King Kong, Loch Ness

On the day we landed in Scotland, it was sunny but very windy.  We walked out of the terminal and the piece of paper I had in my hand was snatched away and blown clear across the parking lot.  I raced after it but my legs were a bit shaky after sitting on a plane for so many hours, and it look me quite some time to catch up.  Looking back, I think this was kind of symbolic of the entire trip.

The apartment I rented for the week was a little crazycakes.  The building is an old Abbey in Fort Augustus, right on the water at the bottom of Loch Ness that was renovated into apartments, and this was the old Chapel.  I loved the stained glass and the structural pieces that were still intact, but the decor and artwork were kind of funky.  Lots of reds, sparkles, etc – and another leather couch, still don’t find those comfortable.  But, I always thought it would be cool to stay in a former church, and it was.  I was completely stressed out the whole vacation between my swim and work, but I really enjoyed the apartment.

 
  
 
 
On our second day there, we were driving along the water when we saw a huge, vivid rainbow right over Loch Ness.  So pretty…it looked like the rainbow ended right in the lake:
 

 
 On the day of my swim it was really clear and beautiful out.  The water was like glass, and I was as ready as I’ll ever be:

 

The water was so cold, but I walked from the shore and everything around me was incredibly beautiful:

 

I swam for awhile but after way too short of a time my hands were clawed up and I was uncontrollably shaking in the water.  This was the one sign of hypothermia I’d told myself I could not ignore.  It became apparent to me that another 20 miles in 10*C/50*F water was just not going to happen, and didn’t want to put S or my boat in a bad situation in the event I went into shock or cardiac arrest, so before I got really bad I called the swim.  I was gutted but knew it was the only smart thing to do.

 

I had the best possible conditions and had gained as much weight as I felt comfortable doing for insulation, but I think given my body type/speed/etc. this swim is just not safe for me without a wetsuit.  So maybe I’ll just have to learn to love neoprene.  I got re-warmed on the boat, and we took a spin around the Loch. I wasn’t as upset as I would have imagined to fail a swim, but I was disappointed that my day on the Loch was cut short.  When we went back to the Abbey we took a dip in the pool, then sat in the sauna for a while.  My feet and nose were still icy, but I felt much better.  Had a nice dinner at the Boathouse, then pints at the pub until closing time.  For once I wasn’t celebrating a successful swim, but I was alive and that’s enough to celebrate.
 
The next day we slept in, then headed out to Castle Cawdor in the afternoon.  I was jazzed because of the Macbeth connection, but it was more like someone’s dusty old country home than a historic castle.  Weirdly people still actively live there but let people tour the ground floor and grounds in exchange for help with the upkeep: 

The next day we went to Urquhart Castle, which is mostly an archeological site these days, but the view was incredible and we enjoyed being on the water during the day, and even got to listen to some traditional Scottish music in the beautiful fresh air off the lake!

  

The next day we headed out super-early in the morning, flights uneventful, and we were home around noon NY time.  We got ready for the next day and went to bed early.  The next day I woke up at the crack of dawn and started a long, grueling work day.  No rest for the wicked.  Left the office for a work dinner that went until 9pm, then came home to find an email saying that the water quality for my swim the next morning was really poor, and if we wanted to cancel we could receive a full refund.  I was soooo tempted.  I was tired, not feeling well, and fed up with things in general.  But I knew I’d be disappointed with myself if I bailed, so I recommitted.  

Went to sleep and woke up the next day in an even more horrible mood.  It was my birthday, I wasn’t feeling well, and the last thing I wanted to do was swim for hours in the sun, maybe get sunburned or sick from the water.  It was shaping up to be the worst birthday ever, but S was a love and got my feeds ready and made me a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.  Luckily it was a pretty late start so we didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn like most swims.  We headed out to the start and it was like a reunion.  All the organizers and kayakers from previous years were there, and it was good to chat and catch up with everyone.  I was still nervous but started to feel better.  Hung out for a bit, then stripped down, got my zinc on, and got on the boat.

