Guess what? My blog has moved, Yip a change is a coming, lots of exciting training still to come and I want your company along the way, you can find my latest adventures at
http://brynnswim.com
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Pool Swim: Tread, Gulp & Go
Date: Saturday May 14th
Time: 8:00am
Location: The Swimming Hole, Indoor Lap Pool
The Workout: Steak Dinner set
Today's focus is..
In my swim bag is my new black TYR suit, I am planning to swim in it in Ireland and want to break it in so it is a little worn, molded to me and less likely to chaff.
Also in my bag is my feed, 4 servings of Maxim and water, these are in two pop top bottles with a wide mouth, there are levels on the bottles marking 250 and 500mls so I know how much to chug each feed, I also have a water bottle and a recovery drink of Gatorade and whey protein.
Finally the workout, written in pencil on canary yellow lined paper, no ink jet printer, it doesn't fair well after flip turns..... all the ink runs
Here is the workout, intervals are set for a 25 meter pool
10 x repeats on the 6:15 Interval ( my swim is 10 x 400's)
#1 - 9 75% effort Feed after number 4 & 9
# 10 Threshold Swim 85% effort+
10 x repeats on the 3:15 Interval ( my swim is 10 x 200's)
# 1 - 6 Recovery Pull with paddles
# 7- 10 Good Effort Swims
10 Repeats on the 2:00 Interval ( my swim is 10 x 100's)
# 1- 6 Ez Stretch, steady pace
# 7-10 Descend, # 10 Good Effort swim
10 x Repeats on the 1:15 Interval ( my swim is 10 x 50s)
Odd Ez stretch
Even Sprint, hold your time, last is your fastest
10 x 25's with 15 seconds rest ( swim down fast, ez back)
Swim Buddies
Swimming with me today is Cynthia, she is the best to swim with, super positive and good energy, Cynthia started swimming less than 2 years ago, she is an amazing athlete and unstoppable, she has taken swim lessons, joined our masters swim workout group and practiced, practiced, practiced and it shows, what fun!
Also in the water is " Fast Phil", he is a monster in the water, his strongest stroke is his backstroke, it amazes me every time I swim with him, he also has a strong freestyle too, that combined with a terrific work ethic makes for a terrific swim bud.
We begin
Cynthia and I arrive early and knock out the warm up, Phil arrives at the perfect time we are just about to start the 10 x 400's.
Goal is steady aerobic pace for the first 9, 1 through 4 are all 5:45 to 5:55 swims, after number 4 I feed, treading water I navigate gulping down my feed, I have 25 seconds to get it down, done, bottle down and gone. # 5, # 6, # 7, # 8....OK, 1 more 400 then I am going to feed again and after that it is time to push out a " beat the tide threshold swim", my goal to feed in under 30 seconds, then swim 400 HARD and NOT THROW UP!
Number 9 swim complete, I grab the bottle " tread and gulp", the feed pours out, I gag it down, throw the bottle on the deck and push off the wall as hard as I can. My heart pounds, my arms spins, I can taste the feed, I hold it down, BAM I Punch the wall...a 5:25, I am pleased. I grab my water and begin to tread while I drink.
Next Set & welcome Sue
Sue joined us mid way through the 6:15 set, now we are a pod of 4, next up...
10 x 3:15 Interval Repeats ( my swims are 200s)
1 thru 6 are recovery pull with paddles, it feels like a nap in a big down comforter, dreamy, with all good things they go too fast and before we knew it we were onto 7 thru 10 good effort swims.
I am planning on descending, with a feed after number 9, here is how it goes..
Phil punches out after 2 strong hours of swimming, he has other commitments, we say our farewells and it is on to....
10 x Repeats on the 2:00 minute Interval ( mine are 10 x 100's )
1- 6 Recovery, again these were delicious, times 1:30s
7-10 Descend
10 x 50's on the 1: 15 Interval
# 1,3,5,7 & 9 are " nice and easy
# 2,4,6,8 & 10 are sprints, the goal hold..... time for the first 4 and punch it on the last one
The first sprint is too slow, my goal time is 38, I swim a 40, time to " man up"
# 4 38 seconds
# 6 38 seconds
# 8 37 seconds
#10 35 seconds Excellent
Homestretch
10 x 25s ( Down easy and fast back)
The sprints are breakouts, strong off the wall, sprint three quarters of the way down the pool without a breath, then easy to the wall, these zip by, finally it is # 10, " what the heck, all out and no air for the whole 25 meters on the last one....success, WAHOO!
Wrap up & Chat
We made it, all the feed bottles and water bottles are empty, all that was prescribed on the canary yellow paper is complete, we chat, after swim chats hanging over the lane lines are the BEST. We hang out long enough to cool off, then push off for a cool down, then it is out of the pool, into the hot shower and for me a 5km run...it is not in my training plan but I love to get outdoors and I love to run, I enjoy it very much.
Feed Me!
12:30, I am showered and dressed after my run, time to get home and refuel, I am starving! Next up lunch and a good dose of it.
What's coming up tomorrow, 9am Yoga and a day off training, 40,000 meters complete for the week. Coming up next planning..Ireland! Oh and why is called the " steak Dinner Set"? ...Guess what I am having for dinner!
Time: 8:00am
Location: The Swimming Hole, Indoor Lap Pool
The Workout: Steak Dinner set
Today's focus is..
- Pacing, swimming easy, swimming hard
- Changing gears, practicing swimming slow, then putting the pedal down and swimming hard, a " beat the tide pace"
- Treading water in between swims
- Feeding, gulp and go feeds in under 30 seconds while treading water
In my swim bag is my new black TYR suit, I am planning to swim in it in Ireland and want to break it in so it is a little worn, molded to me and less likely to chaff.
Also in my bag is my feed, 4 servings of Maxim and water, these are in two pop top bottles with a wide mouth, there are levels on the bottles marking 250 and 500mls so I know how much to chug each feed, I also have a water bottle and a recovery drink of Gatorade and whey protein.
Finally the workout, written in pencil on canary yellow lined paper, no ink jet printer, it doesn't fair well after flip turns..... all the ink runs
Here is the workout, intervals are set for a 25 meter pool
10 x repeats on the 6:15 Interval ( my swim is 10 x 400's)
#1 - 9 75% effort Feed after number 4 & 9
# 10 Threshold Swim 85% effort+
10 x repeats on the 3:15 Interval ( my swim is 10 x 200's)
# 1 - 6 Recovery Pull with paddles
# 7- 10 Good Effort Swims
10 Repeats on the 2:00 Interval ( my swim is 10 x 100's)
# 1- 6 Ez Stretch, steady pace
# 7-10 Descend, # 10 Good Effort swim
10 x Repeats on the 1:15 Interval ( my swim is 10 x 50s)
Odd Ez stretch
Even Sprint, hold your time, last is your fastest
10 x 25's with 15 seconds rest ( swim down fast, ez back)
Swim Buddies
Swimming with me today is Cynthia, she is the best to swim with, super positive and good energy, Cynthia started swimming less than 2 years ago, she is an amazing athlete and unstoppable, she has taken swim lessons, joined our masters swim workout group and practiced, practiced, practiced and it shows, what fun!
Also in the water is " Fast Phil", he is a monster in the water, his strongest stroke is his backstroke, it amazes me every time I swim with him, he also has a strong freestyle too, that combined with a terrific work ethic makes for a terrific swim bud.
We begin
Cynthia and I arrive early and knock out the warm up, Phil arrives at the perfect time we are just about to start the 10 x 400's.
Goal is steady aerobic pace for the first 9, 1 through 4 are all 5:45 to 5:55 swims, after number 4 I feed, treading water I navigate gulping down my feed, I have 25 seconds to get it down, done, bottle down and gone. # 5, # 6, # 7, # 8....OK, 1 more 400 then I am going to feed again and after that it is time to push out a " beat the tide threshold swim", my goal to feed in under 30 seconds, then swim 400 HARD and NOT THROW UP!
Number 9 swim complete, I grab the bottle " tread and gulp", the feed pours out, I gag it down, throw the bottle on the deck and push off the wall as hard as I can. My heart pounds, my arms spins, I can taste the feed, I hold it down, BAM I Punch the wall...a 5:25, I am pleased. I grab my water and begin to tread while I drink.
