Day 7/ Garrettstown : Swim and Play

 6:30pm we roll up to the beach at Garrettstown, the wind is gusting, as I open the car door I feel like I am about to get sucked out, like Dorothy and Toto in the Wizard of Oz, Robbin and I climb out of the car, there is a small handful of people gathering for tonight’s swim and play, Robbin and I use the ” clutch on to each other technique” to prevent getting blown off the footpath….

 

 The surf is heavy, the wind relentless, the roughest of days and guess who is planning to be first in the water?

 Robbin, that tough sister of mine is planning to swim, in fact her bathing suit is already on, only thing is she forgot to throw in her wet suit so now she gets to go in bare skinned, wahoo…..

 

 Down towards the sea she runs, skipping here and there to avoid the fleet of Jellyfish that have washed up on the beach, she dances around the surf excitedly then dashes back up to the car, what fun, she gives me the 2 thumbs up and I toss a towel around her shoulders, what a treat to be supporting her, even if it was a meager towel throw, I enjoy seeing her have some fun after the stress of watching me wade in for my ice bath swims day after day over the last week, I feel for her, harder to be on the beach waiting, then watching me shiver and shake post swim, than being in the water, I feel grateful that she is here in Ireland.

 

 Next up Sarah and Aussie Andrew head down the beach with their Li Lo’s, if you’e asking what the heck is that? Here is the scoop……a Li Lo  is what we call a smallish inflatable raft, if you’re still not sure what I mean look at the picture above, meanwhile  I scurry off to change too and we all weave our way through the Jellyfish towards the sea……

 There is a rip, the waves are big , it takes some effort to get out through the breaker waves but once there we bob about laughing as we get picked up and tossed this way and that with each wave, Andrew paddles out with his Li Lo, ” want a try?” , he asks, ” you bet”, I reply, ” OK climb on and kick hard before the wave breaks”, I do, along with a squeal of delight as the wave picks me and the raft up and thrusts us both forward at what feels like a high rate of speed, ” good old fashioned fun, this beats a water park any day”, I grin as the thought crosses my mind.

 After a bit it is time to head in, there are 3 kite boarders whipping back and forward near us, I can see their sails speeding by, super fun however I am concerned about an accidental collision in the unpredictable surf, I start the swim in, harder than you would think, it takes some effort and a number of tangles with tall house plant like seaweed, I make it in and up to the car, I pull down my suit to change and discover screeds of seaweed down my front, I change regardless, it is itchy under my clothes, ” now today, I REALLY can’t wait for that shower”, I laugh.

  With all swimmers out of the water, Ned pulls out two massive chocolate gatteaux cakes for me and my fellow swimmers, we all pile off to Finbarr’s place to eat the cake, ” where’s Robbing, first in the water gets first piece”, shouts Ned above the crowd, Robbin heads over for a chunk of cake, I am proud of her. One by one we head up to get a piece of cake, it slides down VERY easily, Yum.

 Robbin and I punch out early and head back to the house for a shower, dinner and sleep, next up Day 8, the ” Torture Swim”, last year I found this terribly hard and left with some hard learned lessons that have served me well over the last 12 months.

Oh and did Robbin experience “the claw”?  I’ll give you a hint, that is not my hand in the picture above…. I say YES

 Is it possible to learn even more through another ” Torture Swim”? All signs point to yes, I’ll keep you posted

Closing Thought:

     ” To a young heart everything is fun”

– Charles Dickens

 

 

Day 7/ Swim 1 Iniscara Lake

The stormy weather continues, the wind has dropped considerably since yesterday’s howler of a day, still sea conditions are still heavy so Ned has rescheduled this morning’s swim back to the lake, we arrive at 5:45am, the road is littered with remnants of the storm, leaves and smaller branches from the trees are scattered everywhere, “so windy yesterday I couldn’t even leave my dog outside the store”, said one local shop owner as he was describing the force of the wind….

 

 We check in for the morning swim instructions and then prepare to begin our swim,  that’s me on the left,  I stay bundled up to the last possible minute……….

