# A problem of perception?



## Chris Hobson (Feb 7, 2022)

Since being diagnosed as type two in 2013 I have found that endurance sports have served me very well for keeping fit and keeping glucose levels under control. Now that my knees are started to get past their best, distance running and triathlons are no longer available to me so I've decided to concentrate on swimming. Wanting to do something really challenging and epic, I decided that I would attempt to swim 500 miles in a year. As this is a pretty big challenge, I contacted the local guide dogs charity and offered to do it as a fundraiser. Now I have come across an unexpected problem. Other swimmers get it but people who don't swim just don't see it as that big a deal. One of my in laws asked me if I went swimming more than once a week. Without doing any of the arithmetic, swimming 500 miles in a year just doesn't sound that hard.

A minimum of six hundred and forty pool lengths every week for a year? Sounds like a doddle doesn't it?

Edit.
For some reason I omitted to include the link to the Guide Dogs charity page on this post.

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chris-hobson9

It's sort of important as the fundraising isn't really going that well at the moment. Maybe people are waiting until I finish the full 500 miles before chipping in?


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## Leadinglights (Feb 7, 2022)

Chris Hobson said:


> Since being diagnosed as type two in 2013 I have found that endurance sports have served me very well for keeping fit and keeping glucose levels under control. Now that my knees are started to get past their best, distance running and triathlons are no longer available to me so I've decided to concentrate on swimming. Wanting to do something really challenging and epic, I decided that I would attempt to swim 500 miles in a year. As this is a pretty big challenge, I contacted the local guide dogs charity and offered to do it as a fundraiser. Now I have come across an unexpected problem. Other swimmers get it but people who don't swim just don't see it as that big a deal. One of my in laws asked me if I went swimming more than once a week. Without doing any of the arithmetic, swimming 500 miles in a year just doesn't sound that hard.
> 
> A minimum of six hundred and forty pool lengths every week for a year? Sounds like a doddle doesn't it?


They might be worried you might turn into a fish.
That's amazing to achieve that. How long does it take you to do that.


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## Chris Hobson (Feb 7, 2022)

I've mainly been doing sets of 160 lengths which equates to 2.5 miles. This takes just under two hours.


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## trophywench (Feb 8, 2022)

Well I don't swim - and I 'get' it!  Very impressed, actually !


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## Nicky doda (Feb 8, 2022)

What an achievement well done . I myself would really like to go swimming,but cannot as I am housebound due to several issues. Keep on doing what you set out to do


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## Chris Hobson (Feb 8, 2022)

"...you might turn into a fish."

A Semi Aquatic Mamil, take a look at this old post:



			https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/semi-aquatic-mamil.65107/


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## everydayupsanddowns (Feb 10, 2022)

Maybe you should change the units, and tell people the distance in metres?

*804,672 *

…or a smidge under 15,500m a week (620 lengths of a standard sized pool!)

I think most people just aren’t used to thinking of swimming in terms of miles. 

A huge challenge!


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## travellor (Feb 10, 2022)

Very hard.
I needed to do a 200m swim to start my dive qualification, that was bad enough.


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## Chris Hobson (Feb 12, 2022)

Benny G said:


> Hi Chris, the icon you use on this forum shows you with arms raised in victory crossing a finish line. This is a powerful image.
> You could create a similar powerful image, but this time dressed in your swimming gear, arms raised at the finish line, a couple of ladies wearing guide dogs' tee-shirts cheering you on, and perhaps an actual labrador.
> It would tell the general public what you are doing, and why, and that whatever the distance, the victory is real.
> 
> ...


The image is my finishing photo from the Outlaw triathlon. I am hoping to create some kind of fuss at the gym when I get to 498 miles or whatever but I will have to talk to the staff there to see what is possible.


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## Chris Hobson (Feb 28, 2022)

End of February and my next door neighbour just asked me if I've done it yet. Arrgghh!


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## Chris Hobson (Apr 13, 2022)

April 12th, just passed the 200 mile mark. That is just under 15 weeks. That means that, at the current rate it should take me thirty seven and a half weeks or around nine months.


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## trophywench (Apr 13, 2022)

Chris, it's 200 miles more than I have ever swum or am ever likely to swim before I die.  

Is that a typical remark from your stupid neighbour?


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## Chris Hobson (Apr 13, 2022)

"Is that a typical remark from your stupid neighbour?"

Fairly, she's really nice but she isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.


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