Next Set & welcome Sue
Sue joined us mid way through the 6:15 set, now we are a pod of 4, next up...
10 x 3:15 Interval Repeats ( my swims are 200s)
1 thru 6 are recovery pull with paddles, it feels like a nap in a big down comforter, dreamy, with all good things they go too fast and before we knew it we were onto 7 thru 10 good effort swims.
I am planning on descending, with a feed after number 9, here is how it goes..
- # 7 2:50
- # 8 2:45
- # 9 2:40
- # 10 2:35 and feed stays down!
Phil punches out after 2 strong hours of swimming, he has other commitments, we say our farewells and it is on to....
10 x Repeats on the 2:00 minute Interval ( mine are 10 x 100's )
1- 6 Recovery, again these were delicious, times 1:30s
7-10 Descend
- # 7 1:30
- # 8 1:25
- # 9 1:20
- # 10 1:15 in the thick of it another feed.
10 x 50's on the 1: 15 Interval
# 1,3,5,7 & 9 are " nice and easy
# 2,4,6,8 & 10 are sprints, the goal hold..... time for the first 4 and punch it on the last one
The first sprint is too slow, my goal time is 38, I swim a 40, time to " man up"
# 4 38 seconds
# 6 38 seconds
# 8 37 seconds
#10 35 seconds Excellent
Homestretch
10 x 25s ( Down easy and fast back)
The sprints are breakouts, strong off the wall, sprint three quarters of the way down the pool without a breath, then easy to the wall, these zip by, finally it is # 10, " what the heck, all out and no air for the whole 25 meters on the last one....success, WAHOO!
Wrap up & Chat
We made it, all the feed bottles and water bottles are empty, all that was prescribed on the canary yellow paper is complete, we chat, after swim chats hanging over the lane lines are the BEST. We hang out long enough to cool off, then push off for a cool down, then it is out of the pool, into the hot shower and for me a 5km run...it is not in my training plan but I love to get outdoors and I love to run, I enjoy it very much.
Feed Me!
12:30, I am showered and dressed after my run, time to get home and refuel, I am starving! Next up lunch and a good dose of it.
What's coming up tomorrow, 9am Yoga and a day off training, 40,000 meters complete for the week. Coming up next planning..Ireland! Oh and why is called the " steak Dinner Set"? ...Guess what I am having for dinner!
 |
| Yum Yums |
Friday, May 13, 2011
Swim Fast with Karlyn Pipes- Neilsen
November 2008
Location: Stowe, Vermont, USA
Goal: Swim Faster
Summer 2008, I decided my goal was speed, I wanted to get faster and I had a few specific events in mind, the 800 and 1500 Freestyle were top of the list. I had been swimming some open water and a good lashing of pool swimming, good old "pull up your socks and put in the hard work" training.
I knew there was more, as a coach and swim instructor I kept up with the terrific flow of information from the American Swim Coaches Association and USA Swimming, I was lucky enough to attend conferences where presentations were made by Olympic Coaches and viewing them working with athletes in the pool, it was great.
I was searching for instruction and coaching from someone who lived and breathed swimming, someone with a passion and had experience, swimming experience with a masters swimmer( aka swimmer 19 years and over!).....I needed someone to give me feedback and instruction to improve my technique, I needed HELP!
I researched, read reviews of clinics and programs, there are some terrific programs, coaches and instructors out there, I found the best of the best...Karlyn Pipes- Neilsen, I read that she lead clinics around the world, had set over 200 world records and was World Masters Swimmer of the Year, yip my gut told me to find one of her clinics.
Almost as if it was meant to be I received a New England Masters Club newsletter the very next day, Karlyn was leading clinics on the East Coast the very next month, I signed up for a clinic in Maine December Sunday December 7th. The clinic was 12:00-4:30pm, my cunning plan was to get up early on Sunday morning and drive to Maine that day and drive back after the clinic. I set my alarm for 5am, drive 6 hours, arrive at 11am, eat food and hit the clinic then drive home. What I didn't factor in was the possibility of a winter storm, it arrived and it was a doosie, I ended up getting up at 3am, leaving around 4am and made it to Maine at 11:30am a cool 7.5 hours later, after a white knuckled, slow driving road trip. The closer I got to Maine the more cars I saw off the road, each time I spied an abandoned car I shuddered, as you can imagine I arrived a little fatigued but I made it and was determined to learn as much as possible.
I checked into the clinic early, and sat quietly in the room with a couple of other eager early arrivers and patiently waited as Karlyn was setting up for the clinic, I instantly liked her, she was alert, organised and sharp, not only did I know she was fast from her records, she looked it too! I couldn't wait.
I obesrved the other clinic goers, all shapes and sizes, huge variations in experience and ability, the cool thing was we were all in this together...... to learn, it didn't matter if you were a struggling new comer or National record holder.
So How did it go?
The clinic was great, I learnt lots of new stuff , but here is the best thing Karlyn guided me to feel, even with techniques I had learned about from some of the US Olympic coaches presenting at recent conferneces ,she was cutting edge and delivered the information in a digestable way and helped me "feel", that combined with real time feedback lead to big improvements in my freestyle and yes I got faster!
How much Faster?
YES! Instand results, I had a New England Championship Meet at Boston University 5 days later, I was thrilled to break the New England Record for the 800 meters Freestyle, but here is the cool part, check out my time drop....
2008 800 meters Free time 11 minutes, 4 seconds
2008 800 meters 5 days after Karlyn's clinic 10:30.67
So what happened then, Karlyn also attended the championship meet setting a world record, I congratulated her and thanked her for all she did for me, since then I have attended multiple clinics with Karlyn and each time have left faster
2009 800 meter time 10:24.88
2010 800 meter time 10:20.77
I was impressed by Karlyn's ability to deliver stuff in a simple and easy to digest way, she showed a real passion to bring the joys of swimming to others.
We became friends and she comes up to Stowe when she is out east to lead a clinic and visit, I am fortunate to catch some training swims when she is in town and I LOVE IT!
How did April's training swims with Karlyn go....I'll keep you posted!
Location: Stowe, Vermont, USA
Goal: Swim Faster
Summer 2008, I decided my goal was speed, I wanted to get faster and I had a few specific events in mind, the 800 and 1500 Freestyle were top of the list. I had been swimming some open water and a good lashing of pool swimming, good old "pull up your socks and put in the hard work" training.
I knew there was more, as a coach and swim instructor I kept up with the terrific flow of information from the American Swim Coaches Association and USA Swimming, I was lucky enough to attend conferences where presentations were made by Olympic Coaches and viewing them working with athletes in the pool, it was great.
I was searching for instruction and coaching from someone who lived and breathed swimming, someone with a passion and had experience, swimming experience with a masters swimmer( aka swimmer 19 years and over!).....I needed someone to give me feedback and instruction to improve my technique, I needed HELP!
I researched, read reviews of clinics and programs, there are some terrific programs, coaches and instructors out there, I found the best of the best...Karlyn Pipes- Neilsen, I read that she lead clinics around the world, had set over 200 world records and was World Masters Swimmer of the Year, yip my gut told me to find one of her clinics.
Almost as if it was meant to be I received a New England Masters Club newsletter the very next day, Karlyn was leading clinics on the East Coast the very next month, I signed up for a clinic in Maine December Sunday December 7th. The clinic was 12:00-4:30pm, my cunning plan was to get up early on Sunday morning and drive to Maine that day and drive back after the clinic. I set my alarm for 5am, drive 6 hours, arrive at 11am, eat food and hit the clinic then drive home. What I didn't factor in was the possibility of a winter storm, it arrived and it was a doosie, I ended up getting up at 3am, leaving around 4am and made it to Maine at 11:30am a cool 7.5 hours later, after a white knuckled, slow driving road trip. The closer I got to Maine the more cars I saw off the road, each time I spied an abandoned car I shuddered, as you can imagine I arrived a little fatigued but I made it and was determined to learn as much as possible.
I checked into the clinic early, and sat quietly in the room with a couple of other eager early arrivers and patiently waited as Karlyn was setting up for the clinic, I instantly liked her, she was alert, organised and sharp, not only did I know she was fast from her records, she looked it too! I couldn't wait.
