Swam 8.5 miles yesterday all along the beautiful laguna beach coastline finishing up at the Ritz Carlton hotel with its waiting hottub and food ! My three volunteer ( paid only in a good adventure and free gatorade) paddlers all came along as we learned how they will best guide me across from the island to Palos Verdes in the obsolute straightest line. I swam with a new stroke that i should have learned about years ago. It is a big easy stroke, much less complicated and stressful than how I'd been swimming these past years. Luckily I took the coaching just a week ago and was able to understand what i could improve and practiced it for the 4 hours it took to go the 8.5 miles. i felt great at the finish, downed a hamburger and a redbull and was off to a friend's bday party .
I think it was the support crew that helped so much. having folks around to share adventures with seems to be the magic for me and has been the hardest part of working up big miles in ocean swimming. It is inherently a lonely sport with beautiful but quiet water to stare down at mile after mile.
It might also have been a good swim Sunday because i spent the day with friends and our three girls in Mexico building homes and working alongside the very families that this funding will go to help. Thus I had lots to think through and about and lots to dream up as we figure how best to enable the most kids possible to go to school full time.
This evening I swam 2 + miles at sunset , super choppy cold water which felt great and will better prepare me for whatever nature will give me on the 26th!
No comments:
Post a Comment