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I find myself waddling around like a drunk pengui
It might look easy, but a lot of practice is required t
develop balance and strength.
Much the same can be said of the winter swimm
– though it’s a pastime that’s even less easy to train
for. “You can’t train long distances in cold water,”
explains Strel later. Instead, in order to increase yo
endurance, you need to take frequent short swims,
gradually lengthening the amount of time you spe
in the water. It’s an experience that is “always a
surprise”, he says, because of the extreme cold. I on
lasted a few minutes in the water when I tried it,
though regular practitioners can stay submerged fo
up to 15 minutes.
Yet, despite the difficulties, it’s a sport that looks
to be taking off: hundreds join in the annual Worl
Winter Swimming World Championships (this yea
Latvia), and there are an increasing number of club
that organise winter swims (including several in th
UK), as well as other events, such as the Speedo Ice
Swim, a cold-water endurance event in South Afric
This isn’t one for the faint hearted, however – in
the competitive events you’re not even allowed to w
gloves or boots to stave off the cold, and because th
activity makes the heart work particularly hard, it’s
not suitable for those with cardiac issues. But, if yo
condition yourself gradually, the benefits are manif
And, to watch Strel chatting at the shore after the
swim is to perceive the powerful sense of well-bein
that it generates. He throws his head back and
guffaws: it’s a belly laugh in every sense of the word
The Bled Winter Swimming Cup is on 11 February.
Entry can be booked through Strel Swimming
Adventures, strel-swimming.com. For more
information, visit slovenia.info or bled.si
Its picturesque
scenerymakes
Bled a wonderful
place for swimming
and boating
Martin Strel
enjoys a spot of
cross-country
skiing at the
Pokljuka Ski
Resort in the
JulianAlps
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