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 shiny fixed wheeled jobbies about. They'll all be wearing hipster swimming gear and sporting the latest accessories. I'll feel fat and inadequate. Maybe 'trending' refers to middle-aged people. That's me. Am I trending? I thought I was going swimming. I'm confused. I need a swim.
I'm at the ponds. No bikes, no beards, I'm the only punter here. Maybe all the trendees are in the water.
Nope, no-one in the water. Dan The Lifeguard is here. He's not trending. Have you met Dan, he's more eighties. We went to the same secondary school so that makes him old school in every sense of the word.
Anyway. The water feels very cold, it is four degrees after all. As I climb out I feel exhilarated.
As I unlock my bike outside, two young bearded gentlemen stop me and ask me lots of questions about swimming in the ponds. It's started.
RIP John Mathews.