Monday, 16 January 2012

Merging TWO Days Into ONE


I rarely swim on a sunday let alone take my camera with me on "the day of rest" :) But with glorious light and minus degrees it would have been foolish not to ... A quick 2 lengths and 2 widths in the ever decreasing water temperature did, however, set me up for the day! I couldn't stay to check results of the sunday race but did grab a few atmospheric race related shots.

Monday morning was just as glorious - another frosty night meant that the water had dropped from 4C on sunday to 3C (which I only got confirmation for after I had done my 2 lengths). They felt really cold - but once committed and seeing a length in front of me I know I'm also ready to swim the full length back - 2 it was!
It was all fine .. for only my fingers were truly feeling the pain ... the rest of my body felt rather exhilarated - Vince swam 4! Not sure how, as he bears even less "insulating substance" ( ie. flesh and fat!) than I do! Also, we were told that swimming in cold water apparently makes the body produce "brown fat" which insulates more ... not sure what all that is about ...?! Mr Ape, was it you who came up with that theory?!

An interesting sight first thing in the morning
when arriving at the Lido on a sunday

Kate and Sangeeta getting their swim in
before the sunday rush

Yvonne looking out for Cyril and other race contenders
who were starting to get ready on the railway side of the pool

Egg

Dylan fast asleep, oblivious of ...

the 1 width race which had just started

Cyril reaching for "glory"?!

Lucy checking out who had come in before and after her

Cyril checking with Yvonne if he had made it?! It certainly looked like it .. from where we were standing ... but I'm not sure...

happy Nando

exhilarated Pip

revealing Kate ... well that's as far as she dared to go ... which is far less (revealing) than the photo she took of Batch, Tricky and Egg - check it out ... if you haven't already seen it!?!

more hard Latvia practice for Lucy
(who decided to travel to Latvia by train - can't wait to hear all about her adventure!)

Pip getting more cold water training in too

Margy doing her fair share of (Latvia) acclimatising

Another day (today,monday) and Pip is at it again ... only difference,
the water temperature has dropped to 3C!

Sue's preparation for Latvia , Canadian Snow boots -
surely a good move!

Winter attire

"Another" Sue ...

John after what he refers to as "fresh fry" or is it "flesh fry" or even "flash fry"?!
not sure ... all I know is that he didn't stay in for more than a few seconds ! :) and put it down to a lack of time as opposed to the testing water temperature!

frosty table soaking up some rays

Saturday, 14 January 2012

Brave Simon


Simon braved the elements all on his own today .. well, until I got in and joined him in 4.5 C ... I took this photo out of my cubicle - while getting changed - stripping dow layer by layer I felt the cold air reaching more and more parts of my body ... The over night frost was still very apparent and I didn't want to hang around too much ... Simon had a head start and by the time I got in, he was already on his third length up towards the deep end of the pool ... Without hesitation I got in and felt the amazing blood rush the cold water gives one. I was very conscious of it ... it felt glorious! As I had the deep end of the pool firmly in sight, Simon pushed off for his forth length ... I wondered whether I could catch him... his mighty breast stroke leg kick propelled him forward at a remarkable pace ... and, as much as I tried, I couldn't quite catch him on 100 yards ... still, it helped me focus and get back to the shallow end with more purpose .. namely to get out and make a bee line for the sauna!

Thursday, 12 January 2012

Feeling Left Out


Quack Quack is geting a lot of (blog) attention! Check out Alex's take on the most photographed (non human) SLSC member!

Quack Quack is getting a lot of attention lately
however today he felt rather left out (of the pool) unless his master (Nando) was on his way to the Lido or a belated swim?!

David and Fred checking, discussing and finally agreeing
on the water temperature : 5.5 C

Tuesday, 10 January 2012

Duck Story


This morning, everybody was saying how "warm" the water was ... hang on a minute, since when is 6 celsius "warm"?? Well it's all relative, I guess ... for those SLSC swimmer who are Latvia bound, 6 C is warm! In two weeks time they will be competing at the Cold Water World Championships where the water will probably be hovering around 0C!

Hoping to acclimatise for the drop in temperature they will be faced with, they are of course praying for a cold snap before heading off.

There is hope ... according to David's reading and he is the official temperature recorder, it was all of 5.5 this morning! Lovely!

new year, new swimming trunks, familiar style ...
if not in orange

side lined ... and waiting patiently for an outing

a break in the clouds made for a beautiful beam of light
hitting the surface of the water

Brockwell Park swimmer who
"defected" to the Lido for the winter season
enjoying her leisurely swim

face down and praying (for more sun or colder water?)

busy crossing

Fernando submerging himself before...

his rescue operation

dry and safe now

time to get back in ...

ahhh ... that's better

Job done, Fernando is off

while Ducky .. is trying to keep up ...

in vain ... Fernando is simply too fast and on his way to Latvia ... but surely not without "Ducky" ?!
who knows?!


Monday, 9 January 2012

Spearhead


Quite a miserable morning in South West London ... dark, grey, relatively mild and yet ... if it wasn't for the prospect of getting into cold water, I think I would have quite happily stayed at home!

But swimming I went and, as soon as my body was totally submerged, I felt like being in another world .. which of course one is when swimming in 5 C water! Dead leaves graced the surface of the water and my body rejoiced for thanx to the cold water it feels alive .. very alive!

there were not many "bodies" around this morning .. in fact Jonathan's was the only one I spotted from my cubicle ... before ...

.... Peter came along and Jonathan ...!

spearheaded off!



Saturday, 7 January 2012

Weather Beaten


The sun lay low in the sky this morning around 9am which made for some beautifully lit images and after a few windy days the pool, specially the deep end and anything that happened to be around the pool, was full of (yet more) leaves ...

weather beaten

beautiful soft morning light

The yellow monster gobbling up the leaves at the bottom of the pool

lovely how the the colourful reflection of the doors
gets broken up by the arm movement

sharing the pool with "the yellow monster"

pushing through a pool of leaves

this must simply be THE ultimate swimming winter cap!


Friday, 6 January 2012

January Sky


The sky at 7.45am outside my front door on January 4th ... taken on my way to the Lido


Happy New Year - 2012 is of course well on its way ... and yes I have been back at the Lido too but due tom lack of time I haven't been able to post ... sorry! However, Alex and Mr & Mrs Ape have been keeping you informed !

Here some pics I have taken since my return from Austria - somewhat "outdated.."

Sue Rentoul's private cubicle

David "caught" using it!

his and hers cubicles - ( no other than Sue and Gus' ...)

Winter morning at the Lido

winter sky over the Lido

Michael swimming in the red sea

beautiful reflection of an amazing winter sky