Two years is a long time

I've been asked by people, after I've explained that yes, I purposefully swam 10 kilometers down a river, if I'm going to swim the English Channel, the only channel crossing non-OW swimmers know.  Most often I guffaw, because the thought of swimming that long/far is still unfathomable to me.  But lately, I've been answering a different way.

I don't have two years to devote to it! My job just isn't regular enough that I would know for sure that I've got two years of uninterrupted training ahead of me.  Uninterrupted by deployments, or weird shift work schedules. Hell, for most of my adult life, I've lived no longer than two years in any one place!

But despite most of the people asking me this question being in the same "job" boat as I am, they look at me like I'm growing an extra arm out of my head.  "Two years? Why so long?" 

I'd read somewhere some years ago that you need at least two years of dedicated, regular training, in order to be successful in a channel crossing. Two years is a long time when you have no idea what the future holds, with respect to where you'll be living.  What's more, very few places I can deploy to have swimming pools, and none of the deployment locations have a regular working schedule.  My last deployment, I worked 12-16 hours a day, every day.  When I wasn't working or sleeping, I'd find enough time to hop on an exercise bike and sweat to my iPod tunes.  But swim?  No.

And in the military, you're never quite sure when the next deployment will come your way.  There is no way I'm going to book a charter boat for $3000+ for some period two years hence, only to get a six-month (or longer) deployment during that time.  The English Channel, or any marathon swim of 20+ miles, will have to wait until I'm a civilian again.

Comments

[Gords]

Thank you for your sacrifice and service!!

[Katie]

20 years and out?

[IronMike]

It's my honor, Gords!
Katie, I've already done 25. I'm a glutton for punishment!