 

Then down the slipway we go, time to launch, time to peel off the cozy hoodie and kick off the boots, then into the lake……

 

 

 

   The air temperature has dropped over night to 9 degrees Celsius, the water has cooled down also to 13 degrees yet, still it feels warmer than the sea and I enjoy the soft warmth on my skin as I swim, it feels refreshing rather than a piercing cold, I like it.  We soon form a pack and power down the lake, no white caps to drive through this morning making the trip down the lake fast,  before I know it we are at the far end of the lake ready to return to the slipway, “I would like to swim 2 laps today”, I think, “ feed at the end of lap 1 and check in”. My feed, flip flops and Ned’s blanket in the dry bag, patiently wait for me on the slipway……

  Everyone is swimming well this morning, many skipped last night’s swim, “ they must be feeling rested, cool to see everyone punching it hard this morning”, I think. This is the 3^rd swim in the lake for me this week, meaning it is getting more familiar every swim, I recognize the yellow house half way down the lake, the pump house at the end, and my favorite the overturned boats stored on the grass a few hundred meters before the slipway, when I see the boats I know a feed or for the end of my swim a hot chocolate is near.

 I see the yellow house,” half way back on lap one, excellent, time to bring it home strong”, I coach myself to pick up the pace, my brain sends the message to my body, but my body is not having a bar of it, it defiantly SLOWS DOWN!  “Mate”, I sternly say, “ what’s up with this?”, I again try to pick it up, it feels like I have no pull, then I see it, I have the claw, I can see it as clear as daylight on my arm recovery, both hands are clawed up like hawk feet, I pump my fingers open and closed, I continue to swim slow, Ned stops, “ you’re slowing down”, he shouts, I reply by hauling one of my claw hands out of the water, “ I know, got the claw, I’m OK though”. We swim on the last 500 meters, me slow, Ned pulling up frequently to wait,  I am sure he must be getting cold swimming slow in order to limp me back into shore.

 We make it in, “ thanks for swimming in with me”, and with that Ned tosses me a blanket, I LOVE the blanket and snuggle it up around my neck, “ your’e probably tired, you feel the cold more then, end of the week”, I nod and walk up the slipway, he is right I do feel beat today, but beat and happy, I am pleased, no second lap but I am feeling in control and walk up on my own, quickly dress and before I know it am sucking down a hot chocolate, it’s the simple things that mean so much. After 10 cookies and a good few Jelly Babies we are off to Kinsale, a 45 minute drive home, then it is food and a nap.

What’s coming up this afternoon? A swim of course, but this swim is listed as ” play in the surf”, I am intrigued.

What will surf play be? I’ll keep you posted

Closing Thought:

                    ” Welcome the task that makes you go beyond yourself”

                                                                                                                                                  –       Frank Mcgee

 

 

 

Day 6/ Swim # 2 5:00pm : Iniscara Lake

 You guessed it the wind didn’t let up during the day, force 4 winds are firing with both barrels, we arrive to the Lake to see big waves and an epidemic of white caps ( white horses in the USA). ” Never seen waves on a lake this big”, someone shouts over the roar of the wind, ‘ are we really going to do this?”, another swimmer chimes in, ” how about a plunge and out”, someone else adds, but Ned stands tall with a wide mouthed smile, we wait until 5:00 for any stragglers then in. We huddle under a big tree to gain some relief from the teaming rain and biting wind, we all look like penguins huddled together in the Antarctic, I find someone bigger than me and huddle by them.

 ” Lets go”, announces Ned, we all sprint off to strip down and hit the slipway, it feels creepy out, like the scene from some spooky haunted house movie, I wait by the waters edge then I’m in, the water feels warm compared to the 50 degree Fahrenheit air and wind chill, I dive my head under so I can warm my head, the water temperature 57 degrees fahrenheit.

  The waves challenge me, I respond by gritting my teeth and attacking, my body soon replies with a cozy warm feel in my belly, I fight on, memories of the strong head winds and rough waters flood back from the ” In Search Of Memphre” swim, I feel comfort in knowing that I have experienced a similar battle before, I feel strong, I glance to my left Ned is driving through the waves, I sense he likes them too, I feel cozy and safe from the storm tucked up in the lake, I feel like I am under the cozy covers of the bed.

 We swim and swim, the end of the lake takes much longer to reach today, once there Ned pulls up and looks for swim caps, ” there’s Andrew down there, lets go pay him a visit”, Ned shouts, we turn and thunder down the lake, wind at our tail, an assisted swim, what fun.

