I know this seems like a crazy, probably stupid, thing to do. Why would anyone want to swim for hours, and hours, and hours, and more hours in frigidly cold water with jellyfish and junk and huge shipping tankers between two countries that have much more scenic and historic sites on dry land?
Why train for a year and a half, take freezing cold showers, make wise food choices, get to bed early so I can wake up to swim early and save every dollar all for one long day of swimming ceaselessly from one shore to another?
Because I can. At least, I will give it everything I've got to make it happen. The English Channel doesn't give a lick about my confidence or my training. The weather can change in a flash or I may get cramps or hypothermia. There are things I can't control that make this a huge gamble. But, to the very best of my ability, I will train to be as prepared as possible. The rest is up to God and the Channel Goddess.
I wish the answer was more noble and certainly more eloquent. But, really, "because I can" is why I'm doing it. I want to have my name on the Channel roster. I want to have this as my flag in the sand. It's sort of vain, really. Will anyone love me any more because I've swum the Channel? I hope not. But, I suppose, it is a stab at the passage of time and an effort to prove something to myself. I like to have big goals.
If this intrigues you, please join my support crew. I can use all the positive feedback and cheerleading you can offer. No one crosses the Channel alone. I'll try to make this adventure as interesting as I can, though long distance swimming is, by its very nature, a solo mind game. So cheer loudly :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment