MG
What with one thing and another, I'm past caring about Swimmer as Hero official guidelines and head down to Burton to swim alone round 4. We've been having incredible sunsets during these glorious weathered four days, and by leaving it late, I'd hoped for something special beauty wise. The golden light on the cliffs and the lightly rouched taffetta of the water doesn't disappoint.
I'm changed and gradually wading in pretty sharpish. And then swimming. I do three bursts, each increasingly long and my third time must be a good ten minutes, by which time the burn has eased off, the feeling has returned to my arms, and it's lovely - totally lovely. I swim far enough out to get a good view back, vary things with front crawl (brain freeze) and back stroke (boots fill with water) and generally dawdle as though it's August. I cannot believe how easy it is; this time last year I wouldn't have believed you if you'd told me that a swim in January could be so painless and perfect. I know I'm probably staying in too long , and gradually drift in as my hands start to tingle, which is one thing I'm normally free from. Three people stop me as I try to get to my towel - one girl pulls down her fur lined hood to ask if I'm trained; I don't quite konw what she means by this - an image of some sort of military academy with enforced ice baths pings into my head - but I launch into a non-sensical explanation of acclimitisation, which is as much training as you could hope for. Actually with four long swims in nine days, my acclimitisation must be back on track. This has certainly been EASY....
Barring some uncontrollable shakes (especially in my left leg which makes gear changing a challenge) I don't suffer too much and make it home externally glowing and internally relieved that at least one good thing has come out of today.
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