 We reach Andrew, check in and all swim back down the Lake heading for the slipway, we swim and swim, then Ned pulls up, ” back up the lake”, my heart sinks for a moment, ” so close to the slipway”, I think, the thought passes quickly, I turn and once more embrace the fun of battling the Lake, finally we make it back up to the pump house at the end, turn and sprint home, this time we reach the slipway and land, I pause in the water for a bit, “going to be wicked getting out”, I think, I know that as soon as I leave the water the wind chill and air temperature will plummet my body temperature, I savour the 57 degree water for just a few more seconds and then dash for the car.

 A quick change and we are heading home, and what of tomorrow, more wild weather forcing another reschedule?  You guessed it, I get to come back to the lake one more time and I am looking forward to it already.

How long was tonight’s swim?  1.5 Hours

What was the water temperature? 57 degrees Fahrenheit

Closing Thought:

 Your biggest hindrance today can be your biggest helper in the future

 

 

 

 

Day 6/ Swim # 2 Sandycove Island- pictured above with calmer waters…

 I awake at 2 am and pull the covers up tight, the wind is howling, the rain is loud as it thrashes against the window pane, I snuggle deeper under the covers, ” going to be a lumpy swim today”, I think, then curiosity gets the better of me, I peak through the curtains, from my room is a view of Kinsale Harbor and Charles fort, I crack the window a bit, I can hear the heavy surf crashing angrily against the cliffs below and can  just make out the white caps of the  waves, the sea looks and sounds like an angry monster. Back under the covers I go and drift off to sleep dreaming of calm, controlled waters of the indoor pool, I wake at 5:00am to the alarm shouting at me to get up and conquer those waves.

 

 I bound downstairs, down some breakfast and head to the car with all my gear, we arrive at Sandycove at 5:50am for a 6:00am start time, cutting it a it close I know, fortunately it works out, there is only a small group of hardy souls, ” one lap around the island, then it’s laps on this side where it is not as heavy”, Ned delivers his instructions with excitement, ” you may be half way across the Channel and the weather turns and this is what you’ve got”, those of you who really want it swim today”, he adds.

 With that I am off the get ready, I have decided that my best plan of attack is to glue myself to Colm, down the slipway we all go, Carol, Jenn and Ned are there too along with the other hardy souls. In we go, the water is calmer around the slipway, we weave our way out through the thick seaweed, out to the first corner and then it is game on, a big swell, strong menacing wind and waves, I swim beside Colm, with each wave I drive my head down and pull hard, progress down the back side of the island is slow, as we approach the far end I pull up to 5 other bobbing heads, they are popping up and down with the swells, ” doesn’t get much better than this”, shouts Ned above the howl of the wind,” this was Paul’s Channel swim for 6 hours, this could be you”, his voice carries off with the wind, ” the swell with smash you into the rocks on the corner, stay wider than usual”, Ned offers some welcome extra ” How to swim around an island in a raging storm advice”, I listen and swim wide, I feel like I am on an adventure to discover new waters and experiences, I am and I am enjoying it, I am feeling grateful,” I would not swim this alone, no boat would come out with me back home and today here are other swimmers, relaxed, happy, willing and able to be out here today,” how fortunate to swim these conditions and with company”, I think.

 Colm and I do stay wide, when we do make the turn the swell picks us up like we are as light as toothpicks and hurls us forward, no reality TV for me, I am living the dream right here, right now, it is both exhilerating and exciting. Around the corner we fly until we reach the front side of the island, it takes us a lot longer to get around the island today, Carol and Jenn break off, ” one lap for us today”, they had declared at the start, I join them and swim in, a quick dash up the slipway to the car, ” straight back to the house please Robbin, I’m not getting changed, it is right into the shower for me”, I leap in the car and before we know it I am all warm and cozy in dry clothes, hot cup of tea in hand.

 So what did I think of today’s swim?  LOVED it!

What’s next? Tonight’s sea swim has been moved to Iniscara Lake ( you know, my favourite) so until them I am eating and resting, we swim at 5pm

Will the wind speed drop for tonight’s swim? I’ll keep you posted

Closing Thought:

If a thing is obviously right, do it

https://brynnswim.com/1489/

 

 

 

Day 5/ Swim 2: Spike Island Prison Swim

 So how did this prison swim happen, well you know me it starts with an email, ” anyone want to swim Spike Island, one of the triple crown of prison swims?”, the email arrived from Ned 2 weeks ago, I scanned the email and replied, ” I’m in for a bust out”, after sending it I pondered…” wonder how far that isand where”? It was not to matter as the reply was that I was on the wait list and I thought no more of it, then yesterday Ned emailed again, “Spike Island, you’re in”.

