Rain

 A very wet morning but goodness knows we need the rain and I'm sure it'll make my vegetables happy. A late swim because of the holiday arriving at 10am but the pool was busier than ever. I wasn't all that keen on getting in, something to do with the general gloom. Stephanie sets off in a blur.

Elizabeth did a twelve length swim in the suit before her sauna and was going for another four without it afterwards.

Stephanie was swimming very quickly, I tried my best to catch up with her but she was too fast. I think all that swimming must have paid off, her style looks elegant and effortless.

On days like today an extra special thanks goes to the lifeguards. Karen was tucked up under a broken parasol trying to keep warm and dry. I didn't look at the temperature today but would guess just under 10ºC.

Was Stephanie ever going to stop? After I'd had a good long sauna she was still going up and down, the rain was still falling and she didn't seem to mind getting wet.

Frosty

Bright clear and a slight frost. I saw Stephanie on my way in, 'It's colder' she warned me. Various thermometers made it somewhere between 9ºC and 10ºC. What I hadn't expected was for the water to be so cloudy. Elizabeth told me it had something to do with them switching the fountain back on again. I only took the one underwater picture (above), I think it's Kate but I can't really tell.

The pool had been quite busy as it's a bank holiday. Although I was about an hour later than usual so were the rest of the 8am crowd. I didn't enjoy swimming through the murk all that much but did a twenty two length swim just to confirm it really was colder. Elizabeth had swam in her suit again but returned post sauna for a couple of widths without it, then I persuaded her to dive.

The first dive seemed a little close so I moved back for the second and got a great shot of her clearing the cafe!

Alright

No so nice this morning it made sense to get into the water as quickly as possible. I was a little late so it was only an eighteen length swim. I took my camera with me on the last two. Sue and Chris both giving a long reach to the right.

Elizabeth also reaching to the right. Is her little finger getting cold? it looks as if it's beginning to splay out.

I then tried getting the overhead shot, Sue reaching to the left this time! The water felt warmer than the air this morning, but I was getting a bit chilly.

One last try. I only had time for a short sauna so was rather cold cycling into the north wind on my way to work.

Deep water

Like yesterday I had a pretty quiet swim. In the water on my own for most of the twenty two lengths I managed.  thought it might be cooler with yesterday's rain and the bright clear morning but it felt about the same to me. I tried some deep water pictures lying on the bottom of the pool while Sue and Chris swam over me. What is Chris doing with his left leg?

Who's that in the suit? Elizabeth! I think I gave her a surprise. I saw her later and she said she still felt cold. She has a nice stretched out position in this picture, find out what she thought of the suit here.

In a re-run of yesterday Gus was long arming his way up and down. The ducks were back too, Gertie and two Bertie's though! I nearly swam into them but they had gone by the time I got my camera.

While Fred attacking the water. I like the ring of bubbles from his right hand. I was rather late by the time I got out so had a very quick sauna talking about vegetables.

Watching

I was a little early but it seemed really quiet this morning. I guess it's Easter holidays for some so they were coming a bit later than usual. A Chinese television crew were filming at the lido. Anthony was being interviewed and had a tie on! very smart. As they filmed across the water I was aware that I was the only swimmer in the pool. I guess the TV audience in China is about one billion! The builders have begun to paint the fountain, very smart.

Gus must be on Easter holiday becuse he is normally much earlier in the water. He was doing quite a few lengths, a good relaxed stroke, his arm is long and straight but his legs seem a little low at this point. I watched out for other swimmers to compare.

I saw Fred set off like a rocket about five yards in front of me. Great, a race! It took some effort to catch him up but by about mid length he backed off. He swims in a great cloud of bubbles (more than me I think), see how crooked his left arm is and what a big kick he's giving. It looks like he's putting a lot of effort into the water.

Vince has the most relaxed stroke. Barely making any bubbles with a really good reach. He goes at quite a good pace as well. I did a twenty two length swim, the water was perhaps a little cooler than yesterday, still around 10ºC I guess. I had the sauna to myself for the ten minutes I stayed in.

Quackers

Rumours of Bertie and Gertie's return were confirmed when the feathered duo were spotted having a quick dip this morning. Elizabeth took pictures too, I'm sure she'll post them here later.

Gertie wasn't so sure about all the attention and hopped out after one width. Bertie was having none of it so she soon joined him back in the water.

I was in the water at this point creeping up on them, they don't mind the swimmers too much as long you keep your distance.

As they made their way on the second width I caught the underwater action. All this duck shooting had made me late so I only did an eighteen length swim this morning. Sunny but cool again i guess the water is still around the 10ºC mark but I'm sure it'll go down over the coming week.

Super Steph

A much better day than forecast, not as warm as during the week but still wall to wall sunshine. Stephanie was in the pool training hard when I arrived. Pip tells me she did something like 110 lengths yesterday in two swims and it looked as if she were going for a similar total today! I jumped in and joined her, the water has dropped back a bit to 10ºC but is still quite pleasant especially in the sun.

I wanted to get a picture of Steph's tumble turn but most times I was ready she didn't do one. I hope I wasn't putting her off rhythm waiting with my camera. The water was quite full today, there was a painting at the lido event for children and the good weather bought out a few more swimmers for perhaps the first time this year. I did twenty four lengths before calling it a day. Stephanie was still going strong.

Goggles and a swim cap are so last season! Ivan knows how to swim in style, I'm surprised he doesn't have a matching bag.