When bitting turn to tingling

My swimming is getting better and better - yesterday I "upted"my game to four lengths and today with the sun being out I pushed for six lengths! Wow, what a feeling of utter exhilaration!

The tingling feeling of being "more than alive" is just sensational.

It is difficult to explain the difference it makes when the water is at ten or (like since yesterday) just below ten degrees Celsius ... the buzz and rush of energy one gets from swimming in this tranquil and inviting water is simply magic. The water is as flat as a pancake and as crystal "clear as water" :) excuse the pun! Truly magical.

Funnily enough one doesn't get the common feeling of being cold as such .. no, it's beyond being cold :)

The closest I can get to describing the sensation is to liken the experience to being "bitten" by the water ... literally .. as once you're in, it doesn't want to let go of you either! Such is the exhilaration one gets from swimming in it. And once you get out the bitting quickly stops and turns to this energising and electrifying tingling. But make no mistake you have to swim ... if you were to just sit in it without moving it would be rather uncomfortable and you would get chilled to the bone!

Every day I am amazed by the number of people who come for their daily adrenalin rush... Some say it's so good for the skin, others note that once they've been in the water all "problems" seemed to have vanished. Not sure about the skin theory but I can certainly second the latter! I defy anybody who would not experience

I am also full of admiration for people like Dr. Andy who despite his paining body never misses a day of swimming! Here he is arriving full of beans for what lies ahead! whereas Chris is enjoying his second "rush", a hot cup of coffee :)