After a bit of research it was decided that Grasmere would be graced with our presence, the invite went out....would people want to do it, after a brief return of the sun many people had cleaned and put away their wetsuits for the winter. Within 20 minutes of posting it 9 people had said yes...great, i would not be on my own in the water. Occasionally inquiries were made...numbers were rising.
Rather nicely Britain had been treated to a mini heatwave and i was keeping my fingers crossed that it would continue into the swim, but alas it was not to be, Monday saw the clouds come over, the rain pour down and temperatures plummet. At this rate we could be swimming in the snow!
Sunday morning dawned damp and windy, the drive over to Grasmere saw conditions worsen the closer we got. Despite over 30 people saying they would attend you could not help wonder if people would want to swim on yet another cold and dismal day.
I had been given permission from owners Martin and Angela Clark, of Banerigg guest house to use their private gate which leads down to a lovely little jetty into the water. Martin met us outside the guest house, his large garage doors open for an area for us to get changed in and store bags and clothing. Martin is a keen open water swimmer and raises money for Cystic Fibrosis a charity close to his heart, it had been agreed that all swimmers would make a donation to the cause. There were already people there, Michael Harrison stuggling into his wetsuit early he was that keen to get in! And talking of keen, Martin informed me that one swimmer had been so keen to do the swim they had turned up a day early.....Sally Smith.....now that is dedication to the open water, i am pleased to say she returned on the correct day and swam with us.
Pretty soon there was a steady stream of people filing along the road towards the guest house. The garage was full, chat and laughter flowed as those that regularly swam together met new faces and introductions were made. In the blink of an eye 27 neoprene clad people were stood in the wind and rain eagerly anticipating the swim. Martin then informed us the water temperature which when he took his daily dip that morning had been 9.8 degrees. Gulp...now that is cold!!!! But we were changed so we were definitely going to be getting in. Then the next piece of information from Martin, the size of the pike that had been caught by an angler the previous day...lets just say they were large....did it deter us...not a hope.
The next obstacle was crossing the road, i am not sure what the cars, buses and lorries thought of 27 rubbered people crossing in front of them but am sure utterances of nutters could be heard!!
Going down the steep steps towards the jetty brought about nervous chatter and laughter, i can tell you there was NO stampeed to get in the water. Eventually we were all on the shore line, chatter dimmed considerably then all of a sudden people started entering the frigid water. After the normal gasps about temperature as the icy waters started to enter the wetsuits, they started swimming away from the shore to let others get in, once we were all in we headed for the middle of the lake. Front crawlers rapidly and very abruptly resorted to breaststroke as the cold water 'icecream' headache kicked it. Myself the headache was bareable, the pain from the cold hitting the front of my neck and chin was not. We used the distance from shore to the middle of the lake to get used to the cold. Hands and feet went numb pretty instantly but the rest of the body so far was fine. One of the many beauties of swimming in a lake is the scenery, and to stop for a moment and take in the colours and shades of the autumn leaves on the hills and mountains around us was breathtaking, the mist gave the swim a slightly mythical feel as well.
Acclimatised to the temperatures we decided to swim down to the shore on the left hand side, we must have looked an amazing sight, 27 of us plowing through the water which sat like glass in front of us, the only ripples and waves were the ones created by us. At the shoreline, thermally clad people stood with mouths agap as some of us clambered out so say hello. It just goes to show how easy it is to make friends when you are an open water swimmer, a young lady came towards us, talking about open water swimming, she was doing trialthons and swimming was her weakest disapline (as it tends to be with most triathletes), where did we swim, when did we meet, could she join us. Yes, yes and yes, the more the merrier i say!
Once all the swimmers were together it was agreed that we would swim the lengths of the lake, and any other variation that we fancied doing. A group shot off to the left and another to the right. One of the pleasant and rather pleasing aspects of open water swimming is that there are swimmers of all abilities and levels so you are guaranteed to find a swimmer to pretty much match your speed and style and this happened with me this swim. Its not only reassuring but also spurs you on to swim further each time. On this occasion us swimmers seemed to pair up, matching stroke for stroke with only inches between you is a wonderful feeling, you seem to gravitate towards each other like water magnets and metal. I would like to think its good to watch as well, our little group had 5 in and at one point i could see that we were all in perfect timing with each other, it was lovely to be apart of it but i would have loved to have got some footage of it as well. Following the shoreline i could see David Hurst making his way on yet another watery adventure exploring as he swam.
It is very special to look around in the tranquil water and see pockets of swimmers each on their own journey through the lake, catching the occasional snatch of laughter. After over an hour in the water the cold started to get to some of the group, hands and feet had long since gone numb, the icecream headache had dulled to a low roar but was bareable. Clawing of the hands is not painful, it can look abit strange, your hands can feel spongy and the fingers no matter what you do will not go together and will either take on a claw like apprearence or splay off in all different directions. It does not stop you swimming but there are drills you can do to combat that feeling of loosing your 'pull' in the water.
