Plaster Point

What a great night! Last night was the first time I really felt like a swimmer. Pete is such a good coach and I'm still amazed at how far I've come since February. I'll have to ask him to remind me how far I swam last night, all I know was that it was over a mile in less than an hour. Prior to this training my swimming was strong, but I'd never taken a lesson before. I didn't know how to do the freestyle stroke, or even how to breath while doing it. I could tread water for hours, but didn't know a single proper stroke. Now when I swim it feels natural, strong and I know that I'm getting faster. I really think that after this whole triathlon-hoopla I might keep swimming... I really like it. Plus who doesn't look smashing in a swim cap and goggles?

One of my earliest memories of swimming is at the family camp on Cayuga Lake in Upstate New York off of Plaster Point. I remember being in the water there as much as I remember being out of the water. We'd swim out the raft from the dock, climb up and either dive or cannon-ball off the raft. I never remember wearing swimming armie-things, I just always remember being able to swim. Always loving the water and never being afraid of it. We'd sit patiently after meals, waiting forty-five minutes, before we'd race back down to the water.

My cousin Maggie and her family were a huge part of those memories. Her father was in the military and so they traveled a lot, moving from one country to the next. But I knew that in the summer I would see her at the camp. I know that we share so many of the same memories about that wonderful place. It makes me so happy that as adults we are doing things to make sure we stay connected. With her and Jay coming out for my race, it only makes those memories more special, realizing how far we've come and how much we've grown up. Its a pretty special feeling.