This summer has been an eye opening experience as the nearest pool is over an hour away. The public beach looks common enough with all the regular rocks and plenty of shells, not to mention the shiny amethyst littering the shore. How far will I swim today? Hard to say, considering the buoy's are about here to there, perhaps seventy-five yards or so, depending on my stride this day. Walking that is, as the sun-baked sand wiggles through my toes, with a slight breeze flowing through my hair, yes, I decide on 75 strides.
With mirrored goggles firmly in place, and as a proud owner of the newest fins available, I waddle to the water. The cool cresting waves crash over my ankles as I submerge deeper into the clear blue abyss. "It's now or never", I think as I slink into the crystal drink. My dry hair slips into the new environment, waving like the seaweed below.
Using my fins I dolphin through a school of rainbow trout as they allow me to join the lesson of the day. As I flow through some slippery seaweed, I pause momentarily, looking back at the beautiful rainbow reflecting off the sides of the fish. The sun streams through the bluish-green water in glorious beams, as my hair waves with the weeds, and a euphoric feeling overcomes me.
In the background I hear a high-pitched buzzing as a boat skims over the water, completely oblivious to my underwater bliss. Running short on breath I notice a sunken dock, and in my mind I can momentarily see the glory days of the past, floating high and dry.
Pushing off the slippery sunken dock I dolphin to my destination, and take a deep breath upon breaking the surface. The time for training begins, and I start like so many times before. The waves rule the surface as I attempt to negotiate through them, the water is alive and does not want to be calmly contained. We begin to have an understanding as I rock and roll through the unpredictable bouncing. Staying true to form but being open to flow at any given moment, that seems to be the trick to open water swimming.
The start of this open water season at the Chatfield Gravel Pond a the base of the foothills along the Rocky Moutains outside Littleton, Colorado was the best. Free to be outdoors, no lane lines, no lane ropes and no walls. I can swim over a half mile without turning around. The water was in the low 50s and I swam only in a suit, no wet suit for this swimmer. I love the feel of the cold water on my face and chest. The sun was on my back and the cold water surrounds me. It felt like I was one with nature. I have to swim hard and fast to generate body heat. After this is accomplished, the water is comfortable. I swim with fish, peer into the darkness below me and look to the shore to see trees, bushes and people fishing. I look at the expressions of some of these fisherpeople and bet they are thinking what type of person would be swimming in the pond a week after we have had snow on the ground. Or are they thinking I am disturbing the fish that they seek. I swim with lake trout, crayfish and another fish I do not know the name of. I reach to pet this fish, but with a wave of its body it is out of reach, but it watchs me.
The joy of open water can be taken from so many areas, sight, feel, warmth, cold and just being alive.
The start of this open water season at the Chatfield Gravel Pond a the base of the foothills along the Rocky Moutains outside Littleton, Colorado was the best. Free to be outdoors, no lane lines, no lane ropes and no walls. I can swim over a half mile without turning around. The water was in the low 50s and I swam only in a suit, no wet suit for this swimmer. I love the feel of the cold water on my face and chest. The sun was on my back and the cold water surrounds me. It felt like I was one with nature. I have to swim hard and fast to generate body heat. After this is accomplished, the water is comfortable. I swim with fish, peer into the darkness below me and look to the shore to see trees, bushes and people fishing. I look at the expressions of some of these fisherpeople and bet they are thinking what type of person would be swimming in the pond a week after we have had snow on the ground. Or are they thinking I am disturbing the fish that they seek. I swim with lake trout, crayfish and another fish I do not know the name of. I reach to pet this fish, but with a wave of its body it is out of reach, but it watchs me.
The joy of open water can be taken from so many areas, sight, feel, warmth, cold and just being alive.
