‘Bobtužování’ is a winter sport combining sledging and cold-water dipping. To give it a go, you need a snowy slope ending in water, a willingness to try something new and a sense of fun. That last ingredient is essential.
First, have a look at how the water temperature in the Ostravice fell. I have extended October's chart: it only starts to get interesting when you look at a longer period.
It may seem early to start thinking about it, but it is not. If you want to run a marathon in the spring, now is the time to buy your trainers and start running too. The Frýdek-Místek and Frýdlant nad Ostravicí cold-water swimming season ends on 30 March 2024, and the finale will include our second Cold-Water Duathlon: a race combining running and swimming.
It has been two weeks since the season began. The weather has mostly been kind to us. The water is around 15°C; only once has it been as low as 10.6°C. The sun is shining, and getting out of the water feels almost like summer. Every Saturday somebody new comes along to try it and thinks: so this is cold-water swimming? Now is the time to pay attention.
After a six-month break, we met at U Žida at 9 am on 30 September 2023 to begin our fifth season of swimming together in the River Ostravice, Frýdek-Místek.
For the fifth time, those of us who love cold-water swimming will get together to open another season. As usual, the opening is on a Saturday. After that, we swim every Monday and Wednesday at 4 pm and every Saturday at 9 am.
Here is the short version of the story behind the logo we used for our first four seasons. In Prague, I was — and still am — a member of the country's largest winter swimming club, I. PKO Praha. The initials stand for First Cold-Water Swimming Club, and Praha means it is in Prague :-)
You are invited to a talk and discussion about cold-water swimming, functional breathing and healthy living in general. We will be in the barn at Faunapark. This time, I will be joined by Petr Paseka, a 24/7 Oxygen Advantage functional breathing instructor, and Pavel Jiřík, founder of the Frýdlant nad Ostravicí cold-water swimming group.
Our cold-water swimming photo archive has grown to more than 20 GB, so I have moved it all to Zonerama. Have a look back through the years: who do you recognise, and who has changed?
At 9 am on 1 April, we brought six months of regular swimming to a close. We do this every year: a break is welcome, cold-water swimming makes less sense in summer, and it gives us all the more reason to look forward to autumn. The 2023–2024 season opens at 9 am on Saturday 30 September 2023. I will be posting that everywhere, so you cannot miss it. In the meantime, you can already put it in your diary.
Cold-water swimming is often associated with physical health and tolerance of the cold. In her master's thesis, The Influence of Cold-Water Swimming on Individual Life Satisfaction, Radka Pavelková also explored its psychological aspects and the role of the group. Her research was carried out among the Otužilci Frýdek-Místek community.
Here is another selection of duathlon photographs, this time by Mirek Dordě and Jiří Paseka. There are some of mine too. They are not quite as professional, but I could hardly throw them away :-)
The duathlon went exceptionally well. Here are the results and a short video. Photographs will follow when time allows: there are lots of them, and they are lovely. Thank you all for taking part and for some outstanding sporting performances. We hope you will return next year, when we will try to make everything even better.
On 18 March 2023, you can experience something new in Frýdek-Místek — and something most of you will never have tried anywhere. A proper winter Cold-Water Duathlon: a race combining outdoor river swimming in winter with running on the bank.
Every Saturday throughout the winter, I am at U Žida for anyone who wants to start swimming in cold river water. Whether you are 9 or 90, come along: turning up is the hardest part. I will help you through those difficult first steps, but keeping it up is down to you.
On 5 January 2023, I had the chance to talk about cold-water swimming on Czech Television's Dobré ráno programme, so I did. The background photographs show our group swims at U Žida, and many of you will recognise yourselves.