I obesrved the other clinic goers, all shapes and sizes, huge variations in experience and ability, the cool thing was we were all in this together...... to learn, it didn't matter if you were a struggling new comer or National record holder.
So How did it go?
The clinic was great, I learnt lots of new stuff , but here is the best thing Karlyn guided me to feel, even with techniques I had learned about from some of the US Olympic coaches presenting at recent conferneces ,she was cutting edge and delivered the information in a digestable way and helped me "feel", that combined with real time feedback lead to big improvements in my freestyle and yes I got faster!
How much Faster?
YES! Instand results, I had a New England Championship Meet at Boston University 5 days later, I was thrilled to break the New England Record for the 800 meters Freestyle, but here is the cool part, check out my time drop....
2008 800 meters Free time 11 minutes, 4 seconds
2008 800 meters 5 days after Karlyn's clinic 10:30.67
2009 800 meter time 10:24.88
2010 800 meter time 10:20.77
I was impressed by Karlyn's ability to deliver stuff in a simple and easy to digest way, she showed a real passion to bring the joys of swimming to others.
We became friends and she comes up to Stowe when she is out east to lead a clinic and visit, I am fortunate to catch some training swims when she is in town and I LOVE IT!
How did April's training swims with Karlyn go....I'll keep you posted!
Back outdoors on the Menu: Cold Water
Date: Friday May 13th, 2011
Air Temperature: 74 Degrees
Water Temperature: Blind Random, who knows for sure!
Swim Distance: 2000 Yards
Swim Time: 28 Minutes
Location: The Lap Pool
2 Months Rushed by...
It is almost 2 months since I was exploring the beaches and bays in Santa Barbara and San Francisco, when I arrived back from fighting the current in San Francisco Bay I had a new punch in my stroke, it was a " swim for your life effort" and I brought it back to my pool training and it was fun, faster times than I had swum before, yes like a kid in a candy store. The weeks went by fast and it wasn't long before the monotony of long pool swims crept back in, 40,000 meters per week,40,000 meters per week, each week rolled into one, will this winter ever end?
Spring Arrives....
Winter held on until the bitter end here in Vermont, but finally Spring burst out, this week has been sterling, clear blue skies, sunshine and a warmth in the air.
Yesterday after 3 stellar days I convinced myself it was time to take a drive to the lap pond, I threw in the Turtle thermometer and studied the water, dark, cool, and what is that, a jelly fish? I took a closer look, it looks like jelly fish alright but it isn't, it is a big clear glob of what looks like hundreds of little bugs, " I do hope they are not mosquitoes!", I say to myself." I'll worry about that when I come back to swim".
Turtle said, 62 degrees for a water temperature, I can hardly believe it, I zip away excited at the prospect of a Friday the 13th swim tomorrow.
Dawn and the Day is a real Beauty
I can't believe I am finally swimming outside today, new scenery, weird little jelly like cocoon things to look at and multiple fish jumping, yes I am going to have lots of company swimming today.
I decide a lunch time swim is the way to go, I dig out the 2 piece swim suit to get maximum cold exposure on my mid section, get lathered with lotion and off.
The sun is warming me as I drive to the pond, I park and lolly gag my way down to the edge, turtle goes in and I start fiddling around with my towel, my cap, my goggles, my sun glasses, I lay out my shorts, T shirt and fleece jacket, I fold them neatly, too neatly...yes I am stalling big time! I laugh at myself, " time to get this show on the road", I fish out turtle who has taken it upon himself to get a head start, he has floated defiantly away from the shore, I wade out " Oh dear, this is not 62, turtle" , I say as I feel the cold envelope around my legs, I have no doubt that turtle was telling the truth, it did feel balmy and warm on the surface a sure fire 62 degrees BUT, underneath it is cold, " well old girl, you know you are going to swim today regardless, do you really need to know the temperature below the surface is...hmmmm NO, just go for it", and I do.
Turtle was tossed aside and I am in and swimming, in with the weird clear jellies of bug like things, in with the jumping fish, and I am loving it!
10 strokes, WOW this is like a tempid pool, another 10 strokes WOW this feels not so tempid, WOW this feels like I am swimming on ice, you get the picture... balmy, icy, balmy, icy, yes it is blind random, some parts feel dreamy other parts frigid.
"Ok 10 laps I can do it, I can do it", my plan is to use phantom walls at the end of each lap, that is when you do a flip turn without a wall, you flip then kick super hard to get moving again in the opposite direction. My first turn is coming up, I get ready, "accelerate, dive down the head and FLIP, AGGHHH, ice cream headache!" When I dive down to flip the water temperature plummets, wow this is intense.
How will I be able to last this one out? Well nothing hurts, there are the occasional warm pockets of water and I had learned yesterday that the creepy jellies were just wee polliwogs.
A polliwog is a tadpole, they are young amphibians with no arms or legs and have dorsal fins, they swim like fish and gradually grow limbs usually the legs first followed by the arms, they respire by internal gills, lungs develop about the time the legs grow, then they start hanging out at the surface and breath air, the mouth changes, next step frog, or wide mouth frog as I like to describe frogs. I was curious to know how long frogs live, most sources say 4 to 15 years and a giant toad from 7 to 24 years, I bet they are wise frogs.
Trout Fishing
I asked Eric what the fish were in his pond....here it a snippet from the email to him
Air Temperature: 74 Degrees
Water Temperature: Blind Random, who knows for sure!
Swim Distance: 2000 Yards
Swim Time: 28 Minutes
Location: The Lap Pool
 |
| The Lap Pond gives me a brisk welcome on Friday the 13th, 2011 |
It is almost 2 months since I was exploring the beaches and bays in Santa Barbara and San Francisco, when I arrived back from fighting the current in San Francisco Bay I had a new punch in my stroke, it was a " swim for your life effort" and I brought it back to my pool training and it was fun, faster times than I had swum before, yes like a kid in a candy store. The weeks went by fast and it wasn't long before the monotony of long pool swims crept back in, 40,000 meters per week,40,000 meters per week, each week rolled into one, will this winter ever end?
Spring Arrives....
Winter held on until the bitter end here in Vermont, but finally Spring burst out, this week has been sterling, clear blue skies, sunshine and a warmth in the air.
Yesterday after 3 stellar days I convinced myself it was time to take a drive to the lap pond, I threw in the Turtle thermometer and studied the water, dark, cool, and what is that, a jelly fish? I took a closer look, it looks like jelly fish alright but it isn't, it is a big clear glob of what looks like hundreds of little bugs, " I do hope they are not mosquitoes!", I say to myself." I'll worry about that when I come back to swim".
Turtle said, 62 degrees for a water temperature, I can hardly believe it, I zip away excited at the prospect of a Friday the 13th swim tomorrow.
Dawn and the Day is a real Beauty
I can't believe I am finally swimming outside today, new scenery, weird little jelly like cocoon things to look at and multiple fish jumping, yes I am going to have lots of company swimming today.
I decide a lunch time swim is the way to go, I dig out the 2 piece swim suit to get maximum cold exposure on my mid section, get lathered with lotion and off.
 |
| Cap, Goggles, Ear Plugs and favourite towel |
Turtle was tossed aside and I am in and swimming, in with the weird clear jellies of bug like things, in with the jumping fish, and I am loving it!
10 strokes, WOW this is like a tempid pool, another 10 strokes WOW this feels not so tempid, WOW this feels like I am swimming on ice, you get the picture... balmy, icy, balmy, icy, yes it is blind random, some parts feel dreamy other parts frigid.
"Ok 10 laps I can do it, I can do it", my plan is to use phantom walls at the end of each lap, that is when you do a flip turn without a wall, you flip then kick super hard to get moving again in the opposite direction. My first turn is coming up, I get ready, "accelerate, dive down the head and FLIP, AGGHHH, ice cream headache!" When I dive down to flip the water temperature plummets, wow this is intense.
How will I be able to last this one out? Well nothing hurts, there are the occasional warm pockets of water and I had learned yesterday that the creepy jellies were just wee polliwogs.
