Friday, December 21, 2007

I'm back! First day of the Polar Bear Swim


Well, a lot has happened since the Swim Around the Rock. I continue to swim with the fine folks at the Dolphin Club 3 times a week.

In September, I swam the Alcatraz Invitational with my wife, Lisa. This swim was unique because I lost my goggles when I jumped off the boat and had to swim it blind.

In November, a cargo ship ran into the Bay Bridge and dumped 60,000 gallons of bunker fuel into the bay. That shut down San Francisco beaches for almost a month.

In December, we resumed swimming with a new appreciation and respect for the bay.

Today is the first day of winter and so begins the Polar Bear Swim! The Polar Bear Swim is unique to the Dolphin Club. The challenge is to swim 40 miles in the bay, without a wetsuit, during winter (12/21 – 3/21).

This morning 10 folks turned out for the 6 am swim. We all logged our first mile. The water temperature was 49 and the air temperature was 40. It was a frigid first step toward our Polar Bear Swim goal. After the swim, a bunch of us went out to a local diner to share a hearty breakfast to commemorate the first swim of winter. To me, it was the perfect San Francisco morning!