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Movement & Motherhood
FROM ALCATRAZ WITH LOVE
By: Kristin Colsky Gavin | July 6, 2023
For as long as I can remember, I have loved being in the water. I have competed in swimming, swam for exercise, and also for the pure joy of floating in a lake or the sea. There is just something about the weightlessness combined with movement that can feel euphoric. I wanted my toddler to experience the love of swimming that I have, in addition to being safe in the water, so he has been taking regular swim lessons. By going to these classes each week, I have realized how long of a process it really is to learn how to swim correctly, and how much coordination of movement and breath is involved.
I decided several years ago that, being a native of the Bay Area, I should really experience the 1.25 mile swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco. While I love swimming laps in pools, open water swimming is something entirely different. I had never done any open water swimming before, but I practiced a few times with a large group in Aquatic Park before attempting the swim. The first practice I went in without a wetsuit, and yes, it was very cold. Later, I purchased one and started to practice with a wetsuit. I told myself that maybe someday I would do the Alcatraz swim without a wetsuit, which plenty of people do, but for this first time, I decided to wear one.
When race day came, I woke up in the early morning hours and made my way down to Aquatic Park at dawn. I was pretty nervous, and I did not know anyone else doing the swim. Fortunately, my husband was able to ride out with me on the boat to Alcatraz, and I looked forward to seeing my parents waiting for me at the finish line. There were around 300 swimmers on my boat, and the same on the second boat. We all lined up randomly, three at a time, to jump off the ferry boat, a ten foot drop into the dark and choppy waters below us. One person jumped left, one center, and one right. After hitting the water, we had to swim away quickly so that the next group would not land on anyone. As I looked at all the swimmers already in the water, they started to appear like tiny white splashes in the distance.
Finally, it was my turn. I stepped right up to the edge of the boat and jumped off when I was told to go. There was no time or space to hesitate, nor did I want to. Even though my stomach was in knots, I just wanted to jump without thinking too much about it. Hitting the water, I swam away and adjusted my goggles. I started to swim. Normally in a pool, I would breathe every few strokes and look down or slightly forward, but with this type of open water swim, I had to sight, or look up while continuing to swim, in order to stay on course and not drift with the current to a completely different ending point. If you do not do this, it is entirely possible to end up far away from the finish of the race and have to swim against the current to get back to where you are supposed to be. I had to sight pretty frequently to stay on track, and was always looking for the specific building they suggested would help us to stay on course.
I was completely in the moment during this swim. I kept my breath slow and steady as much as I could. There were so many swimmers that I had to make sure others did not kick my arms with each stroke. The water was so murky that there was no visibility through the water. If I had had time to think about it, maybe I would have considered what creatures were potentially lurking in those dark waters. The water was pretty choppy, so each stroke took much more out of me than it would in a calm pool. At some point in the race, I stopped, treaded water, and looked around 360 degrees. I saw the Bay Bridge, San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz, and it was an exhilarating and beautiful moment to take in.
At last, I saw Aquatic Park Cove and realized that I had only the last short leg before hitting the finish line. I was pretty exhausted by that point, but a little relieved and determined to get to that beach. I saw and heard the crowds cheering and waiting for their loved ones. Eventually, I touched my feet down to the sand, made it up to the beach, and ran across the finish line. I felt out of breath, but full of that adrenaline rush that comes from accomplishing something that is both physically and mentally incredibly challenging.
It started as more of a bucket list item, but I have since swam that same race two other times and plan to again in the future. Though I could not swim the race while I was pregnant, I did use my experience as a visualization to support me through the birth of my son, another physically and mentally challenging event. I would encourage anyone who is an experienced swimmer to try the swim at least once. People come from all over the world to “escape” from Alcatraz to San Francisco, and we have it in our backyard. Once you get over the initial fear of the murkiness, sharks, the cold, or simply being out in open waters, the feeling of finishing that race is undoubtedly euphoric.
Maybe someday my son will attempt it too. Until then, we will be jumping off the pool wall, practicing our kicks, and learning how to hold our breath.
Kristin Colsky Gavin is a native of Sausalito and lives there now with her husband, John, and her two-year-old son, William. She is a UC Berkeley graduate and Pilates instructor with ten years of experience and her own business, Kristin Gavin Pilates. Kristin has worked with all kinds of bodies, ages, and fitness levels but has a particular passion for working with pregnant and postpartum clients. She is also studying to consult on nutrition for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Contact her at kristin@kristingavinpilates.com. Website coming soon!
When not practicing or teaching Pilates, Kristin can be found swimming, practicing yoga, hiking the trails of Marin, cooking, writing, studying languages, traveling near and far, and spending time with her family. She started open water swimming several years ago and has completed the Alcatraz to San Francisco swim three times.