Tag Archives: 8 degrees C

sun, sun, sun

19 Mar

Jonathan enjoys the rays

A beautiful day. Frost overnight chilled my hands on the away over, but 30 minutes standing around and chatting warmed me up. Gail and Nicky talked about strikes and pensions, Peter the Rev eschewed the sauna after his 35 minutes in, a decision he seemed to be regretting on the way out. Nando arrived, Elizabeth and Alex hard on his heels. Another meeting of the bloggers. Another round of photos.

Michael and Nuala got out before we got in, as did Alex; Nando and I engaged in endless chit, chit, chatter. Then in and off. Felt colder today. The deep end thermometer reading 8 degrees C, the sun not quite covering the deep end. It may only be March, but I think the suncream will need to come out soon, as I’ve already got a clear border between back and bottom. I felt cold at one kilometre, saw Sue R, Nick and Chris come and go, colder at two and the last six hundred yards to 3km accompanied a steady decline in stroke. Almost an hour bang on. Not sure that I’m looking forward to my two hours at 10 target.

Then some warming up and fresh coffee thanks to Sue B and cookies all round with Pip, Ian, Nando and Hilary. Wanted to stay longer, but a bed delivery was looming at home.

Ape – 3300 yards (3.02km) – 8 degrees C.

distance x time

15 Mar

Enroute to the lido there was still fog about, so nipped into my friend Bridged’s for a cuppa before arriving at the pool for nine-ish – with the sun now ablazing. Then, realising I had very little to do today, engaged in natterings with Elizabeth, Alex and Batch. And then I spied Nando coming in, so we agreed to get in and swim…and swim. Nando was keen to repeat yesterday’s swim of a shade under 3km and I wanted to go 200 yards better and get to two miles. After a km or so, Ian got in and I kept pace with him for a 1000 yards to work on the lungs a bit; and then eased off for the next twenty minutes to come in at 1hr 3mins. Nando meanwhile cruised on for another 17 minutes and did 3200 yards in 1hr 20m. In the world of cold water swimming, I think the endurance (time in) is more impressive than the distance. But it’s distance that sticks in people’s minds. If the regulars are stretching to do a km, two miles is madness.

Got out and lo and behold, Jackie turns up and so does Big Carl. So I went in for a little while longer to practise sprints for Sunday (thanks to Ian for timing me), some photos, a couple of widths for Nando to film my stroke and two and a half lengths of Big C’s 12. Jackie meanwhile stroked on and on and on.

And more chat…Vernon, X (who was incognito and skiving off work), Anne Brimelow, Annie (who was off to keep fit) and Big Carl. Finally left around 1.30pm, after a piece of Jeanne Marie’s birthday cake – thanks.

Ape – 3600 yards (3.3km or 2.05miles) – 8 degrees C.

take it easy on yourself

14 Mar

From a jump in to an hour’s swim, it’s all happening at the lido. Until Nando reappeared and got in leisurely, adjusted his abacus and started to casually stroke out past the hour mark and onto an hour and a half (roughly). 3200 yards in 8 degrees C. Thankful that he didn’t beat my distance, but he absolutely creamed my time. He is indeed the Big Daddy. I saw him after my sojourn in the sauna, after I managed another 3400 yards in the slightly slower time (than yesterday’s) of 59 minutes. I cruised today, as the air temperature was a lot colder and I wanted to preserve some energy for later. Swimming for so long is a little akin to being in a Philip Glass movie. People drift by at different speeds, you wander off and wonder at the leaves and flotsam and what you’ll have for tea. I think about how I might do this thirteen plus times to get across the Channel in 2014. I feel the aches in my arms – must get some stroke analysis done soon. I ignore the cold, even when my head tells me to get out after a kilometre. I worry about getting delusions of heat. I consider where my toes have gone. I think about how Mrs Ape would love this. And then I sit in a sauna for a while, chat, feel elated and leave to have coffee and a laugh with Hilary. Only a nutter would swim 35 lengths at this temperature, after all.

Nice picture of me by Alex on Quick Dip here.

