still sometimes can't believe it's all over

It's been 2 weeks already... I've easily adjusted to not running off to the Lake every spare moment and I've been pretty lazy and don't feel bad about it yet.  Although volunteering with Bill and the girls at the off-road triathlon and then tracking friends at Ironman Canada Sunday (the 28th) has me excited about getting some variety in my training again and I was even inspired to do a little run this morning!

Many have asked about how I felt and what I did after:

That night - We got home from the hospital around 10pm, and I lay down... But I picked up the laptop, and once on it, it was hard to put it down and go to sleep.  It was amazing and emotional reading all the comments people sent.  Thank you!  I was still awake to see the awesome coverage on the news, Cadence on the tv had me crying all over again!  I finally manged to turn the tv and laptop off and it was then easy to fall into a deep sleep, no dreams about the Lake that I recall.  Sleep did not last long though... around 3:30am I was awake and in some pain.  I took some advil and had a nice long shower.  I tried to shave my armpits, which I had let grow to help reduce chaffing, but it was super challenging just to get my arms up and then to keep them up.  Washing my hair was also killer I managed by instead bending over so I didn't have to really raise my arms.  I then got Bill to rub some A535 on me and brush my hair for me. I threw some ice packs on my shoulders and rested a bit longer... BUT by 6am we were headed back to the LAKE!



I also took the picture



The next morning - As the registrar for the LOST race that Saturday morning, I wanted to be there... I had everything all organized in advance in case I couldn't get there, but since I was awake, doing something helped take my mind off the pain and seeing people made the previous day seem more real.  I also helped Anna Marie win a wetsuit, as Rob had a contest for suggestions for a 'celebrity' race starter and Anna Marie suggested me!  So I was chosen to start the race!  And a few people wanted to have their picture taken with me!  (the attention is a bit embarrassing for me, but it is nice to hear how people felt tracking my swim or seeing the finish etc). We had left the zodiac in Oakville the night before, so we could use it for the race and I hopped in the boat after the start and we boated around checking on the swimmers.  I had no desire to be swimming with them! (not that I could if I had wanted to!) 

The rest of the next day - After taking down and packing up the boat, we went for a nice lunch with Rob and Joanne and their girls - I was ravenous!!  Then I went for a massage (I realized pretty quickly how badly I needed it while driving there, as my back was seizing up just stopping at lights)  I know Julie went light, but it was painful pretty much everywhere (shoulders, biceps, triceps, forearms, lats, back, neck, even hip flexors, legs and ankles)  I got home to see my beautiful girls and we all just watched tv and snuggled.  Then we went out for dinner, no one felt like cooking and I was starving again!  Back home and I slept like a log, until the telephone woke me up at 9am (I never sleep that late)

Sunday - Clean-up day - The house was a mess of stuff!  We've accumulated a lot for the swim and although things are a little tidier now, it is going to be awhile before we get things reorganized and find the proper place for everything.  We had left the boat in the car, Saturday, so unloaded it Sunday, put it together to wash it, then packed it back up!  Dahlia ended up being soaked and had a great time 'helping'!  I found myself in a general all over tired state, I had to sit often.  I also felt unusually irritable - sorry family!  For dinner we went to my parents  We had some sparkling grape juice that mom had taken to the finish but never got to pop in the commotion...

Monday I was back to work.  It was a bit odd, but very enjoyable to just be coming home and having our evenings together as a family!

My physical progression:  Thursday I went for another massage and Julie recommended I see Aras (who has helped me in the past), so I saw his assistant on Tuesday.  I was in a fair bit of pain that Tuesday night after seeing her but the next day I could gingerly lift my arms straight above my head, for the first time in 11 days!  The previous Saturday LOST swim (ie 1 week from the crossing) I tried to kayak and very quickly felt my arms tire and then ache as I went straight back to shore.  I saw Aras' assistant again on Friday and it wasn't quite as killer on me.  The next day (being 2 weeks from the crossing) I did get in the Lake at the LOST swim and tried a few strokes, there was some pain and I didn't do much put I enjoyed the fresh Lake water and actually was a little sad I couldn't do a little more... but it will come...

Celebrations: 
Thursday after the massage I went to the local swimmers pub.  They had a big sign up for me and I got a big round of applause when I walked in.  My BMSC mates - I love em to death!

Sunday, Bill's parent had a big family BBQ for me. When I say big, it's because they are a huge family, Bill's mom, Lorna, has like 10 brothers and sisters (I still haven't got an accurate figure on how many of them there are lol) Thank you to everyone who came and to Lorna and Ross for hosting, it was lovely and I tasted the glory (see the cake) It's yummy!  [I also got my waterlogged hair done by Jason before the party - thank you!  Me and my hair felt very spoiled!] -> see a slideshow of pictures from the party here

And Friday they had a cake for me at work, which was very thoughtful! 
Also, Andrew, crew photographer and friend, came over and showed us all the great shots he took during the crossing, it was so fun to go through them!!  Many of which have been uploaded to webshots at Melanie's Lake Ontario crossing webshots albums and to a facebook page created for the crossing at: Melanies-Lake-Ontario-crossing facebook page

The next party (Sept 16th) will be with/for the crew!  I can't wait to have us all together again in a relaxed, no worries environment!  We need a team picture too; during the crossing, when we had the calm patch of water and I felt confident and thought I would be finishing strong, I had envisioned being able to get fantastic group pictures of us at the finish...  It will be a wonderful celebration of a lot of hard work by a fantastic team!

One final bit of excitement, I have been asked to be a guest speaker at a banquet, which is an incredible honour.  I accepted, but this will be my next big challenge, maybe harder for me then swimming across the Lake.  I'm not much of a public speaker, but I do think I have grown in more ways then one from this crossing experience and hope I can adequately share something from it!  Anyways, I've said it before, I like a challenge!