I haven't swim in almost 6 months. First it was due to the 'stay at home' orders and then it was the 'millions of reasons' my mind comes up with to not practice self-care.

• I can't find my swim stuff
• I have to work
• I can't leave work at lunch because...
• I can't leave at 5:00 because...
• I waited too late to go

So tonight I swim as I do every year on the Solstice.  I swim to honor the sun’s return to longer days as the longest night passes and the rotation of the earth changes direction to favor the Northern hemisphere ( Read more... )

For many years I thought that the beginning of my openwater swimming was as an adult but that issue not entirely true.  There were two swims as a teenager that couldnt be further apart in nature.  The first was at 15 or 16 returning from a team trip to Reno.  We had traveled for a meet in which I had done fairly well.   REO Speedway on was big at ( Read more... )

I’ve struggled the past few years to figure out who I am in the water. I’m not the channel swimmer or long distance swimmer I once was.  I’ve misplaced most of my friends from that time in my life also. I’m not really sure what that means to my hydro-identity or where I fit in the swimming world anymore. I may get there again but not the way I ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

For the last few years my life other than work and family has shrunk smaller and smaller.  I have gone backwards more than I was willing to admit.   When I came east I thought I had friends and found that not to be the case.  I wasn’t the person they wanted me to be I guess.  It hurt a lot and I avoided situations that might bring that to the ( Read more... )

I swam the 3K at World's this year.  Because I'm not in the shape I want to be in, it was long enough to allow a lot of thinking ( Read more... )

Many years ago during a time of personal crisis I saw that strength comes in many forms.  I was sitting on top of Sentinel Dome in Yosemite National Park.  As I watched the hawks gliding on the updrafts behind me in the rocks were Monarch Butterflies flitting.  The contrast of the strength hit me at once.  The sheer power of the hawks as they ( Read more... )

Well I started this New Year with two goals besides learning to dive with goggles which has been consistent for 10 years or more

They are to ‘avoid drama’ even when being sucked in and to ‘just do better.’  Fifteen days into the month and I’m doing pretty good.  I have learned the delete key in email; the hide key in Facebook and the red button on ( Read more... )

Well folks, I know I owe a few entries and I was hoping to be home for a few weeks to get caught up.  Best laid plans and all that….

Instead I will be traveling into the upcoming hurricane and it won’t be as cool as swimming in Cocoa Beach as one closed in on Florida a few years ago.

And to finish my luck (good this time), a number 1 position ( Read more... )