Pushing for later

SuirThingSuirThing Carrick-on-Suir, IrelandMember
edited December 2013 in Swim Reports
Quick dip in Clonea today, about 40mins. I'm not a great judge of temperature but maybe 12 or 13C I would think. Air temperature 14c. I am already at the latest point that I have ever swam into the year so every extra swim pushes out the boundary for me. In my own head though, there is nothing between the 1st of October and the 31st of October, so really I need to stick it out another 3 weeks (November) to improve again.

I tried to convince myself, but, orange flavour electrolyte, mixed with hot chocolate,
tastes nothing like Terry's Chocolate Orange ....

Comments

  • Keep at it suirthing I currently have no local swimming pool so I'm not sure how I'm going to cope through winter. Does any one else stay in the water for winter in the UK or is it the odd swim her and there?
  • ColmBreathnachColmBreathnach Charter Member
    @suirthing, there is no reason why you can't swim throughout winter. Just decrease the time in the water acccording to the dropping temp. No need to be stupid. The water temp is still up around 14, but the falling air temp does confuse the mind.
  • mrfinbarrmrfinbarr Charter Member
    Keep in there I'd say. The water (normally) stays relatively warm until December and the air starts picking up again in February when the water's at its coolest. Keep trying it once or twice a week you'll be surprised how long you can keep going.
  • SuirThingSuirThing Carrick-on-Suir, IrelandMember
    edited October 2013
    @ColmBreathnach @mrfinbarr
    No reason why I couldn't, but daunting when you haven't done it before.
    All small steps for me, November is the goal for now. ;)

    I tried to convince myself, but, orange flavour electrolyte, mixed with hot chocolate,
    tastes nothing like Terry's Chocolate Orange ....

  • SuirThingSuirThing Carrick-on-Suir, IrelandMember
    Around 40 minutes in Kilfarrassey with @loneswimmer today. Hadn't been in OW for two weeks, and Donal estimated 12C having swam there yesterday, so was a little apprehensive. Cold afterwards but not too bad, am getting better at organising myself for getting dressed quicker than before, which helps.
    November. Tick. December is the goal for now ....

    I tried to convince myself, but, orange flavour electrolyte, mixed with hot chocolate,
    tastes nothing like Terry's Chocolate Orange ....

  • ColmBreathnachColmBreathnach Charter Member
    It hovering around 12 - 13 at the moment depending on location. Lovely stuff.

    Well done and keep up the good work. It's a bit of a drive, but if you're interested there's a regular swim in Dunmore east at 8:30 every Saturday (followed by a big dirty fry) and 9:00 in the guillamene every Sunday.
  • SuirThingSuirThing Carrick-on-Suir, IrelandMember
    edited November 2013
    Early morning swim this morning in Clonea. Met up with Clare and Maura as the sun came up. Air temp 8C water possibly 12C. There were two seals about as we set off but didn't see them again once we started swimming.
    There was one extremely cold patch at the far end but otherwise water was fine. For some reason I find it harder to navigate in Clonea with the tide out, I have no idea why. I had to make serious directional changes on a few occasions.
    Clare had to get away but Maura was willing to do up and back a second time if I was. Maura is always willing to do a few more minutes if someone else is. We went up and back again and Maura looked at her watch. Two more minutes were required. I had enough now but stuck it out because Maura would have stuck it out with me even if I wanted to do ten more .....

    Despite my claims of improved dressing process in my last post, today I was terrible. Too slow, half-dry, half-dressed after-drop. Depressingly, embarrassingly, shamefully, horribly cold.

    I tried to convince myself, but, orange flavour electrolyte, mixed with hot chocolate,
    tastes nothing like Terry's Chocolate Orange ....

  • SuirThingSuirThing Carrick-on-Suir, IrelandMember
    edited December 2013
    30 minutes in Clonea this morning. Maura did 50. she's an animal for cold. made a better fist of the dressing process today. toying with the idea of removing the front passenger seat from the car to help with this. turn on heater. sit into back seat. all that space in front of you. living the dream.

    that's December licked. New Year's Day for January maybe ?

    the long cold spring this year meant that I wasn't in until May so plenty work to do before I can claim to be "year-round"

    I tried to convince myself, but, orange flavour electrolyte, mixed with hot chocolate,
    tastes nothing like Terry's Chocolate Orange ....

