Swimming day 479 - Thursday 10th May 2012

This morning was going to be a pool morning, but with the weather being turbulent  (wind, rain and stormy) it was just too good an opportunity to miss a raging sea at low tide.  I was at the arch, already soaked, by 6.50am and  found James and Bob there raring to go.  David and Leo also turned up and went out separately, as did Bella and Charlotte and Shoichi; it seems a few of us fancied a rough water day.  The low tide meant that the waves only ever attained so much height and whilst they were full and strong (and rapid) they were safe (assuming you know how to handle them).  Big Bob, James and I headed out to the buoy by the silver ball and then back across the beach to the next buoy and then headed in.  James was first out, but Bob and I hung around a bit more and did some speed swimming; as much as the sea would allow.  Total swim 30 minutes and sea temperature just 9 degrees.  A really good workout, a very good swim and a lot of fun.  As we missed the pool this  morning it will mean a session tonight at 8.30pm; no doubt a punishing one ; hopefully no more than an hour, but we shall see.

Having had a rather turbulent (that word again) day at work yesterday it made me think that sea swimming and life in general are so very similar.  This morning we aimed for the buoy by the silver ball and then intended to swim either through the pier or across to the other buoy.  We started out strong and determined, with heads down and bullish strength to get where we intended.  Every few feet however a wave would hit us; some at the side, some straight in the face, some with little power and some so big that we were pushed back almost to our starting position.  Yet still we forged on regardless.  Along the way, despite being hit time and time again we made our forward.  Lessons were learnt though; it became clear that unless we swam slightly at an angle and towards the tide we were simply not going to make headway, so we adjusted our course and headed out.  When we got to the first buoy we had a decision to make; go left or go right.  We floated a bit and discussed the options and then decided that going to the other buoy meant going with the tide rather than against it and therefore that was the decision we made.  It was based on the fact that the other way, whilst doable would have been very strenuous and possibly fatal, however going with the tide was safer and quicker. 

Is that like life?  Maybe it is and maybe it’s not.  All I know is that yesterday I had a plan at work and along the way I felt like I had been punched in the face numerous times.  Yet I carried on with my day and eventually hit my target.  Sure I ended up taking a different route and certainly it was more stressful and tiring than originally planned, but I learnt a lot along the way and eventually got to where I needed to be.,

The Sea and Life, Life and the Sea; both different and yet both the same.

43 years old tomorrow (all day it seems) - where did those years run away to!!