The decision was made to head back to the jetty and the warmth of down filled jackets. Reluctanly we headed back, during the summer i had swam in the same lake where the temperature had been 21 degrees, such a difference from today but wow what a wonderful experience, it does make me wonder what it would be like to swim there when the hills and mountains are covered in snow. I offered to take the lads on at swimming butterfly all the way back, ok they said, after two strokes from me (not easy in a wetsuit!) i stopped to make sure they were doing the same.....to be met with a chorus of laughs they had no intention of attempting it....next time lads!!!! Getting out brought its own problems, feet literally so numb you did not know if you were standing upright on them or not. It took a minute or so to get used to that feeling and to start walking so that we did not damage ourselves in the process.
Climbing back up the steps, we were welcomed with the sight of people in various states of dress, from those still shivering struggling to get out of wetsuits to those glugging warm drinks, wrapped in thick warm clothing. The swim was made extra special when we realised that children had got in and played with us, its good to see them and their smiles of achievement.
Getting out of wetsuit in the cold, with clawed hands is a challenge not to be underestimated, all thoughts of dignity go out the window when you are half undressed with the towel that is wrapped round your middle threatening with every movement to decend to the floor and reveal all to those around you! Eventually we managed it and dressed in every item of clothing i had brought...minus the normal...knickers...you would have thought i would have learnt i have done it that much this year, but yet again i had worn my swimsuit to the venue and forgotten to pack underwear...i was not the only one but for some reason i was the one the good natured ribbing was directed towards!
Again guest house owner, Martin, proved to be an invaluable and thoughtful host, permitting us to use the lounge inside to have our coffee and cake. Some people left to go walking or shopping in the lake district, the rest of us bundled ourselves upstairs to chat and dissect the swim. It was wonderful after the exhileration of the cold swim to feel the blood returning to the extremities.Jo Bolams daughters had swam, but had suffered from the slight fear (understandable at their age) of the possibility of seeing or as they told us even getting eaten by a fish....this was swiftly resolved by telling them to act like a starfish and the fish would not be able to swallow!!!. It was brilliant being able to see the swim from the eyes of children, its doubles the delight of such a swim, fingers crossed and they come back and swim with us soon. Friendly rivalry in races brought talk round to next years races...and who was going to beat who....it makes for an exciting new season ahead.
One note to self though...the next swim...keep and eye on Debbie Taylor and Sam Plum...off they had gone through the water in their own adventure, eventually aliting the water and getting through the mud and onto the island where they discovered a building to play in. They put it akin to something from the book Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, and so that became the title for this blog. In they came from the cold still dripping slightly from where they had been in such a hurry to get dressed, giggling like school kids, clearly they had enjoyed themselves. Kathryn Ayre, Liz Reed and Dorothy Mills had made a miriade of cakes for us all to enjoy and i must say they went down a treat.
At the end of the start of the last two swims we have expressed our pleasure at swimming and been relucatant to admit this might be the last one of the season....well that has been said twice...and twice after the swim i have listened to people comments and gone straight home and organised another....yep same thing happened again this time....so the next social swim is the 23rd of October at Rydal water in the Lake District.....how wonderful would it be if we could make it a mass swim....it could be the last social one of the season afterall!!!.
A very much heart felt thankyou to Martin for allowing us to use his jetty and his hospitality, we will see you next year Martin for definate.Thank you all for such a wonderful turn out, i quote Liz Reed whose post swim response was "Never fails to amaze me how much I love it",
Pretty soon there was a steady stream of people filing along the road towards the guest house. The garage was full, chat and laughter flowed as those that regularly swam together met new faces and introductions were made. In the blink of an eye 27 neoprene clad people were stood in the wind and rain eagerly anticipating the swim. Martin then informed us the water temperature which when he took his daily dip that morning had been 9.8 degrees. Gulp...now that is cold!!!! But we were changed so we were definitely going to be getting in. Then the next piece of information from Martin, the size of the pike that had been caught by an angler the previous day...lets just say they were large....did it deter us...not a hope.
The next obstacle was crossing the road, i am not sure what the cars, buses and lorries thought of 27 rubbered people crossing in front of them but am sure utterances of nutters could be heard!!
Going down the steep steps towards the jetty brought about nervous chatter and laughter, i can tell you there was NO stampeed to get in the water. Eventually we were all on the shore line, chatter dimmed considerably then all of a sudden people started entering the frigid water. After the normal gasps about temperature as the icy waters started to enter the wetsuits, they started swimming away from the shore to let others get in, once we were all in we headed for the middle of the lake. Front crawlers rapidly and very abruptly resorted to breaststroke as the cold water 'icecream' headache kicked it. Myself the headache was bareable, the pain from the cold hitting the front of my neck and chin was not. We used the distance from shore to the middle of the lake to get used to the cold. Hands and feet went numb pretty instantly but the rest of the body so far was fine. One of the many beauties of swimming in a lake is the scenery, and to stop for a moment and take in the colours and shades of the autumn leaves on the hills and mountains around us was breathtaking, the mist gave the swim a slightly mythical feel as well.
