Day 352 - Friday 7th October 2011

We went out Men and came back Girls !!


Another dark and cold start to the day; how is it possible that a week ago I was sitting on Lancing beach in 24 degrees sun and a sparkling sea and taking the twins in for a dip and this morning it is about 8 degrees in the air and very stormy looking.  

The arch was not as “manly testosterone” filled this morning, which was good, but still there were a few of us there; Big Bob, Little Bob, David, Big James, Leo, Alex, Lindy, Paula (in her “less is more” swimwear), Evo and others I am sure.  The sea was showing some quite big waves at shore and some monster swells way out to sea.  Big Bob, Big James and little Me headed out from our beach and straight out to sea.  On reaching the helter skelter, having already been thrust feet into the air numerous times by massive swells, I stopped for a second and called out to Bob that perhaps we should turn back.  Naturally in such a busy sea he didn’t hear me so on we went.  Funnily enough when we got back Bob said he considered stopping at the helter skelter as he fancied turning back but he didn’t think I would want to!!  Getting to the end of the pier and heading around we stopped for a moment and enjoyed the calmer effects of being at the end before heading back around and into the walls of water heading to shore. We decided to go straight back down and land on the girly beach (out as men and back as girls) rather than go under the pier and back to ours as the waves would have made it very hard and dangerous, especially landing on our beach; as it turned out we weren’t the only ones to think this as the others either did the same as us or simply stayed on the girly beach from the start.  Back at the arch Alex complained that we shouldn’t call it the girly beach just because it’s safer; actually he is spot on as I think the BSC ladies are a tough bunch and often have bigger b---s than the boys!  We should rename it the safer beach to be politically and factually correct!


The temperature was around 14 degrees, although it felt a little warmer than that.  Walking back from the "safer" beach to the shore on our own beach in our bear feet to collect our shoes wasn’t exactly pleasant, but it was still better than trying to swim there. The whole swim took about 26 minutes I think and it felt like a massive workout; my shoulders are still aching.  Bob remarked that we sometimes forget the enormity of swimming in the sea and around the pier, let alone in conditions such as these.  He is absolutely right; we do take it for granted that it’s what we do, but for most people it would be unthinkable.  

As for the rest of the day, it’s to the office until 1pm, then to the gym with Ross for an hour (like I need another workout; not!!!) then it’s off to London in a penguin suit for a black tie event in the West End tonight as a guest of a business contact.  Super kind of them to ask me, but I may be a tad tired by the time I get there, let alone by the end of the night!