phew...a week (nearly) of work and not a chance to swim in TBL. So it was lovely to firstly meet up with Elizabeth and Alex before swimming and then to experience water that was cool, but not cold. So I was able to do a mile of easy strokes - I'm sure Alex lapped me at least twice.
Now that the water is cool it doesn't matter so much that today was the last day of the sauna - at least until late September. It's been such a blessing to get warm after a chilly swim.
Mucky Dover Harbour tomorrow morning. Yikes.
Friday 30 April 2010
Tuesday 27 April 2010
two strokes and you're out
Working away from home in a conference centre based in an old country house. The old orangery has been converted into a pool. But. It only takes five strokes to get from one end to the other. I swam for 20 minutes very slowly and just worked on stroke. It was also very warm.
Thursday 22 April 2010
couldn't resist
Got up with Kate this morning and thought I might as well go to the Lido earlier than usual. Signed in at 7.45am and met Jo Scanlan on the way in. She's doing a 10K swim in September in the Lake District, but I'd met her on a Swimtrek holiday in the Inner Hebrides last year.
I thought (see Mission accomplished post) that I'd stick to 2km, but I felt fine in the sunshine, so kept going to 2 miles. Then had a long luxurious sauna, met Alex in person, had a chat about TI and Art of Swimming styles with Elizabeth, then hopped back on the bike for a ride home.
Log - 3.3km or 2 miles at 12 degrees.
I thought (see Mission accomplished post) that I'd stick to 2km, but I felt fine in the sunshine, so kept going to 2 miles. Then had a long luxurious sauna, met Alex in person, had a chat about TI and Art of Swimming styles with Elizabeth, then hopped back on the bike for a ride home.
Log - 3.3km or 2 miles at 12 degrees.
Wednesday 21 April 2010
old McDonald
Walking up to the lido today and bumped into Jim McDonald on the way in. I haven't seen Jim for ages - as he's usually behind the wheel of a black cab. He's been going in all winter and thought I'd gone soft, until I told him what I was swimming these days. Spurred on, Jim decided to go for 12 lengths. I got in before him and had done 4 by the time he got in. I'd done 18 when I paused mid-length and asked him if he was getting out - as I wanted more of a chat. He said, "Oh, I'm feeling fine, I'm gonna do another ten." I thought, "What the hell, that'll make around 28 lengths for me."
That is, until he stopped me at the end of my 24; he'd managed another 4, and said he could only manage 2 more. So I ended up doing 26. And on exiting I know why he wanted to stop, as he didn't stop shivering for the next 45 minutes as we chatted over coffee about the sad shower that are our political representatives.
2.38km at 12 degrees. Feels so much warmer than 8!
That is, until he stopped me at the end of my 24; he'd managed another 4, and said he could only manage 2 more. So I ended up doing 26. And on exiting I know why he wanted to stop, as he didn't stop shivering for the next 45 minutes as we chatted over coffee about the sad shower that are our political representatives.
2.38km at 12 degrees. Feels so much warmer than 8!
Monday 19 April 2010
Mission accomplished
Tooting Bec Lido was up to a balmy 12 degrees C today, so thought I'd do at least 2.5km or 28 lengths. Got to 28 and thought why not do 30? Got to 30 and thought, "Might as well do 3km" or 33 lengths. But you have to come back, so then I thought 2 more and I've done 2 miles. So 36 lengths of Tooting Bec Lido - officially 3.0454 miles! Timed at 62 minutes.
Oh and had a lovely, leisurely 10 lengths with t'other Carl and his shameful mate, Steve, on Saturday morning, when it was at 10.5 degrees C. Why shameful you ask? Well he was wearing a wetsuit and he's the author of a book on shame. Which I couldn't find a reference to on-line...cause for more shame?
Anyways. now I've done the two miler I think I'll stick to maximum 2km swims for the time being.
Log - 4.2km in two swims. 0.91km at 10 degrees and 3.29km (2 miles) at 12 degrees.
Oh and had a lovely, leisurely 10 lengths with t'other Carl and his shameful mate, Steve, on Saturday morning, when it was at 10.5 degrees C. Why shameful you ask? Well he was wearing a wetsuit and he's the author of a book on shame. Which I couldn't find a reference to on-line...cause for more shame?
Anyways. now I've done the two miler I think I'll stick to maximum 2km swims for the time being.
