A missed opportunity?

I have to say that the expected run on Friday did not happen. However, I made up for it with a 9km run in -2C on Saturday and a longer 12 km run today also starting off in -2C temperatures. The sky was blue, the air crisp and fresh with hardly anyone around, even at 08h30 in the woods and on the trails. All in all it was a great day for a run The ground was crisp underfoot making some of the muddier sections like walking on a sharp stone pebbled beach - a little awkward and to be taken with great care to avoid twisting an ankle! It was a good shirtless run and not without people noticing me. I was hooted at twice by passing motorists and asked by a another "Are you mad?". That sort of thing seems to happen more in cold weather than in the height of summer. The man who shouted at me probably would have thought me even more mad if he had seen me take a cold shower at the end of the run. The water didnt seem that cold after the freezing run though - even kind of warm on the skin. I guess that is true in the extremes of Estonia and other places where they do ice swimming. It must be a relief to get in water close to freezing (0C) as it is warmer than the -10C to -20C that the air is on your skin. I long to have that experience. Maybe this year I will get the chance.

November Update

Well, it finally looks like the cold weather is arriving in the UK. THe temperature this morning was well below freezing with ice on the cars and a frost on the ground. Monday's run this week was the wettest and probably coldest run so far of the winter. Monday was not particularly cold (6C) but the rain and wind certainly ensured that my skin was quite red when I had finished my 10k run. I warmed up gradually and then had a cool shower to rinse the mud off. For a lot of this month I have been away (which is why you have not seen many posts)in the southern hemisphere, which does not equate to cold temperatures there. In fact, the 3 or 4 runs that I did do there were in temps that were a balmy 16C-20C followed by a dip in a swimming pool that was around 24C (and that was at 05h30 in the morning!). For some people that would be cold but for me that is probably too warm. I saw lots of other runners out on the roads but I was the only one without a shirt. No run for me today, as I am travelling in the UK and have other things to do, but hopefully I will have more to report after the weekend. I have a run planned for Friday and Saturday mornings. With a bit of luck the starting temperatures will be below freezing on both days.

As mosty regular readers of this blog know, most of my cold weather activities are centred around running as well as a few cold water showers and baths. I have been running shirtless through the past 2 years now, I can only think of one time when I actually wore a shirt to run in and that day it started out at -14C. I did take off my shirt half-way round the 11km route that I was doing that day and finished the run shirtless. The weather in the UK has warmed up a little since my last post so it was a warm 11C at the start of the run (although it is supposed to be getting colder later this week). Just over three quarters of the way around the route there was a farmer out with his dogs in the field and he echoed and probably the most often spoken comment that I hear: "You're brave!" To be perfectly honest, I don't feel brave at all - it's what I do every time I run. I feel normal. I am sure it's the same for the winter swimmers when they are seen in the ice covered rivers and lakes. I am sure they feel "normal" and not some kind of freak as they do it all the time. The fact that the person that is observing you does not do that activity or would ever consider doing what we do themselves somehow means that they need to comment. A normal "hello!" or "what a great morning!" would be a much better greeting and would invite a normal conversation. Instead I often feel I have to justify why I am running the way I do. Unfortuately, I am rarely able to think of a witty or smart comment as a put-down to the person relating the comment. What kind of comments do you get when people see you doing something unusual and how do you react? Let me knowl

2012/2013 Winter Season

I think it's about time to fire this blog up again for the winter season. The temperatures have started to drop here in the UK and the rain is becoming more persistent and cold too as we head into the latter part of October. There has not been a morning where the temerature has been below freezing yet, but I am sure that one is not too far away. I have been running throughout the summer, shirtless as usual, and now that the water temperature out of the taps is cooling down to a point where it feels a little colder on the skin I have started to step up the cold water showers in the morning again. A nice fresh start to the day. If you are still around and reading this drop me a comment or two to let me know you are out there. Also would welcome any stories you have to share. All the best.

First Sea Swim of the year

Hi All

Managed to get a few days away at the coast this past weekend. Also managed to get a couple of 10k runs in first thing in the morning which I followed up with a swim in the sea to cool off.

The sea temp was around +9C and the air temperature just a little cooler than that at around +7C. I got a few stares from passing folk and at least two people say "you're brave" (why is that the phrase that more people use than any other?) as I ran past them.

A great weekend away but not nice to come back from the great outdoors and have to work in a stuffy office. Here's looking to the next time I can get away.

You forgot about me didn't you?

I know it's been a long time since I posted anything here. But there is some good news! I have been exploring my local area some more and finally found a place where I can get immersed in relatively clean river water on one of my local runs. I have tried it out twice on my early morning runs over the past 3 weeks and it is great. A little exposed for a naked swim for my liking but OK as long as there are not too many people around (I nearly got caught out this morning!).

I hope to take some pictures next time I get out there for you all to see.

We have been having some great sunny weather in the South of the UK recently. Hot, sunny days but cool and clear nights whcih makes for some great contrasts in temperature. For my runs the past 2 days I have left home in 5C temps and then passed through valleys with frost on the grass and a noticeable chill in the air. Half way through this morning's run I swam in the stream for around 4 minutes. I estimate the water temp to have been around 6C. It was certainly a lot colder than the cold water (10C) bath I took for 13 minutes at home last week.

I think we are headed for some colder weather in the coming weeks - so keep watching.

I have been updating my youtube account with the best of this winter's cold water swimming vids (Eeven more cold water swimming videos) so pleas drop by and take a look: http://www.youtube.com/user/tremendimouse

Leave a comment here or on Youtube if you like what you see.

Till next time.