#16 Swim 1.5 KM

This is a first, achieving a goal and coming home to write about straight away! My goal last year had been to swim across Johnson lake. Then the lake was closed for the rest of summer due to Whirling disease. This Wednesday, while mala making at the lake I was inspired by Mirko who was half way on his big bike ride to Jasper, to just jump in and get it done. However, I knew a little more planning needed to be involved.

My good friend/lifeguard/photographer/cheerleader Eleni volunteered to SUP beside me just in case anything went wrong along the way. Going in I was nervous but I knew I could do it. I can easily swim this distance when I do laps at a pool. I also had read the newspaper earlier in the day and there was an article on the drownings that had happened at Quarry Lake in Canmore – not the most inspiring read for someone about to swim.

I could have pulled out every excuse in the book as to why today wasn’t perfect conditions (which it was), I didn’t sleep well enough (I forgot pretty much everything for camping last night) and I wasn’t prepared (bullshit – as Baron says, “YOU ARE READY NOW!”). So, I just did it and as I’m sitting here still wet and a little chilled from the whole experience, I feel good!

I’m not entirely sure of the exact distance covered – I realized right now I didn’t actually have my strava app going – it was just opened. The lake distance is stated at 1.1 KM, but I was zig-zagging through the weeds and chose the bridge as my end point. I’m not going to get caught up in number, I’m just going to give myself a high five and acknowledge myself for doing it :)