Another Try

A second try, can’t give up so here we go again. Suit Zipped, swim cap on, take a deep breath. Trying to psych up, telling myself Imagine gliding across the water four strokes and a breath just like the pool. Waist deep and I can still see the bottom, so far so good. Where did the sun go? Look at the cloud addressing it like it might actually listen “No you can’t rain on me.” For the moment it listens. Ready or not here I go, the object to cross the small lake to the beach and back, just a little further than race distance. Two cycles and the bottom is getting harder to see, five cycles visibility has dropped off to just a couple of feet. O-k , just focus on the breathing. Suddenly something has grabbed my foot, it lets go as I continue to swim. Looking down the lake weed can be made out, stretching out to grab any unsuspecting passerby. My hands glide through a small up growth ewww they are slimy, just keep swimming. Popping my head up the beach doesn’t seem any closer. Keep going pushing myself on, the wind picks up enough to create small waves. Slowly progressing toward the beach, time seems to stand still. Finally time to turn around. The wind kicks up more, I feel like a cork bobbing up and down to the rhythm of the waves. Every few strokes my arm hits the top of a wave, and I get a mouth full of water, good training for the ocean I remind myself, you have to keep going. Head pops up to check my location, how did I get out here? Instead of going straight I curved with the waves, great, adjust and head for the dock. Wait where is the dock? IS that the right one? All stop, I tread water long enough to locate the dock, reassure myself that yes this is the right one, and start up again. Again the mantra stoke-stoke breath, stroke-stroke breath. Back on dry land, and wondering what did I get myself into?