A polliwog is a tadpole, they are young amphibians with no arms or legs and have dorsal fins, they swim like fish and gradually grow limbs usually the legs first followed by the arms, they respire by internal gills, lungs develop about the time the legs grow, then they start hanging out at the surface and breath air, the mouth changes, next step frog, or wide mouth frog as I like to describe frogs. I was curious to know how long frogs live, most sources say 4 to 15 years and a giant toad from 7 to 24 years, I bet they are wise frogs.
Trout Fishing
I asked Eric what the fish were in his pond....here it a snippet from the email to him
....... saw the fish jumping in excitement! You do have fish right....otherwise don't know what was leaping out of the water. Anyway planning on swimming again starting tomorrow........
His answer " 150 Trout "
4 Laps in and I am thinking about the 150 trout, it takes my mind off dreading those frigid flip turns, I don't like driving my head down into the deep waters, I consider ditching the turns, I don't, I know I will make myself do them for the duration, may as well not lose energy thinking about it any more and I don't.
Lap 5, Lap 6, Lap 7, Lap 8, only 2 laps to go, I swim down the pond, it feels like a technicolor dream coat where the colors are all different temperatures, blue =brrr, orange= mmm warm, red = toasty, I make a game out of it.
Before you know it I am at the end, I see the orange canoe on the shore that my clothes are lying on, I see the polliwogs hugging the warm shoreline water, I hang in the water exhaling to let myself submerge, everything relaxes, I am pleased.
Out of the water, dry off, T-shirt and fleece jacket on and into the mini, before I know it I am soaking in the hot shower, purr bliss.
Back into the pool tomorrow, next weekend a swim meet and next month Ireland!
Ireland, when ? July 1st...why? Swimming of course and lots of it!
Lap 5, Lap 6, Lap 7, Lap 8, only 2 laps to go, I swim down the pond, it feels like a technicolor dream coat where the colors are all different temperatures, blue =brrr, orange= mmm warm, red = toasty, I make a game out of it.
Before you know it I am at the end, I see the orange canoe on the shore that my clothes are lying on, I see the polliwogs hugging the warm shoreline water, I hang in the water exhaling to let myself submerge, everything relaxes, I am pleased.
Out of the water, dry off, T-shirt and fleece jacket on and into the mini, before I know it I am soaking in the hot shower, purr bliss.
Back into the pool tomorrow, next weekend a swim meet and next month Ireland!
Ireland, when ? July 1st...why? Swimming of course and lots of it!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Golden Gate Bridge and Porpoises at play
Day: Friday March 18th
Weather Conditions: Snarly
Wind: 7 kmots with 11.1knot wind gusts
Air Temperature: 46.2 Degrees
Water Temperature: 53.6 Degrees
Current Location: En Route to the Golden Gate Bride
WAVE TO THE PORPOISES
The waves are growing larger the closer we get to the Golden Gate Bridge, when we started this boat ride the bridge was tiny in the distance, now it is looming up before me, a symbol of power and stability, a tower of strength. As we approach another swimmer sights porpoises playing just beyond the bridge, " soon we'll be joining them" I think!
The waters below the bridge are uncontrolled, random swirls of water mixed in with swells that tilt the boat to one side and the other without any choreography..it is blind random.
The boat pulls up under the bridge, to the right there is a whirlpool wider than the boat, it looks like a huge invisible wooden spoon is stirring the water in a giant cauldron, the water seems to be screaming out to us on the boat" I'll get you my pretties ha ha ha ha haaaaa ".
Leslie is scanning the water for a JUMP zone for us, " we are moving back to the other side of the bridge, with the Tsunami hitting the West coast last Friday the water is unpredictable".
The boat motors back under the bridge and we stop, " 10 minutes to jump time" Leslie shouts over the wind gusts.
"OK, time to get sorted", I think to myself, but what first, it does not seem like a good idea to stand here in my black one piece suit counting down the seconds for 10 minutes, (on the other hand I might be so uncomfortable by then that the prospect of being in this water just may be better than shivering on the boat!)
I decide to start with cap, goggles and ear plugs....there done. OK, now shoes, socks and fleece leggings off.... easier said than done, I am swaying from side to side in an attempt to navigate lifting up my foot to get my shoes off, after 3 attempts I manage to get my shoes off and into the plastic bag, next up the ice breaker New Zealand super toasty socks, darn those sock are legendary and now they are rendered useless in the bag. Just a few minutes to go, vest off, the only thing left is my Burton aqua blue zip up under layer....it's staying on right to the last few seconds!
I home in on instructions from Leslie, " the waves are big, you won't be able to see the support boat but we'll be there", then she shouts " do we want to do this?", a bit of a pause them some shouts YEAHHHH.... "best not to process that question", I think to myself, " I am taking the plunge and you can be darn sure I am making it to shore one way or another!"
I look over at Dave Barra, he is on my boat and I am happy about that, I recognized his name from the list of swimmers that was emailed out a few days ago, and also from the 10 mile Greater Kingdom Lake swim held in Lake Memphramagog, Vermont, he swam the event in July 2009, I swam the July 2010, our times for the course are similar, I am hoping we will be of similar pace, he has much more OW experience than me and I am pleased he is in my pod.
" Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two ,One" Leslie counts us down, it is time to take a leap of faith, I JUMP!
Check out some of the other pod swimmers jumping off the boat here.......
There are hectic shouts to the kayaks, YOUR SWIMMER IS THERE, BARRY YOUR SWIMMER ARE OVER THERE", then it is just a blur of wind, rain and waves..... head down and I am off, " let's get this show on the road" I think, time to bust it to shore, " where are the other swimmers in our pod, I see Dave and Christian, we are underway!
I do a body scan, hmmm nothing feels miserable or cold, the rough conditions help me to feel good, it always seems to warm me up and it makes it feel like an adventure, I feel good. I laugh to myself, " out of all the issues I have right now the cold is at the bottom of the list, here is the unofficial list:
# 1 Current
# 2 Waves
# 3 Swell
# 4 Seal Lions
# 5 53 degree water
...... I laugh again, no issues, I am on a mission to the shore, game on.
It is challenging and exciting all rolled into one, the water is turbulent, I feel the current thrusting me forward, it feels like someone has pushed the fast forward button on the remote control and I am the movie being fast forwarded, it is a frenzy of activity, I am EXCITED!
I look over to my right Dave B and I are stroke for stroke, I like swimming alongside him, his experience shines through as he navigates the waves with long relaxed strokes. Every now and then a swell picks me up and Dave is gone, then I sight him again and a swell picks him up and he disappears, this happens over and over.
I breathe to my right and take in the Golden Gate Bridge, I command myself to "NOTICE" the bridge and not my unofficial list of issues, just this moment and the beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge, how fortunate I am to not only see it but to be swimming under it, I choose to live in the moment and it feels great!
Before long I notice Alcatraz while breathing to my left, " I must be making it down the shipping lane" .
I am chasing the yellow kayak and starting to set my eyes on the land mark that is my cue to begin the turn towards the opening to Aquatic Park, you know the one that Leslie told me NOT TO MISS.
I am not getting very far very fast, " Holy Crap Dog", this current is not pussy footing around, I dig my hands deeper and pull hard, " I AM NOT MISSING THIS OPENING!".
I feel my obliques straining as I pull, I kick hard, I sprint giving it all I have got, I fight and finally make it to the opening of Aquatic Park.
The yellow Kayak guy says " Well done fighting the current", I relax and start thinking about that hot shower at the South End Rowing Club. To my left is the bow of a ship, I notice it as I breathe to my left while picturing the steamy HOT shower, good times, good times!
I take 20 more strokes and breath to the left again, hang on.......didn't I just pass that ship? I did, it is now infront of me, the penny drops...I AM GOING BACKWARDS! The current has got a hold of me and is pulling me back towards the open water of San Francisco Bay, I instantly begin to sprint once more, pulling hard, spinning my arms fast and fighting to get to shore, I feel the bottom and pull myself to my feet and make a beeline to the hot shower, ....WOW feels like a million bucks!
