Hot Coffee by Moonlight: the Birth of Marathon Swimming. Part 1 – Agnes...
Kathy Watkin’s book The Crossing, (reviewed here), is the only currently available biography of Captain Matthew Webb. It is required reading for any English Channel Aspirant and certainly for anyone...
View Article“We Enter on our Nautical Existence” – The Birth of Marathon Swimming – Part 1
I had intended this article to cover further the articles shared by Nick Adams from the turn of the last century, but I realised that I would have to digress from those accounts and go back to the...
View ArticleRapture on the Lonely Shore, Society by the Deep Sea – The Birth of Marathon...
In the last part we closed with Byron’s continued explanation of his Hellespont swim to Mr. Turner, (below again). “With regard to the difference of the current, I perceived none; it is favourable to...
View ArticleIt Takes An Ocean Not To Break
There have been many searches about open water swimming into LoneSwimmer over the years, from the humourous to the informative. I have in the past written articles based on some of those search. Goggle...
View ArticleIn The Depths, The Stars
I feel. Shamanistic. I feel. I feel atavistic and pantheistic. I feel touched by what they could have, maybe did call the divine wind. Though only my fingers and eyes move here, a wind, no, a storm is...
View ArticleThe Sound of Bells – A Tale of the Copper Coast
Rolling across the water from somewhere in the distance I could hear the sound of bells. Under the water’s surface the luminous dial of my watch showed six PM. So. The Angelus Bells, the Catholic call...
View ArticleHow To: Long Swim Recovery Meal
Swimmers love to eat, quite a lot, and to talk about how they eat almost as much. Yet there is little discussion of food on this site. The last time I wrote a recipe here was some years ago with the...
View ArticleThe Return of Furious Bob
Our eponymous hero first appeared in the letters column of H2Open magazine back in 2012, subsequent to Simon Griffith, (editor of H2Open) posting a link to the one of the articles I’d written about...
View ArticleHow To: Advice for Christmas or New Year swimming in cold water for beginner...
The weather forecast for 2016 Christmas Day on Ireland’s south coast is not good for casual Christmas swimmers. Storm Barbara will peak on Friday but on Christmas Day will still unveil west-south-west...
View ArticleHow To: Advice for Christmas or New Year swimming in cold water for beginner...
The weather forecast for 2016 Christmas Day on Ireland’s south coast is not good for casual Christmas swimmers. Storm Barbara will peak on Friday but on Christmas Day will still unveil west-south-west...
View ArticleThe Return of Furious Bob
Our eponymous hero first appeared in the letters column of H2Open magazine back in 2012, subsequent to Simon Griffith, (editor of H2Open) posting a link to the one of the articles I’d written about...
View ArticleThe Sound of Bells – A Tale of the Copper Coast
Rolling across the water from somewhere in the distance I could hear the sound of bells. Under the water’s surface the luminous dial of my watch showed six PM. So. The Angelus Bells, the Catholic call...
View ArticleHow To: Long Swim Recovery Meal
Swimmers love to eat, quite a lot, and to talk about how they eat almost as much. Yet there is little discussion of food on this site. The last time I wrote a recipe here was some years ago with the...
View ArticleIn The Depths, The Stars
I feel. Shamanistic. I feel. I feel atavistic and pantheistic. I feel touched by what they could have, maybe did call the divine wind. Though only my fingers and eyes move here, a wind, no, a storm is...
View ArticleRapture on the Lonely Shore, Society by the Deep Sea – The Birth of Marathon...
In the last part we closed with Byron’s continued explanation of his Hellespont swim to Mr. Turner, (below again). “With regard to the difference of the current, I perceived none; it is favourable to...
View ArticleIt Takes An Ocean Not To Break – World Suicide Prevention Day 2016
There have been many searches about open water swimming into LoneSwimmer over the years, from the humourous to the technically inquisitive to the cryptic. I have in the past written articles based on...
