Green River Reservoir Labor Weekend Dip

Welcome to my Blog! Training Crew this for you to hear about the 6 hour Green River Swim yesterday, you know the rest of the story up to this point, to those of you that don't I will fill you in on my adventures to date in preparing for my 2012 English Channel attempt in upcoming blog posts!
 Saturday September 4th we were scheduled for our first 6 hour OW swim, location the Green River Reservoir in Vermont, it is described as a " wilderness-like setting" managed by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, it became a Vermont state park in 1999, 5110 acres of land which surrounds the green river reservoir.
 Wake up time 6:00am, pickup training crew, today that is Cara, boat is on the car, gear is packed we are ready. We planned to six at six,( 6 hours at 6:00am), the reality was we both agreed me leaving home at 6:00am was a good way to still hit the 6 at 6 and more time for a cup of tea, my morning ritual before I swim, hot tea and milk and multi grain toast with banana mashed on top.
 On the 25 minute drive to pick up Cara I also wolfed down a Peanut Butter sandwich and a bottle of water.
 We had not shortage of supplies, the boat was so loaded down we thought it may indeed not float...it did!
2 sets og goggles, 2 caps, 2 containers of Maxim( liquid fuel ) 1000mls in each container, I take 250mls per feed, 2 Peanut butter sandwiches cut into bite sized cubes, hot tea, Ricolas, water, cozy sweatpants, hat, mittens and a fleece jacket, a lifeguard belt and a giant over sized yellow plastic duck...it makes me smile when I swim!
 We are off, serene, still, peaceful, so quiet yet alive with nature, Cara was kayaking on my right, confident and strong, comforting to me as we embarked on the journey, the challenge = 6 hours in the water. We have so much stuff, it looked like we were going camping for the weekend not a 6 hour outing!
 Cara was navigating the Reservoir, her plan to travel around the perimeter of the lake, all the inlets, ponds and islands she plotted the course I followed her lead, a boat and a swimmer we were off!
  I can see, smell and taste the reservoir as we weave in and out of the inlets, the name reservoir makes it sound small, clear and so controlled yet it's not, it is 653 acres of water with 19 miles of shoreline, conditions can change from glass like water to strong winds in a heartbeat making the water choppy, today we start in glassy water but the forecast is for wind as Hurricane Earl moves up the East coast.
 First 30 minutes, I am pacing myself, taking it easy, that means to me I am in uncharted territory both physically and mentally, it is not can I swim for 6 hours? it is Yes I Can but what will it feel like, will I crash, hurt, get down, racing through my mind are thoughts of these questions that have the answers yet to be discovered, but they will be if I settle down and am patient, stroke by stroke, 30 minutes, by 30 minutes, small steps to reach the 6 hour mark.
 I swim in 30 minute segments, at 15 minutes I get a stroke count from my trainer, at 20 minutes I get a hand signal to build speed, at 25 minutes a sign to step it up, my pickup for 5 minutes, then feeding and some welcome crew contact.
 # 1 30 minutes, messy, stroke count 63-67, 30 minute # 2 excited to get a feed and contact from Cara. At 2 hours Cara reads me well and sees my stroke, short and choppy, she tells me to stay long and relax, things start to click and I relax for the first time. The scenery was stunning, Cara told me I swam with 2 beavers, one slapping it's tail at me, many loons, loon nests and beaver dams, the trees are starting to turn the shades of fall and there were many fish today, fun to watch!
 At one point I was swimming in 10 ft depth and suddenly swam over a huge boulder only a few inches of water covering it, then it dropped away like a grand canyon under water, other times it became shallow as I skirted around islands my fingers tickling the bottom kicking up a cloud of sediment and reminding me to keep my elbows high and not drop my arm while I,m swimming,
 3 Hours an exciting benchmark, on the menu 4 cubes of PB sandwich, bite size, I swallow them in one gulp, and drink water from a camel back clipped onto the kayak. The wind kicks up it becomes blustery, the water rough, we solider on in the choppy, windy conditions, it brings  alive, I like it rough and stormy and it finally snaps me out of conservative mode, stroke rate 68-70 strokes/minute and at my pick ups 72-76 strokes/minute Pickups and builds keep me warm but I do find them taxing. 4 Hours I am excited, I look forward to food and contact with Cara, contact is huge, body language, facial expressions, motivating words, or just saying something to make me laugh, it all keeps me going and looking forward to the next 30 minute feed.
 4.5 Hours, next stop is 5 hours and that will mark our longest EC training swim to date, can't wait! Swimming through bubbles, where does that string of bubbles come from? Fish, beaver, loon, I  have to remember to find out when I am not swimming! How long have the things that I can see been down there? Can I swim over that fallen tree, I have to remember to lean forward, press my chest down to raise my hips so my legs don't drag and hit a branch.....reality stroke technique drills right here, it makes me smile when I swim!
 5 Hours Wahoo, two 30 minutes steps to go and we have achieved the goal for today. Things that ache....my shoulders are burning but don't hurt, lower back and hips tight, hands want to claw up but I fist and unfist here and there is ease the feeling. New favourite thing, couple of frog kicks as I start swimming after feeds, seems to loosen things up for a bit.
5.5 Hours English Breakfast Hot Tea and milk, the best!
6 Hours A ginger snap, wow that was insanely good, I didn't pack it but bummed it off Cara, not only did she expertly navigate the kayak and read my needs, she also manned the Kayak for over 6 hours straight solo, amazing!
 Wahoo! We did it and make our way back to the canoe launch our entry and exit point, 6 Hours and 17 minutes, we complete the swim, our course 13.11 miles, the air temperature was 64 degrees when we started and 70 degrees when we finished, the water temperature 70-72 degrees.
 Not sure of the exact temperature of the water, a new invention of keeping the thermometer 2ft under the water involving a weight, the thermometer did not fly and we lost it in the first 30 minutes, I will be on the lookout for it next time I am swimming!