All summer I tried to figure out how to observe my 65th birthday. I considered running or biking 65 minutes but I really wanted to swim 65 lengths. But August 11 was my last day of work and I could only squeeze in 30 minutes (1/2 mile) over lunch. But 11 days later was the final day for the pool to be open -- my least favorite day of the summer.
Closing the pool signals that fall is approaching and with it, cooler weather. Apart from that, I’ll miss the heat and humidity and the relief that comes with jumping into cool water, conversations with the other lap swimmers, the guards, even the screaming kids.
On that final day, I reached my usual 36 lengths but just couldn’t get out of the water. Instead, I headed back for more laps and in the end, I reached my goal of 65. To some, that may seem ho hum, but for me, it proved that age is insignificant in the world of swim. And that one can’t use age as an excuse.
What’s next? By the end of the week, I’ll be swimming in the ocean, trying to avoid swallowing salt water, and attempting to swim parallel to the beach.