 So that’s how it came about, now we are on route to Cork Harbor with Barbara from California, Paul from the UK, me, Robbin and Ned driving the boat……..

 

 

 The view of Cobn from the boat is stunning, we travel up the port scanning for places to swim in to land…..

 

 Ned points out numerous landing spots ranging from steps to ramps, we drive the boat alongside the wharf to check them out, the water is calm, as we motor past the dock  wall we hear a hiss and a plop, we turn just in time to see raw sewerage spewing out into the harbor water below, I turn and look the other way, ” what you don’t see can’t hurt you”, I think, I decide to focus on the massive church and spike Island in the other direction.

 We pull into a set of steps and pick up the final three swimmers, including the super star swimmer of the day, on to the boat climb, Nora, Eddie and their son Neddy, today he will become the youngest swimmer to swim Spike Island to Cobn, he is 9 years old, we motor towards the Island.

 The conditions are terrific, we all get ready to jump off the boat and swim to the island, once clear of the water on the island, we reenter the water and the swim will begin, Nora, Eddie and Neddy swim in first, then Barbara, Paul and I follow after they have started, ” Channel rules apply Neddie, no touching the boat or another swimmer, clear the water at the other side”, Ned shouts with an enthusiastic smile, they are off, Paul and me enter the water and swim into the island to start out swim…..

 Once on land we enter the water, our Spike Island swim begins, we stroke away from the island, I imagine breaking out, our plan is to ziz zag behind Neddy and his parents on the way over, Barbara swims ahead to get photos, the view is fantastic….

 Neddy and his parents are making good progress, Paul and I swim figure 8’s criss crossing in front of each other, we edge our way closer to Cobn and the landing stairs, I look at the white star line building where the passengers boarded to get on the Titanic, it is now converted into a Titanic Tour and gift shop….

 Soon we are close to the port, Neddy is swimming in bursts, hard for 20-30 meters, then pulling up for a break, I can see his Dad encouraging him, Neddy fights on, the tide has now turned, he is fighting a bit of a current, he is tiring, down but not out. More words of encouragement from Dad and Neddy gives it one last push, he makes it to the steps but not yet out of the water, he is breathing hard and clutching the steps….

 

Ned pulls out a “Youngest Spike Island Swimmer” Trophy, Paul swims it in and presents it to Neddy on the steps, a crowd above us has gathered, they all cheer loudly, what a swim…..

 We all clamor back into the boat, time to head back to get ready for swim number 3 of the day, what a fun swim and privilege to be in the water with this family and gutsy young swimmer, way to go Neddy, oh and how far was the swim 2km as the crow flies, the water 55 degrees fahrenheit.

 We unload the boat, time to drive back to Kinsale, 45 minutes, just in time to change into a dry suit, eat and head out to Sandycove Island for tonight’s swim an Island Race, we all meet at 5;45pm, race instructions are quickly dished out, it is a handicap start, with 5 groups, group 5 starts first then 10 minutes later group 4, followed 3 minutes later by group 3 and on until it is my turn in group 1. The swim is hard and fast, we all jostle around the island and finish red cheeked, swim 3 complete.

What’s up next?An early start tomorrow, Sandycove Island at 6am

Bad weather is rolling in will tomorrow’s evening swim get relocated due to massive swells? I’ll keep you posted

Closing Thought:

                            The Harder the work the greater the satisfaction

                                                                                                                              ( Congratulations Neddy)

 

 

Day 5/ Swim 1 : Iniscara Lake

 Today I wake up excited, I am excited at the prospect of a ” Three-a-day”, meaning 3 training sessions in one day, the first swim is in my favourite lake, Lake Iniscara, the water temperature balmy compared to the Irish sea and chilling rivers, today the water temperature is said to be 16 degrees Celsius ( 61 F )

 

 We arrive early, I get out of the car and contemplate the swim, it is 2 laps of 4km each and an added bonus, a feed of Maxim between laps, something to look forward to…..

