I succumbed early last light to sleep when it beckoned so when 5:30 arrived, I was rested and I knew blessed rain had visited while I slept as I saw rain gushing along the curbs to the storm sewers during the night when I woke up.
I love the air after it rains, and needed no more prompting to leave early and forgo my email in favour of the smell of the atmosphere freshly scrubbed. Plus it was a lovely 16 degrees, perfect for riding.
It rained almost exclusively at night the first year I moved here that I thought that Penticton had invented a weather machine, rain for the plants at night, and hot beach weather and sunshine all day. Paradise!
Today I approached Skaha Lake expecting to find it nearly deserted at 6 a.m. instead I found it curiously busy with cars everywhere and people toting kayaks. As I was on bike, I sidled up to the beachwalk easily and the answer was obvious from the sign.
On the beach was a starting line and a sign Skahalakeultraswim.com.
These athletes are amazing!
The swimmers swim the length of Skaha lake (11 kilometres) with a swim escort in a kayak or a stand up paddleboard and it takes hours!
I remember I had a buddy who trained with me for a couple years at the pool until we could each swim the 50 lengths of the pool for a kilometre. I thought it would never happen, but he pushed me to be disciplined, and swim regularly. Then one day it happened and I swam 60 lengths in 20 minutes. I was slow but steady, the real athletes would tap me on the feet and then pass like dolphins.
I can’t imagine how much training it takes to swim a lake, it’s more difficult than in a pool by leaps because of waves and having to lift your head to check direction.
I admire people who are disciplined and push themselves to achieve. It can be fun or educational: tennis, yoga, wood-working, running, cycling, skiing (water and snow), snowboarding, learning new skills, and even new languages.
It takes discipline, and sometimes a buddy to achieve what you never knew you could, and tenacity. They inspire me when I stop at something, to start again.
Life and Random Thinking 
That’s fantastic! 🙂
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It was really cool.
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Great news about the overnight rain. Hopefully it will help with the forest fires, and lower the smoke index. Take care Dave.
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The weather dropped ten degrees also which is still very nice but not super hot. That will help with the fires and smoke also. A few days of high 20s and periodic rain is welcome for everyone
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I’m stuck back at getting up at 5:30 and swimming 60 lengths in 20 minutes…..
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Mornings are exceptional in summer with the flat lake and new light. The swimming was something like learning to run 10 kilometers, i loved the accomplishment but haven’t done it for years. When my kidney transplant started to get weak 6 years ago, i just gradually got sicker, until dialysis in September 2018. Dialysis means end stage kidney failure, i was on life support basically 15 hours a weak and weak in between. Thankfully i received a miracle donor match about 6 years ahead of expected and new surgery 4 months ago.
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It’s still amazing that you were able to swim like that!
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PS. I wish I was a morning person, as the whole world runs on mornings, but I have turned into a night owl due to years of shift work.
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https://dfolstad58.wordpress.com/2019/06/20/at-long-last-new-hope/
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That is amazing, considering your slim chance with a match due to high AB levels! Did you know your donor, or was he someone from your area?
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It was a shared donor chain, my friend donated his kidney in Toronto to make one available for me. I am informed it was a long chain and a series of hospitals all involved across Canada over two days. I know nothing about my donor, not age or sex, just they were an excellent match. They came out of surgery ahead of me but I did not see them or meet them.
My blood type is AB+ which is a universal receiving blood type so that helped tremendously and the high amount of antibodies I possess was the reason I had so few qualified donors.
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An amazing story!
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the only time air smells better is after a lightning storm! I think its the ozone generated.
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great blog – is this in Canada where you saw the kayaks etc
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Those kayaks were at Skaha lake beach here in Penticton BC Canada and a few minutes from my home.
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