Vermont Open Water- The Final Dip 2010 & Broken Goggles

Tuesday October 26th, 2010
Air Temperature 68 degrees
Water Temperature 50- 56 degrees

I was due to complete my final open water Vermont swim on Sunday October 24th, Sunday's weather was grubby, it was raining, damp and cold and the temperature dropped down to 32 degrees overnight. I had just flipped through a few paragraphs from the 64 page post English Channel Swim report synopsis, I had previously  highlighted  areas that contained approaches that I wanted to explore and experiment with myself.
I glanced on this:
" You have to try and stay healthy and be flexible with your training".......flexible with your training, I read it again then glance outside at the rain pelting down, I pull up the Stowe weather forecast on my laptop and discover that the upcoming Tuesday and Wednesday look mighty fine, in fact an ideal day for an end of season cold water acclimatization swim, I also look up my training log.......last day off training 34 days ago, that's it " I declare today as a rest day" and postpone my final out door swim.
 I email my training crew to see if they are willing to join me on Tuesday October 26th, it's a yes, fantastic. Tuesday is here before I know it, I am up at 5:45am for the first of 3 training swims, into the pool at 6:40am for a workout # 1, a 3500 meter swim, out to teach a 30 minute Kranking class, then back in the pool for workout # 2, a 4500 meter swim, later in the afternoon, after a sizable lunch  I meet Paula and Deb at the Green River Reservoir, it is a beautiful afternoon a  " she's a real beaut" day as we'd say in New Zealand.
 Down to the water wearing only my suit, a Tshirt and a towel, "this is decadent" , I think to myself, soaking up the warmth and heat from the sun. Picard is with us today, he is beside himself with excitement as we near the canoe launch.



Picard


 Today Paula is kayaking and Deb is holding down the fort on shore, while Paula launches I tip turtle in for his last Vermont dip in 2010. Picard stops whizzing around and intently watches the Turtle Thermometer with me, we pull the turtle out, " 56 degrees Turtle declares ", can't be I think, that's too warm, Lake Champlain is reading 50 degrees today and I know the reservoir should be the same if not a degree or 2 cooler, I toss Turtle back in, " defiant little monkey", I say under my breath, " go take another reading", he does and comes out a shade under 56 degrees, so be it I decide, I should be feeling relieved, but instead find myself feeling disappointed that it is not colder.

Paula paddling out to wait for me to take the plunge....no more Fall colors to warm me up today

 Baby Oil on and into the water, I am off, a fast 50 or so strokes then I relax, " this is feeling lovely today, 56 degrees is delightful, I am going to relax and savor this last swim today, then came the change........I got out from the canoe launch inlet and the temperature plummeted, it dived like a submarine, I couldn't believe how dramatic the drop was, " this is intense, better pick up the strokes and get this done FAST". I don't know what my stroke rate is, early in the swim my right eye glass filled with water and I can't see Paula's face or hands, I can make out the boat though and stick to it like glue, I consider stopping to fix my goggles but am unsure if I could stand being still in this frigid water and know it will be hard to put my head down in and start swimming again if I stop....so I soldieron and ignore the water in my right eye and the fact that I can't see. Ahhhh complete heaven, we are nearing Blueberry Island, I can feel the water warming back up, I savor the warm waters of the Island and then prepare for the cold of the main lake again, the water gets choppy, I have to work harder to swim through the rougher conditions and this distracts me from the cold. What a sneaky deal I think to myself, the reservoir has put me right back in my place, I was complacent today, cocky even, " 56 degrees , how disappointing, that is not challenging enough today", I had told myself once I saw the shoreline reading, then I got a " sit up and take notice" order from the reservior when it unleashed the colder water in the main lake on me, the 50 degree water that was predicted today was delivered to me like a slap on the face with a wet fish.
 Soon I felt the water warm once more as we neared the inlet, it felt like silk, like I was wrapped in a down comforter, the sun was warming on my back and shoulders and I feel strong, Paula and I power in to the shore, I am amazed that 56 degree water can feel like this good.
 We land, I walk up the " the rock" that I always leave my swim bag on and start wrapping up in warm clothes, immediately I am able to communicate and function and I very proudly help Paula and Deb carry the Kayak up to the car. Into the mini heated seats and hot tea, then off home. Today's swim was a treasure.

 What's up next? Tomorrow it is up at 5:15am and back in the pool for a training session, later in the day I am meeting Peter, he has asked me to demo his company's Hytainium Aquatic timing system to give him some feedback, the system has a wall mounted touch pad and an in water display screen that shows times, heart rate, counts laps and has training video feedback , it is essentially a digital training tool that views and records data with real time feedback, heck sounds so good maybe it can toss me a feed bottle too, will it? I'll keep you posted.

