Crikvenica – Swimming Blue

So I started the summer break with no exercise except swimming. I couldn’t even walk home with my left arm. After a week or two of rest, the shoulder pain was gone, although I still couldn’t lie on my left side. Others competed in open water events and I watched their coverage with envy. I also only visited the WC as a spectator, although it was indeed a great experience.

When the end of July came, I ventured back into the pool. Because my left shoulder was weak from the enforced rest, I only managed a kilometer and a half at first, and it was still slow… But by August 15, I had to pull myself together because ŠI couldn’t miss the 3.5km between Jilo and Crikvenica. I had to rest for two days between swims because of my shoulder, and it was still getting more and more painful. A week before the race, I swam 2.5km and at the end I could barely move my arm, but that strengthened my belief that I could succeed in the 3500m at sea.

I didn’t swim for two days before the race to get my shoulder in top shape. I wasn’t entirely sure it would work, but I had to give it a try. This open water event is my favorite, it features a beautiful setting, great organization, and a “family” atmosphere. It would have been unbearable to miss this and watch others go by on the other side. So I did it, or as I said at the time, I “took it.”

After my morning coffee, I walked to the departure point, collected my luggage, and waited for the boat from Crikvenica in the beautiful sunshine. Šinto a hole. As the boat set out and crossed the waves (luckily not too many), I already felt that there was no turning back, or at least there was, only swimming. We changed clothes and packed things that were not needed for swimming, and I ran into the port in my pants and goggles and looked at the dock. I even cried a little, maybe because of the emotion of being here again, maybe because I felt that this might be the last time.

As the start time approached – because here everyone started at the same time – 500 participants “singing” jumped from the pier into the 4-5 meters deep water, plunged into the natural pool, and adjusted their hats and glasses. I met a few more Hungarians and was happy to see more and more compatriots going through this ordeal with me.

After the whistle blew, I slowly started to swim – this time it was not a race, not a time result, but to swim to the other side… The water was a little less this year. It was transparent, but you could still see 5-6 meters deep. When I approached the rocky point at one kilometer, I came to a boat. I was shocked when I couldn’t surpass him no matter how hard I tried. Flow! I was desperately thinking that I couldn’t even swim to the rocky point like this, when I finally realized that the boat was actually moving strongly towards the rock with the help of the motor, and it didn’t drop anchor. Wow, I just followed their instructions!

After leaving köfok, head to the church tower – it’s only 2.5 km away. I barely used my left arm to pull, so my shoulder held up well. In fact, nothing special happened on this stretch, I swam very slowly along the big yellow buoy towards Crikvenica. At the end, I even uttered a little “hajra” when I swam to the finish line and into the small pool. It worked! (My time was 1:04, by the way.) My shoulder didn’t hurt that much either, I finished the task. On the beach, I rehearsed about ten cold white wines, and I was in a state of complete euphoria. I had kicked the prize box a little, but it was pleasant anyway, and the pain relief effect was not painful.

After the competition, “awake”, I already knew that something had to be done with my shoulder. As soon as we returned to Hungary, I made an appointment for an MRI scan. In early September, I lay in the tube (ok, it was a scary thing, noisy, scary), and a few days later I found out: among other things, the labrum was torn in the back. Unfortunately, this condition is not curable and requires surgery. For the next consultation, I went to the private clinic of the doctor at the Sports Hospital – he confirmed that if I still wanted to move my shoulder, surgery would be necessary. When should the operation be performed? I said as soon as possible, and he agreed.

The next day, my phone rang with someone who had just cancelled the procedure and could do it this week. Off to the lab. There was no going back—but I was used to it.