So how did you spend your weekend?

Garryvoe was beautiful today - but cold. Air temp was 8deg or so with a biting cold wind and water temp was maybe 9.5deg - Paraic Casey and I swam for 32 minutes.

It's what we all ask our coworkers of a Monday morning - though people normally skip me now as more likely than not I have been swimming. First time queriers tend to be shocked at the notion of swimming in the sea at this time of year concluding, quite rightly, that there is something a bit "off" about someone who does such a thing. I normally shrug this off, but today i looked at my weekend activity of choice with a bit of distance and realised ...

I willing create a situation which results in mild hypothermia. It's not that i enjoy the symptoms but i'm jsut trying to push out my tolerance of the cold water so that ultimately i'll be able to last the 16 to 20 hours in 14deg - 16deg water come August 2012. The "good thing" is that I am only a little bit hypothermic and it only happens after i stop swimming. The bad thing is that, f**k me but do i get cold! Shivers, numbness, aching shoulders, and tiredness that doesn't quite dissipate for the rest of the day. And I am only averaging 40mins at the moment in water ranging from 9deg to 11deg - the latter if and only if you believe Finbarr Hedderman's watch.

So tomorrow if anyone asks? I shall say that I went on the beer and watched the rugby and got a taxi from outside the door cos it was WAY too cold to be outside. Pure lie? Yes - but never let the truth get in the way of a good story.