Today, the last day of winter, my alarm rang out at 4:45. At 5:45 I was standing outside the Dolphin swim club waiting for my friend and colleague Jon Nakamura. With daylight savings, it felt more like midnight than morning. If it weren’t for the glow sticks we attached to our goggles, we would have lost each other on the beach. We joined two other swimmers and waded into the blackness of the bay at 6 sharp. I swim in the bay on a regular basis, but this was my first “night swim”.
The shock of the cold water, not being able to distinguish the surface of the water verses the black sky and the urgency of trying to get in quickly and keep up with the other three swimmers put me into semi-panic mode. However, Jon swam at my side the entire time and that put me somewhat at ease. 10 minutes into the swim my limbs and face went numb and I started to get into my rhythm in the bay. 20 minutes into the swim we stopped at the mouth of Aquatic Park to check out the lights of a cruise ship. As we neared the end of our 1-mile, 30 minute swim I turned onto my back and was in awe of the star filled sky. Floating in the black waters of the bay it was almost like being in space.
Hot shower and sauna later, I felt human again!
Thanks for the swim invite Jon! It was an unforgettable experience for me.
Here is the link to the Dolphin Club, check it out!
http://www.dolphinclub.org/
