Day 62: Trans-Tahoe Relay Race Day…

It was the day of the Trans-Tahoe swim race. Ten-plus miles across the lake in very cold and choppy waters to get to the other side… Why?  Because we can! Our team had a practice the week before and it went quite well.  I had the opportunity to prove to my Coach and team leader, that I was worthy to be on the team with the rest of the members who are all outstanding athletes and swimmers!

Once lakeside, it was hard not to be a bit anxious yet excited.  I walked along the beach and could feel the cool course sand sift through my toes while the air was still and quiet.  As I walked along the beach to the dock, I saw a cabana with two lounge chairs that I had wished had my name on at least one of them, but they would have to wait.  The weather was as good as it could get… clear, crisp, blue skies, the water calm, but always cold, the staff at the Hyatt dock, dashing and polite as they could be.  I arrived at one of two support boats that were to hold our team of six and hopped aboard for an adventure of a lifetime!

 

 

The race was to begin at 8am. and our game plan was to take our boat and find our lead swimmer to do the 30 sec exchange in the water and continue the first of six 30 minute swim segments.  The race rules had us each doing one 30 min segment, two 15 min segments and one-two 10 min segments.  What to do in between?  Rest, relax, enjoy the time with friends and that is exactly what was done!

Our boat caught up to our first swimmer and did the exchange flawlessly.  It was hard not to notice that our support boat was a bit lively as we cheered on our swimmers and played our music loud so that our swimmers could stay the course and maintain their persistence in the cold water.   Though it was hard not to notice that our lively spirit was contagious as our fellow competitors in boats close by began to sing and dance to our music as well!   When it was time for me to take to the water, there were 4 boats behind and the self-inflicted pressure was mounting to speed through the water…

As I sat in the boat and time was ticking, my mind began to play tricks on me.  I started to doubt my ability, but had to balance it with the overwhelming excitement and honor to be part of the race with this team.  The captain of the boat knew I was next and so perhaps as a mission to inspire, he played me a song he knew would put me in the right frame of mind…“Home” by Phillip Phillips.  I just remember the sense of calm when I heard the lyrics,

“Settle down, it’ll all be clear

Don’t pay no mind to the demons

They fill you with fear

The trouble it might drag you down

If you get lost, you can always be found

Just know you’re not alone

Cause I’m going to make this place your home”

The words echoed in my mind as a sort of war chant… as if the power of all that is right and good was whispering in my ear and reminding me to settle my mind, ready my body and swim like I can…  So with that song, my team cheering me on, I entered the water and completed the hand-off.  All I remember was the ice cold temp covering my body like a blanket and trying to catch a breath. My mind was in shock when the first of the cold water hit my face.  It took about one minute to find my rhythm and like a dolphin released from captivity, I was free to swim the open waters.  I swam to the music in a rhythmic motion through water as deep as 1500ft with nothing but a shimmer of the sun and a midnight blue color to stare at as I glided along.  The sun was a bright reminder as my stroke had me looking above water every 3 seconds.  I could hear the ticking of the propeller of the boat underneath the water. Our boat captain took care of matters above water as he guided me on course with subtle directional changes and always staying close by.  It was the sense of security I needed to know that had my mind without a worry and left my arms and legs on autopilot to do their work.

The 30 min segment had quickly approached and I saw my hand-off swimmer.  We tagged hands with a sense of enthusiasm and I returned to the boat, safe, sound, secure and satisfied as I looked back and saw that I was able to make progress and pass many boats along my 30 min segment.

Our team continued along the route to the western shore of Tahoe.

 

 

 

 

Recovering from my chilly swim segment, I allowed my skin to be kissed by the sun and my hair to take on a reddish highlight as it dried.   Our team was making incredible progress. We started the race at the back of the pack and now we were in the middle of a few hundred boats. We had each only swam two legs.  With the end of the race path in sight, our strongest swimmers wanted to finish the last two 10 minute legs and they not only finished, but finished well!  We ended the race finishing in the middle of the pack with many more swimmers still in the water making their way to shore.  As we finished the race, the sense of team and accomplishment was palpable.  We had swum across the chilly waters of Lake Tahoe and ignored its scary depths with team members who had mostly met only one week prior.

I remember taking a moment to relish the event and the opportunity to be led by a former West Point swimmer and honored military man.  It was during the practice swim a week ago that he and I found a place of kinship in the water as if a baby dolphin were swimming with their parent.  And once again, at the end of the first segment of the race I swam, he jumped in and swam beside me, and once again our strokes fell into unison as if we had swum together for years.  He believed in me when I had my moments of doubt and I hoped that I provided the performance that he was looking for.  I do think that his encouraging words and fist bump at the end of the race was clarification enough that I had earned a spot on the team for next year.

I had found the courage to accept an invite on a team full of highly skilled swimmers, centered my spirit and my mind through the words of my coach, friends and that song that permeated my soul.  I was able to swim like the dolphin I know I can be and being one of six that took us from last to fast!  Wondering what tomorrow will bring…