Category: Mike

Pauline and I went for a swim yesterday. I was massively reluctant to go. There was a freezing wind coming out of the east; the sea temperature is 8.5°C; there were waves that made swimming hopeless; the tide was out so we had to walk for ages till we got anywhere deep, BUT, as always, once you’re in, it’s lovely.

There’s a short YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/gakoOWvyX7w

Since last October I’ve been going sea swimming. I wasn’t keen at first, but my wife started going last summer and was forever singing its praises, so I figured I’d give it a go. At first, it was (predictably) hard to take. I could only stay in for about three minutes before I came scurrying out, desperate to get towelled off and into some warm clothes. However, I persevered, and now I’m a fully-fledged convert. We go in around four times a week, and on the days we don’t, it’s cold showers or cold baths, just so we don’t get lax when it comes to going into the cold.

Here’s a video of me going in for a dip this January: https://youtu.be/3mCoqc7CNHw

And speaking of going into the cold, my newfound interest in sea swimming led me down a YouTube rabbit hole that led me to one Wim Hof. Maybe you’ve heard of him. I won’t spend ages writing all about him here, but in a nutshell, he’s a guy who strongly advocates regular exposure to cold as a health benefit. He’s a fascinating character, and can count me as one of his many fans. I’m currently reading his book, The Wim Hof Method. I recommend it. You don’t need to have a sea on hand to do his thing, a cold shower a day will do the trick just as well. Give it a go. You’ll like it … eventually 😁