Open Water Chicago – December 22, 2019 – Happy (Almost) Winter!

Given that the winter solstice didn’t actually occur until 10:19am on Sunday morning, we managed to get in one final swim before Old Man Winter officially arrived in our fair city!

I made it out to L1 just after 6:30am, and the entire swim area was calm and clear. We had some ice buildup on the concrete near the water’s edge, but this was easily managed now that the area was officially slime free!

The outside temperature came in at a balmy 35F, and the clear and sunny skies helped take the edge off of the 34.2F lake. However, I still went with my full winter gear as I planned to do my usual 1/2 mile – plus I didn’t want to have to deal with an afterdrop!

The lake entry was pretty straightforward, and I just had a slight ice cream headache for the first minute or two. But once I got into a groove, it was a fairly easy and pleasant out-and-back to the 1/4 mile point. So it was a great way to usher out the season!

Dawn skyline
Colors at daybreak
Sunrise!

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