Team McAlister

This is late because I’ve been trying to write this from my iPad, which as it turns out isn’t that easy to do. Since iPad uses the same OS as the iPhone, Colin had to allow mobile updates on here. Still, it doesn’t work very well on WordPress and we’re experimenting with fixes.

Briefly, cycling along some, but not enough. The big event was last weekend in San Francisco where I decide to swim in the Bay with Schuyler. OMG! DON’T EVER DO THAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE TO!

The water was 55 degrees; the wind was blowing in shore; the tide was making. I thought I was prepared to swim in there… but not true! It took probably 10 minutes to get acclimated to the water. Then I started swimming, made it maybe 50 yards, realized that I was completely out of my league and wasn’t going to finish the distance. I turned to head back in to the beach which was only maybe another 50 yards and discovered that I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t raise my arms out of the water to stroke.

I was trying everything I knew to do – side stroke, getting on my back to relax and kick, turning on to my stomach to doggy paddle, anything. I pulled up once to catch my breath and that didn’t work either. So… I started calling for help. Really calling for help. For what seemed like a long time, but was probably a few seconds, I wasn’t sure anyone heard me or was responding. Finally, Kathy did hear me and she got Colin moving. Schuyler even heard me and turned around to swim back to help.

As it turns out, Colin got to me pretty quickly, we hooked up and he pulled me in a few yards until we could stand up. Fortunately, I never went under or swalllowed any water or panicked.

Someone called 911 and the response team got there in time to have recovered the body, but not in time to prevent there being a body. In fact, we were all sitting on benches, dried off, and having a laugh when they showed up. I think they were disappointed by the whole thing.

There is much work to be done.