I shower and I shower, finally I pry myself out of the shower and into the sauna, it fells wonderful. After an extended bake in the sauna I pluck up the courage to get out and dressed, I regroup with some of the other swimmers in the entry way of the South End Rowing Club long enough to catch a photo and swap a few stories, they are all off to breakfast together and kindly invite me I would LOVE to join them but the clock is ticking and I have a conference to attend, we say our goodbyes and head off in differnet directions.
My clothes are drenched, my suit is trashed and I am exhilerated....what a great morning!
Next up? Karlyn Pipes Neilson in Stowe
Back East and back in the pool, in less than 2 weeks my friend, swim clinician and coach Karlyn Pipes Neilson is coming to Stowe visit, I am excited to see her and if I am lucky we will catch a swim or two, she is as fast as a phone call with over 200 World records, a world class swimmer and teacher, when I swim with her I practice " Monkey see, Monkey do.... I can't wait!
How will it feel being back in the Pool at 82 degrees? I'll keep you posted!
Weather Conditions: Snarly
Wind: 7 kmots with 11.1knot wind gusts
Air Temperature: 46.2 Degrees
Water Temperature: 53.6 Degrees
Current Location: En Route to the Golden Gate Bride
 |
| Golden Gate Bridge on the horizon |
WAVE TO THE PORPOISES
The waves are growing larger the closer we get to the Golden Gate Bridge, when we started this boat ride the bridge was tiny in the distance, now it is looming up before me, a symbol of power and stability, a tower of strength. As we approach another swimmer sights porpoises playing just beyond the bridge, " soon we'll be joining them" I think!
The waters below the bridge are uncontrolled, random swirls of water mixed in with swells that tilt the boat to one side and the other without any choreography..it is blind random.
The boat pulls up under the bridge, to the right there is a whirlpool wider than the boat, it looks like a huge invisible wooden spoon is stirring the water in a giant cauldron, the water seems to be screaming out to us on the boat" I'll get you my pretties ha ha ha ha haaaaa ".
Leslie is scanning the water for a JUMP zone for us, " we are moving back to the other side of the bridge, with the Tsunami hitting the West coast last Friday the water is unpredictable".
The boat motors back under the bridge and we stop, " 10 minutes to jump time" Leslie shouts over the wind gusts.
 |
| " 10 Minutes to JUMP" |
I decide to start with cap, goggles and ear plugs....there done. OK, now shoes, socks and fleece leggings off.... easier said than done, I am swaying from side to side in an attempt to navigate lifting up my foot to get my shoes off, after 3 attempts I manage to get my shoes off and into the plastic bag, next up the ice breaker New Zealand super toasty socks, darn those sock are legendary and now they are rendered useless in the bag. Just a few minutes to go, vest off, the only thing left is my Burton aqua blue zip up under layer....it's staying on right to the last few seconds!
I home in on instructions from Leslie, " the waves are big, you won't be able to see the support boat but we'll be there", then she shouts " do we want to do this?", a bit of a pause them some shouts YEAHHHH.... "best not to process that question", I think to myself, " I am taking the plunge and you can be darn sure I am making it to shore one way or another!"
I look over at Dave Barra, he is on my boat and I am happy about that, I recognized his name from the list of swimmers that was emailed out a few days ago, and also from the 10 mile Greater Kingdom Lake swim held in Lake Memphramagog, Vermont, he swam the event in July 2009, I swam the July 2010, our times for the course are similar, I am hoping we will be of similar pace, he has much more OW experience than me and I am pleased he is in my pod.
" Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two ,One" Leslie counts us down, it is time to take a leap of faith, I JUMP!
Check out some of the other pod swimmers jumping off the boat here.......
I do a body scan, hmmm nothing feels miserable or cold, the rough conditions help me to feel good, it always seems to warm me up and it makes it feel like an adventure, I feel good. I laugh to myself, " out of all the issues I have right now the cold is at the bottom of the list, here is the unofficial list:
# 1 Current
# 2 Waves
# 3 Swell
# 4 Seal Lions
# 5 53 degree water
...... I laugh again, no issues, I am on a mission to the shore, game on.
It is challenging and exciting all rolled into one, the water is turbulent, I feel the current thrusting me forward, it feels like someone has pushed the fast forward button on the remote control and I am the movie being fast forwarded, it is a frenzy of activity, I am EXCITED!
I look over to my right Dave B and I are stroke for stroke, I like swimming alongside him, his experience shines through as he navigates the waves with long relaxed strokes. Every now and then a swell picks me up and Dave is gone, then I sight him again and a swell picks him up and he disappears, this happens over and over.
I breathe to my right and take in the Golden Gate Bridge, I command myself to "NOTICE" the bridge and not my unofficial list of issues, just this moment and the beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge, how fortunate I am to not only see it but to be swimming under it, I choose to live in the moment and it feels great!
 |
| The Bridge |
I am chasing the yellow kayak and starting to set my eyes on the land mark that is my cue to begin the turn towards the opening to Aquatic Park, you know the one that Leslie told me NOT TO MISS.
I am not getting very far very fast, " Holy Crap Dog", this current is not pussy footing around, I dig my hands deeper and pull hard, " I AM NOT MISSING THIS OPENING!".
I feel my obliques straining as I pull, I kick hard, I sprint giving it all I have got, I fight and finally make it to the opening of Aquatic Park.
The yellow Kayak guy says " Well done fighting the current", I relax and start thinking about that hot shower at the South End Rowing Club. To my left is the bow of a ship, I notice it as I breathe to my left while picturing the steamy HOT shower, good times, good times!
I take 20 more strokes and breath to the left again, hang on.......didn't I just pass that ship? I did, it is now infront of me, the penny drops...I AM GOING BACKWARDS! The current has got a hold of me and is pulling me back towards the open water of San Francisco Bay, I instantly begin to sprint once more, pulling hard, spinning my arms fast and fighting to get to shore, I feel the bottom and pull myself to my feet and make a beeline to the hot shower, ....WOW feels like a million bucks!
I shower and I shower, finally I pry myself out of the shower and into the sauna, it fells wonderful. After an extended bake in the sauna I pluck up the courage to get out and dressed, I regroup with some of the other swimmers in the entry way of the South End Rowing Club long enough to catch a photo and swap a few stories, they are all off to breakfast together and kindly invite me I would LOVE to join them but the clock is ticking and I have a conference to attend, we say our goodbyes and head off in differnet directions.
My clothes are drenched, my suit is trashed and I am exhilerated....what a great morning!
 |
| Me, Julie and Amanda at the South End Rowing Club after " The Swim" |
Next up? Karlyn Pipes Neilson in Stowe
Back East and back in the pool, in less than 2 weeks my friend, swim clinician and coach Karlyn Pipes Neilson is coming to Stowe visit, I am excited to see her and if I am lucky we will catch a swim or two, she is as fast as a phone call with over 200 World records, a world class swimmer and teacher, when I swim with her I practice " Monkey see, Monkey do.... I can't wait!
How will it feel being back in the Pool at 82 degrees? I'll keep you posted!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sea Lions, Rough Water & Alcatraz: San Francisco at it's finest
Date: Friday March 18th, 2011
Weather: Storm Warning, 7.0 wind speed with 11.1 knot wind gusts, Rain
Air Temperature: 46.2 F
Water Temperature:53.6
AWAKE EARLY
3:00am, my phone squeals impatiently for me to wake up, I reach for my phone confused, "I have set the alarm for 5:30am not 3:00am", then I realize it is a call from work, navigation complete by 3:25am, OK still 2 hours to get some rest before " the swim". I snuggle safely under the covers....sleep does not come, my mind is racing, going over last night's swim in San Francisco Bay and the upcoming Golden Gate swim. " Why did the water feel so cold last night for the first quarter mile?" I ponder the question, the Dolphin Swim Club swimmers I chatted to after my swim last night told me about the water in the Bay, " currents under water pull in cold water", they were also talking about their plans for the weekend, there was a Saturday Swim planned but with the storm warning for Friday neither were considering venturing out. I can hear the wind whipping outside and the rain pelting the window panes, I am expecting to receive a call phone from Swim Art who are organizing the swim saying that it the expedition is cancelled, the call never comes..