Today's swim cap and my goggles which snapped ( fortunately at the end of the swim)

" Big Ned's" in the Pool

Thursday October 21st, 2010
Water Temperature 81 degrees
Location: Indoor Lap

I wake up before my alarm is due to go off at 4:45am this morning, I am due to meet Ned at the pool at 5:45am and I am not going to be late, my plan is to be on the pool deck, cap and goggles in hand ready to go when he arrives, I am.
 Ned emailed on October 3rd, the Subject line read: Ned will arrive in Burlington 19th October/ depart 23rd early in the morning. The email consisted of this: You around during this period?
 One more brief email and we are set up to meet at the indoor lap pool at 5:45am for a training swim, over the next few weeks I have no idea what to expect, a few days before our scheduled swim Ned sent this email....

Subject: Preparation and Expectation Settings

•  Bring a couple of bottles of your normal carbo drink
• You may want to bring a banana, some washed seedless grapes or pre cut strawberries or god help us those slippery little peaches from a can....a few of these in Tupperware seem to keep pool swimmers sane on longer swims...up to you
•  I will not talk much in the water. You can talk to me as much as you want.....with my ear plugs in I only hear the things I want to hear- like " see the shark?", or " you are swimming great Ned"....the rest never gets through!
• Try to take you drinks in the deep end- treading water- and FAST ....less than 10 seconds
• If you have to pee ( probably) just get out and then come back.....don't ask-don't tell just go
• You have opted to follow- so I'll lead. Please leave a real 3-5 second delay before you follow me. I leave a massive drafting trail....which will cheat you out of a real workout if you are too close. If you need a breather go ahead and draft for a while - but understand that you are making a choice.

And there we have it, clear instructions, I know what to expect, or do I? I have no idea how long we will be swimming, how far, how fast and....... there is NO way I am going to ask.

  During the next few days I am both excited and nervous to swim with " Big Ned". On Wednesday evening I pack up my feed for the swim, 1000 mls of maxim ( a carbo drink) I add in a few splashes of Ribena for flavor. Ribena is a concentrated  Black Current juice drink, it is rich in vitamin C, you add it to hot or cold water for either a hot or cold drink, I remember drinking it in New Zealand as a kid, the bottle I have is made in England, it was a gift from Paula. I learnt about adding Ribena to my carbo feed after reading a 64 page English Channel Crossing Post swim report, a synopsis written by a swimmer who made the English Channel crossing in 2008.
 Early to bed on Wednesday night, my son wakes me at 1:30am not feeling well, disrupted sleep that will be tough, I shrug it off, it will be no different the night before the Channel, probably not much sleep then too, may as well get used to it.
 I arrive at the pool early and lay out the following at the deep end of the pool

• 2 x  500ml containers of Maxim ( with a wide mouth to allow fast gulping)
• 1 x container of sliced strawberries
• 1 x container holding a peanut butter sandwich cut into bite sized cubes
• 3 x bottles of water
• 1 banana

I am ready and waiting, " Big Ned' appears, he so tall I feel I need a  step ladder to shake his hand, I don't, he leans down to shake my hand while clutching an armful of drinks and a few bananas in his free hand, " split the lane or circle?" I ask, circle he replies, he puts in his ear plugs, cap and goggles on, turns to the pool, jumps in and is gone, I quickly put my goggles on and launch into the pool after him so as not to get left behind, "WOW no dilly dallying around we are off....What now?" I ponder the question, I have no idea if I am in the pool for 2 hours, 3, maybe 4 or 5 hours, I prepare for the maximum possible, 5 hours,  I had emailed Ned earlier the Thursday time option as 5:45am onwards and that I was only open until 10:30am, I am teaching a boot camp at 11:00am, the 30 minutes will be just enough time to allow me to change and get set up to teach.
 So back to the question, what now?" I'll count 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8   OK that's 200 meters" I decide to count by 500's, "8 x 1500's that is feasible in the time we have", my brain is busy trying to figure it all out, "that's 12,000 meters, that's about 7.5 miles". There is a chance he is warming up and will stop,I think,  we reach 1500 meters, no stopping yet," how about all that feed on the edge of the pool, when do we get some of that", I ponder more thoughts, "I could use a drink of water, my throat is feeling dry", then after 1650 he stops, treads water, gulps from one of his bottles and is gone, I follow suit.
 Not knowing how long we are swimming this time I keep his massive feet in my sights but not too close to catch a draft. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8.....he stops after 200 Meters, while he is treading water he shouts " can you tread", a ha I reply unconvincingly, we are off again, we continue swimming lots of 200s, I am happy I love 200s I swim alot of them in my training, then he pulls up after 100, I stop too, we are off again, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, lots of 100's...." How am I going to remember all this", I'm not..... I stop counting and surrender, the control queen  lets go and follows. I instantly relax, this feels great, any anxiety of how far, how long has gone I am only focusing on the here and now, one hand hit on the water after another. We stop after a slew of 100s swum on the 1:30 interval. Ned treads water so do I ," turn around "he says, I do, he then puts his 2 massive hands on my shoulders and pushes me under the water, the intention was for me to resist him but my treading skills were no match and I was on my way to the bottom of the pool like a runaway freight train. Then he says
" put your hands on my shoulders and try to push me under", I take all the might in my 5 ft 9 inch and 136 pound frame and try to shove " Big Ned" down, he respond by rising even higher out of the water, " you've got to learn the egg beater kick, get your chin up and lift your chest high when you feed, otherwise the swell and waves will get you", then he is gone and I follow.
 I followed, followed and followed, 400s, 800s, a 50 here, a 100 there, then we went SLOW, lots of 100's so slow I felt like I was in a trance, I was desperately trying not to swim into Ned and the last thing I wanted him to think was that I was all tuckered out and catching a draft. He pulled up at the wall, " find those relaxing?", "yes I did" I reply, he puts up his goggles and looks me in the eye, " Charlotte you have been going 8 hours in the channel, your pilot tells you if you can pick up the pace by 10% you can catch the current if not you will miss it and be swimming for another 5 hours instead of another 2, do you want to pick it up, you can say yes or turn it down....YES.
 Ned is off we swim 10 x 100's fast on the 1:30, we snap up the pace and it feels great, I am alive and feel the thrill of having the purpose and visualization of the channel scenario.

