The Polar Bear Challenge and The Penguin Challenge
- 2 weeks to go .
Autumn is creeping up on us which means that Winter won't be far behind so it's time to start practicing the routines that will need to be tried and tested by the time cold weather comes around ....
Once you've swum your swim the fun is only just starting - you're about to become familiar with The Afterdrop !!. However cold you are when you get out of the water - 10 minutes later you will be even colder and may have the comedy shakes so it's really, really important that you use those 10 minutes to get yourself, dry, dressed and in as comfortable a place as possible.
When you exit the water - NO FAFFING - GET ON WITH IT !!
Chatting and stuff can happen later but right now you need to get yourself dry and dressed asap.
I recommend getting your top half dry and dressed first and then sort out the nether regions. It's important to get your torso on the way to rewarming those vital organs inside - legs can wait.
For the ladies get your cossie half way down ( gents you're already half undressed ) then fully dry and dress the top half and put your coat or DryRobe on but don't necessarily bother doing it up. A long loose coat will give you enough modesty to then sort out getting your legs dressed.
It can be tricky pulling down a vest or top at the back as they often get rucked up so an extra pair of hands is helpful for this. Socks are a magic weapon - they slide on your hands easier than gloves and if you put them on first it makes putting on a long sleeve top or trousers so much easier and has the added advantage of sealing you in if the socks are underneath your cuffs..
Leave your swimhat on your head until you're warm - stick a bobble hat on top so no one can see it.
I find it best to warm up by moving around a bit once dressed - whether it's a gentle walk or jigging about to a silent disco. A hot drink and something sweet to eat can also help.
If you do end up finding it a bit tough at your chosen level then you can always drop down or swap from Polar Bear to the equivalent Penguin level - you can drop down as many times as you like and you'll still get a badge and certificate as long as you finish the winter at whatever level you end up at - so please don't take risks or worry about it if you do need to drop - just treat it as a benchmark to aim for next season.
Check out the Polar Bear Challenges website on the link below as there's lots of other useful stuff there that you may find handy including FAQs and Top Tips. ( you’ll never know until you read the top tips how handy a washing up bowl or trug is going to be !! )
If you want a reminder of how it all works and the different challenge levels then The Official Polar Bear & Penguin Challenges handbook is available on Amazon and it has has a section for logging your swims so you can keep your own record.
For those of you who like a bit of merch then swim hats, bobble hats, embroidered hoodies and other bits n pieces are also available on the shop. Hoodies are only available until November 22nd - after that date NO MORE ORDERS
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.
Stay Chilled
MamaBear
( Pauline Barker MBE )
