The Polar Plunge takes place at Bradford Beach on New Year's Day at noon. I happened to be driving by the beach last year at that time and I saw the huge commotion and I knew I had to do it next year. My 2 friends, Rick and Matt were happy to join me and we had a pretty memorable day.
I didn't anticipate an "ice shelf". There was a 2-3 foot drop from the built up ice on the beach to the actual water. The weather was a tad on the cold side - 18 degrees, 22 mph winds and a wind chill of below zero. During the 3 block walk from the car to the beach, my face hurt because it was so cold. You can imagine how reluctant I was to strip down to shorts and dive into the arctic water!
There were so many spectators lining the beach that several people brought ladders so they could see the action. We were definitely in the minority because we were not drinking alcohol in preparation for the plunge. I can see how that could've been an advantage.
Here's Matt pre-plunge.
Here I am - I think my feet are already numb at this point.
Getting a little sun before we run in.
A short video I took while getting in the water.
Done.
Done.
Done. I don't think I can explain how cold the water and wind were. My legs were numb as soon as they touched the water and I had icicles in my hair by the time I got back to my clothes. I had no dexterity in my hands or feet and it was very difficult to get my shoes and socks on. I definitely wore the wrong shoes for the event. "ClimaCool" Adidas running shoes didn't make the cut. It took close to 30 minutes for feeling to come back to my toes.
This is easily one of the craziest events I've ever been a part of but I know I'll be back again. Anyone interested for 2012?
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