The great swim (well, sort of)

This has to be the ugliest picture ever taken. I had to put it up here so you could all laugh with me.

The swim. Wow. I'm so glad I did it! If you ask me about it now, it was one of the funnest things I've ever done. If you'd asked me about it halfway through, I would have told you I was looking for a way out. Preferably the warmest one.

I was prepared for the distance. I could easily have gone further. I was woefully unprepared for the cold. Holy cow! We woke up the morning of the swim and I was horrified to find that the air temperature was only 50 degrees. I thought, "kill me now. I cannot do this, I have to have the sun shining on my back!" I got over the air temp. It was okay because adrenalin took over and my feelings of fear overtook the cold. The water temperature was something else. I'd been used to training (not often enough, apparently) in water that is about 68-70 degrees. The water at the start of the race was 66. I didn't know that or I may have attacked someone and taken their wetsuit. Alas, I had to be brave and I knew the only way I'd be happy with this race was if I swam it "naked" (sans wettie).

Well, I did. I was in the water for 2 hrs and 19 minutes. That is a LONG time to be in water you're not acclimatized to. Also, a long time for a 5K. I'm not quite sure what happened but my mile time increased by about 6 minutes per mile. What?! Whatevs. I'll get that under control before my next swim. Anyway, I started shivering about 1 minute in (yes, really) and was shivering so much that I had a hard time with my feed. Oops. Apparently my lips turned gray at one point and Steve started asking me my date of birth and full name etc., because he thought (rightly so) that I was getting hypothermic. About 2/3 of the way through the swim I stopped shivering and while that is sometimes a bad sign, I think I was okay because my skin color never did anything weird and in the pictures of me getting out of the water, my lip color is back. I am not a quitter but about halfway through I thought I might need to get out. Then I remembered the air temp and decided the only way to end the pain was to "just keep swimming". So I did. Lesson for me: train A LOT more in cold water before attempting the 10K next year. I'm such an idiot.

I'm happy to say that my stroke stayed pretty consistent throughout the swim. I had been trained in Total Immersion just a few months prior to the swim and it's made my stroke so much more efficient. Even though I was freezing to death, my arm entry and body roll were right on track ;).

Steve and his brother Matt were my paddlers and I'm very thankful for it. I still have a hard time sighting and they kept me on track and paddled for what I'm sure was a very boring two hours and nineteen minutes. Ugh. I'm glad Steve had some company otherwise he may have jumped overboard.

I'm so glad I did this swim and plan on doing many more. It was a great experience and I learned a LOT. The organizers and volunteers were fabbity fab. Maybe open water swimming is like childbirth-you forget how much pain you were in during the event and soon plan on doing it again ;).

Steve and Matt paddling away. The moistened bint in the water is me ;).

Nice form, Heidi!

Steve and Matt totally left me in the dust near the finish. I think they were embarrassed because some of the 10K racers were on my tail.

A Watery Tart.

I got major vertigo getting out. I've never had a problem before (it's an issue with swimmers) but I couldn't stand up on my own. Quite amusing.

So, so, so cold. Like an ice cube. Or a giant, tan icicle.

And the lovely hooded towel. My warmth and solace ;).

Peace out,

Heidi

10th Anniversary

Recently Steve and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. We're so old hat at this marriage thing now. We had an awesome midweek jaunt in Park City going to dinner at Zoom (the restaurant we went to on our first date), staying overnight at the Waldorf, and then just shopping and having fun the next day.

I have, it has to be said, the world's best husband. He has named himself "Captain Surpriso" because he loves surprising people. And he's really good at it. And really over the top. He planned the whole "staycation" (a really lame word that one of the valets used) and gave me a new ring AND, wait for it... A trip to Hawaii. What the what?! I'm so excited.

Okay, material things aside, Steve really is the best and I'm so glad I made the decision to marry him (after 4 years of dating) 10 years ago. We have the cutest stinkin' kids and they love him so much. As do I. I couldn't imagine life without him. We have so much fun together and he is so supportive of me in all my endeavors. I love you, beb ;).

Here we are on our balcony.

Vicky Pollard impersonations ;).

Steve's turn.

And now I'm in hysterics.

That's all I have to say about that.

Peace out,

Heidi

First Day of School, First Day of School!

How cute is he? Very, is the answer you're looking for. Will was SO excited to start kindy. He could hardly sleep the night before his first day. *I* could hardly sleep the night before. I was very sad for him to start (he's a big boy now, right?) but I didn't cry.

We got up early, popped him in the shower, had some breakfast and then waited and waited and waited until we could walk to the bus stop. The thing he loves most about kindergarten is the bus. He thinks it goes really fast and the fact that you "don't have to wear seat belts" is amazing to him.

Here's my little guy all ready for school. He thinks his back pack is the bee's knees ;).

He asked me to take a picture of his back pack.

This is Lizzy's idea of a cute pose. Will wanted a picture of them hugging and Lizzy flipped out and yelled, "NO, I do it like this!" and struck this pose. Honestly.

Another of her sassiness.

Waiting on the curb for the bus.

Will and me.

Will and Steve.

Will and the bus stop gang.

I had to sneak into the school and snap a few shots...

Here's the little guy walking out after his first day of school!

Will and a few of his classmates walking toward their moms. The parking lot is under construction so that's nice, isn't it ;).

The day went really well and I'm so proud of my little man. He's such a big boy now and after his first week he still LOVES kindergarten (except at the end when he has to sing, he says).

Peace out,

Heidi