 We walk down to the lake edge, I stay wrapped up in a cozy Burton hoodie and a pair on hand-me-down ugg boots, Ned walks beside me…..

 

 I wait for a bit more then strip down to my suit, the lake looks beautiful, I am excited to get in and pump out some laps, that’s me in the middle, we wade deeper down the slipway, the water gets deep fast, I keep edging out, then suddenly there is no more slipway, the slipway drops away and I go under, ” well that dropped off fast”, I giggle to myself and begin swimming, the water feels delightful.

 Out into the center of the lake we all go, one by one we stop short, the depth changes once more, my belly and legs drag along the bottom, many swimmers stand up to walk through the shallow waters, we swim off to the side where things get deep again, from here it is full steam ahead, we thunder down the lake headed to the pump station and dam, we are in the reservoir above the river of the dam swim we swam just a few nights ago, to me if feels like another world for the water this morning is soothing on my skin, my feet are not numb, my jaw is not clenched, I am having a fine old time, I swim on. Robbin waits on shore, soon I will swim in and snag a feed from her before entering into lap 2, the ducks wait too…

 

 Lap 1 down, I toss back 300mls of my Maxim Carbo feed and head back out for the final lap, for a total of 8km, Colm and Ned are swimming the second lap alongside me, it is a good clip, I like the company, we reach the pump house quickly and turn for home, ” beat that old guy over there”, shouts Ned, he points to Colm and swims off, I love a bit of a race, I thunder down the lake after Colm, we edge forwards of each other as we jockey for postion on the home stretch, I am breathing heavily and wait for it, I feel warm! Soon we are at the last sprint, I drive my head down and push hard, we reach the slipway, I stand up with thoughts of a hot chocolate and Jelly Babies, ” come one, 20 more minutes to make 2 hours, we swim to the buoy and back, it looks to be about 300 meters each way”, Colm says.

 I obediently follow, I am still thinking of Hot Chocolate, ” it will wait”, I think and then go about chasing Colm, before you know it we are on the last 300, ” all you’ve got to Shore”, he quietly says and with that we are off, stroke by stroke I breathe heavier, my legs begin to tingle and then we touch shore, hooray, we walk out of the water, what a great swim, I like this lake very much….

 

 

  You guessed it, I make a beeline first for warm clothes and then Hot Chocolate, we pack up quickly, why? Because we are on the way to swim # 2, Spike Island, a few of us are swimming from the Prison Island Spike Island to Cobn, Spike Island was a working prison up until 6 years ago and Cobn is a port town and the last port of call for the Titanic where she picked up 123 passengers, a few lucky souls got off in Cobn.

What will a prison break swim be like? I’ll keep you posted

 

What was the best part of today’s swim?I was last, along with Colm out of the water

 

Closing Thought: 

Your ship will not come in to you, you have to swim out to meet it 

 

 

 

Day 4/ Swim # 2: Blackwater River

A shorter drive to tonight’s swim, the swim starts at 7pm, we leave Kinsale in the pouring rain, during the 60 minute ride to the swim it is beautiful sunshine, everything looks bright and cherry, as we arrive at Blackwater River the clouds darken and the wind picks up, it looks ominous.

 The river itself is glass like flat, with a closer look I can see the strong current, we wait tucked up in the warmth and safety of the car and watch the young rowers training on the river.

 Soon it is time for instructions and to prepare to swim, it is an up and back 7.5km swim, Owen gives us the run down on staying close to the bank on the right, “ Heads up for rowers coming straight at you” Ned adds, with that it is into the water.

 

 The water is river cold, it is different to the ocean, it feels dense. The entry is very slippery, one by one we launch, the swim is underway.

 “I feel good”, I say to myself, swimming upstream requires a higher effort level, I breath heavily yet under control, I start to pull up the river. I sight regularly, I am on the lookout for the fallen tree that slashed across my shoulder last year, I don’t want a repeat tonight.

 The sky remains dark, there are swimmers to my left and right, we are to turnaround at a large house on the right or at one hour which ever we reach first, I check my watch 45 minutes, close to turnaround time, Colm is swimming beside me, we both pull up, the water is still flowing downstream but swimmers are not heading up, the current has picked up, one after another the river flow prevents swimmers from going further upstream, I turn and head for home, the current is strong the return journey is fast, I can’t feel either of my feet, yet my hands are good, my mind is strong and I swim with all my might, I am having fun.  Ned appears downstream, he has been herding me and my fellow swimmers into the bank, watching over us all like a flock of sheep, now we are all homeward bound he too swims downstream, we swim in together a good clip, it feels good.

