First Twin Rivers Swim

Monday, April 13th, I made my first swim of the year at Twin Rivers Recreational Center. I've been spying on that pool like a detective on a stakeout, watching, wondering, waiting for it to suddenly become full of water and thus be reborn like nature is every spring. Finally, last Thursday morning I drove over before work and saw that the fire department had hooked up a hose to a nearby fire hydrant and run it into the pool. It was Amazing how my spirits soared as I realized that not many days hence I would be swimming here.

I went back Friday after lunch and to my dismay the pool was still not full. I wanted to swim but there was not enough water to do a flip turn without scraping on the bottom. But it was getting there, and I relaxed in the certainty that it would not be long now. I even called John and informed him that our pool was being prepared for us. That made him happy. I decided against swimming Saturday because I had a number of things already on my itinerary such as an eight mile run, some weight lifting, the planting of flowers, and spending time with our grandchildren.

Some of the flowers Caitlin helped me plant.

So when Monday afternoon rolled around, I was chomping at the bits ready to swim, ready to get cold. First, however, I had to take our tax stuff down to the CPA's office. This was easier to do than last year when I became very emotional at going into that building where my dad worked for so many years. All those people in there were his friends. Bob Knight, one of Dad's buddies and the one who now does our taxes, told me again how much he misses Roger Hodge. I did get emotional on the way out, but it was a lot more controlled than my last trip to get the taxes done.

I walked inside Twin Rivers after driving over there and asked if it would be OK if I swam. The pool is far from being opened yet, but they always let the real swimmers, all two of us, go in whenever there is water there. I don't like to presume, so I asked first and was told to go ahead. Of course I had the whole pool to myself and I loved that. After I had pulled off my shirt, shorts, and shoes, I realized that I had left my thermometer in the truck, thus I was left to speculate at what the water temp was. My initial guess was 65. After I swam a while I figured it was 67. I enjoyed it, and it was not bad at all. I never got to the place where I felt like I was getting cold. A little cool maybe but never cold. I swam 4,100 straight and decided to stop. I am still a little bit leery of getting hurt. I felt my shoulder some and that made me call the swim off early.

Now the pool is ready and waiting on me. I plan to go back tomorrow. I don't know how far I'll swim but I hope it's a long one.