The sun was shining brightly again today; the city and the bridge twinkled across the bay. Susan was getting out as Angie, Sheila, Colleen, Kim, and I were getting in and she assured us the water was perfect. She was right. Cool enough to be refreshing and invigorating but not so cold that anything hurt.… Read More The Little Tree (Day 41)
It was a glorious sunny day today; unseasonably warm and, as we swam a bit later, the sun was in full force when we arrived at the bulb. Charlotte joined Angie, Colleen, and me today, which was lovely. For the last nine years, Charlotte and I have been meeting once a week—at first to have… Read More Trudgen (Day 40)
Another glorious swim at the bulb; deliciously cold water, sunny skies, and fabulous company. Colleen was back with us today. Two weeks ago she went for her daily, morning swim and then headed right into shoulder surgery. She was told she had to stay out of the water for two weeks and bang on two… Read More Dedication (Day 35)
I woke up sad and anxious this morning. Sad because I dropped Eliza off at her dorm last night and somehow it wasn’t any easier this time than it was when I dropped her off for the first time in August. Seriously, I cried so hard when I got back to the hotel room last… Read More Little Ross Bay (Day 31)
While I was tempted to watch the sunrise at Willow Beach again today, there was another cold water swimming group (the Cold Water Addicts) going to a beach further up (down?) the island and I thought it would be a good idea to be adventurous and explore somewhere new. I arrived quite early and took… Read More Downey Beach with the Cold Water Addicts (Day 30)
Just look at this sunrise! Gaze upon that incredible, flat water. No wonder Victoria is teeming with lovers of cold water. I found a few swimming groups when I was planning my trip and a lovely woman named Catherine invited me to swim with her at 7:30 this morning. After my slightly nervous solo swimming… Read More Sunrise on Vancouver Island (Day 29)
I’ve been waiting 26 days to write this blog post! Today our friend Sheila returned from New York and we had a long-awaited reunion of our original swimming pod, the Salty, Saucy, Swim Sisters. I started open water swimming last January, spurred by a pandemic year of exploring the bay by kayak and paddleboard, and… Read More Reunited (and it feels so good…) (Day 26)
When I was in first or second grade, my class took a field trip to an Albertson’s grocery store. It was the very same Albertson’s I’d shopped at a hundred times with my dad and brother, but to go with my classmates cast it in a whole new light; it was special and strange; the… Read More Heart’s Desire (Day 23)
One of the things I love about open water swimming is the way each day is completely different. After the foggy, calm bay of the last couple of days, it was a surprise to arrive at the bulb today to see the city and Golden Gate Bridge shining brightly in the distance, brilliant and clear.… Read More Never the Same Swim (Day 21)
It’s the year of saying yes to swimming, so today I went for two swims. First with Arwen and Angie, back at our home spot: the Albany Bulb. It was totally calm, the water flat the air windless. It’s been this way for days, causing bad air quality, but it made for a peaceful, relaxing… Read More Saying Yes (Day 13)