Polar Bear Swim 2008

Diane asked that we post the video clip of the Polar Bear Swim.

The plan was to swim down and back which sounded like a good idea at the time. I should note that the water temperature was in the high 30's. The day before the swim the water temp was 35 with a thin sheet of ice on the surface. As you can see we all followed Don's lead...in and out of the pool (down not back). Not to mention his leading all of us into the house squealing like little girls.

For those of you that think this was foolish and a potential health risk, I'll have you know that safety was top of mind as we had a medical professional (Don) on site observing the event. He assured me that we had nothing to worry about as long as our hearts were strong, otherwise the shock of cold water could send our hearts into fibrillation.

Other than knowing that we all have strong hearts, describing the swim is difficult to put into words. Let just say it was a man kind of pain...awesome! Being in the water for even a few seconds chilled us to the bone for several minutes after being out of the water. The sunrise on the horizon adds a nice touch.

I should quote Lance Armstrong while training for his marathon, "pain is temporary." It simply must be experienced, so be here on New Years Day next year to join the club.

We Started the year with a splash!!!

Crazy Dave and his crazy brother-in-law Don, and his crazy supervisor Kenny started the year with a "splash" by starting the first annual "New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim" in our backyard pool. They actually swam across the pool in 40 degree water, at 7:30 in the morning! Out of the 10 guys he invited, these are the brave souls to be the first to "take the plunge". It was quite entertaining to watch these guys prepare themselves physically and mentally in the kitchen before proceeding into the backyard. This is the BEFORE shot, you should see the actual video. (Notice they're still smiling and the snow-capped mountains in the background!) Dave said it invigorates the mind, body, AND spirit. For those of you who are up for a thrill next New Year's day morning, you know where to go.