Poolside Percy

Eight lengths Eighteen degrees Parliament Hill Fields Lido 1971

Pre-work swim 14 degrees 10 lengths

Post driving test swim 15 degrees 10 lengths

After work swim 15 degrees

Place to myself

Capitaltri 3K swim with Jo Black 1hr58s

Post-Parkrun dip

Morning swim

Fell asleep in the afternoon sun

Post election night swim

Twelve degrees: seventeen lengths. Summer season.

12 degree pre-work swim

Three ducks

Saturday morning post Parkrun swim with David

Ropes out for the summer

Pre-work swim

After-party rebirth

My photos

Long chat with lifeguard

Outed by Dan

Shivering in the sauna  

 

Lunchtime swim. Water finally felt a little less brutal on my arms and shoulders.

Post Parkrun swim with GB. Train to Canterbury to see my Mum.

 

Mentally cold Saturday morning 'swim' with GB.

Water temp: 2 degrees It's Thursday afternoon. I'm at work in Camden Town. From my window I spy a cold, grey Thursday afternoon. I sort of promised myself a swim in the men(tal)s pond today. I might just change my mind on that one. I'll have a think. Before you can say 'change my mind' I find myself pulling up at the mentalist pond on my bike. I tell myself that it's gonna be cold, but it'll be worth it, that's what I say. The sun has come out, I mean really come out. The sky is blue, feel the warmth. 'It's still gonna freeze your nuts off', quips Dan as I psyche myself up for the ordeal. Brrrrrrutal is all I can say. I can't say I enjoyed the swim. I felt a bit vulnerable and lonely out there in the wilds of Hampstead Heath, luckily I had Dan to look over and laugh at me. I can definitely say it was worth it. Priceless.

Sunday morning jaunt with my son, sister and a couple of nephews. My lido loving sister moved to Lewes a year ago. The Triangle is now her pool of choice in Sussex. Rammed with fun-loving families. Lots of slides and flumes. Oh my word, an open air rapids, I get to 'swim' outdoors, lovely. My sister and I play with the kids for a little while before sneaking off to the almost deserted big pool to swim a few lengths. We have our obligatory race, I narrowly beat her. A great morning is slightly disturbed by my sister's insistence on listening to the Elaine Page show on Radio 2 in the car on the way back to Lewes.

Water temp: 2 degrees Lunchtime lap of the pond. Brutal, intense, enjoyable.

Saturday morning fun at The Men's Pond

Water temp : 'You tell me, you've been in' It's gonna be cold, it's gonna hurt, it's gonna be worth it. This is what I'm telling myself. It's gonna be cold... Lovely. Lunch in The San with J & D. 

 

Water temp: 4 degrees Friday afternoon fun at the Men's Pond. A spectacular sunny morning has given in to grey skies. I walk the length of the jetty with loud encouragement from Dan The Lifeguard. I walk quickly back in the direction in which I came. I puff up my chest, sprint down the jetty landing feet first in the water. As I surface from my icy plunge my loud gasp scatters the gathering of gulls. I feel acclimatised again, at one. It's The Swimmer again tomorrow, what fun.

Water temp: 4 degrees After a proper pissy start to the day the sun has come out. I'm at work in Mornington Crescent and just about dry after this morning's deluge. A certain upper class paper has announced that open water swimming is 'trending'. What on earth does this mean? I'm gonna take some time to think about this one. I can't find a conclusive definition of the word 'trending', but I assume this means that open water/wild swimming will be popular in 2015. I find a reference to 'a warming trend'. In January? Are you mad? If you're new to the game I'd think about starting in June or July when the water has warmed up a bit. Even then the water can be pretty nippy. Your choice. To The Men's Pond. I'm excited. My first swim of 2015. I cycle north towards Highgate. All this talk of 'trending' has me worried now. Maybe there'll be a queue of skinny bearded hipsters, where will I park my bike with all those shi...

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