training and support

Contemplating life before jumping in cold water for a training swim.

It’s actually been a busy week!  I set a new personal record, swimming just over 30 kilometres in 6 days. I am proud of myself for this.  It’s meant having to manage my time, diet and sleep. Fortunately my social life hasn’t been a problem to manage these pandemic days.

I’m realizing just how important it is to listen to my body very closely while putting it under this kind of physical stress.  Am I hungry, rested, feeling any discomfort or pain? 

As my wise husband Zach would say, “listen to your body’s whispers before it screams”.

Sometimes it’s possible to work through a bit of pain or discomfort, and often it just means my body is warming up.  But I’m so aware that if anything does come up, I don’t ignore it. This marathon swim distance of 52km is no joke for the body- not that I actually know, I haven’t swam that far, YET! But I have been training for it and imagining what it will be like.

  I must remain diligent about taking care of my body, both mentally and physically.

Mentally, I am still motivated and excited, despite covid-19 restrictions threatening to crush the possibility for the crossing to happen this summer.

Mentally, I am not stressed to have to spend a big chunk of my day swimming or preparing to swim, recovering, and planning.

I am motivated and pleased that hitting this new distance, my body is not whispering at me to step back, I’m actually feeling quite strong and still excited to swim.

All of this would not be possible without my team.

Behind every swimmer is a team of support.  Even swimmers that aren’t training to swim across a lake.  We have swimming buddies, for fun, for safety.  

The Move for Life team has been so supportive to allow me to focus on my training, and taking care of a lot of logistics and planning.

My friends that meet me at the lake to swim along side me or ensure I am safe have been so generous with their time. My friend Brit and her husband Josh have graciously invited me to tether swim in her backyard pool as much as I need, which has been a saving grace!

Tether swimming on a snowy day in April.

As the weeks go by, and I spend more time in the water, it’s becoming so obvious to me that I couldn’t do this alone, and I’ve been feeling overwhelmed with gratitude once again for those people who are always there.

There are silent helpers too…people that are so generous with not only their time, but donating equipment, and money.  THANK YOU to who have already donated in some way! You know who you are and I appreciate your efforts.

One person in particular I’d like to acknowledge is my friend Jim Sandusky.  

I’ve known Jim as my moms friend for quite a few years now, but he’s become my friend too. 

Jim is an avid paddle boarder and loves to get out on the water with his friends, and he’s quick to invite myself, my mom and anyone else who expresses interest in paddling.

At the end of last year when Jim learned I was training to swim Lake Ontario, he immediately wanted to know what he could do to support me.

With the help of his son Mike who owns Surf Ontario (a surf shop in Toronto - @surfontario check it out!) he equipped me with a wetsuit, gloves, neoprene boots and a prone board so I could swim, paddle and train in the cold water and continue to train outside when the pools are closed. 

He told me this week it was fun for him and Mike to support me. There are people that sweet that really just want to help.  I will forever be grateful…

Something else amazing, Jim makes beautiful cutting boards and is working on some now.  I already own one he’s made for Zach and I a few years ago and we love it.  Another way he wants to help is to donate the profits from the boards to Move for Life.

Two different styles of cutting boards that Jim made.

I can’t wait to share more photos of these boards and I know Jim is thrilled, too.

Sometimes all you need to fill your cup is to realize who’s behind you. I can honestly say without the help of a whole lot of people, the quest to train and swim across Lake Ontario would not be possible.

Ask yourself, what has been made possible for you, because of someone else?