Some like it COLD

On Saturday I inaugurated the al fresco swimming season 2019. The lake (Wörther See, what else) was barely 18° "warm" and I loved it. I mean, I've swum in water that was barely 15° so I did not even get goosebumps.

There's something about swimming in cold water that has a special appeal to me. Since i don't indlulge in any types of adrenalin sports, it is the closest I get to a feeling of achievement and (a very mild version of) bravery and - interestingly - men in particular shudder and and say for them water needs to be much warmer in order to even put a toe into it. I seriously love the rush of excitement I feel when going into cold water. Quickly, never once stopping to splash water on my arms like many people like to do. I have to immerse myself immediately or I would shiver. Once in, I swim with quick strokes until I start to feel very warm and my skin begins to prickle. When I get out of the water, I might have red arms and legs, but that's part of the appeal.

A while ago, I randomly stumbled across this documentary on YouTube that I initially started watching because I misinterpreted the title, thinking it was about a doctor who had a drug addiction. In fact, it was about a doctor who tried to encourage his patients to stop using their many drugs for problems ranging from high blood pressure to a variety of pains. One patient was depressed and he needed to come up with a good alternative remedy for her that had a likelihood of working as an antidepressant. After doing extensive research, he decided to suggest "cold water swimming". I could immediately relate even if I'm (thankfully!) not clinically depressed. That exhilarating feeling of feeling blood pump through your body and overall feeling very ALIVE is just unbeatable. So, even if you've been a thermal spa/whirlpool temperature kind of person until now, I highly recommend giving it a try!