As the weeks and swims and pools march on, I am a bit sad that this little adventure is nearing its end. I’m not ready to stop yet. I’m going to be very happy not to travel a lot, that’s for sure, and I’m happy that I’m not going to feel quite so manic. Last week I “lost” an electronic gadget from my car. This week I’ve lost a pair of glasses. I never lose anything, so this is an indication that my life is a bit more chaotic than I can deal with. I won’t miss that. But the new pools, the reunions with old friends, the support, visiting bits of London that I never knew existed … I’m definitely going to miss all that.
And I think I am fitter! At the same time as feeling pretty tired out, I feel perkier. I have an extra spring in my step, which I love. I feel I’m at the start of something, not the end.
Sunday 5 April, West Norwood Health and Leisure Centre, 25m
My plan was to spend the whole bank holiday at lidos, but Uxbridge lido uncooperatively decided to delay its opening as it was “too cold”. Disappointed, I pored over my spreadsheet for a replacement. West Norwood Health and Leisure centre has recently opened, so off I went. It was kind of creepy. Apart from the pool, there appeared to be no public spaces – no communal “changing village” here. I walked into the ladies’ changing rooms and was confronted by row upon row of identical closed blue cubicle doors. I had to push open door after door to discover, in turn, changing cubicles, showers, loos. I opened at least 12 doors before I found the toilets. It seemed like being in a prison. However, the pool was lovely and bright and empty, and I bashed out a quick mile before the lunchtime “fun” session began. Bemused, I quickly dressed in the prison-like changing rooms and trudged back to north London.
Monday 6 April, Richmond Pools on the Park, 33m
Bank holiday Monday and the forecast was for sun. It would have been rude not to swim outdoors. Friends from my swimming club came along for a day trip to the Pools on the Park. The centre has indoor and outdoor 33m pools (although approximately 2m of the outdoor pool are taken up by a kind of tiered step down to the shallow end, and thus unswimmable). Why, oh why, would anyone want to swim in the hot indoor pool when they could swim outdoors? The sky was blue and the sun was shining, but the pool wasn’t busy. We spent a lovely hour swimming up and down, pretending we were on holiday somewhere delicious, then lunched in Chiswick. A perfect bank holiday swim.
Tuesday 7 April, New Chiswick Pool, 25m
New Chiswick Pool is a great example of one of those local community pools built with slightly low horizons. A 25m pool in a shed, it was overly hot on a surprising warm evening. It was late by the time I got there, so the pool was quiet and stress-free. Just what I needed. I shared the fast lane with an older man who surprised me by swimming faster than his appearance would have me believe. There was a sauna and steam room on the poolside, which meant that every now and again, a hot, sweaty pink man would stagger out of the sauna and lie prostrate on a bench. Hmmm. After finishing and dressing, I loitered suspiciously by the poolside in an attempt to take a photo. A man who was a dead ringer for Vladimir Putin called out to me in a Russian accent. I left hurriedly.
Wednesday 8 April, Latchmere Leisure Centre, 25m
I’ve never really been to this part of London. Arriving at reception, I looked aghast at the sign above the desk displaying “31C” as the water temperature. A jolly lady in reception apologised and told me it was a kids’ leisure pool. I hadn’t known what to expect, and found a super-heated pool complete with wave machines (not on) and a swimming beach. It had a square section for lane swimming. There were definitely no kids activities going on at that time of night, just a massive, shallow, empty pool with a few lanes. It was like a the scene of a party after all the guests have gone home; slightly sad. The drive back, late, along the Embankment with the city lit up, took my breath away. And as I drove right past the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben chimed, as if I was in a movie.
Thursday 9 April, Streatham Ice and Leisure Centre, 25m
When I started this challenge, I thought that somewhere along the way, some of my regular crowd of swimming friends would join me for the odd dip. What I hadn’t anticipated was that some unexpected friends would join me. Mat used to swim at Tooting Bec lido at the same time as me 10 years ago, part of the same swimming crowd. I hadn’t seen him for eight years, but he contacted me on Facebook and was very keen to join me for a swim. We met at Streatham pool – I was flustered and late. He’d already swum a kilometre before I arrived. But the pool was quiet and dimly lit and calming, and Mat greeted me full of smiles and enthusiasm. By the time I’d done my mile, he was at more than 3km. I don’t understand what I’m doing that makes people want to join in and be part of this 50 swims, but I am truly touched by those old friends and acquaintances who put themselves out to be part of my celebration.
Friday 10 April, Fulham Pools, 25m
Fulham Pools is the first pool I’ve ever been to with a “poor door”. It wasn’t on my original list of pools, as I’d seen it listed as a Virgin gym and had therefore crossed it off as ineligible. A tipoff from swimming friends told me that they actually do allow public swimming, so I went along. There is virtually no signage, and it’s by a fire exit. The Virgin members have their own separate changing rooms and their own separate 25m pool. Nonetheless, the ‘poor’ pool is amazing. An eight-lane, clean, bright space that was empty at 7am. I took my pick of the lanes. As my swim came to an end, a swimmer in the next lane started chatting to me. We swapped stories of our favourite distances and ideal water temperatures, and he gave me some words of encouragement as we parted. It turned out he is a sports psychologist who works with athletes.
Saturday 11 April, Guildford Lido, 50m
OK. Guildford’s not London. But it’s my challenge and my rules, so I can break them if I want to. It’s part of my swimming history, so it’s OK to include it. The last time I was there was four years ago, taking part in a gruelling 24-hour marathon swim, which I had to abandon after nine hours, sick as a dog. But I remember it being beautiful and landscaped – it’s kind of hybrid lido – heated slightly in the winter to make it just bearable (12C), and heated fully in the summer. Slightly perverse, perhaps, but actually quite useful for swimmers who like colder water. The water was a comfortable 18C, but it was windy and cloudy to start with. Nonetheless, I swam 2km, tired and slow and feeling a bit fed up, but appreciating being outdoors.
And now I look forward, with some trepidation, to my last week, my last swims, my last pools. I keep turning over in my mind what I might do next. I hope I come to some conclusions soon.
- Along the way Sally is raising money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity – if you would like to, you can donate at justgiving.com/50SwimsIn50poolsIn50Daysat50/
