I swam from Sri Lanka to India!

On September 13, 2012, I set a goal.  Using the Speedo Pace Club app, I mapped a route that I would swim virtually between two of my favorite countries: from Negombo, Sri Lanka to Tamil Nadu, India.  169.3 miles. A long way.  A big commitment.

The route I set on September 13, 2012

Over the last 329 days, I've chipped away at that goal.  I've gone swimming 143 times.  In Washington, DC, in Glenview, IL, in Scottsdale, AZ.  I've swum in open water in Virginia and Maryland.  I've swum in fancy pools and free public pools.

I've worn out 4 swimsuits (and dropped 2 suit sizes).  I've eaten ~300 bananas to prevent cramping, and still managed to cramp up at least 10 times.  I acquired 10 swim caps, and 3 pairs of goggles.  I've dropped minutes of my personal best in the 1650 free (the swimmers mile), relearned my flip turns, gotten my breast and backstrokes in working order, and avoided the fly like the plague. 

During the last 7896 hours, I've spent 115 of the them swimming.  I've swum a lot.

And tonight, at Open Water Happy Hour, I jumped into the flat waters of National Harbor on the Potomac with real purpose.  I logged a 1.5 mile swim (and it was a fast one for me--47 minutes) and when I climbed up the ladder to the pier, I reveled in the fact that I had finally arrived on the shores of India. 

10 months and 26 days later, I've finished the swim from Sri Lanka to India!

I have other milestones--200 miles for 2013 via U.S. Masters Go the Distance Challenge, of course the 3 mile Swim Across America Baltimore Open Water swim.  But this milestone was my biggest, it was the first enormous, crazy goal I set in my swim life.

Honestly, I feel a bit like Inigo Montoya after he's killed the six finger man in The Princess Bride.



But, for now, I'm just going to enjoy how far I've come.