Into the canyon...

This is a picture of the infamous first buoy, at the inlet to the canyon.

I woke up a half hour early this morning to pray and go over affirmations I created to become a better swimmer. My heart was no longer trying to beat through my chest but I tried to eat a bowl of cereal and thought I was going to puke, I was nervous. The best I could muster was a bit of orange juice.

As I drove out to the lake I kept going over my affirmations, thanking the Lord for this amazing day and giving me the ability to swim. As I reached the base of the canyon road, my teeth started to chatter. Knowing that its 70 degrees at 0615 I had a feeling it had nothing to do with the weather.

From where we start its a bit of scramble down to the lake edge and my legs were shaky and weak, but I was the second person in the water. As we moved as a group to a rock grouping in the water about 70 yards away I focused on good breathing and stroking but a couple of guy told me to relax it looked like I was mad at the water and was slapping it hard.

We decided that the rest of the team would do their own thing and The Good Doctor would be my wingman as we swam deep into the canyon to the rock buoy. As we pushed off I had a hard time with my tack and swam for a bit in the right direction but not the best line, I didn't look up enough since I was more concerned with breathing. I passed under the bridge and felt relaxed. Very relaxed. I knew I had the strength to make it, it was all a matter or mentally making it.

FINALLY. I made it to the rock buoy. My longest open swim. As I sat on the rock for a minute we talked about proper sighting and relaxing then we took off. Originally I was going back to the starting rock but The Good Doctor said lets go to the right inlet buoy. I agreed. As we got the bridge we stopped for second in the water and he said, "Lets go to the left inlet buoy." (Its further out), I agreed. It looked so far away but I was finally relaxed.

As we made it to that first buoy in the inlet that caused me so much anguish and pain, I was elated. Only a month ago, I almost drown swimming a fraction of the distance I just did to this spot.

The Good Doctor said, "Let's do it again." I said "Hell Ya!"

The second lap was relaxed and I sighted much better. Instead of taking a break on the rock next to the rock buoy I turned around in the water and swam straight back out to the left inlet buoy. Maybe you should read this paragraph again.

I was so excited when I got back out to the left buoy I screamed a word of joy. While the Good Doctor decided on a third lap I decided to head back to the rock grouping but thanks to my wonderful since of aqua direction I found myself heading deadset for the start rock where all the clothes were. It was 70 yards further away than where I wanted to go but I decided I had come so far today, I'll go a little further.

Two of the team were already changing out of their wetsuits when I swam up and all of us gave each other congratulations. One swam faster than ever and one had added his second lap to his distance.

Today I swam 2,000 yards non-stop in open water. That's 1,860 meters. That's 1.16 miles. That's a half Ironman swim. That's breaking my barriers into little pieces and smashing them on the canyon wall.

That's me smiling while I swim.