Just keep swimming

Creature from the Blue Lagoon

Swimming had been recommended by both a podiatrist and a physical therapist when I was first getting back on my feet, literally, after having sustained a foot injury. When I initially dipped my toes in the pool back in late Spring, I was clad in a somewhat tatty, old suit and had no googles. That was fine for treading water and floating on my back, but as I grew both more confident and more able, I knew I needed new kit. First, I bought googles, then a sporty, new bathing suit. The purple swimming cap came after it seemed that the chlorinated pools I was swimming in were turning my hair to straw. 

There are a lot of accouterments a burgeoning swimmer like me could purchase yet---swimming fins, kick boards, earplugs, nose-plugs, swimming booties...etc., but I haven't seen the need. Most public pools stock kick boards and fins to be used by swimmers during lap swim periods. And my cap does a decent job of keeping water from my ears thus far. I have seen swimmers wearing nose-plugs, and am sort of curious about them. I don't, however, mind a bit of water going in my nose while swimming. I just blow it back out when my face is still under water. 

This past week saw me visiting the outdoor pool in earnest before the time change Sunday. The weather has been steady at 70F/20C during the afternoon most days, so I felt it almost a duty to get out there and swim before the days shorten and cooler temps finally set in. 

I am sort of keen to keep up swimming outside during the cooler months and was wondering if I could hack it. Fortunately, I struck up a chat with an older woman at the outdoor pool who swims with a snorkel because she 'can't turn her neck without pain'. She told me that swimming is the most forgiving form of exercise that she can undertake. She swims all-year-round. Her trick for keeping warm is that she wears a suit made of Neoprene, the material used in making surfers' wet-suits. She told me of a women's aquatic apparel store, located down in Santa Cruz, that sells Neoprene swimming suits. I shall be checking that place out in short order. I asked her if her extremities warmed up while swimming. I can't remember what she said, but she did stress that as long as one's kidneys were kept warm, then swimming during winter months should not be an issue. Well, OK, I'm going for it!