View Article“We Enter on our Nautical Existence” – The Birth of Marathon Swimming – Part 1
I had intended this article to cover further the articles shared by Nick Adams from the turn of the last century, but I realised that I would have to digress from those accounts and go back to the...
View ArticleHot Coffee by Moonlight: the Birth of Marathon Swimming. Part 3 – Agnes...
Kathy Watkin’s book The Crossing, (reviewed here), is the only currently available biography of Captain Matthew Webb. It is required reading for any English Channel Aspirant and certainly for anyone...
View ArticleThe Wreck of the Sea Horse – a True Tale of The Copper Coast – Part 2
When I left you at the end of the last post, I’d also left the LE Orla, setting out for the water under Doneraile Head and park where I could see the local RNLI and Tramore Inshore RIBs on weekly...
View ArticleThe Two Most Important Elements for Successful Improvement of Swimming,...
My email for the last week has been buried since a Loneswimmer post was selected for WordPresses Discover feature. Welcome to the large number of new subscribers, who have little understanding of the...
View ArticleWinter Swim
The car park, being a winter mid-day, was empty. I was later to arrive than the “two minute dip polar bears”, who’d been and gone. I’ve often thought and written about these days, the empty days of...
View ArticleCold Town
“Hey, I watched a great film last night. It was called Sing, by the guy that made Once“. “I hate musicals”. “No, this was good, I really recommend it”. “I hate musicals”. “No, yeah. I agree. I do too....
View ArticleWelcome to Cold Town. Population: Crazy
“Hey, I watched a great film last night. It was called Sing, by the guy that made Once“. “I hate musicals”. “No, this was good, I really recommend it”. “I hate musicals”. “No, yeah. I agree. I do too....
View ArticleThe Two Most Important Elements for Successful Improvement of Swimming,...
My email for the last week has been buried since a Loneswimmer post was selected for WordPresses Discover feature. Welcome to the large number of new subscribers, who have little understanding of the...
View ArticleWinter Swim
The car park, being a winter mid-day, was empty. I was later to arrive than the “two-minute-dip polar bears”, who’d been and gone. I’ve often thought and written about these days, the empty days of...
View ArticleThe Arse of Winter
It gets better from Down Here. Down Here it’s the coldest and the shortest swims. Down Here is where we separate ourselves from the newbies, the dippers, the triathletes, the Christmas Day and mystic...
View ArticleThe Arse of Winter
It gets better from Down Here. Down Here it’s the coldest and the shortest swims. Down Here is where we separate ourselves from the newbies, the dippers, the triathletes, the fakes, the Christmas Day...
View ArticleA Swimmer’s Prayer
It’s a prayer though entirely non-denominational and entirely religion free, but feel free to impose your belief system or lack thereof on it. Feel free to call it a wish, or a blessing or another bad...
View ArticleA Swimmer’s Prayer
It’s a prayer though entirely non-denominational and entirely religion free, but feel free to impose your belief system or lack thereof on it. Feel free to call it a wish, or a blessing or another bad...
View ArticleAnnouncing The Freedom Swim Network
Due to increasing global demand, a worldwide network of like-minded swimmers and coaches will soon be offering a free open water swimming lecture series and support for global Freedom Swims as part of...
View ArticleThe Sermon From The Water
Yea. I have gathered you all together here today, to hear words. As the Bible speaketh not of Holy Natation, go thee therefore onto The Google, wherefore thou shalt find that despite the clamminess of...
View ArticleStrait Talking – I – “Never Get Out Of The Boat”
I joined the boarding queue, just as a vaguely familiar chap joined the queue just in front of me. My suspicion from earlier that I knew him was correct. We chatted, he’d been there on urgent family...
View ArticleìStrait Talking II – “Own Your Mistakes”
Time means nothing. Yet marathon swimmers, as a group of endurance athletes who more than most should know this, also consistently ignore the lesson and ask “how fast were you?” or “what was your...
