Sheila and I met for a 6:30 swim this morning in the middle of a crazy storm. There was so much wind that branches were falling from trees on my drive down to the Albany Bulb. When I saw Sheila’s lone car in the dark parking lot I couldn’t decide whether I was glad she’d… Read More Stormy Swim (Day 344)
Sheila had an early meeting and so we met at the Albany Bulb for a 6:30 swim, which worked out well because it started raining this morning, and getting in early meant we were least likely to be swimming through runoff. But arriving at the parking lot in the dark with the rain splattering and… Read More Beautiful Storm (Day 335)
Arwen and I met up at Keller this evening for a gorgeous, wild, sunset swim. The wind was racing and the bay roiling. Inside, though, the water was warmer than it’s been over at the bulb—55-degrees. Not sure if it’s the location or the time of day, but 55 felt nearly warm. It was impossible… Read More Wild Sunset (Day 332)
The wind was howling when I woke up this morning and I anticipated a wild swim in the bay. But when Angie and I arrived at the Albany Bulb, it wasn’t quite so dramatic. Still, it was windy enough that it was painful to strip off our warm gear and scamper down to the water.… Read More Wind (Day 323)
It snowed yesterday; by the time we were driving back from dropping off Eliza in the evening, it was a magical winter wonderland. When I woke up this morning, snow still coated all the surfaces, glittering and white. A bitter wind made even letting Lulu out for a pee feel like an ordeal. Swim? Are… Read More Snowy Swim (Day 312)
This morning started off hectic when my car wouldn’t start and then, after jumping into Kevin’s car to head down to the Albany Bulb, I realized I forgot (lost?) the strap to my buoy and had also forgotten a towel. Once I got into the water, the chaos continued. Hoping to beat the runoff from… Read More Hectic (Day 305)
The wind was whipping as Angie and I arrived at the Albany Bulb this morning; white caps dotted the bay and waves churned to the shore. We reluctantly unlayered and made our way to the water. I jumped in fast, even though I didn’t really want to. The morning felt like a good practice for… Read More Slapped Around (Day 256)
Whitecaps and waves and a glistening clear view of the city after days of haze greeted me at the Albany Bulb today, telling me it was going to be a wild, wavy swim. It was. I headed out with the 8 o’clock crew, finding some folks at my pace and sticking close to them. Somehow… Read More Wild Ride (Day 233)
My photos from today look like they were taken with black and white film; except for this first one where the colorful buoys and hats of the 8 o’clock swimmers are bright against the gray. It was a gray and blustery morning; stripping down to my bathing suit and plunging into the water was uninviting,… Read More Black-and-White (Day 231)
The cold that has been nipping at my heels the last two days settled in for real today. I’ve been hacking and sniffling and sneezing and feeling like garbage all day. Multiple Covid tests continue to tell me it’s not that and I don’t really feel like I felt in April when I had Covid… Read More Swimming with a Cold (Day 220)