Grounded, by the sea

Hello again. How are you? Is this a good time of year for you? Like many, I struggle with the shorter days and lack of sunlight over the winter months, resulting in S.A.D. I know I've talked about this before, but for anyone out there who's new to the blog then this is my method of coping. Sea swimming truly keeps me grounded, helping me cope with the challenges of the season ahead.

It's over 8 years now since I started sea swimming and to be perfectly honest, it's been a lifesaver for me in more ways than one. The idea of taking a dip in the sea in the middle of winter may seem quite mad, but increasing numbers of the population here in the UK are turning to the ocean to help them with their mental well-being. I swear you never regret a sea swim. 

I was recently lucky enough to meet Olympic champion Keri-anne Payne while she was here on Tresco running a Triscape retreat. I had session in the pool along with a group of keen improvers like myself and came away with a few good pointers. Much as I'm a competent swimmer, my freestyle isn't my best stroke and I know needs attention. I've now got a few tips to help me become a more relaxed and smoother swimmer.

Hopefully next year I'll be able to attend the entire course and come away better armed for my swimming future. I have every intention to continue sea swimming into my dotage in an effort to keep a healthy body and mind regardless of the passage of time. I like the idea of being that eccentric old lady on Tresco who sea swims every day regardless of the weather.

Ear plugs, goggles and swimcap and it's time to go.

Swimming tall, holding that leading arm up until the following arm comes in line with the head. 

Concentration one moment and a lovely sense of flow the next; I'm slowly making progress. Swimming lends itself to a wonderful watery meditation which might account for the sense of well-being that follows.

And there it is, the joy of the afterglow. I love the sense of achievement after a swim, no matter how long or short. My Swim Secure tow float gives me confidence as I know I'm always visible even in low light like today.

I've bought two new swimsuits for this winter. The white one above is by Roxy and the green is by Animal. 

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you have a great week!

Anna x

When the swimming is wild!

What a difference a couple of weeks makes! Two weeks ago I was skipping about on Ganilly sandbar, barefoot and shimmering in my sequinned mermaid coat in the September sunshine and now Storm Alex is blasting through the Isles of Scilly with a vengeance. This wintery backdrop is however, perfect for my latest fitness push.

White horses in the channel would normally have me turn my bike around and head off to the opposite side of the island in search of calmer waters out of the prevailing wind. But recently I've reviewed my fitness regime and have found myself lacking. I've been in this comfort zone for years now, smug in the knowledge that sea swimming without a wetsuit was a great form of exercise. But I wasn't really making much progress. (Yes, I do know that swimming around Tresco was an impressive achievement, but that was a one-off, not a daily push.)

If you're a long term follower of the blog then you'll know that I constantly strive to be the best me I can be. I'm driven by the inner childhood angst of not being good enough and nothing I've done in life seems to have eradicated that. Don't feel sorry for me - I don't feel sorry for myself, in fact I'm grateful to have this fuel to burn and propel me further onto better things. If I'd had an idyllic childhood I may not have ended up where I am now and that would be the tragedy!

Anyway, back to the swimming. As I said, I've recently decided to throw the gauntlet down to myself by searching out the windswept beach of the day. This came about when last weekend Fiona and I swam together and I found myself struggling and lacking stamina. It was a swim against the tide at one point and this defeated me at times, causing me to roll over and float on my back as I caught my breath. No biggie really, but I like to view myself as fairly fit and that's not how I felt. The following day I went back to the same beach and repeated the same swim on my own. My focus was sharp as was my intention, plus I had researched the tide and planned to swim the most challenging leg of the swim first, against the tide, when I was at my strongest, turning around and benefiting from the following tide on the way back. I cracked it and more importantly, it was a fresher day, the sea was more lively and somehow more energising. I was hooked!

These shots were from Saturday which was also my 39th wedding anniversary. Steve's gift was to accompany me and take these shots for the blog - generous soul he is! 

The first moment of immersion is the gasp point, but thereafter it's all about calming the breath and keeping moving as movement is what stops you getting cold. I concentrate my thoughts on counting the breath initially; up to 70 breaths and I'm no longer feeling aware of the temperature, but am looking at the scene ahead, deciding how far I'll swim today. Appletree Bay is the perfect length for a there and back swim. I'm not sure how long the beach is, but it's a comfortable swim. Pentle Bay is much longer and I'm more prone to getting chilled when I swim the whole way along and back.

This tow float is my latest bit of kit, designed to keep the wearer seen and safe. It's from the UK company Swim Secure.  It's small and virtually drag free and is also available in pink if you prefer. It's really important for me to feel safe in the water, especially because we have such a lot of boating traffic here on the islands. During the summer there are lots of visitors who hire boats for fun things like water skiing and do-nutting, both of which require the driver to be looking behind for a lot of the time. They'll often use the same lovely long stretch of beaches to do this as we sea swimmers will. Fiona and I will check the horizon for boats before we get in, but half way through a swim you can sometimes find your safety compromised when a speed boat turns up on a jolly. That's when a tow float like this comes into its own. As it's drag free it doesn't impact on my swim and in fact helps me relax into the flow of the moment, safe in the knowledge that I'm highly visible from afar. 

Swimming alone in the winter in choppy waters could also be a dangerous time, but I'm confident that the float is visible even when sometimes I'm not.

The Swim Secure message is simple - Be Safer Be Seen. Much as this might look like I'm out in deep water, I'm always within reach of the shore. There's no way I'd be doing anything risky nor would I want to put others at risk through my own stupidity. 

Cresting the waves sometimes had me lifted out of the water, crashing back down with a jolt. It's crazy, but somehow exhilarating too!

Flushed with success. This was indeed wild swimming! It was a brilliant way to start the day, especially on our anniversary.

Hot honey and lemon is the reward for my wild endeavours. The afterglow sets in and honestly I can't begin to describe the immense feeling of well-being that this gives me. Winter always brings with it the dreaded S.A.D. symptoms which plague me, but goodness knows how much worse these would be without my daily dose of this adrenaline rush.

I've written about the benefits of cold water swimming before, but I would like to revisit this topic as featured on the Swim Secure website. The seven points in its favour are -

• An increased tolerance to stress
• A boost to self esteem
• The mindfulness effect
• Decreased inflammation
• Increased immunity
• Radiant skin
• Post swim high

See the full feature here. If you're dreading the long dark winter days ahead then you may want to consider winter swimming at your local lido or wild swimming with a group of like-minded friends. I can't recommend it enough - it's turned my life around.

And finally, here's a lovely shot of hubby and me on our honeymoon 39 years ago. My, my, look at how young we were!

 Have a great week everyone!

Anna x