Since I started a new job, I'm a little low on the vacation time. The military gives you 30 days a year, from day one. Sure. You can't take that many days right away, but they're there. Most of us who deployed didn't use many of our vacation days, thus we'd bank up a lot of days. At my peak, I had 75 days of vacation time saved up, and almost got to the point where I would have to "use or lose" those days.
But in my new job, I earn 4 hours of vacation every two weeks. That adds up to 13 days of vacation, but still, that takes a year. I can't wait a year. I've got swims to do.
So, using Evan's excellent U.S. marathon swim calendar, I've got to find swims to do that'll be cheap in money and time. First, I have to find swims around my proposed big swim, the Santa Barbara Inter-Island Marathon Swim. I'm hoping to attempt that swim in August. That'll take up a big chunk of time and money.
I'd also like to volunteer at a (very) big swim. With relatives in the Tampa, FL, area, I think it would only be natural to volunteer at the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim. That's on April 20.
Around those two events, I'm thinking maybe one of the 8 Bridges swims in NY. This year those swims will be held in June, distances ranging from 13 miles to practically 20. Maybe that'll be a good warm-up for my big swim. Plus, it's only about 250 miles from here. (Flying may be a better option.) Maybe even do two of them. The two on 21-22 June are best for those with mile times ranging from 33-44 minutes. That's me. In OW water, I'm at about 32 minutes per mile. Two days in a row of long swims (15.7 and 18.6 miles respectively) might be exactly what I need to prep for my day of three crossings.
Anything else I do, I think I'll keep them to shorter races between 8 Bridges and the big swim. Then after, I'd like to reattempt the Swim for the Potomac in September, and then it'll be hard to not go back to Chattanooga for Swim the Suck. That was such a blast. Plus it would be great to see some of those swimmers again.
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