About Me

I was in a bad car accident 11 years ago, and was diagnosed with a Brachial Plexus injury. My left arm has been paralyzed ever since. I was sent to an occupational therapist to get help doing things one-handed, and was told that bicycling and kayaking were "essentially two-handed sports". I was on a bike within a week, and have since logged thousands of miles. I rediscovered running soon afterward, and have run 4 marathons (including the Boston Marathon) and 14+ half marathons since I was injured. Last year I did my first sprint triathlon (Danskin), and beat nearly half the women in the swim using my one arm. Now I'm training for a 2-mile swim in St Croix in October. It will be a challenge to get up to that distance, but I'm sure I'll get there. I'm hoping to build a community that encourages challenged athletes in our individual effort, and gives us a place to share our athletic successes and challenges.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

First 1.5 mile swim

I did my first 1.5 mile this weekend and was really pleased with how it went. I'm training for a 2-mile swim to raise funds for UBPN in October in St Croix, and this was the first time I really knew I'd be able to do it. Up until now I was just going on faith :)

The water was much calmer than when I did the triathlon last weekend, and I felt like my breathing was smoother than ever. I felt strong in the water, even when I hit small currents, and it reminded me of why I love swimming. It can be so peaceful in open water when it's just you & the water.

At one point, I heard a sudden buzzing sound, and looked up to find the coast guard next to me. I was a bit shocked, but they moved on slowly once they saw that I was doing fine. I couldn't help wondering if it was a standard visit, or if someone had worried about me and called them. I did have to stop to adjust my goggles because they fogged up completely at one point. It might have looked like I was struggling while I battled with them :)

The water is getting colder though, so I was frozen by the end, even with my wetsuit on. I had time to change into dry clothes while I waited for my husband who was doing a longer swim. By the time he was done we were both famished and went straight to our favorite restaurant for lunch, messy hair & all. I had a blanket wrapped around me and a huge smile on my face as we sat in the booth--the waiter must have thought I'd gone insane.

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