Over the coming months Tim and I will be swimming in VERY cold water acclimatising to temperatures that would cause most people serious hypothermia or without putting too fine a point on it death ;)

We need to build up our endurance, stamina and speed for the relay team that we will be part of in August 2018. Our window is set, our boat is booked and Nessie is working on keeping the Loch really, really cold. On a really warm day it might get to 12 degrees. More likely to be 11.

Although a similar distance point to point (22 miles), this is going to actually be so much tougher than the English Channel that we conquered last year. Whilst we don't have tides to battle the cold will sap our strength and slow us down. The Loch still is subject to wind, weather and Nessie so anything could happen.

We will be the first Aspire Relay Team to take on the Loch swimming under "Channel Rules". That means 1 hour rotations, only single swimming suit (no wetsuits allowed here), one single silicone swimming hat. No gloves, socks or any other aid of any kind. There will be an official observer on the boat to ensure all the very strict rules are adhered to.

We'll be doing Raffles, Cake Sales, Sweepstakes general begging for prizes, sponsorship, flasks of hot ginger tea emotional support. This is going to be tough.

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