Poolside Percy

Water temp: 16 degrees Numbers. My chest feels tight and wheezy as I sit at the deep end soaking up some early Friday evening rain. It took me a long while to finally get my act together, I'll be lucky if I manage 15 lengths today I thought to myself. After 15 laborious, but sort of enjoyable lengths I decided that I could manage 5 more. Twenty? If I can do 20 then I might as well swim 27, a mile. Twenty-seven? That's almost twice as many as I've done already, let's see how we get on. Puffing and panting I reach 27 lengths and leave the pool. Numbers. When I grab my shower stuff and turn to walk to the shower there is only one important number, zero, the number of swimmers in the pool. The pool is empty with 15 minutes till closing time. I jumped back in and swam some more and thought about more numbers. Photo: nikvestberg

Water temp: 16 degrees Hmmm, this summer thing is a bit overrated if you ask me. Tuesday morning pre-work swim. I'm feeling a bit wheezy, need to take it easy. I get a touch of hayfever induced asthma in the summer, not as bad as I used to, oh by Amphitrite , not as bad as I used to. However, it's enough to affect my swimming, you need a good breathing strategy when you're swimming cos I aint swimming breaststroke, I'd rather walk. I aimed for 10 lengths and made it a round 12. Job done. One super hot shower and went about my business.

Brighton Beach It's Father's Day, I'm on Brighton beach with my son and my mates, the sun is out. We just rode 67 miles from London with about 28,000 other cyclists, it's taken us all day, we conquered Ditchling Beacon for the sixth year running on our trusty tandem, GF and sis cheered us in. I'm hot, tired and extremely elated, it's time for a swim in the sea and a cold fizzy lager... I can smell fish and chips... Happy, happy, joy, joy

Water temp: 16 degrees Post Parkrun Saturday morning swim. Pond is almost deserted, a couple of the regular faces say hello, one man attempts to have a conversation with me about replacing smoking with swimming, we don't get very far, it's all a bit of a drag. I swim a couple of laps. I pass what looks like a couple of screeching baby seagulls plotted up on a life buoy, I'm probably wrong, you could write what I know about nature on a blade of grass. I perform three average but perfectly respectable dives before heading off for important bike matters.

Water temp: 16 degrees Beautiful Friday early evening. I feel a visit to The Lido is in order. The water looks absolutely stunning, I swim a powerful 28 lengths. I spend a peaceful 15 minutes dozing in the sunshine before heading off for inter-galactic duties.  Big, big day on Sunday.

Water temp: 15 degrees A drizzly Tuesday morning, a watery sun skulks behind a grey cloud. This summer isn't much fun is it. Anyway, undeterred I went swimming before work. My head felt a liitle out of sorts, like I'd picked up the wrong one as I rushed out the door this morning. I had an hour and 45 minutes to cycle to the Lido, swim, get to work, eat breakfast and arrive at my 10 o'clock meeting looking keen and clean. I love the anticipation when I'm about to enter the water, the rejuvenating Lido waters. Job done, feel sparkly new again. The famous actor bloke was in the showers again, I never see him swimming, maybe he just acting, that's what actors do I guess, all the world's a pool I reckon.

Synopsis A short run through the city to Jesus Green Lido, then a 4 to 5 mile trot to the world famous Orchard Green Tea Rooms. Quick break for tea, cake and a spot of poetry reading, followed by a 2K swim back to Grantchester Meadows and the chance to recline by the river. Critical reaction OK, it didn't quite happen like that, I was late, Jesus Green Lido was closed, but the rest of the day was great. The 2Kswim up the Cam was probably my best swim of 2013. However, swimming anywhere near a swan freaks me out, I managed to sneak pass 'before the indifferent beak', I anticipated 'a sudden blow: the great wings beating still', but I swam on unabused down the winding river. I recalled halcyon days of night punting back from Granchester. We even spied a kingfisher. Talking of Kingfishers @Kingwellfish recounts the day on her blog: entirelysurroundedbywater.blogspot.co.uk   Famous quotes Quote of the day, sitting in Granchester: 'This is where R...