Winding Down the Lake Swimming Season

Sometimes, sitting through a day at the office can be like getting stuck on a busstop bench next to that idiot Gump fellow and having to listen to stories about shrimp and pingpong until you just want to superglue your ears shut. Other days are like those Arabian sultan scenes from 1940s movies where you lean back on an opulent couch while giant eunuchs fan you with palm fronds and voluptuous belly dancers feed you grapes during breaks between finger-cymbal songs. Unfortunately, most of mine are like the former -- I hardly ever get fed grapes.

And after a tough day at the office, it's hard to get psyched up for much of anything else. I generally just want to go home and eat Mexican food and chocolate on my way to hitting the mattress. But as summer draws to a close, there are certain elements that awaken a bit more spirit. On Wednesday, for example, as I walked out of the office, the sun was beaming, the sky was clear, and the temperature was toasty. I couldn't help but want to go swimming in the lake.

The crowds have thinned. Most of the triathlons have concluded for this season, leaving the pond to those of us that swim simply for the joy of it. (Well, us and a few of the hardcore triathlon dorks who haven't quite figured out that they could join a Masters team and learn to swim in a pool, where the water is clear & chlorinated, and the bathrooms aren't made of plastic.)

I was figuring that I'd have to swim alone, but my buddies Keith and Craig suddenly appeared. Being manly men all, none of us wore wetsuits, but despite the weekend rain the water wasn't too cold. Being a tad less manly than the other two, though, it took me a while longer to take the plunge. By the time I was completely wet, they had a bit of a headstart.

Conditions were excellent! There was no wind so the surface was calm. There was no sign of pirahnas, sharks, or water moccasins, and the geese and gulls were pleasantly absent. It felt good, and my stroke fell into an easy rhythm; I was eventually able to catch the others and take advantage of their draft. After resting behind Keith for a bit, I took over the lead and headed for the twin bushes known as "the buttocks" at the far end of the pond. It was strange not seeing too many other swimmers out there -- usually you have to pop your head up every couple of strokes to keep from running into some myopic nimrod coming from the other direction with his head down and his brain disengaged. But this time, it was clear sailing. After a brief rest in the south end shallows, we had much the same experience on the trip back to the beach.

It's stuff like this that makes you appreciate the summer. A smooth lake at sunset, envigorating exercise, and the companionship of like-minded fellows...a pretty nice way to spend an early September evening. And even the mosquitos weren't too bad.

I may make it back out to the lake another time...or I may not. It doesn't matter that much. It's been a good outdoor swimming season for me, and if I don't get back in the pond again this year, I'm OK with that.

But if it's warm and sunny on Saturday morning, perhaps I'll see you there.

Have a great day!