New Year's Polar Bear Swim Lake George

Here I am thinking, "What am I getting myself into?"

Beautiful Lake George

This was a nice little beach

Waiting to be like a polar bear

The legendary rocket

                                                                                                               

For some masochistic reason, I've wanted to do one of these polar bear swims for a long time.  I've known about the Brooklyn swims for a while now.  While reading about the swims, I came across the New Year's swim in Lake George.  From my chair in my toasty warm apartment I thought, "Yeah, this sounds pretty fuckin cool."  While waiting in line that thought vanished.  

The weekend consisted of many classic Johnny Rocket quotes.  The Rocket told me as we were leaving Keene, "Your body is going to go into shock.  It's going to forget about your extremities.  It's only going to care about right here (the Rocket whirls his hand around his stomach and chest areas).  It's going to try to prevent kidney failure."  

But my new found fears were not warranted.  The water would be 34, just above freezing.  The air temp would be just above 40.  And it was not raining.  Before the countdown finished, people were running in and then getting the fuck out quickly.  I kind of took my time walking out.  I started to notice that my feet and legs were really fucking cold.  I then went all the way in.  When I came back up I made the mad dash out.  It would be a slow dash out since my legs were so cold.  I happened to be one of the last ones out.  

Once dry and my clothes all changed, only my toes were still cold.  It took a cup of Hot Chocolate and a bowl of soup to warm them up.  My original instinct that Mudders & Grunters prepared me well for this was correct.  Two years ago it took over an hour before I stopped shivering.  

Here's some footage.