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Welcome back to the MYSWIM podcast and Today we’re heading east to Japan ;a country where water isn’t just part of the landscape, it’s part of the culture, the rituals, the food, the cities, and the spirit of everyday life. We explore ocean 7 beast that is the Tsugaru.

I have just returned from a journey through Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka, and the mountains and lakes in between and everywhere we went, water shaped the experience. From ancient onsens to urban rivers, from mountain lakes to coastal breezes, Japan is a swimmer’s dream in ways you don’t expect.”so let’s explore it. Welcome to the my swim podcast

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Welcome back to the MYSWIM Podcast, where we explore the world of swimming through culture, history, adventure, and the people who make the water feel like home.
I’m your host, Michael Helps , and today we’re heading to a place where swimming is more than a sport — it’s a way of life.

Iceland- A land of fire, ice, geothermal magic and some of the most passionate swimmers you’ll ever meet.

Today we’ll dive into Iceland’s swimming history, its cold‑water culture, the best places to plunge, and what you need to know before you brave the North Atlantic.
We’ll also explore the relaxing beauty of the Blue Lagoon as well as the incredible network of swimming pools found in nearly every Icelandic town.

So grab something warm to drink, settle in, and let’s dive in.

Welcome to Iceland & welcome to the MYSWIM podcast.
Content Includes:

• A BRIEF HISTORY OF SWIMMING IN ICELAND
• SWIMMING POOLS: THE HEART OF ICELANDIC COMMUNITIES
• THE RISE OF COLD‑WATER SWIMMING
• so WHY resurgence of COLD WATER dipping ? What are the THE BENEFITS
• HOW TO PREPARE FOR A COLD PLUNGE IN ICELAND
• TYPES OF ICELANDIC COLD‑WATER SWIMMERS
• THE BLUE LAGOON
• THE BEST OPEN‑WATER SWIM SPOTS NEAR REYKJAVÍK
  • Hvammsvík Hot Springs
  • Hoppland Akranes
  • Nauthólsvík
  • Lake Elliðavatn
  • Silfra

Thanks for joining me on this journey. If you enjoyed today’s episode, share it with a friend, leave a review, and stay tuned for more stories from the world of swimming.

Until next time — stay warm, stay curious, and keep swimming.

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This is a bonus episode in the Africa series and is my personal account of swimming one of the worlds greatest swim adventures.

In this episode I go through the What, Who, When and How for my Lake Malawi swim attempt.

My training time was split between lido, lakes and my normal 3 times per week masters sessions as well as gym work (mainly on shoulders and core). My typical training diary, weekly and monthly training mileage are in the show notes looked something like this:

Typical Weekly Training Plan:

· Monday – Rest or Gym (1hr to 1.5hrs)

· Tuesday – Masters swimming club (approx. 3k)

· Wednesday – Rest or Gym (1hr to 1.5hrs)

· Thursday - Masters swimming club (approx. 3k)

· Friday – Lido (between 5k to 10k)

· Saturday – Lake swim (6k to 10k)

· Sunday - Lake swim (6k to 10k) or Masters swimming club (approx. 3k)

Average monthly /weekly SWIM totals:

| Monthly Totals | Ave.Weekly Totals
| January | 18,225m | 4,556m
| February | 5,500m | 1,375m
| March | 20,125m | 5,031m
| April | 16,400m | 4,100m
| May | 61,325m | 15,331m
| June | 85,860m | 21,465m
| July | 61,147m | 15,287m
| August | 73,969m | 18,492m
| September | 52,516m | 13,129m
| October (up to swim) | 8,350m | 2,088m

To find out more above the African swims and particularly Lake Malawi contact Open Water Africa please follow website www.openwater.africa and visit www.MYSWIM.uk for links to the other African swims in the series as well as information about many other of aquatic adventures.