Swimming

Hot showers yes and I definitely want to avoid the dryrobe!
Swimrun suit looks doable too once I get my head around the run back to Holloway in a wet wetsuit. Hmm.

For the record I have a dry robe and love it.

Silly not to have one if you're getting dressed on windswept beaches in midwinter. Means you can stay in the water longer as the drying and dressing process is more manageable.

I live a 2 min walk from the pier so I just use it for walking over and back in

So jealous, wish I was 2 minutes from water.

If I was that distance away I don't think I'd bother with a Dryrobe but just run.

It’s nice for standing around talking shite after the swim

So you are faster than me, have easy access to water AND have friends. Humph.

I think they just tolerate me ha ha ha

Serpentine still closed due to blue/green algae and it's supposed to be Swim Serpentine on Saturday.

Hoping it clears up before then otherwise that's another year missed.

Ah, just checked https://twitter.com/serpsswimclub and it's supposed to reopen today. Hurrah.

Yeah, they sent an email out to members yesterday evening announcing the all clear.

Also, did the Padstow to Rock swim back in August as, for once, I'd managed for our family holiday down there to coincide with it and also for me to snag a last minute entry.

Started off good in the glorious sunshine and instead of sticking to the left I'd followed some people off to the right so when the wind picked up it got rather choppy (1ft waves). Ended up approaching the slip at Rock through some of the boats to the South as the current had picked up a bit and pulled me further East than I wanted to be. Oops. Will know better next time.

Still, wasn't pulled from the water for being too slow and I'll do it again if the dates align.

Ta. The only question is whether the whole of the Serpentine is ok for swimming or just the bit that the SSC use. I guess we'll see.

The white buoyed area restriction applies to the Lido. The SSC use more of the lake depending on things like temperature.

On Saturday there would have been an SSC race going outside the buoyed area but that has been swapped so that it doesn't clash with Swim Serpentine so it is expected that Swim Serpentine is going ahead.

http://serpentineswimmingclub.com/news/51131/2021-all-clothes-race-date-change

I manage to miss this pretty much every single year - I should set myself a reminder.

Although there are way nicer sea swims around that area (albeit without marshals on paddle boards).

https://twitter.com/SwimSerpentine/status/1437728960922673154

"
We’re delighted to confirm that tests have shown that the fresh water pumped from the boreholes through the Serpentine Lake has cleared the recent bloom of blue green algae and swimming has now resumed in the lido.

See you Saturday! 😁

#SwimSerpentine
"

The ballot for the non-elite places is usually held in December, entries from 1st October until 30th November, but there's nothing on the usual sites for the 2022 swim yet.

(I blagged an Elite place a few weeks before on the promise that I can do it under 30 minutes and I wouldn't need to be pulled out of the water by the marshals or river police for being too slow.)

I'll try and remember and when it appears I'll post something in this thread (and try and remember to @ you.)

Nice - Thanks.

Got some Swim Serpentine guff through the emails:-

Not doing the Super Six this year (did it in 2019) but it seems particularly tough this year:-

"
Super Six swimmers

If you have registered for the Super Six challenge, you will receive two timing tags, one for your wrist and one for your ankle. You will be completing six miles without leaving the water. You must check-in at the end of each lap at the start/finish pontoon by using the timing tag on your wrist. This will be clearly signposted.
"

Without leaving the water. Harsh. (I did mine as 3 x 2 mile swims with about 30 minutes out of the water between each.)

Saw you posting about duck mites… just want to say a big fat +1, to whoever went meh you’ll be fine has obviously not had an attack of these, they’re really fucking horrible. I keep getting bit at Beckenham Place, the pond only recently re-modelled as a swimming (and paddle-sport) facility. I’ve basically given up, back to Lidos, pools and the North Sea when at the in-laws’.

We on the Rough Stuff Rides thread did a little off-road ride from Dorking to Frensham pond a few weeks back. Anyone here do ride+swim socials recently? Remember a great long ride to Dedham from London many moons ago, the swim definitely was an excuse for a long ride, fortunately was a hot September day, about 10years back.

They are fnckin horrible. I had bites from over 1000 of the little buggers, all over my back neck face and arms. I haven’t been back to that lake but there is another deeper and colder lake nearby that hasn’t had any duck fleas so far. Now it’s getting a bit cooler I might go back there. It’s in the middle of a little loop I ride once a while. I tend do it on my own, if I get a couple of hours.
Someone’s stuck up loads of no swimming signs lately. A bit of an invite for a dip. If I’m planning on swimming with anyone we’ll meet by those signs!

I get a little itch from BPP but it goes away after an hour or two. Strange - they must go for some people more than others.

Swim Serpentine 2 mile swim this morning.

Great preparation as I was out on the lash until 3am this morning. 4 hours crap sleep and then off to Hyde Park.

Sobered up sometime during the 1st lap. Finished feeling great (comparatively) and it might even have been my fastest time, although still 10 minutes down on what I'd hoped to do.

Bit of chafing on the neck from my wetsuit so I've ordered a Mugiro neck protector.

Never had chafe problems before, Bodyglide has always done a good job for me but obviously not this time.

2 recommendations,

1 - try Ocean Lube, way better than body glide.
2 - Kinseology tape, cheap stuff will do.

Not heard of a neck protector though, will Google one of those as interested!

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/sep/19/in-at-the-deep-end-the-activists-plunging-into-the-wild-swimming-campaign