Preparing to Win - Part 2

Race Tips

Just as a bad stroke can get ingrained in your muscle memory if your technique is not corrected, in the same way, thought patterns also get ingrained in your brain, and either help you or hold you back.

When I run a workshop or a mentorship session with a top athlete today, a lot of what he or she shares is similar to my own experience of stress on race days. Issues range from feeling too much muscle stress just before a race, to fear of failure and sometimes even, fear of success. Swimmers often talk to me about how their focus shifts pre-race, to worrying more about what the person in the next lane is going to do, rather than on their own swim! And then of course, every once in a way, I come across an extremely talented individual, the hardest worker in the pool, who is expected to win, but ends up being the biggest let down, because he or she let a number of these negative factors overpower their natural ability.

Some of best timings even at world meets have been recorded at relay swims. Yes, you do get the advantage of a rolling start, but the biggest factor for swims that shock the world have been that the athlete’s mind is focused on just that one thought of swimming for his team with little or no attention to what others are doing in the pool, and less stress. On a more personal level, there have been times when I have looked at the touch pad display and been shocked with the timings I clocked on relay times. It felt so easy! And that was because my mind was excited enough to ignore pain and negative thoughts that otherwise cloud focus.

Developing race-day equilibrium needs you to recognise the patterns you’ve unconsciously allowed yourself to develop and perhaps even nurtured unknowingly.

Preparing to Win

When I was 9 years old, racing In Mumbai, my coach told me that I would never get over the nervousness I felt on the starting blocks, no matter how many times I raced. I didn’t believe him at the time, but looking back over twenty years of competitive swimming, I think, I have to agree with him. I was as nervous for my first race at 7 as I was for my last one at 27!

Many swimmers do better in training, where there is little pressure, and end up clocking slower times at meets when it matters most. The best athletes in the world, however, figure out how to be at their physical and, more importantly, mental best when it really matters. Through my competitive career in the pool, though the nerves never left, I got consistently better at dealing with the stress of competition, the excitement, and the pressure that inevitably comes with it.

There are only two ways you are ever going to approach a competition. One is stressed and scared, and the other is excited and waiting to get up there and win! I tell swimmers that I train, that you have to consciously develop the skill, just as I did over a period of time, to recognize the nervousness, excitement and all the pressure of expectation that exists, and use that energy to drive you to do your very best on race-day. This is as important as the hours of physical training you put in to be your best.

I often joke with swimmers about how we train several kilometers through a training week, and come race-day, swim so little! So, we must love racing because it is so much less work. Most laugh and agree, and there are a few who admit that race prep and race-days are what they hate the most !

So to start the year, I’m going to share some thoughts on how you can prepare and deal with stress leading up to race-day to race better. My advice comes from what I’ve learnt through training with some of the best coaches in the world, observing what the world’s best did at big swim meets, as well as figuring out for myself, little ways and means of distracting from what isn’t good for my focus, and paying attention to what really is!

Just Ah! Hospitality

I like this chain of budget hotels.

Travel for sport or work, has always been a part of my life and with so much travel, you end up staying in many, many hotel rooms.

Bangalore was my home for 13 years as a swimmer, and I continue to visit the city even now, to coach national and state level swimmers.

I've stayed at JüSTa hotels in Bangalore twice over the last year, and always returned rested and satisfied. Their central location, clean rooms, delicious meals and provision of essential facilities like laundry, fitness centres and free WiFi along with efficient personal service, check off all the must-haves for an excellent budget brand.

On my first visit, I got a special welcome from the
Hospitality and Brand team - Ms. Shwetha Desai and Mr. Karthik Sheshadri.

The JüSTa property, located on MG Road, the vibrant and lively heart of the city, has a lovely, spacious penthouse that is surprisingly quiet considering its location, making it my personal favourite. Room interiors are styled by fashion designer Deepika Govind, and the hand-picked Burma teak furniture and contemporary Indian art creates a unique home-like ambience in each room.

My personal favourite room from JüSTa M. G. Road.

Mr. Shyam and Mr. Rakesh from the hospitality team
taking time out to making my golf trip the nicest

My timings are unusual. Swim workshops often begin as early at 6 am, or my stay might end with a very early round of golf at the Prestige Golfshire, near the airport. The staff at JüSTa have always been kind enough to accommodate my odd timings by putting together delicious breakfasts at these unearthly hours, and ensuring a smooth check out.

Breakfast at 5 am, Chef Kiran and Raju are always the sweetest!!!!

JüSTa is also engaged in several other activities that have caught my interest! Through their "Go Green" initiative, the brand has made several efforts to protect and preserve the environment. From installing solar water heating systems to ensuring procurement of products through organic fair trade and that have been produced without child labour, the hotels definitely show a social and environment consciousness that has my vote. 

I've now stayed with this chain thrice and I intend to do so again once again this month.

You can connect with them on the following handles:

www.justahotels.com or visit their Facebook and Twitter pages well.

The Luxe List - St. Regis

Sumptuous silence in constant chaos, for me it's the ultimate luxury. Changes in technology create 24x7 connectivity, and its subsequent impact on lifestyles has created a shift in culture and communication, and a deep interest in less tangible forms of luxury, such as the longing for space and time.

The St Regis, Mumbai - A beautiful view of the city from the Grand Deluxe Room

The St. Regis, Mumbai, is one of my favourite getaways in the city, because its an oasis of calm in the midst of Mumbai's usual pandemonium.  Its very central location makes it easily accessible from Bandra to Nariman Point, a big plus when you want to catch a breather in-between business demands that need you to criss-cross the city. Plush, well appointed rooms that are complemented by very pretty views of the Mahalaxmi race course cascading into the Arabian sea beyond, inspire a sense of calm that makes you momentarily forget the mad traffic you negotiated just before you walked into the hotel's plush 9th floor lobby.

The bar at St. Regis

Here are 5 of my recommendations for you to get your slice of me-time at this newest address for luxury in the city:

1. Treat tired muscles to one of the many signature treatments of the hotel's Iridium Spa, an idyllic sanctuary to rejuvenate and rebalance the mind and body
2. Relax with a cup of the finest beverages at #AfternoonTea, one of the hotel's classic rituals that takes place every evening at The Drawing Room
3. Get your endorphins to kick in with a workout at their state of the art gym or with a relaxing dip in their outdoor pool 
4. De-stress with some shopping at the Palladium Mall below which features the best in brands from Brooks Brothers and Zegna to Gucci, Burberry and Boss
5. Explore the hotel's gorgeous Art Tour that has the soon-becoming iconic #MumbaiMural as its piece d'resistance 

The amazing #MumbaiMural at St. Regis

I haven't got around yet to trying the hotel’s award-winning cuisine. But being the Parsi foodie that I am, I certainly will, and you can watch this space for more on that!

These are a few of my favourite..

"Let me tell you something. I came here to win a trophy…for sheer bloody pride at being the best, that's why we do this." Harry Vardon, The Greatest Game Ever Played.

They say you truly fall in love only once. I've fallen hard, twice over, and it's been for a sport both times! Or maybe it is just winning, that I love so much. It was a summer afternoon two years ago; I'd just moved from Bangalore to Pune having retired from 20 years of professional swimming. The life of a professional swimmer is very demanding with long hours of training in the pool and gym, and having achieved more than I imagined possible in the sport for India, I was figuring out what to do next. I do a lot of motivational speaking these days, and one of my main messages to people is that you should try to find something you love doing and are willing to work hard at. When you find that something you are willing to go the distance for, you will be successful. Someone gave me this movie to watch in my suddenly very empty day – The Greatest Game Ever Played - and suggested that I try golf. I went to the Pune Course the next day, and after hitting a few balls, found what I think will be my calling for the next 20 years!

Over the last two years, as I've travelled for work and leisure, I've had the privilege to play across several courses in the world and here's a list of my favourite courses so far.

Emirates Golf Club, Dubai: I recently watched Rory McIlroy win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at this beautiful course, and am also playing there again this week.  A stunning clubhouse, combined with the natural rolling desert terrain for serious golfing on two of the cities finest must-play courses (the Majlis and the Faldo Course), the EGC is the recipient of a host of awards including Golf World magazines 'Top 100 Golf Courses in the World' and  'Best Course Middle East' in the Asian Golf Monthly Awards 2010. And if you've had a busy day at work, it may interest you to know that EGC also is the only 18-hole course in the region to offer night golf. A host of F&B options to unwind over, Le Classique the club's award-winning French fine dining restaurant with a menu that includes both classic favourites and new dishes with a modern twist, has my vote for an unforgettable dining experience.

