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Don’t be a ninja swimmer
Every now and then, when driving, you come across a cyclist out in the dark, in black clothing, face mostly…
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Swimming: the last refuge?
About twice a week I get up early to swim. I go to the pool (or maybe a lake in…
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What have railways and reservoirs got in common?
There was a story on the BBC website recently about people campaigning to keep railway level crossings open. National Rail,…
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Nine New Year’s resolutions suggestions for open water swimmers
We decided it was that time of year to draw up a list of suggestions for New Year’s resolutions for…
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Don’t let Blue Monday get you down
Earlier this week a number of papers were talking about ‘Blue Monday’, describing it as the most depressing day of…
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Isn’t the pool full at the moment?
If you’re a regular pool swimmer (which we know from oursurvey that many open water swimmers also are) you’ll probably have…
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What goes through the mind of a cold water swimmer?
What do you think when going through a cold water swim? Is it anything like the following, or something completely…
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Seven reasons to be thankful for open water swimming
Yesterday was Thanksgiving in the United States and you may have noticed a number of Facebook and blog posts listing…
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Is drafting over-rated?
Elite swimmers race in packs for a simple reason. If you swim behind and to the side of another swimmer,…
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Keeping it up as temperatures plummet
Earlier this week we posted a short message on our Facebook page checking people hadn’t been caught out by Sunday’s…
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Things fall into place
One of the pleasures of writing about open water swimming is the opportunity it gives me to meet and talk…
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What’s the difference between pool and open water swimming?
One of our advertisers asked me yesterday if I could say in a few words what the difference is between…
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Why people get pulled out at open water swimming events
This weekend we went to the Great North Swim in Windermere. At the beginning of many of the waves the…
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Do you really want to swim an Ice Mile?
From an open water swimming perspective, this winter feels different. Previously, except for a few determined individuals, the ‘season’ effectively…
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Susan Taylor, and the dangers of open water swimming
The plan this week was to write more about the Henley Mile Suits versus Skins challenge that took place on…
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What difference does a wetsuit really make?
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You know you’re an open water swimmer when…
You see these types of lists circulating on Facebook from time to time; “you know you’re a whatever when…” There’s probably one…
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Beautiful lakes, clean rivers and a refreshing attitude to open water swimming
Last week, courtesy of Swiss Tourism and Human Race, I had the opportunity to spend four days in Switzerland. This…
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Get naked
This weekend I visited an open water swimming venue I haven’t been to since last year. The first thing I…
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Experience and reality in open water swimming
I recently read Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. It’s a book about the way we think and I wasn’t expecting…
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River flows – and how to take advantage of them
The 2012 running of the 2.25 mile (3.6km) Hampton Court to Kingston Bridge Thames swim was held in October after…
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The Pied Piper of Cold Water Swimming
Last Saturday South London Swimming Club hosted the bi-annual Cold Water Championships at Tooting Bec Lido. Around 600 people turned…
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January 31st Resolutions
Here’s an idea we can’t claim for ourselves but overhead in a conversation: instead of New Year’s Resolutions, how about…
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Don’t be intimidated by triathletes
We’ve had a few phone calls and emails recently from people who would like to explore open water swimming but…
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Why don’t triathletes like open water swimming (and what can they do about it)?
We’ve recently spent two weekends at triathlon events (the Bike and Triathlon Show in Manchester and the Triathlon Show in…
