It's almost the 1st of November so it's time to get ready to Go Go Go !!!
....just a week of October left and then we are into Polar Bear & Penguin season and the fun starts.
There are lots of Polar Bear and Penguins signed up for this year's Challenges so it's going to be a busy winter.
Entries close on THURSDAY OCTOBER 30th so if any of your friends or swim group haven’t entered yet then there’s still time - entry link is below.
If you fancy a double challenge you can register twice - once as a Penguin and again as a Polar Bear. That way you can do your longer swims with the benefit of a wetsuit and then do a quick strip and dunk to qualify for a shorter Polar Bear level - and get two goody packs !!!
You can check which level you have registered for by going back into Eventbrite then log in and click on your profile ( top right ) - choose Tickets from the drop down list - your ticket will show under upcoming orders or under past orders - click on it and your entry will show.
At the end of November I’ll send you an online form to complete to confirm that you’ve swum your swims - no proof of anything is required other than for the Jedi / Ninja / Apprentice specified swims and when you check in one of those you’ll receive further instructions as to where to send the photographs.
The November check in form is also where you can confirm if you are Standard or Extreme Penguin.
Once I’ve got your November check in I’ll do a shuffle so that if you’ve completed a distance higher than that which you entered then I’ll move you up to the appropriate level.
( NOTE - You can’t move from Penguin to Polar Bear in November or up into the Jedi / Ninja / Apprentice level - in these cases you have to be entered with the appropriate level or challenge level to start with ).
In future months you can then shuffle down the levels or from Polar Bear to the equivalent Penguin if needs be.
Be careful out there and be cautious on your first swims. It's very easy to get carried away and think that just one more lap or an extra five minutes will be OK - that's often when disaster strikes and you find yourself in the early stages of hypothermia.
One of the first signs of hypothermia is that you lose your ability to think straight and reason so you may well feel absolutely fine but you don't realise that your stroke has become sluggish or erratic. It's really important to set your time limits before you get into the water taking into account the temperature and conditions on the day.
Is it windy ? Wind Chill will significantly increase the probability of getting cold quicker.
Is the sun out or is it cloudy ? A sunny swim will be more comfortable than a shady one.
Is there any shelter for you after your swim ? A sheltered spot will make recovery easier but if you're out in the wilds you need to be extra cautious about getting too cold.
Remember that the Afterdrop will occur about 10 minutes after you exit the water - that's when the cold blood in your cold hands and feet and extremities starts to move around the body and replace the warm blood that has pooled in your core to protect your organs. Cold hands and feet aren't a huge problem - just really uncomfortable and can often be revived with a little tepid water poured over them - but cold blood around heart and kidneys and major organs is more serious so you need to be dry, dressed, well wrapped up and with a warm drink inside 10 minutes of getting out. No Faffing - Get Dressed !!
It takes a significant amount of calories to replace those used up by your body trying to rewarm so something sweet and calorific like hot chocolate can be effective or, of course, cake and bacon sandwiches !!
There’s swimhats, bobble hats, embroidered hoodies and other bits n pieces available on the store on the PolarBearChallenges website.
Hoodies MUST be ordered by November 23rd - no more hoody orders after that date.
There's lots of personal tips from other Bears on the facebook page and it's a great forum for asking any questions that may be niggling you so please do come on over and join in if you haven't done so already.
You'll need to enter the code / password ICE CREAM to get through the entry questions
https://www.facebook.com/groups/polarbearchallenge
Stay Chilled
MamaBear
( Pauline Barker MBE )
