Funny thing happened to me two days ago. I went to my habitual 2km fartlek DNF swim (a periodic mix of short hypercapnic apnea length with normal swimming) along the beach and shortly after I begun, I noticed a small red fish just below me. I do not know what species it was - it was too small (about 4cm long), and I had just swimming goggles so did not see the details sharp enough. Besides it, I do not really know many fish species by name. However, I do not see fish of such color (light red or pink) here in the Med too often. It looked more like a freshwater aquarium fish, than something I see frequently here.
Well, never mind, I did not pay too much attention. It was funny and so close (just few centimeters from my breast), but I was trying to focus on catching my rhythm so did not really have time to care. Though, after a while, around the half way of my trip (it is the moment I usually already catch the right rhythm, and usually begin to bore and look forward to the end), to my big surprise I noticed that the minuscule fish is still following me. I saw she struggled (yes, it had to be female!) quite a bit to catch up with me: when I did a full-force DNF stroke, she fell far behind, and had to accelerate frenetically with her tail to catch up with me during the glide phase, but she continued doing so in each cycle, always coming back under my face or breast.
I was watching her since that time permanently and was quite amazed. I wondered when she's going to give it up. It was such a fun. I could practically touch her when she came between my hands during me pulling my hands after the stroke back above my head. Then again, after the stroke, she disappeared at my feet, just to come back hurrying again. The second km of my fartlek swim never passed so easily and quickly. Watching the fish, I forgot how long and boring the second half was, did even longer apnea periods in the fartlek than normally (just because I tried keeping my face under water watching the fish), and with no habitual feeling of exhaustion, and arrived to the end of the beach surprisingly soon.
I did not even want that it is already the end of the trip. At the end I slowed down to make it longer. I wanted to continue, I did not want to lose my small red fish, but I knew there was nothing else to do than to get out of the water to the beach. I took my time and went really slow out, still enjoying the small companion, watching it underwater dancing around me until there was no more than some 15-20 cm of water. She still kept with me even there, just 2m from the beach, struggling with the waves. Well, it was breaking my heart to let the small creature, who apparently enjoyed my company, suddenly totally alone in the big sea, but I hope she found her way back to her real mamma (or papa) that she apparently mistook me for.
Next day, I went swimming again, and could not resist looking for her all the time. You sure can imagine - she was not there. Sad, but such is the life.
(and no, if you ask, it was not a pilot fish, or a cleaner, who just attempted to get a ride)
Well, never mind, I did not pay too much attention. It was funny and so close (just few centimeters from my breast), but I was trying to focus on catching my rhythm so did not really have time to care. Though, after a while, around the half way of my trip (it is the moment I usually already catch the right rhythm, and usually begin to bore and look forward to the end), to my big surprise I noticed that the minuscule fish is still following me. I saw she struggled (yes, it had to be female!) quite a bit to catch up with me: when I did a full-force DNF stroke, she fell far behind, and had to accelerate frenetically with her tail to catch up with me during the glide phase, but she continued doing so in each cycle, always coming back under my face or breast.
I was watching her since that time permanently and was quite amazed. I wondered when she's going to give it up. It was such a fun. I could practically touch her when she came between my hands during me pulling my hands after the stroke back above my head. Then again, after the stroke, she disappeared at my feet, just to come back hurrying again. The second km of my fartlek swim never passed so easily and quickly. Watching the fish, I forgot how long and boring the second half was, did even longer apnea periods in the fartlek than normally (just because I tried keeping my face under water watching the fish), and with no habitual feeling of exhaustion, and arrived to the end of the beach surprisingly soon.
I did not even want that it is already the end of the trip. At the end I slowed down to make it longer. I wanted to continue, I did not want to lose my small red fish, but I knew there was nothing else to do than to get out of the water to the beach. I took my time and went really slow out, still enjoying the small companion, watching it underwater dancing around me until there was no more than some 15-20 cm of water. She still kept with me even there, just 2m from the beach, struggling with the waves. Well, it was breaking my heart to let the small creature, who apparently enjoyed my company, suddenly totally alone in the big sea, but I hope she found her way back to her real mamma (or papa) that she apparently mistook me for.
Next day, I went swimming again, and could not resist looking for her all the time. You sure can imagine - she was not there. Sad, but such is the life.
(and no, if you ask, it was not a pilot fish, or a cleaner, who just attempted to get a ride)
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