After five days of stomach flu, and all the unmentionable unpleasantness associated with such an illness, I now have less than 24 hours before I enter the chilly waters of Windermere again - this time for my crucial six hour qualifying swim.
My initial plan of having milestones #1 and #2 gradually build up both my cold water resilience and my overall confidence has been utterly thwarted by the onset of this sickness bug, and consequently I find myself almost back at square one. Though I can call upon the memory of having easily lasted four hours in the water a few weeks ago in Eton, I'm currently feeling only 85% fit. I'm still weak, I tire easily, and I'm feeling the cold far more than normal.
Today will be a careful balance of preparation for an early start tomorrow, rest, and taking on board as much food and liquid as my weakened stomach can comfortably handle.
Given my current condition, the only thing I know for certain at this point is that tomorrow is going to be a real test of mental and physical endurance for me, and will undoubtedly be one of the least pleasurable experiences of my life.
My initial plan of having milestones #1 and #2 gradually build up both my cold water resilience and my overall confidence has been utterly thwarted by the onset of this sickness bug, and consequently I find myself almost back at square one. Though I can call upon the memory of having easily lasted four hours in the water a few weeks ago in Eton, I'm currently feeling only 85% fit. I'm still weak, I tire easily, and I'm feeling the cold far more than normal.
Today will be a careful balance of preparation for an early start tomorrow, rest, and taking on board as much food and liquid as my weakened stomach can comfortably handle.
Given my current condition, the only thing I know for certain at this point is that tomorrow is going to be a real test of mental and physical endurance for me, and will undoubtedly be one of the least pleasurable experiences of my life.
RSS Feed
