One of the things about swimming the English Channel is that it’s cold. From everything I can gather, not unbearably, Lynne Cox “Swimming to Antarctica” cold, but cold enough that you have to spend some time acclimatizing to cold water swimming or you’ll be in deep doo-doo. Lubing up your body with Vaseline or similar types of “grease” can help shield you from the cold for a few hours too. And most interestingly, having a few extra lbs on your frame is actually a good thing too– more blubber to keep you insulated.

As it happens, I recently had the good fortune of attaining my highest weight ever, and while I’m not grossly out of shape, it does leave me in a bit of a dilemma. Do I drop the weight and get back into fighting shape with the idea that it’ll help me train better? Do I make an effort to keep the weight on, despite the piles of calories I’ll be burning? Do I just let the cards fall where they may?

I’m leaning toward option three, with the thought that if somehow I manage to shrink down to my high school svelte self, I’ll be able to enjoy the spoils over the summer at the beach, and then I can simply pack the pounds back on in the final couple of months before the swim.