Start Of The 7.00am Swim Season
There is an abundance of scientific evidence pointing to the physical benefits of swimming in cold water: that is to say, water at lower than 15 degrees celsius. My layman´s reason NOT to swim in water of that temperature is simple. It´s too bloody cold. That said, many within our club in Tarragona swim right through winter – some without a wetsuit – when the water temperature gets down to 13 degrees. Their only concession to the wintery conditions is that they swim during the middle of the day, when at least there might be some sunshine as they enter the water. For me? I´m happy to wait until May when Spring has sprung and our 7.00am swim season can begin – as it did today.
Officially, the sun rose this morning at 6.41am. But when we put our toes into the water it was still hidden from view behind a significant headland about six kilometres away. The sky was dull but clear, the sea a bit lumpy and the water 17 degrees. We were seven brave souls: Maribel, Miguel, Giovanna, Patricia, Ingela, Xavi and myself.
Amidst the playful theatre of regretting our decision, there were plenty of squeals and blasphemies as we waded out and finally dunked our heads under the water. Unashamedly, I was wearing my full-length wetsuit and a neoprene cap, without which I find the cold creates a pain in my forehead. Others braved the cold entirely.
Our swim club is called Xina, pronounced: chee-nah. Officially we are l´Associacio d´Aigues Obertes de l´Arrabassada (The association of open waters of Arrabassada). However, our monicker is Xina, and here´s why. Our starting point each day is right next to a Xiringuito at the northern end of Arrabassada Beach. So, Xiringuito + northern + Arrabassada becomes…Xina. No doubt you are thinking: fine, but what on earth is a Xiringuito? In the Catalan language a xiringuito is a bar/restaurant on the beach. It´s chiringuito in castellano Spanish.
Arrabassada is one of the four city beaches in Tarragona and measures about 550 metres long by 75 metres deep, with a rocky coastline at either end. The beach gets its name from the adjoining suburb of the same name. In Catalan, the verb “arrabassar” means to clear land. Several hundred of years ago, as Tarragona grew, the bushland next to the beach was cleared to make way for farming.
This is my fourth year with Xina and the 7.00am swim group. As the weather warms up, we´ll grow to 15 – 20 people each morning of the working week. Usually, we swim out about 150 metres then head south for 600 metres to a small indentation in the rocky coastline; sort of a tiny cove (cala in Spanish). We call it Cala Patri because when one of our swimmers, Patri, first saw this very pretty spot, she jokingly said: “When I die, I want my ashes to be sprinkled here in the water”. Okay, Patri, we´ll keep that in mind. The return journey to our starting point amounts to a total swim of 1.5km. Sometimes we head north to the neighbouring beach of Savinosa before returning to Arrabassada. Again, overall 1.5km. On the weekends we usually head 10km out of town to a place called La Mora where our 8.00am out-and-back swim is more in the range of 2 – 3km. At Xina we are about 60 active swimmers. Those who prefer not to swim at sunrise do so at other times of the day. Each to their own. Occasionally we hire a bus and go way out of town for a long swim and then an even longer lunch.
Open-water swimmers often speak about the spiritual impact of being in something so immense as the sea or ocean. The antiquity of Mother Nature and Her power are just so infinitely grander than a single human body. You or I could be snuffed out in an instant, whereas She has always been here and always will. Recognising this solemn reality is part of the humbling experience that can be felt during our swims. There´s also a period of about a month, later in the season, when our swim coincides with the sunrise. At the precise moment when the sun´s first powerful ray peaks above the horizon, we always stop, tread water, and marvel at the miracle of life.
Oh the relief at not having to worry about sharks. As a Sydney-sider I brokered an uneasy peace with the danger. But here in Spain, whenever I´m in the water, I am exhilarated by the absence of fear. As a swimmer, my sense of connection to Mother Nature is greatly enhanced by having no concern whatsoever that I might get eaten. We also enjoy extraordinarily clear water in the Tarragona area, most of the time. At the height of the season, the water temperature reaches 27 degrees. The downside, however, is that there´s very little marine life to see. Our only occasional visitors are jellyfish, which come in a variety of stinging severities.
I knew absolutely nobody when I first arrived in Tarragona four years ago. By joining a club which does an activity I enjoy, I was instantly welcomed into a brethren of like-minded souls. I would guess that 90% of our members are Spanish, with the rest split between European countries – and me, the only Australian.
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but about learning how to grow in the rain.