bermuda peeling

Bermuda; aaah: the feel of warm air on our goose-pimpled New York skin.. it didn't matter that it was howling a gale and flashing lightning as we disembarked from the plane: we were finally warm!

The trip to Bermuda for a 10k swim was a bit of a long-shot at the end of a summer of mountainbiking (a bit) and swimming ( not enough) and writing papers for school (a lot). However the enthusiasm of the swimmers was contagious, and we quickly got in the mood. A practice swim on the 2k section of the course was yummy, we could have stayed in forever.. the water in Harrington Sound is quite salty, so buoyancy was increased.. getting our white, glimmering backsides above water even more!! Check in was a hoot, serious goody bags including Bermuda Rum amongst other essentials,

Raceday start was relaxed, fun in the sun and a gentle current!

At 2k, we turned into the current to get around 3 little islands, then more cruising.. 4-6k was challenging with 2 foot chop, 12+kn of wind and minimal buoys: a lot of guessing regarding the course, I just got between these two old timers who looked like they knew where they were going..I wondered how Emi and my sister were faring. Knowing that Niamh loves the bumpy water and is very adept in open water swimming, I was really only a bit worried about the bergermeister..She swam like a trooper a couple of weeks back in difficult swimming circumstances, so I knew she wasn't a panicker.. she'd be fine..

6k in, my right shoulder started to talk to me, especially when sighting, pressing down on the water to lift up and buoy spot.. I was able to alter my stroke with longer strokes, firmer push past 90 and gentler recovery.. a bit stronger in the kick to balance the press while sighting..all stuff I should be doing anyway! I switched from alternate sides to breathing every 4 strokes on my more vanilla right side, and relaxed into the final stretches. 2K to go! The finish line was in sight, and I picked it up as best as my shoulder would allow.. sometimes it feels good to be a little restrained! I was happy gliding through the blue, checking out the starfish and stripey things en route to the finish line, staggering out at 2:55, funny to be back on shore..

Not yet registering the sunburn (idiot forgot to get her arse with the factor 40), my hip was the most demanding of my attention: I was limping after a 10k swim.. hilarious! Niamh tootled in at 3:30, Berger shortly after, trailing Harrington by only seconds..Rachelle came 3rd in the 2k swim, and Dennis was on hand enjoying the show, inspired to do the 4k next year..

Much fun that night on the town, hilarity on the plane, back to rain, wind and short days.. with peeling backsides..

http://www.aquamoonadventures.com/ Can't wait until 2010 swim, and now I have my eye on Rottnest 2013..contagious!

life updated

ok, the first time home before 6pm in aeons, a glass of vino on the table and a few minutes to take a breath..recap on the last 8 months.. 1. Semester one completed at RMU http://www.rmuohp.edu/ only many many more to go. I have finally begun to setlte my scores with biostatistics, and with my third time around, (and the very capable help of Dr. Stephen Allison) I can get my brain around the terms statistical analysis, confidence intervals and MCID without my brain thinking "blah blah Rover, blah blah blah Rover" a la Gary Larson. 2. SPOKESPEOPLE is well underway, we have finally established a firm structure, are legitimately performing as a not-for-profit organization, and are on the radar in the community as an advocacy group. http://www.spokespeopleli.org/. check it out. 3. Bike-fit analysis wth use of Retul is a serious option for use for my dissertation http://www.retul.com/ as I have already completed a mini-prospectus and gotten good feedback to date. Will need many able and not-so-able bodies to be guinea-pigs. or just pigs. They are all good research fodder I hear. 4. Swimming: oh my watery love: I plunked down the e-greenbacks for a 10k swim in Bermuda http://www.aquamoonadventures.com/ on October 19th. This was a dream prior to Dennis's gift last night of Trudy Ederle's book: " the young woman and the sea".. a play, I am assuming, on the "old man and the sea" fish tale.. 4. Work @ MSPT: work is work, one staff member giving notice yesterday to depart for the dubiously greener fields of Nepal, to work for Medicins San Frontieres: their gain, my loss. I will miss Miki and her ethereal appearances in our offices. The door will always be open, and I am sure we will cross paths again. One new staff member in the front office, welcome Emily. If you are half the woman your mother Gail is, you will be fine! 5. Back running, First time since Block Island Shad Bloom 10k in May..23rd, 46.08 gruelling inutes of beauty on the bluffs of the Block.. http://www.coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/May9_ShadBl_set1.shtml I still can't believe that I am running again, though my calf muscles definitely can.. 5 miles in the woods with Liliana, while she is recovering from a stress fracture, and getting used to running again. We are a sweaty, slow pair.. cruising switchbacks and sandy spots. avoiding the gym by pounding up the hillocks.picking ticks off. having fun before work. 6. Dennis, ever the rock for me, planning our trip to Maine following our annual adventures in Vermont in Fall http://www.vermont50.com/. Singlespeed 34x 19 for 50 miles, rising into the breaks in VT's foggy clouds for autumnal views to gasp at, even if you weren't anaerobic. Great road trip together, finally..it has been a long, (not hot) summer of hard work, and we deserve what Maine has to give us! I CAN'T WAIT!!