Swim, Swim, Swim…
Yesterday morning, Landon and I went up to the lake, Scotts Flat Resevoir, which is 10 minutes from the house and where he usually rows. He sat in a chair and read while I swam–he’s got a cold. It was so beautiful and quiet there, the camp ground empty now that school has started, only one boat, bright sun and blue sky.
You can feel that fall is coming and yet it is still warm and the water, thank goodness, is still comfortable. After all the business and bustle at the lake during the summer, the stillness was breathtaking.
I swam my 500 strokes, which I figure is at least a half mile, catching glimpses of the trees along the shore and the sparkle of the water coming off my hands as I glided through the water. I like the swimming, unlike the running, and don’t feel tired at the end.
In the race, though, the swim is tough, with people flailing past, arms and legs crashing into you as everyone tries to find their way between 3 buoys in a triangular course in a deep lake.
They have ‘swim angels’. people on paddle boards or surf boards, whose job is to be there if someone panics. For those who are used to swimming in a pool with a big black line underneath and 2 ends 25 yards apart, a giant lake can be frightening.
Today, I took a day off and it felt luscious. I fed Landon grapes and pears and tomatoes and all the fresh things from the garden I could think of to help him to get better. He’s on the mend now, so that’s a relief. I’m praying I don’t get it, which is one of the reasons I rested today.
Tomorrow, I plan to face the real run, the course that is up and down hills, just to do it one more time–I’ve only done it once this year! It begins with a giant hill that I walk up and it takes me 365 steps to the top, which I couldn’t help thinking stood for the 365 days I should have been training for this event. Oh well, too late for that now…
Thank you to all of you who have sent notes and donations for the fundraiser. Going to the mail box is such a treat. I appreciate them all and they motivate me to keep going and will motivate me in 8 days to keep going.