I swam the Great Chesapeake Bay 4.4-Mile Swim last Sunday for the fourth time. It was the first time I had participated since 2011. Back then I wasn’t in the best of shape and the conditions were very tough. The air temperature was 95 and the water temperature above 80. It was a grueling, unpleasant grind. I remember telling Donna to never let me do it again. This time it was a completely different experience. I really enjoyed the swim. The air and water temperatures were just about perfect (80 degrees and 72 degrees), although seas were pretty rough—especially during the second half of the swim. I had a better attitude going in, I was physically and mentally prepared, I had a music player—a gift from my kids—to keep my head clear and I was excited for about a week before. Maybe I needed something to be excited about. I was excited on the early-morning drive from Columbia, past Annapolis and across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the park-and-ride near Kent Narrows