UP AND READY TO GO
5:30am I bolt out of bed, I laid out all my gear last night......warm clothes to put over my suit to keep me warm in the boat, including a hat, fleece pants, turtle neck, down vest, ice breaker socks, a hot thermos of tea, a peanut butter sandwich and Lara Bar. Also a plastic bag of warm dry clothes to change into after the swim.
I get my suit on, next up navigating slopping on some baby oil on my arms, back of my neck, my upper back and shoulders, I usually have help with this and it is a bit of a stretch to reach by myself, I tip a little extra over my shoulder for good measure, hoping it will hit some part of my body and then decide to slop it over my legs as well...." at least I will think I am warmer", I giggle to myself.
Warm clothes on, bags ready, time to go over the instructions I received from Swim Art by email 3 days ago:
7:00am = meet, dressed to swim at Aquatic Park
7:05am = check in
7:10-7:20am = briefing
7:25 = walk to the dock to board the boat- about a 10 minute walk
7:35 = board the boat
8:00 sharp = jump in time
TIME TO MEET
OUT INTO SAN FRANCISCO BAY OR IS IT NEW ZEALAND?
Weather: Storm Warning, 7.0 wind speed with 11.1 knot wind gusts, Rain
Air Temperature: 46.2 F
Water Temperature:53.6
 |
| Alcatraz March 18, 2011 |
AWAKE EARLY
3:00am, my phone squeals impatiently for me to wake up, I reach for my phone confused, "I have set the alarm for 5:30am not 3:00am", then I realize it is a call from work, navigation complete by 3:25am, OK still 2 hours to get some rest before " the swim". I snuggle safely under the covers....sleep does not come, my mind is racing, going over last night's swim in San Francisco Bay and the upcoming Golden Gate swim. " Why did the water feel so cold last night for the first quarter mile?" I ponder the question, the Dolphin Swim Club swimmers I chatted to after my swim last night told me about the water in the Bay, " currents under water pull in cold water", they were also talking about their plans for the weekend, there was a Saturday Swim planned but with the storm warning for Friday neither were considering venturing out. I can hear the wind whipping outside and the rain pelting the window panes, I am expecting to receive a call phone from Swim Art who are organizing the swim saying that it the expedition is cancelled, the call never comes..
UP AND READY TO GO
5:30am I bolt out of bed, I laid out all my gear last night......warm clothes to put over my suit to keep me warm in the boat, including a hat, fleece pants, turtle neck, down vest, ice breaker socks, a hot thermos of tea, a peanut butter sandwich and Lara Bar. Also a plastic bag of warm dry clothes to change into after the swim.
I get my suit on, next up navigating slopping on some baby oil on my arms, back of my neck, my upper back and shoulders, I usually have help with this and it is a bit of a stretch to reach by myself, I tip a little extra over my shoulder for good measure, hoping it will hit some part of my body and then decide to slop it over my legs as well...." at least I will think I am warmer", I giggle to myself.
Warm clothes on, bags ready, time to go over the instructions I received from Swim Art by email 3 days ago:
7:00am = meet, dressed to swim at Aquatic Park
7:05am = check in
7:10-7:20am = briefing
7:25 = walk to the dock to board the boat- about a 10 minute walk
7:35 = board the boat
8:00 sharp = jump in time
TIME TO MEET
It is pouring with rain, I arrive at Aquatic Park, my feet are drenched from navigating the puddles of water, I walk to the South End Rowing Club, it is next door to the Dolphin Swim Club which I visited last night, the SERC welcomes guests for a $6.50 fee on Fridays, I check in, it has the same feel as the Dolphin Swim Club, lots of photos lining the walls, it is lathered in history and memories of those who have been here before me.
I search out what I think is the ladies locker room, I open the door ready to head into the depths of the locker room when a towel clad gentleman strides out the door before I can get in, (I was regretting not having the luxury of a tour like I had last night at the Dolphin Swim Club!) I was kindly redirected and was relieved to arrive at the women's locker room, I laid out my gear, checked out the showers, sauna and how to get from the beach to the locker room, I want to make sure that it is a bee line for me into the shower when I land after my swim.
Now off to check in, I meet the swimmers, they are all present an accounted for " I guess this is really going to happen", I think to myself.
TIME TO CHECK IN
" Hi, Leslie, I am Charlotte", Leslie checks me in and I " fall in", to an unofficial line up of swimmers, some with wetsuits under their warm clothes and some like me without. I focus on Leslie's instructions, the wind is gusting making it challenging to hear but I hang on to every word she says.
" We will ride two Zodiac boats out to the Golden Gate Bridge, " Tango" and " The Camera Boat", you should already have your boat assignments", I acknowledge with a nod, thrilled that there was something I had down! "You will jump off the boats together and swim back to Aquatic Park in groups of 2-6 swimmers, each group will have it's own Kayak escort. The swim is run with the incoming current and should take between 45 minutes and one hour fifteen minutes.
ANY QUESTIONS?
Then comes the " Has anyone got any questions?", "Hell yes", I am thinking feeling the wind gusts, the rain and catching a glimpse of the angry San Francisco Bay waves in the background ,but know better than to blurt it out. Instead after a long dramatic pause, " Yes I have a question, are there any landmarks that are good to sight off that you can point out before we go"
" Great question" replies Leslie, she then points out a number of buildings, other swimmers familiar with the Bay offer their landmarks too, it is a big help and I am pleased to have a picture in my mind that I am swimming towards.
" Time to head to the dock and load the boats, after the jump in you will swim down the inbound shipping lane, you will be swimming with the current, the hardest part of the swim will be making it into the opening in Aquatic Park, the current will be pushing you straight to Berkeley"
Gulp, mission is now firmly ingrained in my mind MAKE IT to Aquatic Park...MAKE IT TO SHORE! We walk down to the dock, time to split into our two groups, I am on " Tango", I follow the Pilot, the kayak is loaded onto the Zodiac, swimmers in and we are off.
" We will ride two Zodiac boats out to the Golden Gate Bridge, " Tango" and " The Camera Boat", you should already have your boat assignments", I acknowledge with a nod, thrilled that there was something I had down! "You will jump off the boats together and swim back to Aquatic Park in groups of 2-6 swimmers, each group will have it's own Kayak escort. The swim is run with the incoming current and should take between 45 minutes and one hour fifteen minutes.
ANY QUESTIONS?
Then comes the " Has anyone got any questions?", "Hell yes", I am thinking feeling the wind gusts, the rain and catching a glimpse of the angry San Francisco Bay waves in the background ,but know better than to blurt it out. Instead after a long dramatic pause, " Yes I have a question, are there any landmarks that are good to sight off that you can point out before we go"
" Great question" replies Leslie, she then points out a number of buildings, other swimmers familiar with the Bay offer their landmarks too, it is a big help and I am pleased to have a picture in my mind that I am swimming towards.
" Time to head to the dock and load the boats, after the jump in you will swim down the inbound shipping lane, you will be swimming with the current, the hardest part of the swim will be making it into the opening in Aquatic Park, the current will be pushing you straight to Berkeley"
OUT INTO SAN FRANCISCO BAY OR IS IT NEW ZEALAND?
San Francisco Bay, I've read about it, the currents, the cold, unpredictable waters and mysterious Alcatraz ...... now here I am right now! Any apprehension melts away, I am only aware of the thump up and down of the boat as it hits and launches off each wave, I am firmly holding on as the boat lunges forward, smacks down, lurches up, smacks down again, water sprays over us all, I am drenched and can taste the salt in my mouth and I LOVE IT!
Memories come flooding back, the kind of memories that you only get from a long lost feel, taste or smell that rattles a distance memory from long ago and then it all comes flooding back as if the past was the present.
Timaru, South Canterbury, New Zealand 1973, it is a wild, rough day with dark clouds in the sky, it is the type of day that you wrap up inside on, or a " Hold onto your hat day", as we'd say in New Zealand. My brother and I are walking on the rocks along by the boat ramp, the rocks are sharp, each time we take a step to a new rock we let our foot gently check out the new rock surface before we commit our body weight, our mission today pulling star fish off the rocks and seeing if they will "man up and swim" while we wait for Dad to launch the speed boat, his mission today to go FAST, he is practicing for a boat race in the harbor and race day could bring any conditions for the competitors...rough or calm, in New Zealand we don't cancel stuff for rough weather. Well Dad is going to be well prepared for any weather on race day because today is rough, REAL rough and me and my brother Hamish are going to be right there right now.
