Swimming long

Another battle

It's not the cold, it's not the darkness, it's not the distance ... yet.

I know that i am not the only one.

We all have our own demons to fight at any point on our lives. However those change over time (at least in my case) and I am battling now the fear to the unknown. I never thought about it that much until now.

I want to make sure that I am as well prepared as I can be, and I know I will be.

Would that be enough?

That is unknown to me and that is an issue.

The good thing is that there is only one way to know and that is trying and that is what I am doing.

Slowly I am regaining my usual self confidence (in the water) and every time I am there with Kendra or Katie or like last Saturday with my wonderful masters swimmers and friends from the Guelph Marlins, Arlene Jane and Dave I am feeling with better spirits.

Does not make it easier ( I still need to work on my food, sleep, flexibiity and core muscles) but time goes faster and that is a huge help.

The good thing is that every little thing happening now towards or around the swim makes me feel that the whole team is on the right direction and  everyone is getting more and more into it.

47 days left and counting.

I am back!

At least writing because I didn't go anywhere.

But I had a period of doubts, of not feeling really well with all this, even when I never stopped the work and I've been in the water often enough.

That is all behind now. I am feeling much better and with 6.5 weeks to go tomorrow there are three hours at Guelph lake and on Friday will be 6 hours from 6:00 p.m. until midnight. 

The first night practice.

There will be a camp site, maybe a bon fire, food etc. while I am swimming. Everybody is invited to the "swim party"

Who knows, you might even want to swim a bit with me. 

Thank you Nat!

If anything else, this project has given me the chance of re-connect with friends, incredible good athletes and many, interesting people with amazing stories.

This past weekend while doing a relay at the Caledon Kids of Steel triathlon and having a booth there to promote the swim, I got to see Jade Scognamilo and her mother Jane that kindly is sharing her expertise and is helping us. (For those that do not know who she is, last year Jade became the youngest person ever that have succesfuly crossed lake Ontario). I got to see Barrie Shepley, former Olympic coach and consultant for the swim, triathlon friends and with them, I had a very inspirational chat with Nat Faulkner.

Nat is not only one of the world's best pro and amateur athletes I know, he is also charming, energetic, positive and kind. On Sunday while I was telling him how did I feel the day before while swimming 13 Km. he shared with me again his story  of being in the middle of the 5,000 Km. bike race across North America.

This race is one of those were you do not sleep for several days you have to keep going regardless how tired you are, the pain, the lack of sleep and real food. Nothing I can say here compares to hear it from him but here is my interpretation of what he said to me:

"You know what is coming! you know how is going to feel! ... I was there in the middle of the night during one of the breaks (while other relay team mates were pedaling) very tired trying to sleep for a few minutes, and just could not! I was so tired and sleep deprived that I just started crying! So I was there naked, only with my bike shoes and my helmet on, other than that, totally naked (at any time he could be called to resume the ride) and I just leaned on a side of the van and started crying!  and I spent all my resting time like that!

Until I said to myself, wait a minute, ... this is something that I chose to do because is FUN!

So no matter what I would not let the bad feelings take over me and started cheering my team mates and encouraging them to catch the team ahead and win the race".

Once again I was very emotional  because it is very true. Many, many times since I started training I have been crying for no reason other than being really overtired.

Nat is right, 
I know how it feels and at the end I chose to do this because is a good cause and I am determined to make it FUN!

Thank you NAT! I am really fortunate to count on you as my friend.