Polar Bears Unite!

Well, what's been keeping me from writing regularly this past week I honestly cannot say, but those of you dear sweet friends, fans and readers who have been reminding me that you're being kept waiting, thank you for your patience, loyalty, and occasionally impolite reminders. The teenage boy chant, "Why are we waiting, it's SOOO aggravating," comes to mind. Apologies!

Family life continues apace. Miss Suzy Q No. 2 was quite the Belle of the Ball at her Matric Dance, and Mr SQ now considers himself officially old. Midlife Crisis Number How Many Now? Seriously, he was as proud as punch of his two leggy young fillies, can you but imagine him on their wedding days? After all the preparations and excitement, life in the middle lane seems a little tame, but then there are matric exams to prepare for, driving lessons (we're finally making good progress there, though my hair is a new shade of grey) and university courses and campuses to choose. It did all seem a bit simpler in my day, or did I miss the boat on all this? Miss SQ No 1 is cracking along and doing us all extremely proud on her Law course, it's just that we so seldom see her now that I throw a party whenever I have a chance to chat to her.

As for me, what's been keeping me, you may well ask. Perhaps it's the time I spend admiring the golden autumn colours I so adore, whilst plucking up the courage to tackle the increasingly chilly waters to try to keep up my daily swim. Procrastination is indeed the thief of time, and there seem to be an ever increasing amount of chores to do, whilst decked out in my speedo, abandoned school swimming cap and shower mitts to protect my hands. ( I have Reynaud's Disease, which impairs microcirculation, so I am definitely not the best candidate for cold water swimming, but sensibility be damned, life's gotta be lived, what!? Natalie du Toit and Oscar Pistorius don't let little things like lost limbs get in their way, do they?) 

So, yes, I have been gingerly braving the cold Cape Waters, approx 15'C at the moment, just to get my daily thrill and bit of exercise.
Anyway, come the moment when I cannot find one further diversion, I brace myself for my chilly laps, and then when I'm in and swimming up and down our pool, I wonder why I delayed so long and why I can't physically stay in longer, because I just LOVE it. Ok, I might have thought of it, but our babies weren't born by the Leboyer method by any manner or means, but there is something very therapeutic about being submerged in water. Moving in water is of course much better than on land, and the benefits are well documented. Swimming activates most muscle groups without impact, so is a great cardiovascular form of exercise and does not jar joints.  I'm trying to think of exactly when I started cold water swimming, and whilst I can't pin it down exactly, it might just tie in with a very bad knee op I had done a few years ago, which required swimming or cycling as a means of recovery. The roads, as I may have mentioned before, are far too treacherous for me to cycle these days, so I took to swimming, and come winter, saw no reason not to stop. This madcap habit or ritual has become something of a daily thrill for me (reminds me that I am still alive and able bodied if not all quite there upstairs) and has stood my bad leg in good stead, touch wood. Those are my reasons, but more recently, whilst researching for my blog for you (see, it's not all been idle play) I chanced upon a website stating at least five good reasons for cold water swimming, which I'll share with you.

1) Boosts immune system- puts body in a state of sub shock and prepares it for worse things to come
2) Gives a natural high - all those endorphins stimulated by cold currents
3) Improves circulation - gets the blood pumping
4) Beneficial for sex life (why save this for fourth place, duh, this could make headlines if marketed properly) as it improves tetosterone and oestrogen levels and reputedly creates levels of orgasmic highs. Need I say more, nudge, nudge, wink, wink...??
5)Burns calories - more so than exercise done at normal temperatures
http://thenextchallenge.org/2010/02/cold-water-swimming/http://thenextchallenge.org/2010/02/cold-water-swimming/

So, having shared all that with you, who's in for the cold morning winter swim? See you there...

With love,


Your frozen but extremely happy, hopefully healthy, Suzy Q xx

The Polar Bear Swim Challenge.