My All-time Favourite Monsoon Retreats

There's something about the monsoons that have always had the poets very inspired. And while the city's an unbelievable mess if you're trying to dodge potholed roads, pavements crowded with hawkers and pedestrians or just the traffic that's moving at a snail's pace, there are some places that immediately take you right back to that inspiring, sweet spot like the poets, even in the urban jungle.

As a professional swimmer, you need to swim all year round to keep up with your fitness routine. So rain, hail or sunshine, we'd have to be in the pool everyday swimming that mandatory 15 kms; anything except if it thundered, really, when the coach would reluctantly agree to let us off because of the imminent risk of electrocution. And trust me this gives you an even deeper appreciation for how pretty the rain looks - out there!

So here's a list of some of my favorite monsoon retreats:

1. The Palladium Hotel, Mumbai

One of my favorite monsoon retreats in Mumbai is the Palladium Hotel, with its floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city, Mahalaxmi Race Course and the Arabian Sea. The hotel's plush contemporary interiors with opulent chandeliers, marble and traditional mosaic motifs, blend with rich velvets and dramatic sculptures, to create a warm ambience. It's the perfect setting to sit back with your cup of espresso and that special someone and watch the monsoon clouds break the sweltering heat and wash the city clean. If you're getting restless, you can walk down to the luxurious High Street Phoenix Mall, watch a movie, shop for a range of labels, relish a delicious meal or just lie back in your room and enjoy the view!

Must Try: The Tiger Tear Maki at the award-winning Japanese restaurant Yuuka is one of Chef Ting's signature dishes.

Dubai Dairies - Part 4

I started swimming at 7, and loved competing, so becoming a professional swimmer was meant to be. I was fortunate that the passion I felt, translated to success and I became one of India's best in the sport. I've recently taken up a new sport - Golf, and now dream of tasting the same success in this as well. My golf coach, Justin Parsons, is based in Dubai, and teaches at the Butch Harmon School of Golf, which trains some of the world's best golfers today. This means I get to Dubai quite frequently, and along with my golf training, because I love to travel, am becoming quite the expert on the many entertaining things this incredible city has on offer.

Given my affinity for the water, it's not surprising that one of the things I've really enjoyed in Dubai is the interactive programme for guests at the Dolphin Bay in Atlantis, the Palm where you can get up close with some of their Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphins in a beautiful 4.5 hectare environment.

Maybe it's their seeming smiles, or tales of friendliness that surround this mammal; perhaps it's their incredible intelligence or their emotional connect with humans, but something about dolphins has always fascinated me. As a professional swimmer you learn to live by the clock, and all your effort is geared to getting as streamlined as possible, to building power and reducing resistance, with the goal of cutting that minuscule fraction of a second from your race time. So when you see a dolphin, do a 100 meter dash in just over 10 seconds, something that you know as a professional swimmer, would take the fastest human being about 4 times as long to finish, you're bound to feel a splash of awe and wonder for these extraordinary animals.

With seven interconnected resident pools and three interaction lagoons complete with temperature controlled water, sandy beaches and landscaped gardens, I think these dolphins have it really good, much better than many of the training facilities for pro-athletes back home! So I wasn't surprised to hear that the dolphins at Atlantis have not only reproduced in the absence of a formal breeding programme but also are expected to live much longer than they might in the wild.

Dubai Dairies - Part 3

When you spend more than 1500 hours a year in the water, training as a professional swimmer, there are only two reactions humanly possible – you'll either absolutely love the water or never want to see it again when you're done! Water's definitely my first love, which is why even though I've now switched to a new sport, Golf, I still absolutely love being in and around water. It's one of the reasons I like Atlantis, the Palm, in Dubai, with its huge aquariums, private beaches, pools and marine habitats for dolphins and sea lions, so much. That and the fact that I'm Parsi, which I think makes me a foodie by default. This place has no less than 23 different restaurants, bars, lounges and cafes promising cuisines to suit every mood!

So if you get to Atlantis, which is a destination in itself, here are my top 5 must-try food places:

Dubai Dairies - Part 2

The good thing about being a professional swimmer is the high calorie burn out because of the intense workout, which for me equals enjoying decadent food while touring or on holidays, without too much guilt. This comes particularly in handy when you're dining at a restaurant like Levantine, at Atlantis the Palm, Dubai.