 Before I know it I am back at the slippery steps , out of the river, dressed and huddled in the chair, yes I am shaking and shivering AND VERY PLEASED. The water was a refreshing 12 degrees Celsius ( 53.6F), my swim time was 1 hour 20 minutes. Biscuits and hot chocolate and then it is off home, we pull into Kinsale late, it is close to 11:00pm, what next hand cut Hot Chips, at the local “chippy”, the chips are wrapped in paper and I toss in extra salt. Robbin holds the chips…

 

 

 Well, there we have it, a comeback day indeed……. Did I have something to prove?     YES

And who did I need to prove it to?  Me of course

Closing Thought:

 

Come back stronger than you were before

 

 

Day 4/ Swim 1: Garryvoe

4 hours sleep and my alarm chimes, it is 4:10am, time to pull the suit on and pour some hot tea and porridge down my throat, I scurry around gathering my gear, we have a 90 minute drive to today’s swim.

 Today we are getting a ride with Craig, I am grateful for the relaxing journey, the countryside is beautiful, I am all geared up for a lake swim this morning and excited as the temperature is said to be a few degrees warmer than the sea, I sit happily in the back suit with thoughts of a swim where I am in my comfort zone, what a treat.

 It turns about to be a short lived treat, after the mentally challenging, bitterly cold swims of yesterday I have been focused on this next swim and misread the schedule, it is not a warm lake this morning at all, we are on our way North to the ocean, and north means cold….gulp.

 We arrive at Garryvoe, the water is calm, it looks like a glass counter-top, the skies are gray and  heavy with cloud, I open the car door, a blast of cold air hits my face. We gather to hear instructions for the swim, it is an out and back course towards the Island, “decide your maximum time in the water, swim out for half the time, then turn for home”, Ned instructs.

 

We all fall back to our cars and prepare, ” it was 14 degree water, just last week”, says Carol enthusiastically, I am happy to hear Carol’s report. That’s me on the left and Carol on the right….

 

We walk down the beach, it is shallow and we have to wade quite a distance before it is deep enough to swim, we are partnered up with the same swimmers from the river yesterday, Ned turns back and shouts ” What’s your plan”, “1.5 hours”, I reply, ” OK, we turn back at 45 minutes, with that we wade deeper, the water stings my thighs as the water level rise up my legs, ” this is cold”, someone announces, ” time to face fear”, I think and dive in. That’s me at the back of the pack…..

 

 The water is brisk, I pull through the water with long relaxed strokes, I feel powerful and determined, ” time to put fear aside”, I declare in my mind, and with that I pull harder, sighting every now and then on the island in front of us, it is a stunning landmark with a red blinking light on the top, it looks mystical surrounded by the low lying blanket of cloud. 

We swim closer and closer to the Island, my belly feels warm, my teeth aches,  I know the water temperature is cooler today, still I feel confident and no longer fearful.

 Time to turn, 45 minutes complete, the houses look like tiny specks on the beach, still I can see them, ” If I can see it I can swim it and there is no choice today, it is the only was to shore in my mind”, I check my watch, ” 51 degrees Fahrenheit, I throw my head down into the water and swim hard. We swim and swim, I sight and land does not appear to be closer, ” If you can see it you can swim it”, I keep repeating over and over in my head, I notice my power still to drain, my swim speed is slowing gradually, ” stroke faster” I command my brain, and I do. Robbin waits on shore with our abandoned flip flops…..

 

 ” Must see how far”, my mind keeps commanding and I start to stop and look, it doesn’t help core temperature which continues to plummet, I can no longer feel my feet, my jaw is clamped shut and my fingers have clawed up like eagle claws, it is harder to pull, ” CHARLOTTE”, Ned sharply shouts, ” SWIM”, I snap back into swim mode, my stroke turnover is high, I push on, ” I landing on this beach as strong as I can”, I think, bit by bit the beach gets closer, then I see Robbin, my sister, I recognise the brown jacket,  I smile a clenched jaw smile, still a few hundred meters to go but I an sure I can see the tiger blanket, a rush of happiness runs through my chilled veins and I stroke in, it gets shallow fast, I look down and see Ned jogging along the sandy bottom to my right, on my left Alan surfaces in full verse of a Neil Diamond song, I look at them both and smile my best possible Hypothermic smile, I am pleased.

