Waves

I stood in Lake Michigan. I was literally paralyzed with fear. The waves came up and then back out, up and then back out. I turned to Caroline. She was just standing there too. UGH!

Ok God, why the waves. I have an hour and a half swim today, why these big waves. The rest of the group was just getting to the beach. Hey, Doug was back! Gave him a big hug and before I could say much of anything he was off. He made it look easy. Ok, just go I told myself. But for some reason my body wouldn't swim.

Bubba was doing his best to get me moving. He was just finishing. Ok, if he can do it so can I. Off I went, my body went up with the waves, up then down. Take a breath, ooo, I don't like this. Up and then down, Up, take a breath, swallow more Lake Michigan water than I needed too. I start to cough. I look up and turn around, I'm only about 50 feet from where I started. Bubba's telling me to turn around and keep going. I'm thinking, I'm choking here, can't you see I'm choking? Ok, tell myself to get a grip, I'm not choking, I'm making it seem that way just to get out of the water.

I notice Rick and Tom F. were in the water and off they went. Rick yells at me to get it in gear! Gear?, um which gear turns off "totally freaked out"? I bob around some more and before I knew it I was doing every stroke just to move, back stroke, breast stroke, doggy paddle. Take in more water - "you're not choking just go!" I found a rhythm, made it to the 300M marker. Huh? 300M in 26 minutes. Pitiful. I tell myself to turn around and swim back to the beach and then back to 300M again. I see Bubba on the lake shore waving his arms, mouthing just keep going! Going back felt easier. Ok, time to turn around.

Just keep moving, don't think about the waves. Find the rhythm again, up and down, up and breath and down. I make the mistake of stopping to see where I am. UGH! Struggle getting to 300M but make it there. I turn around and see Doug on his way back. He tells me to just push on and don't stop until my fingers feel the sand. Feel the sand, the swim has ended! Glad it was over.

For some reason tho I wanted to do it again. I'm going to concur those miserable waves, I'm going to concur my fear of them. Before race day, it's gonna happen.