To mark the occasion of a 5.5km swim (or so we thought - it
was actually 6km!), I attempted to boost the SwimTrekkers with Al Pacino's
'Inches' speech from 'Any Given Sunday'. This worked to an extent (at least
they humoured me), but it was clear and understandable that nerves were very
much present across the group.
After a short bus ride, we jumped into lake
Asainai and off we went! The group has naturally fallen into three groups based
on ability, rhythm, and, in light of Mr Willingham and I spending time with all
three, very different levels of 'banter', humour and entertainment!
Both Mr
Willingham and I have been blown away by the level of swimming across the
group, but today was really an exceptional show of all the hard work that
they've put in this week. The 'orange' group deserve a special mention; they've
gone from strength to strength and swam in a perfectly tight formation for the
full 6km. I was definitely kept in my place when leading the group and
receiving frequent feedback on whether my speed was too fast or just right!
All
three groups met up on a jetty for a quick cup of hot chocolate, biscuits and
gummy bears at around 2.5km before we set off for the final stretch (endless
stretch that is!). The water was like glass today and some of the best
conditions the SwimTrek guides have seen. We were also told the lake had good
energy; a point met with slight disdain, which was promptly rebuked by all upon
completion of the swim. We all fell into a sort of trance and lost in our own
thoughts as we powered through the final 3km.
To celebrate the end of the swim,
and the end of our swims for the week, we all ate a tremendous amount of
quesadillas and drank a lot of water! A relaxing evening of beach volleyball,
packing and sleep is now on the agenda!
