I had a peaceful, gray, morning swim at the Albany Bulb with Sheila today. We agreed before we got in that we were going to get straight in and swim and that’s what we did.

I found it very meditative today. The monotony of the gray sky and water helped me settle into a zone; I wasn’t distracted by glimpses of color or light; nor tempted to stop and take pictures. I concentrated on my breathing. I counted my strokes. I noticed the pleasant sensations of the water on my skin; the cool temperature; the tickle of the bubbles from my splashing and exhaling.  I didn’t think about very much and I didn’t work especially hard, I just enjoyed the water, each moment, one after the other, breath by breath.