My December dip

As part of my winter plan to embrace different activities, I found out about the Outdoor Swimming Society. Not an ideal time of year to start this activity with temperatures plumeting and most people staying in and warm let alone baring skin outside and jumping into freezing cold water. The society is a hardy group of enthusiasts who believe 'swimming has no roof' as they brave rivers, lakes and seas accross the country all year round: sans wetsuit and with big balls (or perhaps small, given the circumstances).

My first attempt to join these brave souls was to take part in the annual 'December dip' which takes place at the Parliament Hill lido in December. It is a festive event complete with mulled wine, music, mince pies and obligatory fancy dress of tinsel speedos and festive accessories. Excitedly, I emailed 500-odd members of my triathlon club, my cycling club mates, old friends, new friends and work friends, family and boyfriend: they all refused. One or two friends thought about it for a moment then cried off with 'other plans' or 'a bit of a cold'. I thought athletes were harder than that! Luckily a work friend of mine had been convinced by her mad mates so I was glad not to be getting hypthermia on my own! 

In the week leading up to, while my work mate Laura was trying to find excuses not to go, I had started training for it by giving myself freezing cold blasts of icy water every morning. Laura on the other hand practised by having one hand out of her glove whilst walking home one night which she found most unpleasant. We recieved our disclaimer a few days before, so that we knew the risks; hypthermia, asthma attacks and advising us to bring ski clothes and reminding us to breathe. Brilliant. 

We arrived on the Saturday morning to the sound of a brass band and frost around the lido. The water temperature was just 2 degrees. As a comparison, I have swim early and late season in the Surrey lakes at a mere 11 degrees, but always in a wetsuit, not a bikini decorated with tinsel. Suddenly I was having second thoughts. I put a hand in to gauge the temperature, it was freezing, I shrieked. Oh god. 

Midday finally came and the first wave lept in, the sound of screaming and swearing was immense and I began to worry. A fellow triathlete friend of mine had also signed up at the last moment and convinced me to do the 'polar bear wave' which was 2 freezing cold lengths as opposed to the usual 2 widths. Now 120m might not sound like much when I normally race a 1500m swim and train for 2-3k but when the temperature is that low, it's another story.

We lined up and on the count of 3 I lowered my nervous body and Christmas antlers into the big freeze. My breath was truly taken away. At first it was refreshing, then the extremities start feeling it, half way through the first length I started losing feeling in my limbs and as I got to the end of the length I reminded myself not to be a pussy and carry on. You know that feeling of a dead arm when you accidentally sleep on it, you can move your arm but can't feel it? Now imagine your whole body feels like that and you have to force movement so that it can be over as soon as possible. With weird head up doggy paddle motion, I urged my frozen paralysed body forward and somehow got to the end of the second length, rolled my body out 'á la frozen whale' (not chance my arms could lift me out), failed to pick up my flip flops (hands not working) and headed back to my chums for thermals, strong liquor and 3 pairs of gloves. 

What an experience. The atmosphere was brilliant and when everyone was safely out, society officials were thoroughly checking everyone was OK. One concerned lady urged me to eat and drink warm things in a bid to stop shaking. There is no doubt it was truly invigorating. After an hour, I finally started getting feeling back in my limbs and my skin was tingling all day, I loved it. And being the compulsive that I am, I have signed up to the cold water championships in January! In the meantime, I need to find some more cold bodies of water to practice in. If anyone can suggest their favourite locations (London and the south?) do comment below!