Moon Swimmer

One of my favorite things about New York City in the summertime is lap swimming at the fabulous Astoria Pool. Every summer, from the 4th of July through Labor Day, the City opens its pools and beaches to the public for free (!), and it also sponsors a lap swimming program, which is broken down into two sections: the Early Bird (7:00-8:30am) and the Night Owl (7:00-8:30pm).

After swimming competitively for nearly ten years (and lifeguarding for almost as many), the chlorine is thick in my blood. Nothing beats beginning the day with a refreshing workout in the icy water--especially in the dog days of summer. And the Astoria Pool is especially magnificent--where else can you swim between the Triborough and Hellgate Bridges, with glimpses of boats drifting by on the East River? The pool actually hosted the Olympic trials in 1936 (which also marked its grand opening) and in 1964.

Sadly, there are only two more (outdoor) swimming days this year, and this morning I glimpsed this beautiful view out my window before I walked over to the park. One morning as I swam, I watched both the morning moon hanging above the Triborough Bridge and the sun rising directly opposite.

Tonight I got to see another of the City's pools: Hamilton Fish, on the Lower East Side. The occasion? The end-of-summer party and celebration for the swimmers. This year's party was particularly festive, because it marked the 25th anniversary of the adult lap swimming program. Some 6,000 New Yorkers participated this summer, and I'm proud to report that the "Early Bird" women of Astoria Pool accumulated the most distance among the women citywide: 697.34 miles!

The evening began with a relay race (Astoria placed second), and awards were presented to anyone who swam 25 miles or more this summer (including myself, just barely). This is actually equivalent to swimming around the island of Manhattan--minus weeding through the debris of old Coke cans, beer bottles, and assorted garbage in the river.

There was a free buffet dinner sponsored by Katz Deli (platters of sausage, coleslaw, potato salad, pasta, and watermelon), but the highlight for me was Jackie Rowe-Adams, who sang two a cappella songs: "Moon River" and "The Wind Beneath My Wings." In her husky, emotive voice, she cleverly squeezed "swim" verbs into the lyrics when at all possible. For example:

We're after the same rainbow's end
Swimming 'round the bend
I'm swimming with my friends
Moon river and me.

You get the picture. It was quite endearing, as was the entire evening--a pocket of small-town camaraderie in the churning metropolis. I can't wait to jump back in tomorrow morning.