As expected, the Chicago Air & Water Show made things a bit more animated on Sunday morning. People were already staking out their lakefront observation spots at 6:00am, and I had to navigate past a wall of vendor pavilions to get to good old OL#1. But the weather was as splendid as it could get, and the Ochoa clan was already out in force to welcome the OWC regulars as well as several new faces who joined the righteous Lake Monster fleet.
This was a tapering swim for many of us since next weekend is the culmination of several months of very intense training. Indeed, one common observation was that many of us are now swimming at a much different level. What was once seemingly impossible has now become effortless, and this transformation has – in many cases – taken place literally over the course of the weekend.
Remember that feeling.
You didn’t get to where you are now through wishful thinking or whimsical actions. You stepped up and hit it hard every time you jumped in the water, got on your bike, or laced up your running shoes. There were countless times where you could have slept in or given up entirely, but you didn’t – even though you were so exhausted that the trek out to the workout meeting place seemed like a fragment of a dream (and it very well may have been, too!).
So hats off to all of you who dared to take on the impossible only to find out that your actual limits are a lot higher – you just never tested them until now. And good luck to all of you doing the Accenture Chicago Triathlon – especially the Chicago Endurance Sports triathlon team. I’ll be thinking of you while I’m out in San Fran swimming with the sharks. 😉
See you again on the 31st!
Jackie, Lake Monster #12 (congrats!)
Rich, Lake Monster #13 (congrats!)
Chris and family, Lake Monsters #14, #15, and #16 (awesome job – congrats!)
Stepping into The Blue
