Second freezing of the season (by Julian)

Doesn't 2 weeks fly by when you are enjoying being warm. But inevitably 8:15am Saturday rolled around and, despite a very late night (or more accurately early morning!) with a hangover to boot, we were back in Our Glorious Leaders car heading for Dover.

The one good news was that the sun was out and we hoped that this might mean the water was warmer...pleassse. By 9:30am we were in Dover and waiting for a local arcade to open for a comfort stop (Dover does have public toilets but typically don't open them to the "public").

It was nice to stand in the sun basking for a few minutes but then it was down to the beach, collecting our numbered swimming caps (only 2 of the team remembered their club cards!) and a quick change into costumes. Barrie Shingle Stomper did the honours and we were ready.

Cliff told us Freda's orders. Out from the beach, turn left and down to the second pier then all the way back up to the Hoverspeed wall, touch and back to the beach. This seemed an awfully lot longer than the first swim (which was just to Hoverspeed and back!).

Sue zipped into the water before nerves gave in. And we were chasing to catch up with her. Was it my imagination or was it colder than 2 weeks before? Then the reality set in...it was going to be a long swim down the harbour, even longer on the way back (because you have to swim PAST the beach to get to the wall...when all your instincts say "let's go home for a nice warm towel and some coco"!

About half way around, this must have occurred to Sue and she indicated a strong desire to leave the water. Luckily she was incoherent and so her mean swimming partner (me!) made her "sprint" for 50 to warm up. Then we were catching the others and with a, not quite totally truthful, "we won't go right to the end if you work hard for the next 100 strokes" we chased after them. Nearly at the wall, the mass began to return for the beach so we also turned back.

Now things were getting really cold. Despite the sun on your backs, it doesn't feel any warmer. The urge to stop and give up is huge - but then you would really be giving up. Permanently. So we struggled in to the waiting arms and Sue & I stumbled back up the beach.

Everyone was shaking just as bad as the first week...but recovery times did seem to be faster. That being said, no-one was looking forward to the second swim at noon. But noon duly came around and it was "same again guys" as the instruction. Great - an other long view of the Premier Inn hotel down near the second pier.

The cold was really bad. The swim long and tough. But I had completely forgotten that I appear to have a cavity in one of my back right hand side teeth. The salt water hadn't though and 45 minutes of cold salt water froze the nerve until I was slowly warming up on the beach, when BANG...the real pain set in, flooring me. An entire pack of Nurofen later and I was able to make it back to the car.

Remind me to go to the dentist before the next swim in 2 weeks time. Or at least buy 2 packets of Nurofen!