Swimming in the ocean

Well my main concern was how cold the water was going to be.  Getting in initially was - well let's just say hell froze over.  But the actually swimming wasn't bad.  I did come out with no feeling in my hands and my leg cramping.

I expected the swimmers to be fast and strong.  When I signed up I put in the time I thought I did the mile in, and went and checked the other swimmers times.  They were all slower than my time, so I tried to adjust by putting in how much slower I would be from the fastest person.  So I added ten minutes to my time.

So when we got there the divvied us up into slow - medium - fast.  Tatiana was in the medium group and I was in the slow group.  There was only two of us in the slow group and the other one was planning on doing breaststroke.  Argh...I didn't want to swim with a breastroker.  I would die.  But I couldn't very well say I am not swimming with him.

Tatiana was put in with the 70 year old ladies, and the fast group was the young ones (relatively speaking).  So we did an acclimatization swim, to see if we should be in the assigned groups.  When we were done they asked Tatiana and I if we had ever timed ourselves in the kilometer before.  I said no, and she said well you are about 10 minutes off your guess.  I guess I was right to begin with.

The first swim we did was a coastal swim about an hour and a half and I thought if we went any slower we would die from hypothermia.  I was told it wasn't a race, but I didn't expect it to be a crawl.  They told me next time to just circle.  But I am not a backwards kind of girl.  Oh well.  Still massively fun!!!

Greece - crazy ferries

Day 2.  How do people write on iPads?  It takes like five minutes to write a paragraph and it doesn't correct your errors.  Please forgive all typos and any other grammar or spelling errors.  It isn't my fault it is the iPads fault.

Back to the cherries.  Though I did the happy dance, when I went to eat them they tasted like - awful.  I  saw the TSA agent wipe the bag down, but I didn't know what she wiped it down with.  Still don't know but it is nasty tasting and smelling.  I am sure that she was chuckling knowing she ruined my cherrries.

We had a 7:15 ferry to catch so we were up and out of the hotel by six (yes even Ta).  The tickets said we were to load at E7 so the driver dropped us off at E7 at 6:15.  Feeling pretty proud of myself I saw this huge ferry - huge - semis were driving up and into it that had a flashing sign Naxos 7:25.  Our tickets said 7:15, but I just thought maybe 7:15 loading.  I saw passengers walking up with there suitcases and thought what the heck lets just get on.  I walked up to the guy taking the tickets and he smirked at me. Literally smirked.  He took our tickets and said wrong boat.  We asked him where to go and he sent us to the - well I don't know but she didn't speak English.  She directed us to another boat, and I realized that boat was at e 7 to.  Hmm.  We went up to that boat and that one too was going to Naxos, so I handed our tickets to the guy and he said no and handed them back.  By this time I was wondering if I really had tickets or if I had been faked out.  So we went up to a traffic cop and she sent us to another E7 gate.  However that one was the *right* and we directed to our seats.  The rest of the trip went smashingly well.  Well the ferry ride did.

Trip notes

So Tatiana and I started on our trip to Greece.  I gave Tatiana my cherries to carry through security thinking that they would let a cute girl carry them through, but her bag got tagged and I thought that it was all due to my cherries.  However they did not confiscate the cherries and I was dancing the happy dance.

When we dropped our bags the agent told us we boarded through the lounge so we lifted our nose and headed to the lounge.  We had to try the food (I can withstand anything except free food.)  I know everyone says the food isn't free, but that makes it even more important to eat.

After that we boarded and they gave us all free champagne.  Yes even Tatiana.  According to the rules the drinking age on the airplane is the drinking age of  origin of the airlines so Tatiana proceeded from champagne to mimosas.  Then she sl put like a baby for the remainder of the flight.

Teenagers they can sleep.  She slept most of that flight then she slept the whole flight from London to Athens.  Bah humbug.  What I would have given to have gotten three hours.

We get to Athens I get a cab and am informed that cabs only take cash.   I hope I have enough cash for everything.

The cab dropped us at the hotel, and I started cracking up, we are right next to a strip joint.   Ted and I always laugh when we see tourist coming out of hotels in less desirable parts of the towns.  Cheap hotels are not always in the best part of town, but I thought we were mid range  so it would be okay part of town, but I guess not.

I booked though booking.com and I guess they booked us in a "sister hotel" instead of the one the taxi driver dropped us off at.  It was just a block away, but we were in at least" the semi red light district."  Got there safely, but did pass a few more strip clubs.

Ahh the joy of not knowing what you are doing.

ARGH

I don't know what to say.  I sat in stunned silence yesterday at group as one after another said that they allowed themselves cheat days, in fact they actually plan on taking a day off from the program so they can cheat....

WHAT?  Really?  I think the facilitator was a bit stunned at how many were taking an "off" day, but she did not castigate them, just asked them what made them decide to eat off plan. 

This group is divided by those who are adhering strictly to the plan and those who just need to "have variety".

As time goes on I am finding more and more people are in the group that have done the program before, and some numerous times.   We - those who have done it before - are sticking to the plan, while the newbies are the ones who are eating off plan, then crying that they are not losing weight.  Or they are eating off plan and still lose weight.  The facilitator warns them about the medical issues of going off plan, but I wonder if they are following the plan enough for those medical issues to be of concern.

Not my problem, but why do this program if you are not going to do this program?

Day 17 - Pickleball tournament

We went to a pickleball tournament on Saturday, and sadly we lost all three games.  One of these days we are going to win a game, I just know it.  But until I clear my head, we will continue to lose.

The problem is much like it was when I was trying to lose weight before I went on Optifast.  I really want to do it.  My mind is focused to do it, but somehow I am lacking something.  I am not sure what it is. 

But like swimming too, you work hard you think you are getting better, but nothing happens, then one day you get in the pool and it all comes together, and there it is, don't know how or why, it just is.

I think that is how the Pickleball will go, one day I will get on the court, and it will all come together, and I will be ready for the next step.  But for now I still am just a beginner no matter what everyone tries to tell me.  I am okay with that because I know that day will come and then watch out.

Day 16 - I had an idea

But now it is gone.  It is amazing how the same thoughts come during this process.  I don't have any new insight into my eating behavior, I know I like food, I know that a little is good a lot is better, I know I don't have hunger cues, none of this has changed since I first did the program in 2010.

I know I won't get to my "dream" weight, I know if I can keep it off for five years I can keep it off forever, I know as I get older my strength will diminish, so the weight won't be that big an impact on my swimming at that time. 

I have wishes, I wish I had never gained the weight.  I wish I had lost in sooner.  I wish I wish I wish.
I think about how different my life would have been if I had never gained the weight.  Maybe I would have started to swim in my 30 or 40's.  Maybe I would have been burned out with swimming by now.  Maybe I would never had cycled across the country, or maybe I would have done it on a yearly basis.  Lots of things I could have done if I was thinner, but I like were I am right now and right here, so maybe the weight put me in the good place.  Maybe.

Day 15-A day late

I am trying hard to write daily, but it seems that life just gets in the way.  I am not exhausted, but it feels like I am running behind.  Everyone finishes up the day, and I still have a day left to go.  I am behind in everything.  Blah...

I don't think it is the lack of nourishment, but I am seem to bonk when I don't feel like I am bonking.    For instance, yesterday at pickleball I got skunked the last two games.  Go hide my head in shame.  I hope that it is just me crashing.  Crashing or not, I am out of step. 

Anyway I am off to play pickleball one more time today.  I hope I can keep from getting skunked today.