Death Swim!

Last night Peter's brother Neil got in touch again and we decided on today as the day for our cold winter dip. The forecast was not encouraging - freezing cold and freezing fog - but unexpectedly the sun came out. I went out for an earlier run. On the way down Pilrig St the graveyard to the left caught my eye. Freezing fog swirling round grave stones. It reminded me that we had called our swim the Death Swim! How very auspicious.

When I got back from my run, times had been agreed, so off we set for Gullane. I was still in denial. "I don't think I'll do it" I thought, "I don't need to do it!" I thought, "I was just in at xmas! And I'm going in again on Thursday after the Promathon!". But when we got there Neil and Ryan had geared themselves up for it and it was irresistible.

It was the coldest day I've gone in today. Neil's wife Sue came too, just to spectate. We got down onto the beach and got changed at the top of the wet bit on the sand. It was spectacularly cold and bright. There were other people on the beach, walking and wrapped up well. Ryan had been feeling ill on the car on the way. He said he was "too hot". His parents said he had a fierce hangover. Anyway, he was up for going in the sea.

When you're doing it, you can't quite believe you're doing it - that's what gets you in. The air was icy - and the sea was icy. I hid behind the camera for a while, trying to get a shot of the others going in and then forcing myself under the water before we ran out...but then once we'd run out, we thought we weren't cold any more, so ran back in, just to make sure.

The 2nd time around my feet went completely numb and I was losing the power of speech. It was a buzz though. Ryan declared it "Very Refreshing!".