Save the Bay Recap and what's next

Fail on my part, Save the Bay was over a week ago now and I've been absent. No worries! It was amazing, great event. One that is already penciled in for a repeat performance next year. So it's hard to recap a swim event, unlike running once you get swimming things zone out. Morning of was nothing but laughs, ball busting, and photo-ops with friends. No nerves, just smiles all around. I knew I had put in the work, joking aside there was no question that the day would go without issue. Hardest part was at start of swim trying to hook up with my trusty kayaker. Once we found each other, or lets be honest she found me (I had given up and was ready to bandit with someone else's kayak) I just started to swim. The water was like glass, easy breezy. Yes there were jellies, yes there were other creepie-crawlies and they only made me swim faster. I started to get cranky about 3/4 of the way through and thankfully that's when Melissa started to get more excited. With running you get cranky and slow your pace maybe walk a bit, with this I would sputter a bit and just keep swimming. Nothing else was going to get me out of there. Official time was 1:11:03, just 1 minute over my estimated time. Forgot my garmin, but a friend clocked in at 1.9 miles so who knows how far I actually went. This might go down in the books as an annual event. I've been a bit bummed ever since finishing, it was one of those events where I really loved not only the lead up to but the day itself. So what is next? Too be honest I'm not sure. Had toyed around with a spring marathon but not sure I want to go there just yet. I'm running 3-4 times a week and never more than 6 and having a good time with it. I've been accepted to a yoga teacher training program and that starts in Sept!!! Every time I think about this I get excited and queasy all at once, it's going to be wild! I have to get my personal practice in gear, both at home and in the studio. So far doing well with 2-3 classes a week, the home practice is a work in progress. More on the yoga in another post, I have a lot to say and am still formulating it all. I don't know if I can do that and marathon training, at least not without Joe threatening to leave me. And I will sheepishly admit to not swimming a stroke since Save the Bay, ah well, happens to the best of us! 1 hour of yoga today

Good for the soul

It's crunch time, a week and a half before I risk my life going across the bay in nothing but a wet suit. Nevermind the 399 other swimmers, my personal kayaker, and coastguard support. And yes, there is a god damned whale somewhere in the bay, just waiting to eat me. The pressure is on to get more comfortable in the open water. We hit up the pond last week and things went ok. Minor panic attack in the beginning but settled in. Not smooth enough that I could call it and stay in the pool, so this morning we headed back out to the pond. We had a newbie with us, who needed some reassurance. Did I complain about pond scum? What about the snapping turtles the size of my table with biting teeth and a taste for toes? Water snakes anyone? Nope. "An open water swim is good for the soul, easiest mile of your life." I lied through my friggin teeth. Misery loves company! So 5:30 rolled around and we quickly found ourselves on the beach. After some minor hesitation we headed off. No panic this time, I might as well embrace it. Soon the sun started to come up over the trees and it truly was beautiful. Peaceful. Newbie swam back and was amazed at how nice it was. She was right. It was quiet. You could get lost in your thoughts, zone out. Struggles with a sick kid faded away; stress about work and sleep deprivation all forgotten. We hit the first dock in no time at all and ventured out for the far buoy. Wrapped things up back on the beach, 1.5 miles in total. A needed dose of peacefulness before hitting the chaos that is my current life. Swam 1.5 miles