We started the year well with quite a few winter dips in Loch Ness, regardless of the weather. This year we really wanted to get our minds and bodies used to going into the cold water. The aim was to train our bodies and minds to adapt to the stressors of thermal change as quickly as possible. We were not trying to stay in for a certain amount of time or go in when the water is a certain temperature, we just want to get in there and see how it goes; just do what we can on the given day and get the experience. The idea is to build up resilience in the mind and body over time by coming out of our comfort zone but not going to a point where it’s counterproductive; it’s all about building confidence and resilience.
We are aware of the risks involved and try our best to reduce them when we go in the water; we always have a buddy or partner so we can look out for each other, and we carry throw lines and floats with us in case of emergencies. It’s not possible to eliminate all the risk due to the unpredictable nature of the activity, but we try to reduce risk as much as we can. This video was taken in January 2024, the air temperature was about 3 degrees celsius (about 36 degrees fahrenheit), and there was a fair bit of wind chill too so we didn’t stay in for long. As you can see the waves were pretty powerful; Mhairi got knocked off her feet at one point so we made sure we stayed near the shoreline.
Preparing yourself mentally, and dealing with the biting cold just with the power of your mind is one thing when you can be still and can focus on it completely, but when the waves are crashing against you and the force is nearly taking you off your feet, it makes things a lot more difficult to find that Zen place.
I feel that was a good metaphor for life. They say nature is a good teacher and I think I would have to agree with that. It was definitely challenging at the time, but worth it… and it was pretty fun too 🙂
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