Winter Swimming Tallinn (Pirita Open 2016) English version

Winter Swimming in Tallinn (Pirita Open 2016)

Hi again!

I´m a little bit behind schedule writing the posts but this time is for a good reason as we have a lot Winter Swimming Events this year :)

In the last post I´ve told the Skellefteå adventure with the water at 0,1°C. I tell that I didn´t know if I will continue with the Winter Swimming Season but, with the swimming thing I´m really easy to convince so, with the eyes closed, I´ve booked my trip to Tallinn to swim the Pirita Open 2016 (4^th stage of the Winter Swimming World Cup).

In Skellefteå I´ve swam 25 and 50m so this time I´ve to increase the distance. I´ll swim 4 races in one day: 25m breastroke, 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 200m freestyle (this last one is the one which worries me the most…and the most exciting one).

I land in Tallinn with a heavy snow…it feels like home :) I arrive at the hotel, in an unknown country and a city where I wasn´t before but as soon as I enter the hotel lobby I meet known faces. Nils (Swedish swimmer) and Sinne (Danish swimmer)…hugs and smiles, that´s like being home :D A lot of swimmers from all around the world meet again to do what we love the most, and no one here look at as like weirdos for swimming in ice water.

The day of the swim I wake up pretty well, I have some breakfast and I go to the starting point where they tell me: temperature of the water 0,8°C!!! Fresh! In my head a voice sounds all the time “200m, 200m, 200m” at 0,8°C is going to be a challenge.

We start with 25m breastroke: Good feelings, the breastroke is not my style but I feel good. A 4^th place which cheers me up! I go to the hotel to warm up in the warm pool until my next swim, 50m freestyle.

I arrive “late” to my heat in 50m because they are a little bit in advance. I went running in the snow without shoes to get my position in the pool and I meet Jaimie there (American swimmer). She´s a champion who will pass me in 2 seconds but she´s a great friend, it´s an honor to swim by her side J. Here we go! You won´t believe me but I didn´t even feel the cold. I´ve no clue about what´s my position but my 46” in 50m is a record competing to myself :)

Very happy I went for lunch with Maria Luisa (Brazilian swimmer) and her kids. Thinking I had enough time I go back to the pool area and my heat has already started. They go in advance but they allowed me to swim the 100m freestyle with the last heat of the men. This implies I almost won´t have time to recover between 100 and 200m as I´ve to swim in the first heat for 200m freestyle. I thought about it for a minute and I said to myself “You´re already here, come on!!”

I swim the 100m freestyle a little bit nervous but it went well. I had good feelings in the water but it starts to snow when I go out of the water. I decide to be in the hot-tub until my turn in the 200m as the snow is heavy and it´s really cold. Still snowing and it´s already my turn to swim the 200m freestyle. This time with no hurry I go to my line and next to me Jaimie again :) we entered the water and at this point I didn´t even feel the snow falling over us.

I go pretty calm until 100m, I think that I´m swimming fine regardless the cold and the numbness. When I turn to 150m I kick the platform (it hurts) but I can see smiles and known and unknown people cheering up out of the water!! Come on, come on, come on!!! I turn to 175m! Pretty numb but I manage not to kick the platform again in my turn to 200m, great!! Almost there!! Now I start to move my legs, that I was reserving, as much as I can and…done!! 2^nd place!! 200m at 0,8°C o_O!! Unbelievable!! I went out of the water with a huge smile, laughing, jumping and I meet Alexandr Jacolev, vicepresident of the International Winter Swimming Association, taking me pictures and congratulating to end up well :) Finally, those 200m that were scaring me turned to be the best swim of the day!!

Already dressed it´s time to relax and party!! The obvious question: “Loli, are you going to swim in Tyumen (Siberia) the last stage of the World Cup” This time the answer is no L. I´d love to go but the same weekend there is an important swimming event in Spain. For the first time an Ice Swimming championship will take place. It will be Puigcerdá (Pyrenees) and I have to be there. The temperature of the water there won´t be that low but the medium distance 450m and the long distance 1000m will be a challenge…I have to try!!

Pyrenees Ice Swimming Festival 2016 here we go!!!