PANTHER GT is a smart green race boat, she has a white outboard motor which I like because there is a picture of a horse head on it, it has a deep V of a hull which makes it exceptionally good at slicing through the water particularly when it is rough. Boat launched, Hamish and I jump in and crawl up and under the front of the boat, it is dark, I have my knees pulled into my chest and I'm hugging them with my arms, Hamish is beside me, you'd think I'd be scared but I'm not I've got Hamish beside me and he looks out for me, I'll be OK. We pull the boat cover up over ourselves, I am not sure if we do it for warmth or protection but it feels good to clasp onto to it. The 130 Horse Power Motor roars, I love the smell of the engine, we are off, the boat angles up at first and then as she gains speed we are launched into the air, I hit the the top of the boat with my head, we are right up in the nose of Panther so not much room to be knocked around, with each wave the boat pounds onto there is a shot of sea water that sprays into the back of the boat, as the boat pitches up and down the water begins to run to the front and back of the boat, Hamish and I are wet, we are cold, we are tossed this way and that, smashing into the boat and we are LOVING IT!
I've spoken to my Dad about that particular day, he remembers it well, " How old were we Dad" I ask, " Awe you'd be 6 or 7 years old, it was rough water that day, real rough, you two were up under the front of the boat so you wouldn't get flicked out, no way you'd be able to hang on in the back with the size of those waves, I imagine you'd be getting a good jostle around up there", then he said " It was all on that day!
Suddenly I am snapped back, the boat is no longer smacking the water, the engine is quietly idling and I am back in San Francisco Bay, " do you want to take a picture of Alcatraz" the pilot asks, " sure do, this is my only chance to do the tourist sightseeing thing while I am here in San Francisco", it was kind of him to stop, or maybe I had been making him nervous holding on with one hand and taking pictures with my phone with the other hand since we left the harbour. I got my shot, tucked my phone back in my pocket and then did a double take, " someones dog is out here in the middle of the bay, a chocolate brown lab, how did it make it all the way out here we must be nearly a mile from shore?". " Hey see the seal lion", someone shouted from the boat. Everything my brains knows told me it was a dog, when I looked a little closer I saw huge brown expressive eyes, whiskers and an over sized head, just hanging there in the water amongst all the waves checking us out with a " come on in, the water's fine!" look on it's face........GULP, guess I am not swimming alone today.
Will there be any other sea life in the water when I " jump in" under the bridge? I 'll keep you posted.
Memories come flooding back, the kind of memories that you only get from a long lost feel, taste or smell that rattles a distance memory from long ago and then it all comes flooding back as if the past was the present.
Timaru, South Canterbury, New Zealand 1973, it is a wild, rough day with dark clouds in the sky, it is the type of day that you wrap up inside on, or a " Hold onto your hat day", as we'd say in New Zealand. My brother and I are walking on the rocks along by the boat ramp, the rocks are sharp, each time we take a step to a new rock we let our foot gently check out the new rock surface before we commit our body weight, our mission today pulling star fish off the rocks and seeing if they will "man up and swim" while we wait for Dad to launch the speed boat, his mission today to go FAST, he is practicing for a boat race in the harbor and race day could bring any conditions for the competitors...rough or calm, in New Zealand we don't cancel stuff for rough weather. Well Dad is going to be well prepared for any weather on race day because today is rough, REAL rough and me and my brother Hamish are going to be right there right now.
PANTHER GT is a smart green race boat, she has a white outboard motor which I like because there is a picture of a horse head on it, it has a deep V of a hull which makes it exceptionally good at slicing through the water particularly when it is rough. Boat launched, Hamish and I jump in and crawl up and under the front of the boat, it is dark, I have my knees pulled into my chest and I'm hugging them with my arms, Hamish is beside me, you'd think I'd be scared but I'm not I've got Hamish beside me and he looks out for me, I'll be OK. We pull the boat cover up over ourselves, I am not sure if we do it for warmth or protection but it feels good to clasp onto to it. The 130 Horse Power Motor roars, I love the smell of the engine, we are off, the boat angles up at first and then as she gains speed we are launched into the air, I hit the the top of the boat with my head, we are right up in the nose of Panther so not much room to be knocked around, with each wave the boat pounds onto there is a shot of sea water that sprays into the back of the boat, as the boat pitches up and down the water begins to run to the front and back of the boat, Hamish and I are wet, we are cold, we are tossed this way and that, smashing into the boat and we are LOVING IT!
I've spoken to my Dad about that particular day, he remembers it well, " How old were we Dad" I ask, " Awe you'd be 6 or 7 years old, it was rough water that day, real rough, you two were up under the front of the boat so you wouldn't get flicked out, no way you'd be able to hang on in the back with the size of those waves, I imagine you'd be getting a good jostle around up there", then he said " It was all on that day!
Suddenly I am snapped back, the boat is no longer smacking the water, the engine is quietly idling and I am back in San Francisco Bay, " do you want to take a picture of Alcatraz" the pilot asks, " sure do, this is my only chance to do the tourist sightseeing thing while I am here in San Francisco", it was kind of him to stop, or maybe I had been making him nervous holding on with one hand and taking pictures with my phone with the other hand since we left the harbour. I got my shot, tucked my phone back in my pocket and then did a double take, " someones dog is out here in the middle of the bay, a chocolate brown lab, how did it make it all the way out here we must be nearly a mile from shore?". " Hey see the seal lion", someone shouted from the boat. Everything my brains knows told me it was a dog, when I looked a little closer I saw huge brown expressive eyes, whiskers and an over sized head, just hanging there in the water amongst all the waves checking us out with a " come on in, the water's fine!" look on it's face........GULP, guess I am not swimming alone today.
Will there be any other sea life in the water when I " jump in" under the bridge? I 'll keep you posted.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Testing the Waters : San Francisco Bay
Location: Aquatic Park, San Francisco Bay
Date: Thursday March 17th, 2011
Time: 6:00pm
Air Temperature: 55.4 Degree
Water Temperature: 53.8
This evening I am signed up for a group swim with Water World, led by Pedro, the instructions direct me to meet at Aquatic Park at 6:00pm, where there is a 10 minute stretch and jog along the beach, then into the water at 6:30pm. I make my way down to Aquatic Park, I am wrapped up in my down vest, white hat, fleece leggings and ice breaker merino socks made in New Zealand. (I borrowed those from my sister Robbin after checking out the SanFrancisco Bay water temperature.)
The air is cool and the water looks even cooler, this is my first time to Aquatic Park, I arrive early to scope out the meeting place for tomorrow morning's Golden Gate swim with Swim Art. I am also excited to check out the legendary swim clubs at Aquatic Park, there are two located right on the beach and I have been fortunate to chat with Veronika, a new friend back in Stowe, she used to live in San Francisco and swam with the Dolphin Swim Club, she now lives in Vermont and has shared stories of swimming in San Francisco Bay, I can't wait to see the area for myself and to hear more of Veronika's stories when I return. I take a few pictures to bring home to show her, I wonder if things have changed much since she swam here.
It is soon 6:00pm and I head over to the meeting spot to keep an eye out for Pedro and any other swimmers in the group..... tick, tick, tick......time goes by and no one appears, "oh well I 'll give it until 6:10pm and see if someone shows".....tick, tick, tick.....6:10pm, still no one, not a Pedro in sight, the sun begins to lower in the sky and things are feeling decidedly chillier, " OK maybe I'll wait until 6:30pm, that is when the directions say they actually jump in, if they are not here by then I guess it's not meant to be tonight".
I settle in on the steps by the beach and watch the world go by. There are 3 teenage kids throwing a frisbee waist deep in the water in their clothes, " now that's gotta be chilly" I think to myself, there are couples walking along the beach, cyclists riding along the bike path and people like me sitting and taking it all in, looking out to sea.
I stare at Alcatraz, I am fascinated by the island and the buildings on it, I think of those that thought of trying to escape, was it pending doom the thought of sneaking into the fridgid waters of San Francisco Bay and facing head on into the swell, the waves , the CURRENT, the cold, did those that attempted the crossing make it, were they all presumed perished, did they really perish?