Acclimatised to the temperatures we decided to swim down to the shore on the left hand side, we must have looked an amazing sight, 27 of us plowing through the water which sat like glass in front of us, the only ripples and waves were the ones created by us. At the shoreline, thermally clad people stood with mouths agap as some of us clambered out so say hello. It just goes to show how easy it is to make friends when you are an open water swimmer, a young lady came towards us, talking about open water swimming, she was doing trialthons and swimming was her weakest disapline (as it tends to be with most triathletes), where did we swim, when did we meet, could she join us. Yes, yes and yes, the more the merrier i say!
Once all the swimmers were together it was agreed that we would swim the lengths of the lake, and any other variation that we fancied doing. A group shot off to the left and another to the right. One of the pleasant and rather pleasing aspects of open water swimming is that there are swimmers of all abilities and levels so you are guaranteed to find a swimmer to pretty much match your speed and style and this happened with me this swim. Its not only reassuring but also spurs you on to swim further each time. On this occasion us swimmers seemed to pair up, matching stroke for stroke with only inches between you is a wonderful feeling, you seem to gravitate towards each other like water magnets and metal. I would like to think its good to watch as well, our little group had 5 in and at one point i could see that we were all in perfect timing with each other, it was lovely to be apart of it but i would have loved to have got some footage of it as well. Following the shoreline i could see David Hurst making his way on yet another watery adventure exploring as he swam.
It is very special to look around in the tranquil water and see pockets of swimmers each on their own journey through the lake, catching the occasional snatch of laughter. After over an hour in the water the cold started to get to some of the group, hands and feet had long since gone numb, the icecream headache had dulled to a low roar but was bareable. Clawing of the hands is not painful, it can look abit strange, your hands can feel spongy and the fingers no matter what you do will not go together and will either take on a claw like apprearence or splay off in all different directions. It does not stop you swimming but there are drills you can do to combat that feeling of loosing your 'pull' in the water.
The decision was made to head back to the jetty and the warmth of down filled jackets. Reluctanly we headed back, during the summer i had swam in the same lake where the temperature had been 21 degrees, such a difference from today but wow what a wonderful experience, it does make me wonder what it would be like to swim there when the hills and mountains are covered in snow. I offered to take the lads on at swimming butterfly all the way back, ok they said, after two strokes from me (not easy in a wetsuit!) i stopped to make sure they were doing the same.....to be met with a chorus of laughs they had no intention of attempting it....next time lads!!!! Getting out brought its own problems, feet literally so numb you did not know if you were standing upright on them or not. It took a minute or so to get used to that feeling and to start walking so that we did not damage ourselves in the process.
Climbing back up the steps, we were welcomed with the sight of people in various states of dress, from those still shivering struggling to get out of wetsuits to those glugging warm drinks, wrapped in thick warm clothing. The swim was made extra special when we realised that children had got in and played with us, its good to see them and their smiles of achievement.
Getting out of wetsuit in the cold, with clawed hands is a challenge not to be underestimated, all thoughts of dignity go out the window when you are half undressed with the towel that is wrapped round your middle threatening with every movement to decend to the floor and reveal all to those around you! Eventually we managed it and dressed in every item of clothing i had brought...minus the normal...knickers...you would have thought i would have learnt i have done it that much this year, but yet again i had worn my swimsuit to the venue and forgotten to pack underwear...i was not the only one but for some reason i was the one the good natured ribbing was directed towards!
Again guest house owner, Martin, proved to be an invaluable and thoughtful host, permitting us to use the lounge inside to have our coffee and cake. Some people left to go walking or shopping in the lake district, the rest of us bundled ourselves upstairs to chat and dissect the swim. It was wonderful after the exhileration of the cold swim to feel the blood returning to the extremities.Jo Bolams daughters had swam, but had suffered from the slight fear (understandable at their age) of the possibility of seeing or as they told us even getting eaten by a fish....this was swiftly resolved by telling them to act like a starfish and the fish would not be able to swallow!!!. It was brilliant being able to see the swim from the eyes of children, its doubles the delight of such a swim, fingers crossed and they come back and swim with us soon. Friendly rivalry in races brought talk round to next years races...and who was going to beat who....it makes for an exciting new season ahead.
One note to self though...the next swim...keep and eye on Debbie Taylor and Sam Plum...off they had gone through the water in their own adventure, eventually aliting the water and getting through the mud and onto the island where they discovered a building to play in. They put it akin to something from the book Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, and so that became the title for this blog. In they came from the cold still dripping slightly from where they had been in such a hurry to get dressed, giggling like school kids, clearly they had enjoyed themselves. Kathryn Ayre, Liz Reed and Dorothy Mills had made a miriade of cakes for us all to enjoy and i must say they went down a treat.
A very much heart felt thankyou to Martin for allowing us to use his jetty and his hospitality, we will see you next year Martin for definate.Thank you all for such a wonderful turn out, i quote Liz Reed whose post swim response was "Never fails to amaze me how much I love it", 
Perfect !!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant blog Pauline. I hope to swim with you all again at Rydal Water.
ReplyDelete