a friend in need...

My friend Bridged has a damaged ankle. She's been cycling, but hasn't swum for ages. She's not an aficianado of cold water, so we agree to a compromise - Crystal Palace. It's 50m and its heated to about 25/26 degrees C - so it doesn't feel like swimming in a bath.

I've never been in all my 24 years in SE London. It was a bit of a shock to find a direct train from Peckham Rye station, every half hour and only 15 minutes in duration. And an even bigger shock to find that it was only £2.25 to swim there.

I was in a little longer and clocked up about 3km - with a mixture of speedy and slooow swimming. And chasing one or two frantic crawlers down the lanes.

3km.

outdoor swimming season starts!

The news that Tooting Bec Lido was up to 9 degrees filled me with delight. At this temperature I can easily do a kilometre. So on Friday I went over to the lido, got into the trunks, stepped into the water...and paused. It was chilly. Not Baltic, but definitely shrinking temperature.

The first length was a challenge. The shock of the cold (having not been outside in just skin since late November) made it a little difficult to breathe, so had to do every two strokes. While at the same time trying to calm down and ease into the breathing. I did the second length a bit more gracefully and sped up a bit to generate some heat. By length three I was calmer, breathing normally and the shock had passed. I ended up doing ten lengths and feeling I could have done more.

On the Saturday, I met the other Carl, who has hardly swum since he crossed the Channel last year. He wasn't up for more than a width really, but persuaded him to do four lengths. And we got photographed by Elizabeth Wurth for her blog - An unusual love affair in London.

Sunday saw a mammoth lie in by Kate and I with cups of tea and the Observer.

And this morning 18 lengths (just over a mile) in Tooting Bec Lido, followed by a long, lovely sauna. The outdoor season has arrived. I'm off down to Calshot Beach for a swim on Good Friday.

Friday - 0.91km, Saturday - 0.37km, Monday - 1.65km - all at 9 degrees C.

work gets in the way of swimming

Managed 10.5k since the last entry, including a lovely 3kin London Fields Lido. Been practising breathing drills and slooow strokes to fine tune.

18th to 23rd March - 10.5 k

Ballantyne baths

Just finished a day of talking about geoengineering in Birmingham and needed to relax with a swim. The only pool close by and open was a local Ballantyne spa. Got into a 21m pool with minimal lighting, underground and with very strange patterns of the wall. Had it all to myself except for the last twenty minutes and enjoyed a good steam too.

3k

eleven days of March

Back into a normal flow now. Stopped the fags two weeks ago and have been interested in what difference it'll make. At the moment very little to my speed, but am able to go on for longer and sprint without being overheated.

Swam mostly in Peckham Pulse, but had an hour and a bit in the Queen Mother Centre near Victoria (nice pool, but expensive at £4.90 a swim) and at Kelso pool (cheaper at £3, but not very wide). Am finding that what I have experienced up to now as a quiet time (3pm) is now becoming more popular; and despite my leisurely pace am having to lap everyone continously. Tried a different tack today and went to the side of the lane and swam close to the lane divider - up and down.

Log - 1.3.10 to 11.3.10 - 20.5km

a month of swimming and working

A lot has been going on. I sold my house on 2 February and started to do a lot of work. Managed 5.5K in the first week of Feb, zero in the second week due to working morning through to night, just 3.5K in the third week, but 11K in the final week. One of my swims was in Tooting Bec at 1 degree C, one was in a tiny pool at the Golden Lane Leisure centre (a charity relay with some mates), two or three at the Arches in Greenwich (indoors but cooler than most) and the rest in Peckham Pulse.

I'll be moving in early April, so just one more month of Peckham Pulse.

Log - 2.2.10 to 28.2.10 - 20km.