View Article“For long swimming and strong swimming”- The Birth of Marathon Swimming IV –...
As mentioned in the first part, this irregular series resulted from the great documentation that former CS&PF President and multiple English Channel swimmer Nick Adams generously shared with me...
View ArticleFriday Night Racing
The pool temperature had been out of control for four weeks, only dropping below 30°C (86° F.). for four days out of thirty. It was difficult being constantly frustrated by excuses which had already...
View ArticleReview: Ameo Powerbreather
What is the Ameo Powerbreather? It’s a “revolutionary” …well…snorkel (snorkle for my American readers). You’ve probably seen pics of it online, looking like something a Storm Trooper would wear for a...
View ArticleThe Ecstasy of Rough Water
I stand and I watch and I look. The sky is blue. The sky is grey. There are clouds, there are no clouds. There is wind. There is always Father Wind, always Mother Ocean. Wind blows onshore, a santoku...
View ArticleHow To: A Guide to Rough Water Exits in Open Water Swimming – Part I
Introduction I haven’t previously tackled the subject of water exits specifically, though I have covered it in general terms in a number of articles. Especially those articles which try to condense the...
View ArticleHow To: A Guide to Rough Water Exits in Open Water Swimming – Part II –...
The Simple Rule of Rough Water Exits I’m going to continue by reiterate the most important point from Part One. The first, easiest and more common way of dealing with rough water exits is to not get...
View ArticleThe Ecstasy of Rough Water
I stand and I watch and I look. The sky is blue. The sky is grey. There are clouds, there are no clouds. There is wind. There is always Father Wind, always Mother Ocean. Wind blows onshore, a santoku...
View ArticleHow To: A Guide to Rough Water Exits in Open Water Swimming – Part I –...
Introduction I haven’t previously tackled the subject of water exits specifically, though I have covered it in general terms in a number of articles. Especially those articles which try to condense the...
View Article“For long swimming and strong swimming”- The Birth of Marathon Swimming IV –...
As mentioned in the first part, this irregular series resulted from the great documentation that former CS&PF President and multiple English Channel swimmer Nick Adams generously shared with me...
View ArticleFriday Night Racing
The pool temperature had been out of control for four weeks, only dropping below 30°C (86° F.). for four days out of thirty. It was difficult being constantly frustrated by excuses which had already...
View ArticleReview: Ameo Powerbreather, Over-priced & under-performing
What is the Ameo Powerbreather? It’s a “revolutionary” …well…snorkel. You’ve probably seen pics of it online, looking like something a Storm Trooper would wear for a visit to the enlisted clone’s pool...
View ArticleStrait Talking – I – “Never Get Out Of The Boat”
I joined the boarding queue, just as a vaguely familiar chap joined the queue just in front of me. My suspicion from earlier that I knew him was correct. We chatted, he’d been there on urgent family...
View ArticleStrait Talking II – “Own Your Mistakes”
Time means nothing. Yet marathon swimmers, as a group of endurance athletes who more than most should know this, also consistently ignore the lesson and ask “how fast were you?” or “what was your...
View ArticleAnnouncing The Freedom Swim Network
Due to increasing global demand, a worldwide network of like-minded swimmers and coaches will soon be offering a free open water swimming lecture series and support for global Freedom Swims as part of...
View ArticleThe Sermon From The Water
Yea. I have gathered you all together here today, to hear words. As the Bible speaketh not of Holy Natation, go thee therefore onto The Google, wherefore thou shalt find that despite the clamminess of...
View ArticleThe Yellow Sea – A Tale of the Copper Coast
I need you to believe me on these two things. To the best of my knowledge, the only three people who have really seen the Yellow Sea, are Tramore inshore fisherman, skipper of the Little Tern John...
View ArticleThe Open Water Swimming Year: November Winterage
This post begins a new series here on Loneswimmer.com. There are certain patterns that I’ve seen repeated over the years. There are certain experiences that recur, certain thoughts that reappear,...
View Article