Atlantis the Palm - Luxury redefined

One of the hotel's 23 bars, restaurants and cafés, Levantine is Atlantis' strictly 'Lebanese affair'. With a panoramic show kitchen and an elegant vibe, the restaurant is distinctively Middle Eastern and infused with an explosion of colours and Oriental influences. If you’re craving Arabic food in Dubai, this is a great choice. Though fairly pricey, the relaxed ambiance with its live Lebanese music and dramatic belly dancing makes for a wonderful evening.

Dubai Diaries - Part 1

"The most beautiful thing in the world, is of course, the world itself." I am a self-confessed travel junkie and foodie. But the life of a professional swimmer is gruelling and involves a lot of sacrifices in the interest of training. For the better part of my 20 year career in competitive swimming, holidays and travel were determined by locations that had a pool I could train in through the vacation, or destinations around the world where swim meets happened. Now that I've switched to Golf, my travel is as often guided by locations with the best golf courses to play on. Dubai has always been very special to me; I've raced in important meets here with memorable performances. Today I train with coach Justin Parsons at the Butch Harmon School of Golf, in Dubai, and get to the city quite often. And Atlantis the Palm, in Dubai, where I stayed on my most recent visit, is a jewel that really must be discovered by everyone who visits this city.

With its enviable position atop the crescent of The Palm, the resort spans 46 hectares with 17 hectares of water themed amusement at Aquaventure Waterpark, an open-air marine habitat featuring extensive fresh and salt-water pools, all located on a long stretch of beach and a delectable choice of restaurants. Each dimension of the resort offers a taste of Arabia, as well as a playful nod to the ocean and the myth of Atlantis-from sun-kissing spires and Moorish archways to a sunken city filled with exotic sea creatures and suites with a fish eye's view into an underwater haven.

I've always had a special connect with water and that's probably one of the reasons I love this hotel so much. You can get up close and personal with the most lovable of sea creatures from feeding the Eagle, Leopard and Cownose Rays to petting Sea Lions or just view some exotic marine life from a distance by visiting the Atlantis themed aquarium - The Lost Chambers.

Every swim race, once you hit the water, begins with a powerful up and down kick with your feet together. This kick is used to propel forward building on the momentum from your dive or push off the wall. It’s probably the fastest you'll ever go in the pool and it's called the dolphin kick. The reason is that fish swim moving their tails side to side, while the dolphin moves its tail up and down. Of course a dolphin will do a 100-meter dash 4 times as fast as the fastest human! But these are just some of the fun facts you’ll learn in the interaction with these lovely mammals at the Dolphin Bay in Atlantis.

I enjoyed this dolphin interaction so much that I decided to try the "Ultimate Snorkel", which allowed me to get into their massive aquarium with over 60,000 fish, including reef sharks, a hammerhead, a number of rays and was a truly unique experience. I've always watched fish swim and tried to move with the same rhythm for my swimming, but being one with the fish, both the lethal and pretty ones, is a memory I'll never lose!


WHERE TO EAT:
Atlantis has 20 bars, restaurants and cafes. Here's my review of a few that I tried and liked that you might want to give a shot to on your next visit!

Entrepreneurship Lessons from an Olympic Swimmer - Part 2

This is the second in series of articles on lessons for success learnt from a lifetime in sport by Olympic Swimmer Rehan Poncha.

In my last blog, I wrote about two character traits in my approach to sport that seem especially relevant in the context of becoming a successful entrepreneur. The first was having dreams, sometimes so seemingly impossible, that even I doubted I could live them. And the second was being stupid enough to just not accept defeat when it stared me in the face. Today, I want to elaborate on one more lesson that has stood me in good stead as part of my learning from a lifetime in sport. It's about setting priorities and valuing time.

A Stitch in time saves nine

As a swimmer you know every second counts. In fact even a fraction of a second is so crucial when it comes to a race. And as swimmers we work so hard on our stroke, that turn, the kick, that pull, wear suffocating bodysuits and so much more, all with this one goal of getting more efficient and saving time! As an athlete you learn to value time. The time you take to race measured by the clock, the time you spend training to make your dreams come true, the time you have in between to get all the other chores ticked off on your to-do list, and the precious few hours you have free for everything else.

