NICE AND COLD
Well after a brief spell away from writing the blog (work and going on courses interfere with life!), its time to put pen to paper...for those young readers amongst us..that was the old fashioned method of communication.
The winter has passed, thankfully without event (accident aside), the snow that was promised failed to materialise but the temperatures did plummet, now for mere mortals that means that we scurry inside, light the fires and wear as many layers of clothing as possible, the swimming pool our only source of watery play now awaits....but hang on...what about those of us who very rarely visit an indoor watery palace (i use that word dubiously as we know most are not salubrious nor are they palaces)
For those of us that shy away from the indoor watery boxes new adventures abound - winter swimming. Yes i can just see you all sat there giving out an involuntary shiver at the mere thought of it, but it like summer swimming is addictive.
What does it feel like i hear you ask. Well having a cold shower or plunging your hand into a bucket of water does not equate to the level of cold you will experience when submerging yourself into an icy lake. First the breathlessness, the heartbeat rising, the peripheral vision shrinking as very fibre of your body screams at you to get out and get warm. For those of us that manage not to make a rapid exit, the gradual lowering of the body into the water brings about a welcome numbness that further more invites you to swim!
Swim in that ....yes we do, it might not look as stylish as during the summer months nor do we swim the distances that the warmer waters permit. But we do slowly embrace the cold and its affects on our bodies. The mind is the biggest controlling factor during the winter months, waking up and seeing snow or a hard frost and the mind instantly turns to ....."fab, lets go swimming!" The journey to the lake is spent wrapped in as much fleece as we own and the heater in the car on full as we try to preserve what little vestibule of heat we possess.
Getting changed can be a painful affair, attempting to pull on cold neoprene is difficult and no amount of speed will prevent the chilled air from wrapping itself around you, it was easier to not put the wetsuit on...after all how bad can it be.....for one and all its fine up to the mid thighs - then for the men...well you can just imagine the reaction on their faces as their nether regions react in the way they should, everything disappears, most cant talk and some have been known to produce howler monkey impressions, for us ladies the 'area' is higher up....equally as painful and then rapidly numb, thankfully. and again the final painful bit....the armpits, we all hold our arms close to our bodies, the natural instinct to preserve heat kicking in! The noises emitted from the mouth tend to get higher in pitch and a tad louder but it is all part of the process - we have also been known to develop tourette's! Thankfully the later is a short lived affair.
The distance we swim is always calculated prior to getting in (the brain barely computes once we are in!) and once submerged we are off....do we worry about technique, what we look like...nope we head off to our intended destination, pleading with our bodies to let us make it there...and quick as flash we are there. The often raggy breathing starts to calm down, the body adjusts to the temperature, the hands and feet often ache to the point of painful....but we love it. The grins spread, new distances are calculated, we are mindful of time, buddying up and of a safe recovery....but oh wow it is addictive, seriously addictive.
For those who what to push their limits the ICEMILE is the swim of all swims. One mile in sub 5 degrees, in just your swimsuit, a hat and a pair of goggles!!! To show you how big a feat it is lets put it into perspective, more people have climbed Everest than have completed an ice mile. I have been in the very privileged position of overseeing and officiating at a good number of said swims this last winter. Swimmers having trained and practiced in the ever decreasing temperatures watch the thermometers drop, the first frosts are greeted with cheers and then big gulps and the realisation dawns that....wow the time has come, the training and practicing times are over and its time to get in and do it.
On the day the only thing swimmers have to worry about just doing the distance, a team at the ready are there to support from every angle. Officials, first aiders, witnesses, kayakers, ....oh the list goes on. We are all following the remit of the International Ice Swimming Association, our aim, to make the swimmers experience the best it can be, whilst at the same time taking care of all the safety aspects that ensure a successful swim. It is quite magical watching the swimmer entering the water, the concentration is intense, the atmosphere relaxed. The stoke is counted, the eyes of those attending never leaving the swimmer, the distance counted off. Exiting the water to applause and cheers, just like us short distance swimmers, it barely registers, if at all.
All they know is that they have done it, all they are aware of are the deep effects of the cold on the body, they trust us completely as we bundle them up and get them to shelter, warm drinks are given, at times trunks cut off to aid a swift application of clothing. The warm up is carefully managed. For those that have swam through the winter we know the 'shivers' that we love to video and post on facebook. the shivers of the icemiler are not for public consumption such is their greatness. As the warmth seeps back into the body, cognitive function returns and so the senses....one swimmer having been given the same drink throughout his recovery....asked 'what was the drink'. 'bovril' came the reply...a still slightly confused swimmer then announced 'but i don't like bovril'...he finished the flask though!! Later he stated that he thought he was drinking hot chocolate!! Needless to say the vital bit of clothing is the amazing DRYROBE, as one swimmer once put it, 'a hug in a robe!', its become the mainstay of swimmers throughout the uk!!!
Does the distance matter or is it the pure achievement of swimming in cold water, which ever way you look at it we end up the same...shivering and grinning. The experience joins us together in the same way that the warmer waters do. No breaking of ice this year....but Decembers not that far off is it...
Alison and i had decided to do our normal...swim then play. Managing not to break our feet on the slippery rocks we headed deeper into the water, the cold dampness penetrating the wetsuit and quickly taking what heat remained as well as our breath. As my good friend would say its chuffing cold, as she attempted to put me in a zen like trance to combat the chills! As you can see she had me in fits of giggles instead!
