The clouds were beautiful when I got to the Albany Bulb for an 8 o’clock swim this morning.

The mackerel sky was holding onto the colors of the sunrise and its reflection repeated in the calm water of the bay. Clouds like this somehow make the sky seem so much bigger and grander than usual. My pictures of the swimmers getting in the water elicit a sense of epic adventure.

I found I was able to get into the water more quickly today; could even start front crawling after a mere 3 minutes. Thus, I ended up swimming further than I have in a long time. It felt good. Four weeks later, I still have this cold, but nevertheless, I felt stronger today than I have in a long time. 

I bopped around from group to group but mostly swam by myself. The water was cold (53) and glassy, making for easy, peaceful swimming. I thought about the seal a bit but mainly kept my cool and soaked up the beauty.