You Look Well….

Day 1 : Ned Denison’s training camp

Here I go again, last year I was hauled out of the water during swim # 1, by hauled I mean my body and mind had checked out, chilled like a Popsicle, after the swim I was helped out of the water by Ned and my sister Robbin and wrapped in what is now my favourite blanket, it has a big lion on it and for some reason it is very comforting and warming, I suspect last year I liked it so much because I could sheepishly bury myself in it after each swim, I felt VERY small last year and I don’t mean my body size. After each swim last year I was self quarantined to the warmth of the car, Robbin my ever helpful and loyal sister would tug socks on my corpse like feet and I would clutch a cup of hot chocolate spilling it all over the car with my shaking hands as I raised the cup to take a sip. I would look in wonderment at these amazing swimmers who would swim in 50 degree water, chat away and post swim be in good enough shape to laugh and chat around the cars while they drank hot chocolate, teas and coffee.

I watched and watched for days longing to hop out of the car for a chat, the swimmers were mostly local and so kind, they would come by the car window, I would crack it down a bit, ” How’s the Hypothermia coming along today?”, one might say, I thought I would reply by I guess it was a slurred chatter of teeth.

So there is the background, last years camp, especially the first swim was tremendously challenging for me, if you want to read a blow by blow of the ugliness check on Ireland Distance Week on the right hand corner of this page, for now let’s see how swim # 1 goes this year?

We Arrive early to the swim……

We arrive early, parking the car I see the massive growth of the group, 40-50 swimmers all gathered around for instructions, we park and instantly see some warm and familiar faces from last year, hugs and greetings all round and some introductions to new faces, after a few reunion visits I notice a trend ” You look well”, next hug ” you look well”, finally a big hi to Craig, a fellow down under, ” you’ve got bigger”, he says, ” why thank you so much for the compliment, I am 10 pounds up”, I exclaim, ” can’t usually say that to a girl if they have gained weight, but it is different with us”, Craig says with a grin, usually it is ” You Look Well”, he adds, well I giggle myself silly, every time I hear you look well now.

Distance Week buddies

That’s me in the middle, yip 10 pounds weight gain since last year, even so I am a bit smaller than most of my fellow swim pals, all the same I am excited and I admit a little bit nervous to see if this extra fat and cold water swimming last fall and this spring are about to pay off, I head off to get ready to swim…..

Ned completes the briefing, he lists some of the amazing swims of fellow camp swimmers and asks each swimmer to raise their hand, swims include English Channel soloists, a 2 way crossing, Manhatten Island Swim, Catalina Channel, Lake Zurich and many other terrific endeavors, I am in awe of these swimmers, then I do a double take as he announces the In Search of Memphre 25 mile Lake swim, I quietly raise my hand knowing that I have the challenge of my arc Nemesis ahead of me this morning ” Sand Cove Island”, that handed my as$$ to me on a platter last year.

We all head towards the slipway,” look out for any swimmer who is not local at the first corner and peer up with them to take them around for the first lap”, Ned instructs with a wide mouthed smile, I look over to make sure he is not talking to someone else remembering that less than 12 months ago I was not only being led around but hauled out, ” OK “, I reply, ” time to do it”, I think to myself, I still feel nervous, but excited too.

And then into the water…….

That's me with the straight arm recovery swimming....

In I go, there are so many swimmers, it is fun, I stroke away from the slipway and then it happens…..I check in on my mind and body, I see Carol swimming on my right, we stroke long relaxed strokes, the sun is shining, the water is calm and I feel GREAT! The water feels comfortable, ” should I pinch myself”, I ask myself, what a treat, we stop at the first corner, no new swimmers to pick up and we are off, around the back side of the island the water feels warm, what a lucky fish I am today, the back side the Island is cooler than the corners. Carol is super to swim with, she regulary asks me a question, she helped me out of the water last year just a few hours into the 6 hour swim, when I could not even recognise my own sister or talk. After 3 laps we head in, for me off to the car, changed into dry clothes and yes you guessed it, hot chocolate and a chat with my fellow distance week swimmers.

: That’s me walking out unassisted…..WAHOO success for swim # 1

So what was the highlight of the swim?

Walking out under my own steam, smiling and…..sharing stories over a hot drink OUTSIDE OF THE CAR, and of course the swim itself, I feel happy.

That's Colm, me, Carol and Alan post swim

So what was the water temperature?51-53 degrees Fahrenheit

What of swim 2 of the Day? That was in Bantry, a 5 km race, the water was a comfortable 57 degrees, the swim was 2 laps around and Island, I enjoyed it, then a 2 hour ride back to the house, 1am home and time for bed, day 2 starts in just 7 hours, I am pleased with the first day, even so each swim is it’s own animal, no time to get complacent now, 8 more days, time to rest up.

Will I swim further tomorrow and will there be Jellyfish? I’ll keep you posted

Closing Thought:

Perseverance Perseverance Perseverance