Stephanie, We Salute You

This morning when I arrived at the Lido I spotted Stephanie's unmistakable smooth and elegant stroke, powering up and down the pool. This past summer (2011) Stephanie joined a relay team and swam the channel. Ever since her amazing experience she is focused and training hard to cross the channel as a solo swimmer in the summer of 2012. She usually swims at 7am and I only get to see her very briefly. As I'm getting to the pool, she is usually dressed and ready to leave and get to work on time.

Today she had the day off which meant she swam later and I got the chance to get some shots of Stephanie and to catch up with her after her gruelling stint in the water. She clocked up her usual (autumn) amount of 36 lengths.

Stephanie, we salute you!

Stephanie's wonderfully balanced and powerful freestyle stroke

pushing off the shallow end and after a underwater glide (while my camera was getting ready for the next shot!) she was taking a breath and off into her first stroke

this time she spotted me and gave me a lovely smile and wave as she was turning and pushing off again.

no wave, this time - just pure focus and sheer determination ...

... for another (of a total of 36) length that lay ahead of her

on my way to get undressed and ready to get in myself,

Suzanne was pushing off the shallow end -

she too swims in great style - albeit a much shorter distance than Stephanie does :)

well, I thought I was on my way to my cubicle but there was Stephanie (again!) - she is fast as well as having amazing endurance!

fully loaded and ready for her owner's return

I'm finally in the water myself - 4 lengths under my feeble belt - time for some shots before swimming another 2 lengths - Spot Alex's under water camera, neatly tucked into his orange trunks - all you see is the cord.

I wanted to get Stephanie in the water too - many people know of Stephanie but haven't seen her face .... as she is in the water most of the time! Sadly, the water was very murky this morning ...

still no sight of Stephanie's face ... well, you gotta breath sometimes!

Always on the attack - remarkably Stephanie's hands (only) start feeling like clumps after 30 lengths - She told me that she has definitely acclimatised to the cold water temperature a lot since last year.

Sky On Fire

When I cycled up Tooting Bec Road this morning just before 7am the sky seemed to be on fire! My first stop was not to be the Lido mind you... and by the time I arrived at the Pool clouds had filled the sky again and the sun stayed well hidden .. nonetheless, Suzanne and Michael dived in.

If felt as if the water had dropped ever so slightly over night ... I made a point of stopping at the deep end after my third length to pull out the thermometer (which is dangling in the deep) - I'm sure it is closer to 10 C than it is to 11 C ?! Whatever the temperature I was sure to swim back down to the shallow end ... flip flops are parked there!

Cycling up Tooting Bec Road - I had to stop ..

I cycled on for a bit and took this shot of a sky on fire

the leaves have almost all been blown off these two trees.

Suzanne didn't take much convincing to perform a (near to!) perfect dive:)

she even re-surfaced!

time for Michael to join her.

Alison just got in when I was fully dressed and ready to leave.

Water Temperature Still At 11C

Once I had finished my swim, Jane and ...

... Alex were the only ones in the pool

time for my shower .. although these are not my items ... they just caught my eye

the cubicle next to mine ...

Bernie relaxing into her stroke

David testing the waters before moving on to his ritual of taking the water temperature

(still at 11 C)

Nick's warm up stretch

Who Needs Goggles

What a gloomy morning ... mist, drizzle, wind, low clouds .. you get the picture! I really had to think twice before stripping and readying myself to take the plunge ...

Once in the chilling 11 degrees it was, however, lovely - no surprises there then! But what really made my swim was capturing Pip's (under water - goggleless) smile!

Pip's smile goes a long way

Vince's (goggleless) glide

Alison on her tenth length .. her efforts are sure to get us to Latvia by January 20th 2012!

Bold Dive

Coming to the Lido this morning I couldn't but notice how spick and span it looked ... not a leaf to be seen on the water ... the path along the cubicles was just as clean ... When I asked Antony how they managed to have the Lido look so immaculate, he replied with a simple : "a lot of sweeping!" Thanx guys!

This meant that today's misty, damp and windy November morning was a bright one after all ... specially when Jonathan took up the challenge to dive it ... he even offered a choice .. "do you want me to jump in or dive in?" Oh, dive! not a question!

Jonathan getting ready to get in ... before I asked him how he was going to get in ?!

forget the goggles and off with the thermo cap ...

... Jonathan's great dive in!

No doubt, this will have set Jonathan up for the day!

Alex on the move .. legs up and over - arms already pointing forward ready for the forthcoming push off the wall...

remains of the SLSC vs. Serps Gala that took place at the Lido yesterday - well done SLSC for clocking up a great victory!

relaxed swimming - no cap but a great neoprene headband and goggles also does the trick!

November Mile

When I arrived, Katherine was clutching her hot drink after having just swam a mile ... "it's all Richard's fault" she said .. who was still in his cubicle, struggling to get dressed while this conversation took place ..:) Nicky was fast to remind them both to transfer their distance into the "Swimming to Latvia" book which is on the counter in the caf .. makes for interesting reading! You'd be amazed how far we have already swam this first week ! So if are not on your way to Latvia yet ... please start swimming!

Katherine clutching her hot drink - recovering from her November mile!

Nicky reminding Katherine to transfer her mile effort into the "swimming to Latvia" book (in the caf)

Helen in her "home made" robe

very lovely it is too, hood and all!

and stepping into her cubicle (once the fashion show was over !)

flask and leaf

great strategy - whose shoes are these?!

Doreen on her way to breakfast

trail of bubbles

peter's under water exercises are getting more and more vigorous

walking forward and propelling himself forward with his arms at the same time

Gus' powerful leg kick

This wetsuit stayed in for a long time ...

playing around under water

not sure who that is ... but I so like the shape ...

Jonathan checking if all is (still) in place :)

Dr. Andy enjoying his daily swim