I swam with Colleen to the Point of the Point this morning. For anyone who is keeping track, we measure our swims according to four landmarks: The Little Tree, which is maybe a quarter mile out, depending on how we meander. In the winter or when we are feeling relaxed and chatty, The Little Tree is a lovely destination. A bit further along The Big Tree is our standard destination on an average swim day now that the water is warmer. Past that is The Point, which is a lot further from The Big Tree than it appears. On ambitious days we aim for The Point. The Point is the end of the walking path of the Albany Bulb, but there is a stone jetty that extends beyond the path, which you can walk along at low tide. The end of this jetty is what we call The Point of the Point. It’s actually not that much further than The Point, but it mostly remains aspirational. I think I’ve only gone to The Point of the Point one other time last spring with Angie.

So I was very happy when Colleen suggested we swim there today. Perhaps it was the residual inspiration from Conny’s Catalina swim video, but I was psyched for a longer, harder swim. The water was warm but very choppy and I bounced around as I swam, trying not to swallow too much bay.

It felt good to swim without stopping. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that. And, a bonus of a long, steady, head-down swim in choppy water: no chance to psyche myself out about potential lurking sea creatures because I don’t take the time to see what’s around me. Which is also a downside of a long, steady, head-down swim: I don’t take the time to look around and appreciate my surroundings. Both kinds of swims are good in their own ways and, lucky me, swimming every day means I can experience all of it and everything in between.