Sunrise swim (a little late...)

Today we had planned to swim right at sunrise, but in characteristic fashion I was late. The drive to the beach was gorgeous and full of pinks and lavenders. Gazing up at the sky through the windshield made me long to see the same sky from the water. The fog on the water rolled in shortly after sunrise and I watched it's approach as I cruised down Marine Drive.

Getting in.
Since the water and the sky melted into each other so completely we agreed to stay close and swim in as shallow of water as possible alternating support and swimming. When it is this cold, and especially when visibility is less than ideal, my preferred support is to have one person on shore pacing for each swimmer in the water. I took first shift doing shore support, steadily pacing the swimmer and keeping my face to the water.


In contrast to the clouded sky, the water was about as clear as one could hope for. As I swam, looking down I could make out the pebbles and water plants a hair's breadth away from my fingertips. The tufts of underwater plants mimicked moss in appearance and felt downy soft as they brushed against the back of my hands. It was a lovely world to visit.

Water temp: 44-45 f
Air temp: 36 f
Time in water: 12:39
Distance: 725m

Time to shivers: 12 minutes
Warmed back up about 10 minutes after that.
Hot water to drink while rewarming.

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