Log - 4.2km in two swims. 0.91km at 10 degrees and 3.29km (2 miles) at 12 degrees.
Friday 16 April 2010
swimming and moving house
Managed a Move Eve swim of 2km at 9 degrees. Then had a mad Friday moving two houses into one. Kate, Ethan and I finally wrapped up in the same space - rather than spread along the Peckham/Lee axis.
And as a relief from the mountains of boxes a quick mile on Saturday morning in ten degrees. And the interesting thing is that ten degrees feels a lot warmer than 9 degrees. Someone described temperature sensitivity as being an exponential experience rather than an arithmetic experience. I'm not sure about this (I'll say more in a minute), but I think the idea of varying responses to temperatures is one worth exploring more - especially as the science of it is being developed by Gordon Lewis-Pugh and his team.
So I'm in the sauna with Gus after a long cool dip and we start talking about how Tooting Bec lido regulars have swimming targets. Gus says it used to be a length for each degree of temperature. I say that I think it's easier to swim 20 lengths at 10 degrees (doubling) than it is to swim 4 lengths at 4 degrees. Gus - who's been in and out of the lido all winter - says that he thinks 1 length at 1 degree is easier than 2 at two degrees. This leads us to the hypothesis that there's a waveform of possibility.
In my mind it might go something like -
1 to 3 degrees - 1 or 2 lengths
4 to 6 degrees - 3 to 5 lengths
7 degrees - 7 to 10 lengths
8 degrees - 10 to 18 lengths
9 degrees - 12 to 22 lengths
10 degrees - up to 40+
Log - 8th to 16th April - 5.65km. 9 to 10 degrees C
And as a relief from the mountains of boxes a quick mile on Saturday morning in ten degrees. And the interesting thing is that ten degrees feels a lot warmer than 9 degrees. Someone described temperature sensitivity as being an exponential experience rather than an arithmetic experience. I'm not sure about this (I'll say more in a minute), but I think the idea of varying responses to temperatures is one worth exploring more - especially as the science of it is being developed by Gordon Lewis-Pugh and his team.
So I'm in the sauna with Gus after a long cool dip and we start talking about how Tooting Bec lido regulars have swimming targets. Gus says it used to be a length for each degree of temperature. I say that I think it's easier to swim 20 lengths at 10 degrees (doubling) than it is to swim 4 lengths at 4 degrees. Gus - who's been in and out of the lido all winter - says that he thinks 1 length at 1 degree is easier than 2 at two degrees. This leads us to the hypothesis that there's a waveform of possibility.
In my mind it might go something like -
1 to 3 degrees - 1 or 2 lengths
4 to 6 degrees - 3 to 5 lengths
7 degrees - 7 to 10 lengths
8 degrees - 10 to 18 lengths
9 degrees - 12 to 22 lengths
10 degrees - up to 40+
Log - 8th to 16th April - 5.65km. 9 to 10 degrees C
Wednesday 7 April 2010
creeping upwards
A mile on Tuesday - and at 8 degrees it felt cooler. And two kilometres today. The difference in Tooting Bec Lido is 4 lengths. Am aiming for two miles (36 lengths) by the end of April - when I'm hoping it'll be above 10 degrees C.
Saturday 3 April 2010
dropping temperatures
Another mile in Tooting Bec this morning, but at 8 degrees its a lot cooler. Got lots of admiration for the distance (thanks to all the generous SLSCers), and even managed to do some 3/4 breathing sets. Its a bit too cold to do 7s or 9s. And Martin has set me the challenge of doing 5/7/9/11/9/7/5 for a couple of Lido lengths (182metres).
1.65km - 8 degrees C
1.65km - 8 degrees C
Calshot Beach
Got soaked riding down to Calshot Beach to swim with my mate, Martin. We were in for a chilly 15 minutes and got out with hands and feet like cooked lobsters. Then down to the activity centre for a cheap, but good, Thai chicken curry. They've got a great set of climbing walls there too.
Sea. 7/8 degrees. 15 minutes.
Sea. 7/8 degrees. 15 minutes.
Thursday 1 April 2010
lonesome lengths
Another mile in Tooting Bec. Although the thermometer still read 9 degrees, it felt colder. Maybe because the air temperature was lower and the sun wasn't shining. And maybe because until the end of my half hour in, I was the only one swimming. Going after 11 misses the morning crowds - all six of them!
1.65km at 9 degrees
1.65km at 9 degrees
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