LC English Channel Attempt, Epilogue
If you haven’t read them already, here are the links to parts 1-3 about Larry’s English Channel swim attempt:
Those that know me well, know that I often jokingly say “just the easy part left” when, in fact, there is nothing easy about whatever it is that is left. However in the case of swimming the English Channel, the arduous journey of trying to just get a chance for Larry to start the swim did make it truly feel like the swim itself was going to be the easy part.
While this obviously isn’t true, the whole process reminded me of what can happen in a race where one athlete is working to bridge a gap to another athlete over a long period of time. Once the athlete has finally made contact with whomever they are chasing they will come to realize that the race isn’t actually over at that point. In fact, the hardest part of the race may have yet to come just as they might be experiencing a sense of ease and complacency.
The reality is that the chances of failing are always present in whatever we do.
Even with the best preparation in the world, it only allows for the opportunity of success, not the guarantee of it.
In Larry’s case, I felt that the biggest obstacles to his successful completion of swimming the English Channel would come from getting sick mid-swim or from a major shift in the weather. Hypothermia was also a serious concern for any swimmer, though I did consider that to be less of a threat than the two aforementioned challenges for Larry.
What we really needed to come to grips with is that the obstacles to his success in the swim were ultimately infinite. We all had a harsh reminder of that in the middle of the ocean a few months ago. As a coach, I try to anticipate all the various demands and adversities athletes will face during their race/event and plan their training and preparation accordingly. My goal is to try to give them as many tools to navigate a variety of circumstances that might present themselves mirroring the platitude of “expecting the best and preparing for the worst.” That being said, there will always be times when my anticipation of what can happen will fall short and I’ll have new experiences to bring into consideration for future preparation.
During the Channel swim, I felt like this was happening constantly. The 6+ hours on the open sea provided me with the steepest learning curve I have ever experienced as a coach. There never seemed to be a moment where I wasn’t learning something new. In debriefing with Larry in the days and weeks afterwards, it seemed that he had similar feelings.
Despite all our preparations, there was no substitute for learning what it’s like to swim the English Channel than by actually swimming the English Channel.
While I have repeatedly been asked whether Larry will attempt the swim again, I currently don’t know the answer to that question. I can say that should he decide to attempt this feat again, I know that both of us will approach it with newfound respect and diligence.
That’s all for now. Thanks to all of you for following along on this journey so far.
-justin
