Poolside Percy

A surprise visit to see my Mum on her birthday. Obviously a post lunch swim in the sea is on the birthday cards. It's a fantastic afternoon, the sun is slowly setting behind Walmer beach. The sea is silvery blue and enticing. I waste no time and slip in to the English Channel, the water isn't exactly cold considering it's the last day of October. I swim far enough so I can see my Mum and step-dad who wave at me, silhouetted on the top of the steep pebbly bank. As I cycle out of Charing Cross Station on my way home I catch the tail end of Critical Mass, I've not been on one those in years, it's Halloween, what the hell. I soon find myself peddling round Piccadilly and up Regent Street flanked by ghoulish skateboarders and cyclists wrapped in tinfoil. Tourists smile and cheer, cabbies look bemused, London innit. As the procession turns left up Oxford Street I carry on north. It was great, as fun as the original Critical Masses, but less aggressive. ...

 

Water temp: 13 degrees I miss all the ladies this morning but manage to salvage the last croissant from the bottom of the unisex box. I volunteered at Parkrun this morning, split timer, it was was fun shouting times at people as they ran past. I mess about with the Spanish bloke, he won't get in, keeps dipping his feet in the water then shrieking and yelling. I call him a 'big girl's blouse' in his mother tongue. He looks at me bewilderedly and replies: "I'm a large lady shirt?" I shrug wondering what 'lost in translation' is in Spanish. Time to give up and go swimming before I cause a diplomatic incident. The water has been 13 degrees for ages, months even, I don't believe a digit of it. Quick paddle in the pond, feels cold and makes my joints ache.  My shoulder hurts when I swim front crawl. I'm due to do a relay race at Brockwell Lido in a few weeks, I'd better get my act together.

Water temp: 13 degrees It feels like it's been raining for days, the Heath is very damp and muddy. I think we had one shower of biblical proportions during the week which I was the intended recipient. Speaking of biblical, I'm at the Men's Pond with GB. He's well happy 'cos he just picked up his Parkrun 50 t-shirt. He's been waiting very patiently for it for months. The water at edge of the pond is luminous green, like tinned pea soup but with extra algae. I'd best keep my mouth shut, say nothing, I didn't do it, I wasn't there. You can see the green shore in the photo. Thirteen degrees my arse. The water feels very cold, and gnaws at my aching muscles, I manage to swim around the nearest buoy and back to the jetty. They'll be bringing the ropes in soon I reckon. My mind and self have to be elsewhere, off to Olympia with my son, he wants to go to a language seminar. It's all Greek to me.

Special offer at David Lloyd which I neither resist nor afford. Heated outdoor swimming pool on my doorstep, mine for the next five months. I will still still be visiting the Men's Pond and The Lido regularly. I never swim indoors, I like to swim lots of lengths, the nearest heated outdoor pool is London Fields, miles away. I don't have to justify my choice to anybody, apparently I do. First world problems. Thursday late afternoon. The grey canopy of the sky hangs over Finchley like an unwashed neck curtain, it hangs so low it's like a roof, I might have well have swum indoors. Is it too late for a refund? Hey, pool to myself. It's not that warm but it will do, it will have to do, I'm paying for this. The chlorinated water tastes strange. I plough up and down, I'm back to counting lengths, short lengths. I wonder what I'm doing here, a private health club. I sit in the jacuzzi contemplating and justifying my choice. There are some very overweigh...

Great write-up, pictures and tweets from Saturday. Nice one Icicle Pete [ View the story "Camden, cake and crawl: Just another Saturday morning with The Swimmer" on Storify ]

Water temp: 13 degrees Cycled up from my new work home in Mornington Crescent for a quick Tuesday lunchtime lap of the Men's Pond. Cool and serene.  

Water - 60.0F / 15.6C Air - 52.0F / 11.1C Monday morning, day is dawning, I is yawning. Cold and overcast, looks like rain. I swim up and down a couple of times, under the pontoon (freaks me out) and out to the orange buoy. Nice swim, I'm looking forward to coming here again on Saturday with The Swimmers. I've pretty much recovered from this Bell's palsy malarkey, I still get the odd mouth full of water when I'm not expecting it, I usually end up swallowing it. The talk in the changing room amongst the chattering classes is of water temperature and how best to make tea. That's first world problems for you. My Dad used to say: "What's better than a cup of tea? Two cups of tea." Me? No thank you. I'll stick with the Serpentine water.  

Normally in this situation I'd feel like I'm in a 60s film. The late summer sun rises above the West End as I dash across the narrow London streets, barely looking out for cars and taxis. I run out in to the Strand and past The Savoy and Simpson's in the direction of Trafalgar Square, dodging half 'a dozen tourists and some loved-up ravers. A beautiful girl is hot in my pursuit. I'm hot, thirsty and I'm running late for a train that won't wait for me. I'm going to see my Mum in Walmer, I can't miss this train. I feel rubbish, my head is pounding. I had my first drink in weeks last night, the first since Bell's Palsy, I forget how many, I don't remember the last drink of the night, it probably wasn't that long ago. GF and I slump in to our seats on the train, panting and sweating, we made it with moments to spare. I managed to grab a really expensive fizzy drink in the station, it will sort me out. I glug it down. Oh the horror, I...

Water temp: 16 degrees Bell's palsy : week 4 Saturday morning. I've just taken part in another Parkrun, SB got another PB. No GB and Action Danless today, so I'm taking a lazy, lonesome stroll down the avenue of lime trees. It was sunny a minute ago but a big grey cloud just pulled up and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere. I pass the East German Loud Ladies Swimming Team walking in the opposite direction, they're all done at the ponds then, joy. The changing rooms are deserted, makes a stark contrast to yesterday. A very solitary me swims a solitary lap of the pond. More joy. The rain starts to fall. I'd better make a dash for it just like Geoffrey Ingram, Geoffrey always gets home as it starts to rain Summer time farewell tune

Water temp: 16 degrees Bell's palsy : week 4 Another late afternoon swim at the ponds. There are a lot of people here today, all making the most of what is quite possibly the last day of summer. The bloomin' algae has reappeared, I'd better try and keep my semi-lopsided mouth well and truly shut. The springboard lies sadly broken. I swim a couple of luxurious laps before heading off to go rugby boot shopping at Ace Sports in Kentish Town.

Water temp: 17 degrees Bells palsy: week 3 Thursday pre-work swim. I set out to swim 18 lengths but I'm not really getting in to my rhythm. I think I left my swimming mojo at home. Now I'm feeling cold, it's 17 degrees, am I really going to swim through the winter again? Not worth thinking about. Maybe if I wade the next length. Fourteen is more than enough.

Water temp: 16 degrees Very chilled out Wednesday lunchtime swim. Sometimes it really is worth so much more than the effort. The trees sway in the warm breeze, basking in the early October sunshine, not one of them relinquishing a single leaf. Unbelievable weather. Afternoon appointment with at the Ear, Throat and Lopsided Face Hospital. Apparently I'm making a great recovery. I've seen promotions for Stoptober and Sober October, I'm gonna do Goswimmingeverydaytober, let's see how long that lasts, Gotober.