What a difference 4 degrees makes
Had a great day at the beach yesterday. I can’t believe how warm it felt. The water was about 63 (up from 59 two weeks ago) and the air was about the same (up from 49 with a brutal wind two weeks ago), and I could not have felt more different. No claw hand, no cold feet, no shakes, and no need for warm clothes – I felt like it was the perfect temperature to swim in.
The swim itself had some tough moments. When we turned around and came back against the push and the chop, I got into possibly the worst mental and physical place I’ve been. I thought my companions were way ahead, I couldn’t stay straight (or even tell where I was going half the time), and I felt like I was going nowhere. I stared at the same water tower, in the same orientation, for what felt like an hour. As I watched my average pace tick upward from 1:25/100 yards minute by minute, I felt terrible. But I fought through, found my friends, and when we did a second half-lap I found ways to improve my mindset and technique and keep up. (Note to self – slice into the waves)
Even in the middle of being in a bad place, I was thinking that it was a good experience to prepare for the Channel, so I’m happy with my mental game at this point. It will not always be fun (though it mostly is), but I will keep putting one arm in front of the other. My determination (read: stubbornness) has not always been a positive, but I have found a good use for it.
Just a word on the swim data – My average pace after the first leg was 1:25 – that doesn’t seem quite right. We were swimming with a push and I’m pretty good at knowing what pace I’m at, and I’d say I was holding 1:20 on my own for most of it, so with the push it should have been even faster. Coming back I have no idea – it felt like an endless slog against a relentless enemy. The watch says 1:53, but that included some talky talk time towards and at the end. So maybe 1:45?
Anyway, another good day of training in the bank. The harder it is, the happier I am… eventually. It would be nice to get to the Channel and think, “Wow, this is easy compared to all the other stuff I did.” Knowing the Channel, I’m not counting on that one though!