As I am pondering I notice some swimmers swimming in Aquatic Park, they are coming out from the swim clubs one by one, sometimes in small groups of 2 or 3 swimmers, they are swimming alongside the shore, there are buoys marking an out and back course, I look in awe...." there are others like ME!"
It is now 6:35pm, I acknowledge to myself that Pedro is not showing up tonight, it is getting dark, windy and cold, it would be much easier to give myself permission to leave but I can't, I want to swim and decide to go look a little closer at the Dolphin Swim club.
The swim club is open to members, guests are also welcome Tuesday, Thursdays and Sundays from 10:00am-6:00pm for a $6.50 fee, I quietly ring the bell, by the bell a sign says something like this, "don't keep ringing, we may take some time to get to the door but we'll get there". I wait and timidly ring the bell again, a few minutes later I hear footsteps and a very friendly women opens the door...." that is the most feeble ring I have ever heard!" she says, I explain that I am visiting from out of town and was hoping to catch a swim, however I understand that it is after 6pm and guest hours are closed, the women smiles and looks over her shoulder to an equally friendly fellow, " I think we can make an exception don't you think?", he smiles and nods and she says " I've got a few minutes, I 'll give you a tour", and she did, up the old wooden stairs, I could feel the history ozzing out from the walls, they were ladened with old photographs of swimmers and boats and at the top of the stairs a fantastic old photo of Aquatic Park, she leads me further up the stairs to a locker room that seems to be spilling over with swim suits, caps, goggles and towels all hanging from lockers and pegs, it is drenched in personality and I LOVE IT! Next she leads me to the HOT showers and wait for it............ the SAUNA, ahhh! Finally she shows me to the door that leads to the beach, " the course is marked, it is a 1/4 mile down and 1/4 back, one lap is half a mile, have a good swim"
I say thanks so much......and she is gone.
By now it is dusk and fast on the way is the dark of the night, there are no more swimmers on the course, just me heading out for my first experience in the waters of San Francisco Bay. I walk into the water, my thighs burn, I dive in and stroke out fast, my arms burn, " aw mate this is brutal " , I stroke out to the first buoy, I am not warming up at all, " how am I going to swing swimming Golden Gate tomorrow if I am feeling like this in Aquatic Park", "OK, I can do this, just one lap, that's half a mile. then you can get out, just there and back, it will be over before you know it, there and back, there and back" I repeat it in my head, I am having trouble seeing the last buoy, it is dark, the water looks black, I make it and turn around for the homeward stretch and THEN....wouldn't you know it I began to feel better, stronger, more relaxed and Yes warmer, I actually think I can do 2 laps and swim a mile, in fact I KNOW I CAN swim another lap. That had been my goal this evening, 30 minutes in Aquatic Park and I know I can do it. Before I know it I am walking out of the water and into the Dolphin Swim Club, into the friendly locker room and into the HOT SHOWER, what a treat, no struggling getting clothes on in the cold, I am straight in to the shower. Finally I pry myself out of the shower and into the SAUNA, ahhhhhhhh this is amazing, my body sucks in the heat, there are two other women who are also warming up, it was fun to talk to them and hear about the Dolphin Swim Club.
After a long stretch I decide " enough decadance" it is time to get dressed and search out something to refuel with and prepare for tomorrow's swim, 7:00am back at Aquatic Park, that is less than 12 hours away and I am beside myself with excitement....or is it nervous excitement, regardless time to get some rest.
What will the conditions be like tomorrow? I'll keep you posted!
Date: Thursday March 17th, 2011
Time: 6:00pm
Air Temperature: 55.4 Degree
Water Temperature: 53.8
This evening I am signed up for a group swim with Water World, led by Pedro, the instructions direct me to meet at Aquatic Park at 6:00pm, where there is a 10 minute stretch and jog along the beach, then into the water at 6:30pm. I make my way down to Aquatic Park, I am wrapped up in my down vest, white hat, fleece leggings and ice breaker merino socks made in New Zealand. (I borrowed those from my sister Robbin after checking out the SanFrancisco Bay water temperature.)
 |
| Aquatic Park with Alcatraz in the background |
The air is cool and the water looks even cooler, this is my first time to Aquatic Park, I arrive early to scope out the meeting place for tomorrow morning's Golden Gate swim with Swim Art. I am also excited to check out the legendary swim clubs at Aquatic Park, there are two located right on the beach and I have been fortunate to chat with Veronika, a new friend back in Stowe, she used to live in San Francisco and swam with the Dolphin Swim Club, she now lives in Vermont and has shared stories of swimming in San Francisco Bay, I can't wait to see the area for myself and to hear more of Veronika's stories when I return. I take a few pictures to bring home to show her, I wonder if things have changed much since she swam here.
 |
| The Dolphin Swim Club |
It is soon 6:00pm and I head over to the meeting spot to keep an eye out for Pedro and any other swimmers in the group..... tick, tick, tick......time goes by and no one appears, "oh well I 'll give it until 6:10pm and see if someone shows".....tick, tick, tick.....6:10pm, still no one, not a Pedro in sight, the sun begins to lower in the sky and things are feeling decidedly chillier, " OK maybe I'll wait until 6:30pm, that is when the directions say they actually jump in, if they are not here by then I guess it's not meant to be tonight".
I settle in on the steps by the beach and watch the world go by. There are 3 teenage kids throwing a frisbee waist deep in the water in their clothes, " now that's gotta be chilly" I think to myself, there are couples walking along the beach, cyclists riding along the bike path and people like me sitting and taking it all in, looking out to sea.
I stare at Alcatraz, I am fascinated by the island and the buildings on it, I think of those that thought of trying to escape, was it pending doom the thought of sneaking into the fridgid waters of San Francisco Bay and facing head on into the swell, the waves , the CURRENT, the cold, did those that attempted the crossing make it, were they all presumed perished, did they really perish?
As I am pondering I notice some swimmers swimming in Aquatic Park, they are coming out from the swim clubs one by one, sometimes in small groups of 2 or 3 swimmers, they are swimming alongside the shore, there are buoys marking an out and back course, I look in awe...." there are others like ME!"
It is now 6:35pm, I acknowledge to myself that Pedro is not showing up tonight, it is getting dark, windy and cold, it would be much easier to give myself permission to leave but I can't, I want to swim and decide to go look a little closer at the Dolphin Swim club.
I say thanks so much......and she is gone.
 |
| Aquatic Park; Photograph at the top of the stairs in the Dolphin Swim Club |
By now it is dusk and fast on the way is the dark of the night, there are no more swimmers on the course, just me heading out for my first experience in the waters of San Francisco Bay. I walk into the water, my thighs burn, I dive in and stroke out fast, my arms burn, " aw mate this is brutal " , I stroke out to the first buoy, I am not warming up at all, " how am I going to swing swimming Golden Gate tomorrow if I am feeling like this in Aquatic Park", "OK, I can do this, just one lap, that's half a mile. then you can get out, just there and back, it will be over before you know it, there and back, there and back" I repeat it in my head, I am having trouble seeing the last buoy, it is dark, the water looks black, I make it and turn around for the homeward stretch and THEN....wouldn't you know it I began to feel better, stronger, more relaxed and Yes warmer, I actually think I can do 2 laps and swim a mile, in fact I KNOW I CAN swim another lap. That had been my goal this evening, 30 minutes in Aquatic Park and I know I can do it. Before I know it I am walking out of the water and into the Dolphin Swim Club, into the friendly locker room and into the HOT SHOWER, what a treat, no struggling getting clothes on in the cold, I am straight in to the shower. Finally I pry myself out of the shower and into the SAUNA, ahhhhhhhh this is amazing, my body sucks in the heat, there are two other women who are also warming up, it was fun to talk to them and hear about the Dolphin Swim Club.
After a long stretch I decide " enough decadance" it is time to get dressed and search out something to refuel with and prepare for tomorrow's swim, 7:00am back at Aquatic Park, that is less than 12 hours away and I am beside myself with excitement....or is it nervous excitement, regardless time to get some rest.
What will the conditions be like tomorrow? I'll keep you posted!
 |
| Aquatic Park: getting dark |
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