A bit like arsenic

Another Friday, another morning down on the Pool Deck at Claremont with SwimSmooth. I have to say, damn it was cold.

One of those mornings where I think it probably warmer in the pool rather that outside of it. I had a good shiver going by the time I finished up for the morning. According to the recorded observations it was about 8 degrees and felt every degree of it. I think next time I might have to give the shorts a miss and go for the jeans instead. Winter is certainly on its way.

While we might have been freezing out of the pool at least the folks in the pool were nice and toasty, particularly by the end of the session. A quiet assassin of a threshold session this morning, one that slowly creeps up on your before striking you down. A bit like arsenic.

I am sure there is probably a saying somewhere that says a wise man is always wary of a session that starts and finishes with a set of 50s. If that isn't a saying, then I think it should be. I have always found that when a session has a big set of 50s mentally you think it is going to be easy. We get a rest at each end of the pool, how hard can it be. Of course what your brain doesn't factor in is the fact that those rests may not be very big. That was the case today. Fast 50s with very little rest = hurting.

By the end of the session the 50s were on what SwimSmooth call a RM+2 cycle (Red Mist +2). What this means is if you are swimming at threshold pace you get two seconds rest/50. Yep. Ouch.

Of course the session wasn't entirely made up for 50s, there were some 100s in there and a couple of 300s, just to make sure people weren't slacking off too much. As I said, there weren't many people complaining about the cold by the end.

Speaking about complaining about the cold, I will be out on the bike tomorrow with the Break Your Limits Junior squad. The minimum temperature forecast for tomorrow is about the same as today and so it is not going to be balmy ride. Could be a 'wear one of everything' type of morning. With sub 10 degree temperatures becoming more common and a storm forecast for Sunday, there is no doubt that we are finally on the downhill run to winter. Still I can't complain too much, we have had some epic weather this autumn (including a maximum of 30 last weekend). Winter had to happen sooner or later.