided to stop at last feed boats to grab some jelly babies. This time, everything just felt perfect and I pushed on to the end without stopping.
Recently my time in the pool has been working on extending my reach, getting that high elbow position, making sure to engage my lats and then following all the way through on the pull. I could really feel the difference this has made, with the water being relatively calm it felt like is was gliding in the water. Even those moments where a bit of chop appeared, it still felt like I was just riding each wave perfectly. I dare say that to anyone watching me I still looked like a grounded fish flapping about, but to me it felt sublime.
A nice bit of bling
As I stepped (well stumbled and wobbled) out of the water, I gave the usual thumbs up and that was it my swim was finished.
It was then on to receive my medal and while I munched on a flapjack I hunted for my shoes. The picture doesn’t do it justice, but I think this is one of the nicest medals they have produced and once it was around my neck, it was on for the day.
The next priority was to jump on the bus and start the quest for some proper food.
The Famous Sausage Sandwich
Anyone who’s done Coniston knows about the sausage sandwiches, a slab of sausage ring in a breadcake that feels like it weighs about the same as your arm after 5 miles of swimming.
Unfortunately, by the time I got myself sorted I’d missed out. Although my swim groupies, were kind enough to send me a picture of the ones they’d eaten. Yeah, cheers for that!
In future, I’ll have to try and crank up the pace to make sure I get one (only for the sake of research and enjoying the full experience you understand).
Catching Up with Catch Swim
Just as I’m making my way out of the car park I spot a van with ‘Catch‘ on the side. I screech to a halt and leap out of the car like a poor mans version of the Sweeney (yeah, I’m showing my age I know) and go to introduce myself to Rebecca and Will from Catch Swim.
Now, I’m pretty certain that last thing they wanted while they were getting changed after their own swims was a grinning Yorkshireman hindering their progress. You know what though, they’re both genuinely lovely and while I blathered on they couldn’t have been more friendly.
We shared our experiences of the swim and the event in general and it was a pleasure talking to them. They’re both clearly passionate swimming and their excitement about helping other swimmers and the enthusiasm they when they talk about it is very infectious.
Like a klutz I forgot to grab a picture of three of us together, but they were kind enough to send me this one. It was good to put some faces to names and I look forward to ‘Catch’-ing up with them again in the future.
It’s well worth checking out their website and app if you’re looking for personalised training plans.
A Swim to Remember (Even Without the Sandwich)
Those of you that know my love of sausage sandwiches will not be surprised to learn I’m wearing a black arm band and still mourning missing out again. The rest of the day though, just couldn’t have gone any better with a swim that felt far more comfortable and relaxed than I expected.
Coniston and the weather were at their finest with calm water, beautiful sunshine and views that take your breath away. With a couple more events booked for this year, this was the sort of swim I needed to give my confidence a bit of boost. I don’t swim to race, its always swim to ‘complete not compete’ and this swim reminded me again that while a good time is nice, the real win is being out the water and appreciating the stunning places we get to swim.
Meeting Rebecca and Will from Catch Swim was the icing on the cake. They’re great company, full of enthusiasm, and thoroughly enjoyed the time we spend together chatting about how we each found the swim.
All in all, a cracking day… even if the sausage sandwich continues to evade me.