Poolside Percy

Water temp: 19/20 degrees Good news - the summer has made a comeback. Bad news - I have Bell's Palsy , the right side of my face is completely paralysed, it happened on Friday night, I spent four hours in The Royal Free A&E. I don't know the cause. I'm on steroids, I feel disorientated and a bit pissed off. I'd smile but I can't.Hopefully I'll be back to normal in a few weeks... I'm supposed to be doing the Dart 10K swim this Sunday, I wasn't that bothered about doing it, I tried to sell my ticket a while ago. However, I'm now absolutely determined to do it. I'm going to go to The Lido and swim as many lengths as is humanly possible. I'm not going to feel sorry for myself. I am Poolside Palsy. It's a really beautiful afternoon, perfect in fact, the water is lovely. I can swim but as half my mouth is paralysed I get water in it and it's difficult to spit out. I try loads of different techniques, I even swim breaststroke. I

Water temp: 18 degrees Pre-work Friday morning swim, I've not had one of these in a long time. All the old faces are here, including Gorgeous George and the famous actor chap who always pays his debts. The forthcoming Dart10K is on my mind, this is a serious matter that deserves a little thought and a bit of training. It's a compulsory wetsuit swim, downhill towards the sea so I'm assuming that you point yourself in the right direction and let nature take her course. We'll see. Eighteen lengths today, one for each degree. It's amazing how much more powerful you feel in the water when you remember to use your legs.

Water temp: 18 degrees Late afternoon, late summer swim. I can't believe I'm saying that. Why did summer go so quickly, was it something that I said? Beautiful lazy swim, just what the doctor ordered. Now for some reason I entered the Dart10K swim. It's next weekend? I wonder if one lap of the ponds is enough training? Better think about this one.  

Water temp: 19 degrees After Sunday's fiasco in the duathlon I feel I have something to prove to myself. How is that I can bash out a mile of my favourite pool with not much effort at all, but stick my friends, family and 20 other duathletes in the pool, and I can barely swim? I should have thought about that beforehand. Oh well, a whole year to get it right. New tinted goggles today, I see the world in a different light. Forgot my swimming trunks tho'. Swam a very enjoyable 27 lengths.

My third attempt at the Hampstead Heath Duathlon . Beautiful sunny morning. Started too fast at The Lido, I could barely swim today. Made up for it in the running stages. Very hard, very elated afterwards. Three and a half minutes faster than last year and eight minutes better than the year before. I'll win it before I'm 90. A massive thank you to the organisers and volunteers. Big love to my friends and family who came to cheer me on.

Water temp: 16 degrees   Another beautiful Hampstead Heath Saturday morning with my dear friend Jo. 

Water temp: 18 degrees Grey and overcast 'summer's day' afternoon. Thought I'd swim a mile and get fit for this Sunday's duathlon. Way, way too cold, still not acclimatised. Wimped out after 14 lengths.