Skin Like a Seal

Yesterday at the lake, a bald eagle flew above me, looking for food. I didn’t see it, but my swim buddy, K, did. I’m bummed I missed it, but really glad it didn’t attack me. I see a lot of bald eagles around the lake. So fancy. 

My new wetsuit is working out really well. (Thanks J and M.) Surprisingly, it fits well, and it’s comfortable. It’s thicker and much heavier than the sleeveless shorty suit I’ve been using.  Tonight II worked harder to do my strokes because of all the material around my arms and shoulders. That’s ok. 

It still amazes me that the suit mitigates the cold and keeps water out. I do notice a little trickle gets in through the neck and runs down my back, (refreshing, actually) so I need to find a hood that goes under the wetsuit and will take up room in the neck. I’ve been checking out diving hoods because I want something with more face coverage than my thermal skull cap. Sometimes I don’t mind the face burn when I first dive into the water. It really only lasts a minute, maybe even less. It’s incredible how quickly my body acclimates. Still, in another month or two the water is gonna be 10 or 15 degrees colder. I’d rather head into winter swimming prepared. 

The new wetsuit provides ankle to wrist protection, so with my gloves and thermal socks on, I walk into the water impervious to the cold. (Actually, I tried wearing my water shoes, and my ankles froze, so I switched to my thermal socks.) I love it, and it’s so strange to me because just a few days ago my lower legs were freezing. Both gloves and socks are made out of much thinner material than the wetsuit. On land my hands and feet are always cold, but in the cold water I only need a thin layer of protection. I need to read more on how cold water swimming impacts the body and which areas are most important to protect. 

K swims without a wetsuit. It’s impressive. Today she was soaking more than swimming. Like me, she’s here for the cold water benefits. I know it’s possible to train your body to deal with the cold. K enters the water slowly, and takes her time getting to deeper water. I held out a long time before I got fully suited, but it’s worth it to me to be comfortable. Swimming in the lake is so different than swimming in the pool, and little mistakes or gear mishaps can be dangerous when I’m in the deep water. I have so much to learn. I feel safer with the wetsuit. I had that bad experience with getting too cold (and I was probably dehydrated) back in Sept, and I never want that to happen again. I respect the water, so I’m taking my time to figure out what works for me. I’m not usually so careful but I’m just not strong enough physically to handle much of a hassle in the water. I’m also not prepared mentally or emotionally for moving beyond my current skills and energy level. 

I didn’t swim too hard or too far today because I was getting used to the new suit and knew that I wanted to swim tomorrow. I don’t usually go two days in a row, but it just happened this week that I had swim buddies available so I wanted to take advantage of that. I’d rather swim for a longer period of time and go every other day.

K and I floated for a bit and enjoyed the view. I don’t know how to explain how wonderful it feels to be just two in this vast lake. The experience hasn’t lost any of its magic now that the water only touches the skin on my face. Floating and treading in the water, watching the mist pass over the evergreens, is so relaxing. I can’t believe I’m so lucky to have this experience, and it’s only a mile from my home. I am mos def a seawitch, but also working on channeling my inner otter, dolphin, seal, whatever. Water feels like my natural habitat. I can’t believe there aren’t hundreds of people joining us.

After we get out, there is the usual rush to get wet off, dry on. K has a thick pullover thingy. It’s instant warmth with enough space underneath to peel off her suit, dry off, and put on dry clothes. I have got my eye on a couple of swim parkas….my birthday is coming up! 

I got home and realized that I’d lost the belt for my swim buoy, but didn’t have the energy to drive back to the pitch dark park to look for it. Maybe it will be there tomorrow. I’m still bummed about the knife I lost. Won’t be able to really look for it until the water is warm again…next summer.