Entrepreneurship Lessons from an Olympic Swimmer

"I never got this far in my dreams", famously said pro-golfer, Bubba Watson on being asked how it felt to win the Master's Championship. Like Bubba, it is these dreams that wake me up every morning to go and train, keep me motivated on tough days to grind it out and keep me believing that someday this effort will help me wake up to living my dream and more!

 

Every stroke brought me closer towards achieving my dreams.

Ever since I can remember, I've had two very strong character traits in my approach to sport, that I'd like to write about today, especially in the context of becoming a successful entrepreneur. The first was having dreams, sometimes so seemingly impossible, that even I doubted I could live them. And the second was being stupid enough to just not accept defeat when it stared me in the face.

5 Tips to Swim a better Butterfly

There's a unique flamboyance in the butterfly stroke, that's not quite there in any of the other strokes, I think. Watch someone swim a butterfly lap in a regular pool and sure enough most heads will turn to watch. Especially if it's swum really well.

But butterfly is probably one of the hardest strokes to train for and to compete in. Most swimmers fear the 200 fly which was my event at the Beijing Olympics, and many more hate a fly distance set in training. However it's my experience, that training in this stroke will help you work muscles that don't get worked on quite as much in other strokes, strengthen your aerobic and anaerobic capacity, and make you a much tougher swimmer mentally as well. There was a certain arrogance with which I would brag about the huge fly sets that I did in training and it was also this confidence that I took to a race, knowing that being able to complete those sets meant I was supremely fit.

So here are five tips from me to help you swim a more efficient butterfly, which I believe will make both training and racing easier. And hey, even if you're swimming recreationally, why not swim this well and make those heads turn!

CHIN UP:

Your head position in all four strokes is of crucial importance. I've said this before as well; your body will always do what your head dictates!

Many flyers make the mistake of coming up too high to breathe because they feel they are struggling to swim the stroke and in that moment of exhaustion or panic overcompensate by pushing a large part of their upper body out of the water when they surface for a breath. Remember that the less effort you make to come up for air, the smoother will be your stroke.

I always tell swimmers to lift their head just enough for their chin to crest the surface of the water as they inhale, letting the water graze past, without allowing any more of their upper body to surface. This is a powerful stroke and using the right technique will help you conserve energy for where you need it most. When you tire through training or in a race, it's easiest to start making mistakes in your technique and I would use the position of my chin as a checkpoint for accuracy of technique, ensuring it seemingly rested on an imaginary cushion - the water -right through the in-breath.

5 Tips to a Better Breaststroke

Hello! This is the third in my series of blogs on stroke correction and I'm focusing today on breaststroke, a stroke many of us begin with.

Every swimmer is built differently, some have stronger upper bodies and some have stronger legs. Strength distribution through the body dictates how a swimmer swims breaststroke, and thus every breaststroker will swim in a slightly different way from his competitor. However here are a few key tips to swim a better breaststroke ! Hope they help !

High Elbows:

Making sure you pull through with a high elbow is most important. A lot of swimmers end up dropping their elbows through their pull, thus losing out on pulling as much water back as they possibly can. Dropping your elbows in breaststroke has a lot to do with weak rotator cuff muscles and I always encourage breaststrokers to do external rotation rotator cuff exercises as a matter of habit so they can maintain the high elbow pull with ease. Remember the higher your elbow, the more water you push back and the further you move forward on each stroke!

Head Position:

Each swimmer likes to exit the water at an angle he is comfortable with. I always have watched that most good breastrokers exit the water both upward and forward as well. By this I mean,they do not chest the water whilst coming up to breathe, an error that novice swimmers do often make. Your ability to hit the right angle can be improved by using your head and eyes as a checkpoint. One exercise that's helpful is to try exiting the water with your eyes still looking downwards at the pool floor.Through all the time you spend above the water, keep your eyes looking at the pool and time you spend breathing will be spent more efficiently, and helping you find just the right angle.

5 Tips for a Better Backstroke

Since I'm doing so much work with swimmers on stroke correction these days, the second blog in my series of tips on stroke correction focuses on getting better in the pool in backstroke!

Head position:

You need a steady head to go through life smoothly, and it's literally as important to have a steady head if you want to swim your backstroke in the best way possible. It's the most important part of your body in this stroke.The more steady you keep your head, the straighter you will swim. No one wants to swim more than the race distance and swimming crooked with an unsteady head will only slow you down, and yes increase distance. A steady head promotes rotating around your spine and avoids lateral movements. One drill that I always did to work on developing steadiness was to place my goggles on the centre of my forehead and swim laps, without allowing them to fall off. Remember, the less movement your head has, the more stable you will be in the water, and the faster you will go.