Ned's stops at the wall, he once more lifts his goggles, this time with a smile, then come the stories, he starts telling stories of the Channel, each one has a message, the stories are firing out like bullets from a machine gun, " I hope I can remember these" I think as I listen intently at the wall. One story is about " Don't look up", Ned tells the story of a Channel swimmer who looked up to see France only 100 meters away, the current swept him down the coast, the next time he looked up France was gone, he had 5 more hours to swim. He tells me multiple stories of those that have succumbed to "looking up" and how they have been mentally shattered to swim for hours and see France not getting any closer, I can't help myself, I have to ask " Ned, did you look up?" , " Why did I ask,?", I scold myself as I am waiting for his reply, then he replies...." Yes I did, I looked up and I saw the blue flags of France flapping in the wind, I no longer listened to my crew, I swam with all my might to those blue flags, my crew, my wife were screaming at me " No Ned No", but I didn't listen, I kept driving to the flags, I pulled myself onto the rocks, French rocks, I turned around and looked back out to sea and there I saw the blue flags zig zagging across the sea in front of me, a Kite boarder with blue sails was dashing back in forth  in front of me from one side of the coastline to the other."
 Goggles down and Ned was gone, I followed, it was like a dance, he would speed up so would I, he would slow down so would I, I have no idea for how long, then we stopped again.
" Charlotte, you are 250 meters from Cape Gris ( France), if you sprint you can beat the tide, the current is behind you, if the current catches you before you touch the wall you have another 2 hours to swim, I am swimming behind you and I am the current.....DON'T LET ME CATCH YOU.
 Instantly I am in my " game on "mode, my heart rate is elevated and my senses are on high alert, I drive off the wall,  I am off, I snap into my 200 race plan that I used just a few weeks ago at the White River Junction meet, first 75 high stroke rate, I know I can only hold that all out sprint for 75 meters, then my body needs to switch energy systems, if I remain anaerobic I will blow up by 100 meters and be gobbled up by " Big Ned" for sure, in fact " Big Ned" in my head is now more like a great white shark, 75 meter wall, time to pull back slightly, I don't want too, but I do, knowing it will help me hold my top possible speed without blowing up, 150, I am still in the clear, 200,  "hmmm I have been swimming this as a 200 but I have another 50 to go, now what ", I tell myself to swim in the here and now and push out the last 50, the wall is there and I make it.......," WELL DONE" says Ned, he takes off his cap, goggles and takes his ear plugs out, I am still have my cap and goggles firmly on, " We are done" he says and I relax.
 What a fun swim, Ned had given me 2 choices before he arrived, we could agree on a workout or I could have a surprise( like I will get on the day of the Channel) I choose the surprise and I am thrilled that I did.
 Out of the water, we had time to grab a coffee where I had the luxury of hearing more great Channel crossing stories and training advice. Then it was time to say goodbye, Ned asks has anyone given you your first Lanolin yet? No I answer, with that Ned tosses me a swim cap from Sandy Cove, Ireland and a container of Irish Lanolin, Channel Grease is a mixture of Lanoline and Vaseline that is melted together in a pot, many channel swimmers use it on their bodies to reduce chaffing, in addtion to the Lanolin and swim cap  I left with the following...

