1st April - The First Cold Plunge

As of the 25th March the furthest I had swum was 8km and that was in a pool. So clearly I had lots of work to do. I’ve basically been listening to my body and not gone overboard in training. I have always tried to feel as comfortable as possible for as long as possible. And after the 8km pool session I did feel great afterwards, so I considered it a small success. However things were about to change very quickly.



Crosby swimming pool (Parkwood Leisure Centre)


1st April was my first test of cold water. It was good bye 27˚C of the friendly swimming pool and hello 7˚C! The Albert Dock in Liverpool is an ideal spot to get in some vital shiver training. Being the 1st of April it did seem like a joke, not being allowed to wear a wetsuit (Channel Swimming Association rules) but I managed to last 15 minutes. Longer than that is dangerous as I have had no cold water experience prior to this other than my flat mate turning the warm water on in the kitchen when I was nursing a steady hangover in the shower from the night before with my slow gaining of consciousness immediately turning into a violent scream.

But the Albert Dock was something new. I had never felt anything like it. At first I was unable to put my head under the water as my breathing was too erratic. Moving forward in a panicked groaning mixture of doggy paddle, breastroke and front crawl was all I was able to muster at first; the cold literally piercing my body with an almost burning sensation that I can only describe as suffocating wet dry ice – ya duh! After 10 minutes I managed to break into a kind of front crawl, although it was difficult to even know if I was moving forward as I couldn’t feel my arms and legs pushing and kicking through the water. Matters weren’t helped when I witnessed the other swimmers who had years of cold water training involuntarily performing what seemed like a highly charged and aggressive ants-in-your-pants pagan dance ritual when they entered the water. This was accompanied by groans, huffs, puffs and insane splashing tactics to keep their bodies warm. Apparently every boxing day they all take a jump in the dock when it is about 2 degrees. Dont think I will be doing that! But it seemed the temperature was a definite adjustment for everyone today. But I remember thinking ‘I’m doing this, I’m doing this, I’m doing this, I’m doing this!’ The UK open water swimming season had just begun!!!


'Almost freestyle'


just out and in one piece after my first cold water swim