Swim started and there was a guy right on my heels, trying to draft off of me.  So obnoxious.  I hugged the seawall and kept a comfortable, steady pace, and was able to get a good amount of distance between us.  It was funny – there were so many people on the bike and running paths next to the water looking at us, taking pictures.  For the first hour the tide was slightly against us, but I was feeling pretty good, smooth and sustainable.  Going under bridges is always fun. I roll onto my back for a stroke or two when I go underneath so I can see the bottom.  Like a seal playing in the waves.  Williamsburg, Manhattan, Brooklyn Bridge.  I crossed to the other side pretty much right under the Brooklyn Bridge and they even paused the Governors Island ferry for me!

The current swung into our favor and I started feeling great as I was passing by lower Manhattan – the Freedom Tower, South Street Seaport, and all the waterfront office buildings I’ve worked in over the years.  Governors Island, Liberty Island, Lady Liberty – all my loves.  Hugging the coast of Brooklyn, my kayakers took me a really smart route and I was able to put a nice distance between myself and the next guy, which had me feeling even better.  I passed under the Verrazano Bridge, one of my favorites, and before long I was swimming by Sea Bright, a little town that looks like it should be in Nantucket or something.  Then I saw the Steeplechase tower, then the pier, and knew it wouldn’t be too long.  I had an irrational fear that someone would pass me right at the end, so I sprinted the last mile, taking a second to wave my mom who came to meet me at the finish!  I hit the buoy and then I was done – woohoo!  Swam in to shore, wiped most of the zinc off, and got dried/dressed.  Cheered in the other swimmers, then headed to the afterparty.  I still wasn’t feeling the greatest but I had a Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner and a slice of Grimaldi’s pizza.  Hung out with everyone, then my mom gave us a ride back into Manhattan.  We found rockstar parking right in front of my building, and my mom really wanted to go for dinner, so we hit the Cuban diner uptown for a quick bite, then said goodbye.

I finally showered which felt SO good.  I was sitting up in bed all toasty and clean when S presented me with a gift. It was obviously in a shoebox (Asics Sneakers) wrapped in running and other athletic advertisements.  I’ve been bitching about the extra weight I needed to have on for the Loch Ness swim, saying I wouldn’t wait to start running/hardcore bootcamp again, so I thought it was a really nice gift.  Until I opened the box to find a Chanel box inside, and inside that, a perfect black caviar leather half-moon wallet-on-chain!  WOW!  Then S pulls out a pair of multicolored running shoes and said, "I thought you might be disappointed there were no sneakers after all, so here they are."  Ha!  I read his sweet card and we cuddled up all clean and comfy, and went to sleep. 

So basically, the worst birthday in years turned out to be the best birthday in years!  This was actually the first time I’d flat out won a swim – not that this was a big or competitive swim, but it felt great to be first in for once.  And S is so perfect, I’ve wanted that bag for ages and know it wasn’t easy for him to get – then when he finally tracked one down a girl tried to take it right out of his hand!  Madness.  The next day we had a 2pm reservation for brunch, but we woke up early, changed it to noon instead.  Cute little place right by our apartment, we shared a pitcher of aperol spritz and started with a basket of mini-muffins, then S had brioche french toast with loads of fresh fruit and I had poached eggs with truffle oil and spinach baked into a slab of crusty fresh bread.  It was just so lovely to sit across from S, hold hands and chat over a wonderful meal.  After that we went home and cleaned out our closets, donated several huge bags to the Salvation Army and purged tons of stuff  – way to get on the right track!

Monday night was opening night of a musical of Love’s Labour’s Lost as part of Shakespeare in the Park.  It was very cute and a lot of fun. [winobot]’s Maria Thayer did a great job, and the cast seemed to be having lots of fun.  Huge afterparty at Belvedere Castle which was beautiful lit up at night, but we didn’t stay too long.   Overall a good night, and first time we’ve been to Shakespeare in the Park where it hasn’t rained heavily.  Last night we left work at a reasonable hour, S brought huge bags of all our donations to Salvation Army and the house feels lighter somehow.  I made pizza bagels and we went to bed early.  Good stuff!