Swimming

Yes, that's mine.

There isn't an API, I scrape the website. From time to time they change the website in ways that break my poor code. It's currently ~100 lines of Python including lots of debug for when it goes wrong.

Nice. How often do you use the lido btw? I am there most mornings now and will be throughout the year, alternating with the ponds as I train for the Dart 10K

Last winter, 2/3 times a week.

This winter not for ages. Different job made it difficult to get there and then I sliced my finger open repairing my dishwasher which meant keeping my hand dry for a month. Once the temperature dropped I got chicken...

Oh that's a shame :(

I'm currently trialling the Form goggles thanks to a very generous Christmas present.
First swim- impressive.
Long term updates as time goes on.

Ooh, nice. I await the updates.

(Not sure they'd work well for me, I'm too used to my prescription goggles and I guess they don't do prescription Form goggles...)

a very generous Christmas present

.

Seriously though they do look good, the idea makes lots of sense so I'll be interested to read your updates.

No- and it was interesting when I initially put them on without contacts...
@Fox - the breakdown so far has been really interesting. Just about to get a HR monitor, and then its time to schedule some workouts and see how it goes.

But my test was a 1km effort at somewhat around IM swim pace- and having the pace displayed right there in my face was awesome for consistency and not slacking.
My SWOLF score needs some work.

Brilliant I’ve thought swimming seemed a bit off with my dedicated #buyer tendencies

They look interesting. Dodgy advert though :D

Need some advice regarding wetsuit swimming and how long I can stay in the water for. I know these things vary from person to person, but as I am fully acclimatised to cold water now, I managed 1km in skins yesterday in 8c at the lido and could probably have gone a bit further. Would it be feasible to do 2k in the same temperature with a 2mm wetsuit, gloves and socks on? How do you know when you are getting too cold in a wetsuit, it's obvious when in skins as when it stops hurting I get out :D

Sounds feasible to me but I'd build up. 1.3km, then 1.7km perhaps and see how you feel when you get out.

Thanks, yeah I'll try a mile this morning and go from there

Were you in the Parly lido this am? Saw a couple of tadpoles in their wetsuits. I managed 300m, being totally unacclimatised this year, but wasn't shivering at the end, so feel I can start building on this.

When you guys swim in 5-8 degrees are you doing crawl or do you keep your head out of the water ?
its the headache that worries me .

I was 50:50 today, but when properly acclimatised it’s face down all the way. May take a few minutes to get used to it.

Could have been me, I was there from around 9. Managed 30 lengths without feeling cold had a quick sauna and went in sans wetsuit for a couple more. Best start to a Saturday. We should look out for each other next time

Yes face in. I use 2 caps and aqua sphere goggles which I tuck under the caps so my ears, head, forehead and sinuses are completely covered. Check out aqua sphere goggles, I couldn't swim in that temp without them.

https://swimspace.co.uk/aqua-sphere-vista-clear-lens-swimming-goggles?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI053oyu375gIVCbrtCh1NHQy2EAQYAiABEgIY7PD_BwE#red-white-clear

Crawl for me apart from the first half length.

I wear one cap which I once ripped putting on and so I tried without but couldn't keep my head under, luckily the lifeguards were able to lend me one. I now carry two in my bag.

I swim everywhere with Aqua Sphere goggles because I find them more comfortable, hadn't considered they might help insulate my face a bit.

I have the aquasphere but currently Hampton pool is 26.5 degrees .
I used to sea swims of 12-13 but never 5-8 .
Start slowly in skins ?
Is that the advice ?
Get in quick or slow advance ?

Hampton pool is fantastic. It that was my local I might not do cold.

The usual advice is swim down so start going 2-3 times a week in the autumn. I'm not sure how to start, or in my case restart, in January.

Maybe get in the shallow end, splash water on chest/face, swim ~20m head up breast stroke then head in and maybe ~200m total. Repeat a 2-3 times over a week. Then start to build up the times. The main thing is don't feel like you have failed if you get out really quickly, just come back and have enough go quickly.

Also lay out your clothes for easy dressing afterwards, have 1 more layer than all of them to put put on and have a flask of hot drink or cafe available.

Some useful tips here: https://www.slsc.org.uk/about-cold-water-swimming/

I'd love to get used to cold water swimming (it would make Swim Serpentine a lot easier) but don't really have the time to get to anywhere 2-3 times a week at the moment, maybe in a couple of years when my daughter moves to secondary school.

Yeah , similar problem , nowhere cold close .
I’d like to try it though .
Swimming is a real eye opener , it took me a few lessons to get from 25m and stop to swimming a decent distance but probably 2 years until I lost the sense of semi panic if I missed a breath , caught someone’s feet etc ... and i still get passed by old folk doing breast stroke whilst I’m doing my crawl ... there’s so much technique to it .
But when you see someone swim effortlessly it’s a beautiful thing .
I have to admit I’m not a lover of any pool really , I love an open water or sea swim .. I think it’s the smell of the chlorine vs mud or sand in my toes

There's a group near me who swim in the Thames all year round, I plan to join them in the summer and spend a year river swimming at least once a week. I've become a bit of a fan of ice buckets and cold showers after a swim in my local lido. I guess the river in winter is the next step but I don't think I could / should try it just yet!

Is that the SOS lot ?
I think they have a Facebook group Surrey outdoor swimmers .. but I’m not on FB