The air was cold, a balmy 55 degrees with a slight breeze. I decided to wear my long sleeve wetsuit and not wear my booties or gloves, which I would normally wear during the first (or the last) swim of the season at Tobay.
Taking the Plunge
I took a deep breath and plunged into the water. The cold pierced my skin like needles, but after the first few strokes, I realized it wasn’t so bad and put my face in the water. I was out there with one of my training partners. He had been in the water since mid-May and I was stressing that he wouldn’t want to swim with me because I would be so behind.
But Ray, my training partner, waited for me.
We stopped at the Bonzai tree and looked at the moon. It was a full moon and it was still high in the sky. The sun was peeking through at that point and we could see it past the Marina.
I didn’t want to stop because I needed to warm up. So I said, “Let’s keep moving.”
Staying Cold
My wetsuit kept me warm and I slowly adapted to the temperature. It wasn’t long before I felt comfortable enough to speed up my strokes and cover more distance with each one.
My feet and hands continued to feel cold but the rest of my body felt good.
We made it to the tree in 1:40 seconds per 100. “Oh no,” I said, “we will be against the current on the way out to the marina.”
“Do you want to go in before we get there?” Ray asked.
“No,” I said. “I’m good.”
Swimming to the Marina
We swam to the marina, stopping once halfway. The chill was still with me. Since I’ve been home from Japan, I have had such a chill and can’t seem to shake it.
The sun was in our eyes and I couldn’t see where Ray went. I just kept swimming straight into the sun. Before I knew it, I was at the Marina and Ray was waiting for me.
Going back to the Beach
Before I knew it, the swim was over and I had finished in a respectable time. As soon as I reached the shore, however, I realized how cold it had really been during the swim. I shook off the chill and we started our trek back to the beach.
What a great way to start a day. I’m so happy that I was able to swim (after not swimming for three weeks when I was on vacation). I was also happy that I had someone to enjoy this with. It was truly wonderful. I’m so happy that open water season is here!
