What’s next? [Unicorns and Jellyfish]

It’s been almost three weeks since I finished my successful crossing of Lake Tahoe (21.3 miles). A lot of friends have asked me with great excitement and curiosity, “Well, what’s next? Are you going to swim the English Channel?!” My short answer right now is, “No.” It’s interesting how focused I’ve become with researching my next swim, but I have little interest in completing common swims. The fun in Marathon swimming, for me, is pursuing that which has not been done before. I love the adventure and the mystique.

I’m still struggling to find the words to explain what it feels like to swim a marathon. I couldn’t even tell you that I’m 100% convinced that I actually did it either. I stood on the beach at Incline Village in Nevada after 11hrs 37min 28sec of swimming and I didn’t collapse in exhaustion. I didn’t fall or misstep. I stood up tall and strong. I even thought to myself, “I could probably keep swimming if I really wanted to.”

The thoughts in my mind after my swim shocked me too. Was I really just okay? Why was I not falling over in complete exhaustion? Normal people don’t swim through the night for 21.3 miles and stand up tall and comfortable afterwards. Yes, my arms were sore and, yes, that swim was rather painful…but I actually had the thought, “The pain was starting to subside, so if I would have kept going then I would have just pushed through the wall…”

Do I need to go have my brain analyzed? Is this crazy?

The short answer is: For me, it’s the new normal.

I feel like I’ve been in the pursuit of ‘Who Am I?’ for most of my adult life. Recently, in the past four years, I’ve felt more and more confident about ‘Who I Am’ and that’s because of swimming. It’s as if I were an unfinished puzzle and the final few pieces are being laid into place now. They’re those puzzle pieces that you keep trying to place but you have to find a few other pieces first. It’s that frustrating feeling, when you know what they are and you know that they’re important…but where will they fit? When will they fit? Can I force it? And then it happens, you uncover that one little piece that connects and then it all just makes sense. In the snap of a finger, the dam is released and the full picture starts to flood into view in front of you.

I’m a Marathon Swimmer.