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!