Cold Feet?

This time last year I was recovering from an operation to remove the chipped end of a broken elbow, hence missing the start of the open water season from May 1st (the sea is approx 10 degrees centigrade at this time of year - breathtaking!) and hence why I was not able to attempt the English Channel Last year.

It all dates back to trying to be a hero.....

When 3 kids scream 'WASP!', any respectable father dons his cape and flies to the rescue. Unfortunately I can't fly or perhaps I wouldn't have broken the end of my elbow!

This was a clever wasp and knew to the millimetre how far it could remain out of my reach, motivated to save my children from the perils of a wasp and spurred by their screams, I jumped up, swinging my arm at full (over)stretch and smashed my hand flat against the wasp. DEAD!

After the initial euphoria of prooving my manhood, and gaining the respect of my kids, my elbow decided that moving was not a great idea! To prove this point it continued to send sharp pain messages to my brain that at first was in denial!

Eventually my brain caught up with my elbow and I decided it would be a good idea to get it checked out. Continuing my theme of being a hero, having succesfully returned the house to one without screaming, I decided to drive - thankfully an automatic - to my local hospital to get seen to.

This was Mothering Sunday and I was suppossed to be on cooking duty. Many comments have been made suggesting that I would go to any extreme to avoid cooking the Sunday roast, but I strenuously deny this! It's surprising how busy A&E is on a Mothering Sunday - a lot of suspected cases of food poisoning apparantly - at least my family were spared that!

Any way to complete the story and this 'post' I had the snapped off end of the elbow - called a growth spur - which was removed by a pleasant and efficient surgeon and I spent the next couple of months getting back into training using a kick board (float).

This year I have avoided any contact with insects of any stripe, almost to following this with 'Zen like' reverence, believing that just maybe the wasp got its own back!

I am in full training and looking forward to getting 'cold feet' of the physical rather than mental type when I take my first out door dip this year on May 1st.