I went open water swimming! It was incredibly nice.
I cycled down to Grantchester meadows again, in swimming trunks and t-shirt I could whip off, and walked along to one of the new slips. I just walked right in, the water is so warm I barely needed any acclimitisation at all, it was so nice in the water I found it hard to leave.
I was bold and tried swimming from that slip up to the top of the meadows where Grantchester starts, and walked back, and it went sufficiently well that I then swam down to the *other* slip and walked back from that as well.
I wasn't sure about swimming along: most of the way it wouldn't be easy to get out, so even though it wasn't far, I was committed. And the bottom of the river is inconsistent: some places it's easy to stand up, some places it's deep mud, some places it's deep, and some places it's rather overgrown with ominously grasping plants with big leaves. But I knew that I could swim a fair distance in a managed pool, and in fact it was totally fine. Even a couple of field lengths felt a long way when you didn't quite know what to expect, but it was really satisfying.
It was about 500m between the two swims, which was short compared to what I normally do, but doing it all continuously was harder work too.
It turns out, when you're swimming outside, that breaks the magical barrier of talking to strangers, and also makes you look like like a really interesting person! A few people spoke to me, including four who'd brought a little table, table cloth, and little teaparty.
And I got talking to two: One, an engine driver who was out with his canoe (not on strike, on holiday), who attracted a set of ducks onto his canoe. One a retail worker from Duxford who'd come to swim and sunbathe in Grantchester for the day and helped me re-sunscreen after swimming.
I felt incredibly refreshed for a couple of hours not needing to do a lot of things.
I remembered the temporary ban on swimming, and I'm really glad there seems to have been some sort of compromise which makes it actually easier.
And I also keep meaning to tempt other people to come swim with me, but it's almost always something I do at short notice so it's hard to arrange.
I cycled down to Grantchester meadows again, in swimming trunks and t-shirt I could whip off, and walked along to one of the new slips. I just walked right in, the water is so warm I barely needed any acclimitisation at all, it was so nice in the water I found it hard to leave.
I was bold and tried swimming from that slip up to the top of the meadows where Grantchester starts, and walked back, and it went sufficiently well that I then swam down to the *other* slip and walked back from that as well.
I wasn't sure about swimming along: most of the way it wouldn't be easy to get out, so even though it wasn't far, I was committed. And the bottom of the river is inconsistent: some places it's easy to stand up, some places it's deep mud, some places it's deep, and some places it's rather overgrown with ominously grasping plants with big leaves. But I knew that I could swim a fair distance in a managed pool, and in fact it was totally fine. Even a couple of field lengths felt a long way when you didn't quite know what to expect, but it was really satisfying.
It was about 500m between the two swims, which was short compared to what I normally do, but doing it all continuously was harder work too.
It turns out, when you're swimming outside, that breaks the magical barrier of talking to strangers, and also makes you look like like a really interesting person! A few people spoke to me, including four who'd brought a little table, table cloth, and little teaparty.
And I got talking to two: One, an engine driver who was out with his canoe (not on strike, on holiday), who attracted a set of ducks onto his canoe. One a retail worker from Duxford who'd come to swim and sunbathe in Grantchester for the day and helped me re-sunscreen after swimming.
I felt incredibly refreshed for a couple of hours not needing to do a lot of things.
I remembered the temporary ban on swimming, and I'm really glad there seems to have been some sort of compromise which makes it actually easier.
And I also keep meaning to tempt other people to come swim with me, but it's almost always something I do at short notice so it's hard to arrange.