the silly season starts

Down to Tooting Bec lido with Kate. Sign in the entrance says 4 degrees. Kate does two widths (60m) and there's a film of her on Facebook. I think to myself that 15 widths is what I'll have to do for the endurance race in January, but get out after two. I don't get any shivers, but feel enough is enough. The other Carl has been made redundant, so we've got a few weeks to swim together (work dries up for a few weeks from early December) and get acclimatised.

Grasmere

Up in Cumbria working for a week or so. Today was my day off so went for a swim with some swimmers I've met through work colleagues - Becky and Lucy. The water is very cold up here - not yet suffering any shocked breathing, but I'd guess it was 6 or 7 degrees. My feet started to go almost as soon as I got in. Lasted about five minutes, but have felt dazzlingly refreshed ever since. Unfortunately working 9am to 9pm for the rest of the week, so will only be able to gaze longingly at the waters various as we drive by in our hired white van to locations around the Lakes.

Baltic

Got to the lido and the temperature has dropped again. The sign says 8 degrees, my body says it's less - it certainly felt colder than the sea on Saturday. Did 730 yards (6 lengths and 4 widths) and although I shivered afterwards, and am still a little fresh an hour later, I feel fantastic. From now on it's Baltic conditions, with Artic to come. I have to do 13 mins at 6 degrees to qualify for the endurance race at the Cold Water Swim Championships. Almost there.

last sea swim of the year (probably)

Met up with a host of wild swimmers yesterday at Wells next the Sea (north Norfolk coast) for a bracing swim off the beach.

A red headed seal and a yellow capped red head
Picture courtesy of Tom Reed

Those I can remember - Sarah Tunnicliffe, Claire Woodhead, Tonia, Tom Read, Dan Martin, Bryn Dymott, Stuart, Sarah...and my memory gives up at this point.

The water was a very chilly 7.5 degrees and we all stayed in for 20 to 25 minutes, except Dan who stayed for a little longer. We were supposed to swim within the yellow bouys, but they weren't in deep water so we went further out - only to end up mixing it with launches going out to the wind farm offshore. The Harbour staff were none too happy, but no incidents occured. They did wind us up though by saying that Greenland Sharks had been attacking seals over the last few months. And readers I was shivering for some time; thankfully the coffee, cakes, sausages and flapjack did the trick.

glow

Got to the pool today, and being in no particular rush, chatted to the lifeguards about water temperature, fainting and so on. One thing that the conversation provoked in my head was the idea that there is a time to be in the water that creates a wonderful heating sensation afterwards, and beyond that you just get increasingly cold. I did just 400 yards (4 lengths) and was a nice beetroot colour when I got out. I could have done more, but didn't want to have that cold to the core feeling that I had for several hours on Tuesday. A couple of hours later I still have the wonderful endorphin feeling.

On the way out, I talked to Anne, and we discussed whether there was any regular pattern to the fainters. Aside from them all being women, they were of all ages, had been in the water for different lengths of time, were a mix of experienced and newcomers. One thought was that they'd all spent more than a short time in the showers.

shiver

It was 12 degrees on Saturday and today the sign in the lido entrance said - Water 9 degrees, Air 4 degrees and Wind Chill. A 3 degree drop in 4 days is a lot and I was a little apprehensive about doing more than a few lengths, but thought I'd do a km. I did. Felt good when I got out and sensibly only had the briefest of showers. The started to shiver. Not uncontrollably, but shivered nevertheless for the first time since March. A coffee and five minutes in the warmth of the cafe did the trick.

On the way out though, someone else fainted in one of the cubicles. And I was told that the water temperature was more like 7.5 degrees. I think I'll have to eat more cake to get some winter blubber.

carl v carl

Alex at Quick Dip has published some good pictures of Carl and I swimming on Saturday morning. A km without the sauna produced an interesting effect - I felt the endorphin kick for much longer and felt refreshed all the way to around nine at night, when gazing over the balcony at the National Theatre in the interval at FELA!

irrational decision making

The powers that be at the SLSC (the Committee) have decided to close the sauna for two weeks because people were using it to warm up after swimming in cold water! They felt people were over-extending themselves, and because ambulances have been called for four incidents, they thought that they'd close it for two weeks while we get used to cold water swimming without a sauna. This begs several questions -

1. Given that only one of the faintings, as I understand it, came after someone had been in the sauna - why aren't the showers banned?
2. Given that on a daily basis at least 60 people go swimming, why is it that 0.55% of the visits can restrict the opportunities of the remaining 99.45% of visits? (4 faintings from 720 visits over two weeks)
3. If the sauna is not for warming up, what is it for?
4. In relation to Q2 - why not suspend the membership of the irresponsible four, rather than inconvenience the vast majority?

And whilst I acknowledge that the committee is elected at the AGM, in this day of social media and emails, a consultation with the rest of us before the decision would have been more democratic and imho more fitting to the collegiate atmosphere at the club.

I guess we'll just see people shivering more.

natural swimming

Got in the pool today, and mindful of the fainting episodes, told the Aaron (one of the lifeguards) that I'd do two km. He was tranquil about this having seen me do this distance at less than 10 degrees. My first length was wonderful. Felt like I was cutting through a crust of leaves on the surface of the pool, reminding me of river swims where you're brushed by the weeds and fell twigs lightly scratch you as you go by.

Unfortunately I was asked to move to the clear side of the pool, as the other swimmers in the pool didn't want to swim through leaves. Did 2km without feeling adverse. The pool is up to 12 degrees, and while not exactly balmy, it feels a lot easier to swim in. Then spend 20 mins in the sauna chatting to people about how to spot hypothermia and how to be sensible about the lengths you swim. I kept my distances to myself.

fainting all around

The water temp is taking its toll on the swimmers. Four people have now fainted in the last few weeks after getting out of the water. Personally, it reminds me to keep a good check on my body and get out before I get hypothermic. On a more general note, it strikes me that an increase in fainters might put the access to the pool at risk and that perhaps the lifeguards should extend what they're doing at the moment and check people who have done more than a few lengths to check they are OK.

And it's not as though it's novices. Three of the four fainters have been experienced members - who imho should know better.

Anyways...met Carl today (working at home because of the tube strike) and did a leisurely km and had a good long chat afterwards.

brrr

26 lengths/2.38km. Felt fine on length 24, then started to lose feeling in hands on length 25. Could have gone on, but thought it wise to get out. 25 mins in the sauna and still didn't sweat. I must have been cold. It was a very meditative experience though.

Monday Monday

22 lengths/2km, 11 degrees, 70+ in the sauna, feeling blissful.