 Next up a shuffle to the car, clothes and wrapped in that Tiger Blanket, Robbin gives me hot chocolate which I proceed to spill all over Ned’s blanket ( sorry Ned, better than pee, right!), then it is off home…..

 

  Into the shower and breakfast, prepared by Robbin of course, I am feeling fully recovered and ready for the next challenge and I won’t have to wait long, it is in just a few hours, a river swim, did you see me wince when I wrote that, Yip back to the river, Blackwater River this time and you know I want to conquor a river.

 

 

 

 Will I conquor the Blackwater River swim? I’ll keep you posted

How long did I swim? 1.5 Hours in 51 degrees Fahrenheit

Closing Thought:

  The best way to monitor progress today is to compare yourself to yesterday

 

 

Day 3: Swim # 2 The Dam Swim

 Off we head to the River Lee in Cork, it is an hour drive, the plan to start swimming from the dam and time our departure with water being released down the river sweeping us down to our exit point.

 We gather for instructions, ” One bin here for the 4km, put your feed in, this bin here is for the 8km if you want a drink then, there are dangerous rocks and a fallen bridge close to the surface, you will get out of the water at 4km, walk around the weir, down the rocks and back into the river, at the 8km you get out again, you need to be very careful getting back in, this is the most dangerous part of the swim, there will be emergency blankets at the 4km and 8km stops if anyone needs to get out”

 With that we go about getting  ready for the car pool 8km to the dam…..

 

 Down to the waters edge we go, I am feeling pleased, rumor has it the water is 14-15 degrees Celcius ( 57.2-59 F ), I have myself mentally prepared for a balmy float down the river, we buddy up, I am swimming with Colm and Ned, we line up by the waters edge, I am the one in the black suit, all hunched over looking cold….

 

We wade a little deeper, my heart rate begins to rise as I feel the water, it does not feel balmy, the water does not feel balmy to me at all…..

 

Soon we are off, a mass of swimmers all being pushed down the river, the rocks zoom by underneath my belly, it is fun swimming and feels fast, Ned, Colm and I group together and we swim on weaving in and out of swimmers, stopping for a smile here and there with other swimmers along the way, when the water is too shallow to stroke we kick our feet only, I am feeling cold already and we are not even at the 4km, I nervously scan the banks wondering where I could get if needed, I know I have no choice but to swim on to the 4km stop, I put cold thoughts out of my head but they keep flooding back in, ” mind you are not cold”, I command, my mind replies ‘ hey lady did you notice that your feet feel like lead blocks and they are slamming against the rocks, you are cold, you are cold, YOU ARE COLD”. I swim on,” must swim harder, must swim harder”, my stroke feels long and powerful, a good sign that I am not slowing down, ” swim on” I say to myself.

 

 

 I am not feeling relaxed, relived, I see the 4km feeding station, Ned arrives first, I follow, ” I just can’t bail at 4km, I just can’t” I say to myself, I emerge out of the water, the cool air temperature hits me like a punch in the gut, I see Robbin, thank goodness wonderful Robbin is there, she passes me my feed and I tip it back, we take a few minutes on shore, my body starts to shake, yet I find myself walking towards the rocks to enter the water again, Robbin looks concerned I feel scared…

 

I follow Colm to the river once more, my ice block feet stumble over the rocks…..

 Then we are in the river ” Made my decision, hurts but you have to live with it for the next 4km, 45 minutes, I look at my watch, the water is 13 degrees, (55.4F), ” I have to swim this fast”, I have already decided that 8km is it for me today, I feel small and unworthy, yet I swim….”

 We pick up the pace, I feel a sense of urgency with each stroke, this is it, stay focused for 4km, I smash into rocks on the knees and feet, my feet hurt, now too my ankles and lower legs, my head is throbbing, my mind is dictating the outcome of this swim, I am aware of it but can’t seem to rope it in, the normal tricks of you feel great are shunted away by ” I AM COLD”. Last resort, my 10 greens bottles hanging on the wall song, I sing it slow over and over, 30 minutes down, “I know I can make another 15 minutes, keep singing”, I say to myself and I do.