Ape – 3400 yards (3.11km) – 8 degrees C.

the basking Brazilian

Nando leaves me in the wake of his time

up to 3k

13 Mar

Met Nicky on the way in, who reminded me of the fete on 24th March, in aid of Stephanie’s channel crossing. There will be a lot of books apparently and Batch has a game he has invented…so some performance art from him then. Michael was getting off his bike, so had a brief chat with him about helmets and safety. Before having a slighly longer chat with Peter about non-conformism and the branches of the church(s). Then in.

The thermometer read 8 degrees C and I recall swimming two miles at 8 back on 1st December. I’ve been doing 2km pretty consistently this last week, so thought I’d push the envelope. I get a sense of achievement at 800 yards, it’s the foothill; then another at 2000 yards, twenty lengths feels like a good number; got to twenty four, I’ve been counting in dozens and thought another 10 lengths (100o yards) and I’m at 3km. I saw Ian get in with his go faster wetsuit, so kept his pace for six lengths, bit then eased off, as whilst it warmed me slightly, I wanted to keep my breathing regular. And I find that a  long swim at cold temperatures requires a more steady state of swimming. I could have gone on to two miles – just another 200 yards – but thought that 3km was a good enough step up. I found that I could still talk, so engaged in the usual chit, chit, chatter in the sauna with, among others, Sue, Sue 2, Claire and Hilary. No time for a coffee, as I was off to a meeting at ten. Lovely.

A real privilege to be among such people. If you live in London and want to swim, join the SLSC – just £115 for the year.

Ape – 3400 yards (3.11km) – 8 degrees C, 56 mins.

up 4

4 Mar

Ape sets out

Last time I swam in Tooting it was 3.8 degrees C; today it was a shade under 8. But I have not been in since 22 February. I thought I’d manage a km relatively easily, but having Pip and Nando in with me upped my competitiveness and after a mile I thought I might as well carry on an do 2 clicks. Meanwhile Mrs Ape did another 1200 yards. We’d missed the races, all the cubicles were full, but had all cleared out by the time we left. Saw Alex and Simon doing length after length and had a magnificent slice of Nando’s walnut and coconut cake. Nicky couldn’t stay any longer, so she missed out on Mrs Ape’s cake…such are the hours of librarians. Good to see Vince and kids, and Ollie and Elvis – who was attempting to disguise himself as Big Daddy. And Margy has a new hat – see here.

Ape – 2200 yards (2km), Mrs Ape – 1200 yards (1.1km) – 8 degrees C.

and the video…

2 Dec

Thanks to Martin Wollny for this film. Critiques of stroke welcome!

http://vimeo.com/33013552

 

A mile in December – why not two…and a bit?

1 Dec

Nando bags a December mile

I’d seen from the weather forecast that this was to be the last mild day for a while. And it’s the 1st December, so what better thing to do than swim two miles in 8 degree C water? I imagine people can think of many other things, but I am a cold water obsessive. I’d said to Nando that I’d be down at ten, and he said he’d join me, but he was already stroking up and down the pool, as was Pip. I looked at Pip and thought, “he’s such a competitive soul that he’ll be wanting to do a two miler as well”.

After a quick chat with Jenny of Swimming Round London fame , I thought I might as well get on with it. I arranged a signal with the lifeguards and set off. At the turn of a mile, Pip was standing on the side grinning and said that he’d done 37 lengths (a 100 yards or so past the two miles); so concluded that my earlier assumption was right and rolled on. At just over two kilometres, I saw Peter and Sally get in. They swim head up breaststroke (well in this temperature anyway) and I knew that it’d take me roughly the same time to do another km, as it would for Peter to do eight lengths. At the final turn for the two miles, I realised I was a few minutes under the hour, so thought I should pip Pip. So went on to do 40 lengths.

Although I had turned up to spotting rain and cloud cover, by my fourth length the sun came and shone on me for the whole hour and a bit. And after twenty minutes in the sauna had disappeared again. Which gave Martin plenty of light to film me. He’s posted it here. Thanks Martin. Pip got in later and did another four to take him to 41. But then he doesn’t wear a cap.

3.66km, 8 degrees C (4000 yards/2.27 miles, 46.4 degrees F)