MILE MARKERS by KRISTIN ARMSTRONG

Author:KRISTIN ARMSTRONG
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rodale Inc.
Published: 2011-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

YOUR ANTARCTICA

I love to read as much as I like to write, which is why I recently joined a book club that meets monthly here in Austin. This past month was our fourth meeting. We read a book called Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer by Lynne Cox.

If you are sportier than I am, perhaps you know that Lynne Cox is an anomaly of an athlete. She specializes in long-distance swimming, particularly in waters that have never been braved before. She swam in places like the English Channel (where she set the world record at age 16), the Bering Sea, the Strait of Magellan, Cook Strait of New Zealand, the Cape of Good Hope, the Nile River, and eventually Antarctica. She wears only a swimsuit and goggles, no wet suit. Her body fat is uniquely and uniformly distributed so that she can sustain temperatures that would kill other people in a matter of minutes. Many of the studies done on hypothermia today have been tied to research done on Lynne Cox. She is truly an amazing woman and athlete.

I was looking forward to the meeting and the discussion, particularly because Lynne Smith, an Austin distance swimmer and triathlete, was planning to attend. Smith completed the English Channel swim just last August. She added her personal perspective and anecdotes to what was to us an unfathomable feat. To prepare for weather and water that cold, both Lynnes had to gain weight, sleep with windows open and no covers (or crank the AC to frigid, here in Texas!), and wear impossibly minimal clothing on cold-weather days. The intent was to prepare the body for a colder core temperature and prepare the mind to deal with being uncomfortable for long periods of time.

We asked Lynne about how she dealt with the cold water. She said simply, “It's pain. You just have to get used to it and eventually stop fighting it.”

Not everyone can relate to a cold-weather, long-distance, open-water swim—true. But everyone can relate to the handling of pain, physical or otherwise. Whether we are training, racing, or living through a difficult season, the idea of not fighting pain as a legitimate method of coping with it is very interesting to me.

Then came the question of the evening, posed to the group: “Okay, so what is your Antarctica?”

Silence fell across the table. Slowly, in lieu of hastily revealing any answers, we discussed the question. Did it mean “What is the physical challenge that has me intrigued and ready to push my parameters?” Did it mean “What am I truly afraid of?” Did it mean “What am I being called to prepare for?” Did it mean “Where is my courage manifested in my life today?”

Did it refer to the physical, the relational, the intellectual, the emotional, or the spiritual depths?

I am still mulling over my answer. Perhaps it's not something that can be given an immediate response. Perhaps it can't be verbalized at all, only revealed. Or maybe the answer is there, but I'm not ready to acknowledge it yet.

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