Swimming

Had my first encounter with duck fleas today.
Lovey warm gravel pit, right out in the middle when the itching started. Then had a 2 hour motorbike trip in leathers and sweated horribly and now I’m covered in bites. What a miserable thing.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimmer's_itch

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Holy hell it has been hot in the Atlantic this past week, like too hot for a wetsuit, however the increased temperature has brought increased jellyfish traffic, so the suit is staying put.

Swam my first race ever on Sunday, a 2.25km open water race, 24 hours after getting my first Pfizer jab so my left arm wasn’t working very well, came 11th. Happy enough with that.

That duck flea thing, fuxxake, the inflammation only really starts when the little buggers tunnel their way out again. You also realise that the couple of dozen last night is a couple of hundred now. All over.

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Dab of calamine lotion'll see you right, stop whining...

Ouch, that'll teach you, etc. etc., it won't--heal up soon!

Wow, terrible, terrible to watch, I can’t even imagine to have it. I didn’t even know about the existence of it. Heal up fast.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jul/23/at-least-17-people-drown-in-a-week-of-tragedies-in-englands-waters

I agree with Kate Rew

Jellyfish population in the bay has exploded this week, and I’m finding myself using more energy looking out for them and trying to dodge them than I am actually swimming.

So how do you tackle them? Do you plough straight through and deal with the stings, or do you do your best to dodge them? Majority compass variety. I’m in a wetsuit but face, hands and feet exposed.

First ever river race, second ever swimming race, 19th out of 131 starters. Happy enough with that, my body had nothing more to give.

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Cracking pace. Current assisted I assume?

After swimming in the sea loads the last few week's, can't wait to get in a river on Saturday for some lovely flat water!

Yeah although not as much current as I had expected based on what mates that raced in previous years had said. I went out way too hard and was gassed by 1km, had to really force myself to knock it back a bit and settle in for the remaining 1.5km.

I think it’s because the tide was coming in that it wasn’t as strong a current as in previous years.

Atlantic has been flat calm yesterday and today, absolute heaven. Planning 3km tomorrow if it stays the same, and there’s a race here on Saturday (I’m doing the 3km), so hopefully it’s calm for that too!

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Pre-swim snap

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Looks banging that water!

The solents been pretty choppy with all this onshore wind, good training I guess!

Another race this morning, held at my local swim spot, on home turf for want of a better term.

Cracking morning for it, great buzz in the town.

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Results are in, 2nd overall in the 3km race, happy enough with that having only taken up swimming properly in April. Might need to reconsider my primary sport.

Wetsuit question:

After 18 months off, I’ve been regularly back in the outdoor pool at Park Road since July 1 and have some sense of fitness returning (bonus of swimming is I can now run 3-5km without feeling like my lungs are collapsing).
I plan to continue at Park Road through the colder weather and need to get kit sorted. No idea what I should be buying! Any tips? Suit? Shortie?

I walk, run or cycle to the pool and I hate carrying loads of gear, so something I can wear to the place would be ideal. Cheers.

Park Road outdoor is heated. Unless you are training for a wetsuited event just wear some budgy smugglers and you will be fine.

A regular latex swim hat would help keep your head from getting too cold when it is sticking out above the water.

Orca or similar Swimrun wetsuit ?

Swimrun wetsuit

This I reckon. Then you can run to pool in it and back with less kit.

They also usually come with additional sleeves, and you can get neoprene calf guards too for when it's colder.

I love my SwimRun wetsuit so much I got rid of my full length one. I've used it in lidos, the sea and rivers. They're also easier to get on and off, and have pockets etc for keys and whatnot.

If you really want a full length wetsuit, the Orca Open water is a good recommendation for cold swimming, good price and well made.

Thanks… yeah, I appreciate the water is much warmer than Tooting (where, on the sunniest day, I can feel my body temperature plummeting after 5-6 lengths) or Brockley. My current jammers and hat seem okay, so perhaps I need to think harder about the transition between pool and clothes!

Thanks, both!

cc. @pullingteth

Just back from 10 days in Cyprus -unfortunately, most swimming was in the pool with a 4-yr old. But swam out to sea to a shipwreck on the morning we left, and found myself about 10 metres from a turtle - big old beast, maybe 4.5 feet long. Made my holiday.

Do they have hot showers at Park Road outside? That combined with having easy to put on clothes and you will be fine. Or you could go with the Dryrobe approach but those are so bulky I can't be bothered.

Dry robes are only for wearing to the coffee shop, duh