... before my 60th birthday. Am I dreading it? Am I heck! Concessions + bus pass = freedom! Children grown up and in their own homes. Husband ticking away nicely with many interests and time away, and happy for me to do the same. If I'd known what being sixty would mean, I'd have done it years ago.
Took H (husband) into Aberdeen last night for regular meeting with his old university friends (my son says they are like something out of "Still Game" - a Scottish TV comedy about some old codgers!), and decided to drive the extra 14 miles down to Stonehaven to have a swim in the open air pool there for the first time. I doubt if this counts as 'wild swimming' as the seawater in the pool is heated to 29degC (that's 84degF in old money) and there are changing rooms, but it is a start.
After moseying down to the deep end, I turned round and began to swim lengths in my usual head-held-up-like-a-turtle, screw-kick fashion. My back/shoulder/shoulder blade hurt and I thought I would just do two lengths as it was my first time in a pool for ?years. Well, perhaps I'd try for six lengths ... and in the end I managed 12. Not bad, but when you realise I used to do 40 plus ten years ago before I had to give it up when I had a asthma attack after each indoor pool visit, not that good either. Apparently, as I discovered, it's not the chlorine gas coming off the water that affected me, but the chlorine + body fluids (sweat and wee!) that produces an even more pungent gas that can cause asthma in sensitive people.
And THAT is why I am into wild swimming now.
It was a glorious sunny evening, with fluffy clouds and seagulls flying across the 'ceiling' of the pool. I just hoped that as I floated on my back in the lovely warm, supportive water for one of my frequent rests, no seagull would decide to take a break on that particularly large island. It was a bit strange getting a mouthful of salty water now and again, but far preferable to the cocktail (mentioned above) from an indoor, chlorinated pool.
I got out of the pool just before 7.30pm - closing time - and staggered with wobbly knees into the changing rooms. After being supported in the water for 45 minutes, that is when I realise just how much weight I am lugging around, and vow to reduce it. Feeling a bit dizzy at times, but more about that later!
What a great pool, kept open by lots of fantastic supporters. It is how swimming pools used to be - separate changing rooms for men and women, sun terraces and a cafe. Just wait till I've got my bus-pass, and can travel there and back for nothing!
Drove back to Aberdeen and stopped at Asda at the Bridge of Don for some supper. Two rollmops and lots of fruit. I also bought a canoe and kayaking magazine to get me back into all that. I didn't kayak once last year - shame on me. Collected H from pub and nice old friends, drove home and crawled up to my bed ... after eating one rollmop. Went out like a light without even doing one Sudoku number.
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