I have one rule – I don’t run unless someone is chasing me, which thankfully rarely happens.

As you can probably guess from that opening statement, fitness, and in particular running, isn’t really my thing. I do a bit of yoga and that’s where I draw the line, which is why I’m so impressed with the commitment that goes into Torpedo SwimRunning.

A Torpedo SwimRun is a mixed discipline outdoor adventure sport that combines running, scrambling (climbing), and swimming.

That sounds both exhausting and dangerous. Still, it’s really taking off.

Here’s BusinessInsider with more:

The SwimRun movement has its origins in Sweden, which is unsurprising considering the vast archipelagos there, which make for a perfectly blended route of cross country running and parallel swimming venues.

[…]Part aquatic cross-country, part ravine adventuring, SwimRunning is tough. A basic requirement is open water swimming proficiency: you need to confidently be capable of swimming 2km without bother.

 Add in the drag of those shoes, and the swim sections are a lot more challenging than a conventional swimming event.

You can compete individually or as a team. You have to carry your own equipment, and a helmet is compulsory because of all the steep scrambles and jumps that you’ll have to do.

So how do you swim with a helmet? Helmets are required because the swamble segment can have nasty consequences if participants slip and fall, but at a certain point they can be discarded, once the steeper rocky section are completed.

Most South African SwimRunners use lightweight cycling helmets, which offer good ventilation.

And swimming in running shoes, that’s not easy? Well, no, it isn’t but that is all part of the challenge.

To add to the challenge, if you’re competing as a team, you have to complete the track within 10 metres of each other in order to register a successful Torpedo time.

If this all sounds appealing to you, the next SwimRun is scheduled for November 18 in Cape Town.

The route covers 16 km – including a 3 km swim over six different segments and a 13 km run in six segments – from Sandy Bay to Clifton.

Teams of two people must start and finish together and cannot be separated by more than 10m.

I’ll watch from a safe distance with a glass of wine, thanks.

[source:businessinsider]