  • I am also attempting to swim outdoors through the winter here in mid Texas, USA. I have no goals for the next year or so that make acclimating to water in the 50's a NEED in my life right now, but eventually yes, so I'm seeing how far I can push it.

    I had my coldest experience this past Friday. Due to windy conditions that made my coach nix taking a new kayaker out with us the last several weeks, I hadn't been swimming outside since mid November. There had been a temperature change to lower since then, taking me from what was swimmable a few weeks ago to to range of 50 F. Big change and it was sobering.

    Full disclosure--I was in a sleeveless wetsuit. I swam probably 45 minutes, but hands/feet were excruciatingly painful. I was also surprised to find that I really couldn't get my head in the water for any appreciable length of time because I would get a seismic headache. Tell me, will that shorten or dissipate with time and exposure? I hadn't heard anyone mention that sort of immediate pounding pain in the forehead--but wow. I expected to take some time to get my head in because I've experienced that before, but this was really a no-go for me this time. Bugged me too because it left me unable to really swim well and get warmer faster.

    I was also surprised to find that my fingers and toes even today have residual tingliness/mild lack of sensation at the tips.

    Anyway, I know this is a process and I am being safe and slow about it, but I'd love to hear any wisdom about what I should expect about the headache and residual numbness.
  • I used to have a problem with a cold face and head. Eventually you will get used to it. If you're not wearing a cap now may be the time to do so. But it is possible to lose the cap when you get used to it
  • SuirThingSuirThing Carrick-on-Suir, IrelandMember
    SuirThing wrote:
    that's December licked. New Year's Day for January maybe ?

    Well I didn't make New Year's Day but thanks to some subliminal coaxing from @loneswimmer I did make it in before January was out. We headed down to the Guillamenes yesterday, me for a quick dip and Donal doing his own thing. Not having been in for 7 weeks (early December), I was absolutely dreading it, but fully aware that if I missed January I'd be in no hurry to get back in before summer. I consoled myself with the thoughts that it would have to be easier for me than for annual Christmas Day swimmers, and hoped that my early winter efforts would be enough to carry me through.

    Having Donal there meant no last minute chickening-out, and even though he was getting in for much longer than me, at least we would be getting in together. I had decided that ten minutes was my goal because it was going to be at least 2-3 degrees colder than the last time I was in, Donal estimating that it was a touch under 8C. I did 12 minutes in the end, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was out and dressed before the afterdrop, the Guillamene is miles ahead of Clonea in that regard. In fact I wasn't too cold at all and feel I could probably have managed 20 minutes. This though is a good thing, better to stick to the plan, even if it is within the comfort-zone, than get carried away and end up over-reaching. Watch out February, here I come .....



    I tried to convince myself, but, orange flavour electrolyte, mixed with hot chocolate,
    tastes nothing like Terry's Chocolate Orange ....

  • SuirThingSuirThing Carrick-on-Suir, IrelandMember
    due to a combination of bad weather and a chest cold that progressed into a lung infection, February and March passed me by .... in fact yesterday I had my first pool swim in three weeks coming off the back of six rounds of antibiotics and a course of steroids .... only forty minutes easy, but nice to get wet again

    two weeks of easing back into it now in the pool is the plan and hopefully an OW dip before the end of the month .... "year round" is once again at least a year away :(

    I tried to convince myself, but, orange flavour electrolyte, mixed with hot chocolate,
    tastes nothing like Terry's Chocolate Orange ....

  • SuirThingSuirThing Carrick-on-Suir, IrelandMember
    Got in 20 minutes at Clonea today with ease, so that's the April box ticked. Straight through to next March is the goal, "year round" is down to only 11 months away now :)

    I tried to convince myself, but, orange flavour electrolyte, mixed with hot chocolate,
    tastes nothing like Terry's Chocolate Orange ....

  • SuirThingSuirThing Carrick-on-Suir, IrelandMember

    October is here so I'm half-way to year-round again!

    Although I've previously swam as late as January in the sea (February & March are the coldest months for sea temperatures here in Ireland), I had never swam in the river Suir (pronounced shoe-er, my favourite swimming location) any later than September.
    We are experiencing some unusually mild and sunny weather (for the time of year) this week so yesterday morning I squeezed in a quick 1.5k to tick the October box .... another little mile stone!

    dpm50

    I tried to convince myself, but, orange flavour electrolyte, mixed with hot chocolate,
    tastes nothing like Terry's Chocolate Orange ....

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