Back Rowing........Day 54
|
As
of 10am this morning we pulled the para anchor in and we’re now back rowing.
Although the conditions aren’t perfect we’re still making reasonable headway
although there is no wind so it is really hot, 30/35 degrees so during our
shifts we have to jump in the water to cool down!
Whilst
we were in the cabin the night before we watched “Supersize Me” and for those of
you who don’t know about the film it’s about a 30 ish year old American who is
in good health deciding to eat McDonalds for breakfast, lunch and dinner for an
entire month as a kind of unique scientific experiment. He can’t eat anything
else except what is on the McDonalds menu and he can’t walk more than 5000
metres per day. The guy put lots of weight, almost blew up his liver and looked
and felt terrible. It took him 5 months to return to his normal body weight and
he hopes he hasn’t done himself any long term internal damage! I’ve been craving a cheeky Sausage &
Egg McMuffin and Big Mac and after watching that I’ll only have one a day when I
get back!!! If
anyone is reading our blogs and thinks “I fancy a bit of that Rowing
challenge”………well, firstly good on you and secondly you have 2 options;
I
know that Rich has recently given you an update on how his body is holding up so
here it is from my side. Hands -
I still have both hands and all the right amount of fingers and thumbs so
I’m doing okay. No major blistering although my major concern is the lack of
strength I have in them. Each day we have to light our Jet Boil (modern Calor
Gas stove) using a cigarette lighter as the ignition button has broken although
I barely have enough strength to do that – it is a real effort. Even pulling the
110 metres of line in from the para anchor hurts like
hell! Bum
–
Thankfully it is doing okay so far. I’ve been wearing Granuflex (big bum
plasters designed for disabled people with bed sores) for 75% of the crossing
although every time you jump in the water they get wet and have to be ripped
off. I’ve suggested for Rich to try these but he doesn’t think they will help
him. Feet
-
No blisters to report and apart from a few red areas nothing to worry
about at all. Sunburn
–
Still
the right hand side of my body is much darker than my left. I haven’t worked out
a way yet of rectifying this. Mentally
–
As
you’ve probably read Rich is having some low times, I have too but perhaps I’m
not so vocal about it. We both have our own way of approaching the mental side
of things. I don’t take it personally if the weather is bad, it’s to be
expected. I mentally prepared myself for a 60-70 day crossing – obviously I was
hoping we’d go quicker but this is what we are now on schedule for. If it goes
beyond 70 days I will just have to refocus out here. Also, I feel that we have
chosen to be out here, we have put ourselves in this position, nobody has forced
us and that I don’t feel I have the right to call Laura or home to say how tough
it is, how low I’m feeling and break down over the phone. People at home are
worried enough about us being out here let alone hearing me like that. My view
is, we got ourselves into this and we can get ourselves out of it. Neither of
our approaches is right or wrong, it’s just how 2 individuals deal with the same
situation differently. Anyhow,
on a lighter note…….joke of the day has to go Nelson after his bombardment of 20
texts this was the pick of the bunch; What
does bungee jumping and hookers have in common? They both cost a hundred bucks
and if the rubber breaks you’re screwed! Nels
– we’ll take your word that Hookers cost $100! The
row must go on – Antigua here we come. Barnesy
Sarah
Grimes –
Reynolds
has offered to come round and make you feel
better????? |