Swimming through the Lockdown

I've been working from home for nine weeks now, and my state has been on a "Stay at Home" order for almost as long. Pools are closed. And I'm antsy. To add to the difficulty, the main bridge between my house and Alki beach, where I swim in the Sound, is closed for repairs, indefinitely.  So I head to my little local lake- Green Lake.

This little, 5k circumference, lake, is about 60* now. I swim from the Rec Center to the Bathhouse and back, an approximately one mile route. At 60* I swim skin and have a few observations from my swims.

Sixty is cold enough to get chilled, but not cold enough to go numb. So I continue to feel cold through the whole swim. However, I re-warm after far faster than I do in the sub 50* Puget Sound.

There is a lot less interesting to watch in the fresh water lake than there is in the salt water Sound. No seals or sea lions. No crabs or starfish. I did see a turtle. And often see large fish.

And the most important thing I've noticed, swimming in Green Lake.... It makes me happy. It may not be Alki surrounded by friends, but a good hard swim makes the day better regardless.