 

 Corner after corner the river continues to wind, finally we arrive at the 8km, I stumble out of the water, Robbin is there with my feed, ” I don’t want it”, I mumble, game over for me, Robbin wraps me up in the tiger blanket, I have no shoes or clothes, she puts her arm around me and with the help of Brynn and we shuffle along what seems like a very long stony path, I wince with each step, into the car and I hide under the blanket, I feel deflated, down and disappointed.

 Pete drives us back to the finsh location with a few other swimmers who have exited, I change out of my suit and sit in the car, after a while I get out and listen to the cheers as the swimmers  arrive at the finish of the river swim, I look down at my corpse like feet, I am cross that I did not finish the swim.

 Into the car we all go for the ride home, then into the shower and food. I reflect on the day, a stumble and fall, back to the tiger blanket, I spend the next hour or so working through the diasppointment, after a bit I write a few notes in my journel…

” Move on, put today’s swim to bed, 2 early exit swims, use it wisely, fuel the fire….Get your head in the right place and by the way, 1.5 hours at 55 F is not a failure, today you had 8km of success.”

There done, and with that I let go and begin to look forward to tomorrow mornings swim.

What will tomorrow bring? I’ll keep you posted

Closing thought:

                            It’s not the falling down, it is how quickly you get back up

 

 

Day 3:Swim 1 Sandy Cove Island Water Temperature 51.8 degrees Farenheight ( 11 C )

 A 6:00am start, after 4 hours sleep it is time to rise, pull on the suit, fill the thermos and head to Sandycove, we arrive to low tide….super low tide, so low that the island is no longer an island to make a lap a bit of a hike across the beach is required.

 

 

 

 At our morning meeting to go over swim instructions Ned goes over the plan, ” we split into two groups, one group led by Craig to swim anticlockwise out and back in a horse shoe shape until the tide comes in, for those of you that want to zig zag through the seaweed that is stringy like dead woman hair and some that is like 12 foot house plants lying down, then  manovering around rasor sharp rocks to lap around the island follow me”  The group is a bit quiet, we all slink away to our cars to prepare….

 

 I prepare and down my maxim carbo drink, it is a bitter morning, no sun yet, I head down to the slipway to group up…

 

 

That’s me walking out over the sand, I’m third in line…..

 

 

 

 

 We break into 2 groups and wade into the water, Ned dives in, I follow right on his toes, Ned knows his way through this underwater minefield of sharp rocks, behind me others follow the same course, the weeds are thick and stringy, they wrap around my arms and legs, I shake them free, I see the rocks very close below, if my hand drops too deep it scrapes, I keep my elbows high when I pull, Ned swims slowly and carefully, I follow. We all make it through the trouble zone to the open sea around the back of the island, before long we make it to the far corner another area to navigate, round we all go lap one comes to an abrupt halt when we run out of water. Up me and my fellow swimmers get, we wade through the ankle deep water, some walk on the beach, I start to chill…..

Onto Lap 2, I notice my mind focusing on the cold feel on the back of my neck, then the claw shape of my hands, almost in sync my speed drops, I am swimming slow, my mind has supported my failing body, hypothermia is paying a visit, my swim is drawing to a close, I don’t fight it ” I am done, this is my last lap”, Ned is swimming great, he pulls up to the beach walk, I look at it and swim towards the slipway, he stops to check in, ” My last lap”, I say, ” Alain, you or me to take her in?”, Ned asks, ” Me”, replies Alain, we swim a small lap to the second buoy and back to round out the hour and head out of the water.

 

 I change quickly, I  LOVED winding around the rocks and sea weed, it was fun like an obstacle course, still I am a bit disappointed with myself for getting out after 2  and a bit laps. I soon perk up as I pull on this cozy suit called ” Joey” lent to me by Chris in the picture above, it is amazingly warm and I am thrilled with myself wearing it and proceed to prance around the parking lot drinking hot chocolate and chatting.

 Robbin and I head off to the house to shower and nap, as I close my eyes thoughts swirl around my head of today’s short swim, ” I’ll do better tonight”….then I fall asleep.

What’s up next: 1 Hour Drive to the River Lee in Cork

Will I swim longer than this mornings crab walk swim ? I’ll keep you posted

Closing Thought:

The mind is a powerful thing, a quiet mind helps, an overactive mind can hinder