Gotta admit, turning 50 can do things to a girl's head, and let's not mention the other body parts right now, shall we? I got wind of an icy water swim to be held in midwinter in a dam in the Drakensberg, and immediately set my heart upon doing it. Why? Well, why not? I love swimming, had managed to keep up my daily laps in our unheated outdoor pool the previous winter, being a gal who loves the great outdoors and really doesn't enjoy the confines of gyms, not to mention the lane rage types I've encountered there. Also, I had a desperate desire to break out of my middle aged maternal role and DO something a bit wacky and wild. Ann Gray, the organizer told me that absolutely no wetsuits would be allowed ("it's meant to be a challenge!") and that the funds raised would go to the Estcourt SPCA. Well, being the proud owner of a rescue hound, there was no further reason not to go, and I dreamed of returning to the Champagne Castle region to take in all that long forgotten crystal clear air, majesty and beauty and take up the challenge. No more Suzy Q the shrinking violet!

Mr SQ generously offered his flight miles to his wife, whose sanity he was seriously beginning to doubt, and his daughters who had no option but to be party to this middle aged madness, as Mr SQ suddenly had to be elsewhere at the time. Easier said than done,  however, as crises will occur on cue when Mom wants to do something, but yet again, boer maak 'n plan, and the girl's roadshow arrived in one piece. We thrilled at the sight of the mountainscape, but I took a sharp intake of breath when I arrived for a recce of the Dragon Peaks dam. This was REAL. "Oh help," I yelped, a little like Maria arriving at the gates of the von Trapp homestead, all bravado but zero confidence. An expanse of muddy water with the wind whipping little frosty peaks across the surface did not look at all enticing to me. Ok, it was actually only 100m for the official swim, but I'm a little nervous of open stretches of water to say the least, and joined the rest of my family in questioning my state of mind. I had definitely heard "menopausal" mumbled more than once or twice in my vicinity.  The Misses SQ, it transpired, had not even told their very best friends where they were and why they had been dragged there. Fortunately the deal included a lovely weekend in the Champagne Castle Hotel on one of their reasonable all inclusive winter promotions if we survived the ordeal, so there was a little sweetener for them. I decided to stretch my aching muscles and have a swim in the hotel pool on arrival to literally test the waters and the altitude. Man, was it COLD!? The folks huddled in their great coats sipping afternoon tea on the verandah nearly choked on their scones as I did my first few mountain laps. A good dinner and a warm bed made up for a long day.

The day of the swim, midwinter indeed, dawned crisp and clear, a perfect day for Polar Bears! After a quick hike to the Sphinx we headed to the dam, and joined the throng of nervous and excited participants. There I finally met Ann (Mama Bear) Gray and paid my entrance fee and made my dog food donation. I had a number marked on my arm (in case they had to identify my body!?) so decided to ceremoniously hand over my jewellery to my daughters, just in case. They had skulked off, but not unnoticed, and were thronged by local yokels, who had rather hoped that they would be removing their outer apparel and joining the swim rather than their mental mother. 

At the noon day gun we were set off at five minute intervals. The 11' water was bracing to say the least, but the swim was over so quickly, rather like the trip up Table Mountain, that I was almost disappointed to be hauled out of the water so soon at Bunny Island to the sounds of Queen's "We are the Champions." There was a raging bonfire and a welcome glass of gluhwein to warm the cockles. Success, I'd done it, and was so pleased and proud of myself, but honestly, the lengths a gal will go to for a mug of mulled wine. 

The Misses SQ heaved the hugest sigh of relief that their ordeal was almost over, but not before the prizegiving, where I received my certificate and a special mention for travelling so far for this worthwhile event. Over R3000 was collected for the SPCA as well as donations of pet food and blankets. All in all, a well organized and fun filled day was had by all. The next Polar Bear Challenge is to be held at noon at Dragon Peaks Dam on Saturday June 23rd 2012. Contact Ann Gray 082-8280401 to join the Mountain Madness.

As for Suzy Q,  sigh, Lewis Pugh, where are you...?

Good night, and thanks for taking time to read me. I do hope you're enjoying all this as much as I am in writing it for you.


Much love,


Suzy Q

xx
www.cathkinpark.co.za/berg/events/