As autumn trickles by, the swim year comes to a close.

I started training back in February for the Nevis to St. Kitt’s channel swim and managed to keep it pretty steady through Ultraswim’s Costa Brava weekend with a Captain Webb rules 10K to finish. Along the way, I managed the LOST Race and a whole lot of time in the pool and lakes. All told, 340 km.

Aside from some jellyfish stings, sore wrists, and a tight shoulder, I’ve come through the year pretty intact.

Swimming in winter is a different beast. I have flashbacks to childhood practices–coming out of the pool with wet hair and into the Canadian cold. It’s a tough thing to motivate through. Which means I need to work on a winter hobby to keep the zoomies at bay.

Back to the keyboard? The banjo? Teaching improv?

As an English Channel swimmer told me last weekend, we get depressed after big accomplishments, which is why we always need another goal.

Another goal.

And then another…