Today at the lake…I went for a late after swim with a neighbor, M. I met her a few weeks back when we were both swimming at the beach close to my house. I asked her to join my FB page, and she did! So, lucky for me she was just heading out for a quick dip when I messaged her.
I’ve been sick and out of it and not sleeping and generally feeling shitty and hateful for weeks. Haven’t been in the water in a week, so that always brings me down. I never know what it will be like when I’ve taken a long break. What if I can’t handle it? What if my body isn’t acclimated anymore?
Anyway, I got there first and started the long process of getting the suit on. My new hood has a bib that I have to tuck under the suit before I zip it up, but I couldn’t get it sorted. I had to ask her 9-year-old daughter to zip me up.
We both thought it best to keep to the shallow end since it was getting dark. I put my floodlight on the beach with our gear, so we could at least have some light. We were delayed a bit because she forgot her gloves, and had to send her kid home to get them. I felt bad because I usually bring extra gloves, thermal cap, and goggles for this very reason. I don’t know why I didn’t today.
She had a little routine to do: swim between two poles. I went a bit deeper so we wouldn’t run into each other, but because I don’t swim in a straight line we almost collided! After that I mostly floated and tread water in the deeper water. This beach has the ickiest seaweed. Thick, crazy thick, and also bushy. Like a wild garden that’s been taken over by gigantic weeks. So dense. The opposite of the sandy bottom at the other beach. I wasn’t sure if I preferred that it was dark enough that I couldn’t see it or if it was better to see it. Either way, I was too tired to be afraid of it. Not that it would be a thing if I was because it’s really pretty creepy. Not like the seaweed at my regular beach, which is not so dense and wild. Whatever, I couldn’t see anything.
Funny, we had the same goggles! Xterra gear on sale. I love this community and have joined a few FB pages and even started my own just for women who swim in the lake. I can go an any of them and ask questions……..and sometimes, answer questions. Everyone has blueseventy gloves and thermal cap. Local company. I love their stuff. The colder water was getting to my face and neck so I’ve switched to this weird hood thingy that smooshes my face out the face hole. Not a pretty sight, but it’s worth it. I hate when the base of my skull gets cold. With the hood, I’m totes covered. And I wear my yellow New Wave silicone cap over the hood. Visibility!
So, I did a bit of swimming back and forth between my own poles, but I kept end up 90 degrees in the wrong direction. The water wasn’t flat but also not wavy, so I don’t know what my problem is. I would point my body toward a pole, swim a few strokes, pull up to sight, and I’d be 90 to 180 in the wrong direction. I didn’t think so at the time, but as I write this I’m thinking, “well, that’s what my life is right now.” Lost and crooked and trying to go straight and ending up in the wrong place. Ugh. Also, whatever. I was in the water, the glorious water.
While M was waiting for her child to come back with her gloves, I marched back and forth through the water to warm up. After swimming with V I am more careful about spending a few minutes just walking and moving in waist deep water, then going a bit deeper, then taking four tries at swimming so I can get my face acclimated. It works.
I wish I could describe the feelings I get when I’m in the water doing my funny breast stroke. I look darn plump in my wetsuit, which is amusing, and I’m still not used to the buoyancy and how it impacts my stroke. I still prefer breast stroke because I get more of a sense of propelling myself forward and having my head under the water. “Cause I’m an explorer first, exerciser second. And 100% sea witch. Even with all the neoprene binding every part of my body I feel like I’m gliding and like I’m meant to be in the water. Today I tried to move slowly because it’s so easy for me to overdue it and not know it until the next day.
After some laps and splashing around, I floated for a bit. This time I let my buoy float next to me and I just floated without putting my head on it. Whoa. Much better. I literally let go of every muscle and just floated in silence. I can’t achieve anything that comes close to that level of letting go and having a blank mind outside of the water. The wetsuit keeps me afloat, but it feels like it’s just me and the water and some magic. Suddenly, I heard M calling out to me, and I spazzed into action and swam into the shallow water. She wanted to get out, so we did.
Today I had a different approach because it was really dark and she wanted to get home (she just walks to the beach). I unzipped the wetsuit and pilled it half-way off, same with my swimsuit, then put on my fleece jacket that wouldn’t zip because it was on inside out. Then drove home like that. Not ideal, but a good option when I have a swim buddy who needs to get home fast.
I keeping saying that I’m done, that I spend/waste way too much time and energy trying to find other women to swim with…but then I have a swim and it settles me right down and makes me look forward to the next.
Water temp today: 45 F according to Lake Monster. It didn’t seem that cold. I was really comfortable. Also 45 outside, but I think it must have been a bit warmer ‘cause I also didn’t feel cold when I got out of the water. The lake buoy says 51 F.