The final push to acclimate before my August swim is now upon me. A blessing and a bit of a hindrance is that it has been a cold winter and the water is taking her time to warm. While my cold water dips are getting easier, and the face pain goes away much faster, I do not get all giddy at the prospect of jumping in. Nevertheless, every day, overcast or shine, cold or warm breeze, I am committed to my ritual of going down to the beach and throwing myself into the waves, diving under and stroking it until I feel cold, then begin to numb, then feel warm and then shake once the warmth leaves.