Rotation:

Learning to rotate around your spine in backstroke is key to swimming efficiently. I would always work on trying to get my shoulder to graze my chin and get it totally under my chin on each stroke.That way my body would be entirely on its side, with my pulling arm digging deep into the water for a better pull.The "six kicks on each side" drill was my favourite, as it helped strengthen my rotational power when done at speed and this also helped me swim better freestyle. In short, swim backstroke on your side, not on your back !

5 tips on how to Swim a great Freestyle

Olympian Swimmer and Arjuna Awardee, Rehan Poncha, often starts his SwimSmart clinics talking about the importance of looking good in the water. Whether you are a competitive swimmer or just swim for fitness or fun…here are 5 quick tips from the ace swimmer on how to swim a great free-style...

Hello! This is one of my favourite strokes and here are my top 5 tips on swimming a great freestyle.

1. KEEP A STEADY HEAD: Your body does what your head decides! In life and more so in freestyle. The steadier your head is, the more stable you will be in water. The dry-land exercises I teach in my clinics help to master this technique of keeping the head steady while rotating from your hips. People are often so worried about being technically correct with their arms and legs; they forget that in this stroke, balance comes mostly from two parts of the body - the head and the hips. So conserve your energy, work on developing stability of the head, eyes looking down at the floor of the pool, body parallel to the floor of the pool, head in line with the spine with the forehead submerged.





2. BREATHE EASY: Great swimmers look very relaxed in water. One common error I find during stroke correction sessions is that swimmers rotate their heads, very suddenly, to one side and also very high for inhalation. This not only destabilizes the entire body, it wastes a lot of energy. I like to ask if the oxygen up in the sky is different from that just above the water. Since its not, why make such an effort? When you do this, your body acts like a see saw, and your legs drop creating a lot of drag. Instead, turn on your side, and let your head rotate gently a little further until your mouth clears the water, and it's as though your head was resting sideways on a pillow. Inhale, and return to the head down position, where you exhale continuously underwater.

My Open Letter To The PM of India

Dear Mr Narendra Modi,

I write to you as an athlete of the country you lead and have been elected to better.

Amidst the hysteria around the football World Cup, a news channel broke the story of a few MLA's who were going to Brazil to watch the World Cup under the pretext that they needed to see how an event as big as the this was being managed. A day later, after much public outrage, this junket was scrapped and the ministers cancelled their trip!

I have been a swimmer for the majority of my life, represented my country abroad for over 15 years and have no connection to the game of football. However, when I saw this story unfold on television it brought feelings of nothing but anger and frustration, disgust and regret that I did not speak up earlier!

Let me say first off, that my experience of the two National Games at Hyderabad and Assam, was that they were managed and organised extremely well! Therefore this justification of needing to watch the World Cup to learn how an event is conducted does not seem believable, specially when no such event is planned for India at present, other than the IPL which is anyway spectacularly managed.

That being said, this incident makes me want to share two instances to draw your attention to the sad and disgusting state of affairs in our country written from an athletes point of view!

Golf Diaries - Scotland

Some moments in life are so dear that we end up cherishing them, holding them close to our hearts, and no matter what life throws at us in our most trying times, their memory brings a smile to our faces.

A month back, my family and I had the good fortune of taking time off together for a ten day break in London and Scotland. Obsessed as I am with my golf and training, I was dying to play the courses at both places.

Golf in London did not happen and that drove me crazy. How did I compensate? I let London and its people see a ridiculously eccentric side of me, executing imaginary swings and doing shadow practice in the most unlikely of spaces...well, everywhere I went really, from hotels and restaurants to the Big Ben and the National Art Gallery!

At the National Art Gallery, London.

Scotland was next and I was really hoping I'd get to play there. It had been ten days since I had last trained and this was probably the longest I had gone without hitting a golf ball in the last two years! 

The Gods gave in as we arrived at a lovely place called Wick, in Scotland. We checked in at this awesome castle-turned-hotel-on-a-cliff-by-the-sea made only more spectacular by the fact that it was minutes away from the Wick Golf Club, the oldest established Golf Course in the highlands of Scotland!