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Ice training

30 October 2018

I just want to say that everything I do in this blog is my own decision,I am not encouraging others to do what I'm doing or saying what I'm doing is the right way to do it, I'm sure I'll make mistakes along my journey.

Please be kind as sometimes I'm an idiot😉😉😁😂

Woke up this morning to a very sharp and heavy frost, Jack had been hard at work through the night indeed!
The thing that went through my mind as I opened the curtains to the frost was WOW then Oh Shit this ones gonna hurt!
This is my first Ice training of the season, the last swim at the pond was 9.8 and that was a sharp acknowledgment to the temperatures dropping fast.
Preparing my bag for the swim I was trying to be methodical as possible and trying to remember what it was like last season so with that in mind 2 hot water bottles went in, my hot flask of camomile tea ( usually hot chocolate) loose easy layers, thick fluffy socks, fleeced lined boots ( 2 sizes too big) onsie, hat, 2 towels and my trusty dry robe.

All packed and ready to meet Sian my partner in crime and The Bluetits . Im in good company today, Sian has already completed an Ice mile, I'm always in Awe of just how big her balls really are!

I get to the pond and relieved its not actually frozen over! There is a bit of wind out today but the sun is shining gloriously so that will make it easier hahaha .

 I take the tempreture of the pond its 4.0 degrees......Ok then!

Sian turns up and I ask if she wants to go first...."Fuck no!" she replies, Im secretly glad as I want to get on with it, Im excited and so as Sian sets up her GO Pro to film ( its her thing its what she does) I get changed and arrange my clothes just so for my return to the van to dry, making sure my hot water bottle is inside my hat warming it up and wrapped in my clothes and onsie ready to put on for when I start shivering.

As I exit the van , Sian is all prepared , my tummy is now doing her usual somersaults.

I get into the water......HOLY SHIT! I had forgotten what 4 degrees feels like....HOLY SHIT!

My hands go immediately, they feel twice the size that my hands really are, I do a few "whoop whoop" shouts and do a few strokes of head up front crawl, my chin goes down into the water , I blow a few raspberries in the water before putting face in......ICECREAM HEAD! I do a few more strokes of heads up front crawl then back to putting face in, all is ok now so I carry on but am mind full of how long its taken me to get in and start properly swimming. Have I pissed about too much this morning? I try not looking at watch I tend to be a little too reliant on distance so just going by how im feeling today.
I get into the groove of swimming but know theres a limit im capable so as I come to the edge of the pond I say " one more lap and ill get out" I do one more lap then decide I can do another so do that.
I get to the edge of the pond ready to get out, try to stop my watch with my stubby clawed fingers and just about manage. As I get to the van I remind myself to stay calm and in control " this is what I do" I tell myself. Sian tries to help me but I wave her off with" I like to do it myself "but she watches to make sure im ok, Im dry and dressed in quick succession and drinking the tea from my flask shivering and giving the thumbs up to Sian.
"See you on the  Flipside" I say to her as she enters the water, Sian gets in with her usual flare of, if no one is looking my bird calls will surely make them look now ( not one for attention that one lol). She does her swim and makes it look easy ( of course its not). Sian has had enough and gets out and casually walks to dry and change. im watching to make sure shes ok and she is.
We chat for a bit drinking tea and eating nibbles we both brought for after and then part ways having warmed up saying well meet next week for the same HOORAH

WINTER IS HERE!!!!!!

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