• Keep mentally fresh ( Plan events for the next 6-9 months)
• Keep Healthy and reduce the risk of injury ( avoid Invasive Non Freestyle stroke after March)
• Gulp n Go: Faster feeds, no more politely passing the empty bottle back to the crew " Chug and Throw"
• Treading

 How far did we swim? Over coffee Ned asked " were you counting?", I told him I was at the start,  but eventually let it go, "How far did we go?" I asked, seemed safe enough to ask now  we were all done, " between 11-12,000 meters " he replies, and I leave it at that.

How long were we in there? 3 Hours, 20 minutes
How far did we swim? We'll never know exactly and that's OK

What's up next? More cold water acclimatization,  it's back to the beach and back to the pool along with researching potential training swims/events for 2011.
And today's 11,000-12,000 meter swim tunes.......the song in my head during the super slow 100's Never Took The Time - Akon, during the beat the tide 250 meter sprint at the end of the workout, When Love Takes Over - David Guetta feat.Kelly Roland.
What will I be humming next swim, I'll keep you posted.

Lanolin- how do you get the stuff  off ? I have read of a number of ways we'll have to wait and see what works, until then I can give you a hint, one tip involves gasoline

Pucker Up it's 29 degrees Fahrenheit and " Big Ned's" coming

Tuesday October 19th, 2010
Temperature 46 degrees
Water Temperature 50-52 degrees ( 10-11 Degrees Celsius)

Today is my second to last Vermont Open Water training swim for 2010 and mother nature is going to make me earn it, she delivers an overnight temperature of 29 degrees to ensure the water temperature is cooler than it was on Sunday, I am up at 5:30am to knock out the first swim workout, on the schedule today are 3 swim workouts and a 30 minute kranking class.
 Workout one is  a set of 15 x 200 meters swum on the 3 minute interval plus 2 x 250s of pull, during  the first workout I am not as sharp as I usually am, my times are a little off and range from 2:58 - 2:45 per 200 meters, I feel sloppy, " must be an off day" I think, I complete the workout and am off to teach a kranking class and down a recovery drink. Back in the pool for a masters workout, I am not expecting much in the way of performance but my body takes me by surprise, we begin with 8 x 75s at 65-70% effort then onto sprints, combined with an ez aerobic set these short bursts of speed often lead the way to a high performance main set, that is the case today, we move onto a set of 5 x 200's on the 3 minute interval, I am swimming beside Paula one of my English Channel training crew team members, we are both on the same 3 minute interval, she swims a 150 and I swim a 200, it is great fun as we play cat and mouse to see who will reach the wall first, a guaranteed good performance and today for me it is a best performance for this set, the time for each 200 is:

• # 1 : 2:45
• # 2 : 2:40
• # 3 : 2:40
• # 4 : 2:35
• # 5 : 2:30

 I am surprised and thrilled with my times especially after a sluggish swim in workout one, I remind myself to have an open mind, a low in the water can be followed by a high and visa versa " be prepared for anything and never assume an outcome" I tell myself.

 Next up an afternoon Green River Reservoir swim, it is a beautiful day, but by midday the cloud cover has rolled in like a big gray blanket, I load up with warm gear, a thermos of hot tea and am off, I am meeting Paula, Deb and Picard, our plan is that if the temperature is below 50 degrees no training swim just a dunk. In goes Turtle, Picard keeps an eye on the  turtle thermometer to make sure it doesn't abort the mission, Turtle reads 52 degrees shoreline, definitely extra baby oil day, I want to be as warm as possible and  slip through the water like a seal.
 Today, as most days I have a cunning new plan, it goes like this.... NIKE SNOW BOOTS, they are white with fur at the top and white pom poms, quite ridiculous looking but I love them, "Yes I can pull these babies on after my swim, it will be like a dream". With that thought in mind I wade into the water to begin my swim ,I pause to  let my legs take in the temperature for a while, then I am off for the 1.34 mile lap around Blueberry Island, I bring out the spinning arms and  before I know it I am full steam ahead and comfortable, in fact it feels more " normal" to me than it did on Sunday, very good.
 Can that be Blueberry Island already? I start to feel the water warm up as it gets shallow around the island, YES, the island must be near, I savor every stroke around the island. How can 52 degree water feel like such a treat? I'll tell you how, it is when you know you are heading back out into the 50 degree main lake, Au revoir sweet 52 degree water. The main lake is choppy, I pull harder and it lowers my stroke rate to 72, I have a new song in my head today it has a pumping beat and helps me fight the choppy water and wind.
 Soon I once again feel the delicious warmer water, we are at the mouth of  the canoe launch inlet already. How did Deb do that? Deb was so smooth supporting me today, I didn't even notice her steer me back to shore. The swim is complete, 1.34 miles, 31 minutes and 33 seconds and a stroke rate of 76 strokes per minute to and around the island, a stroke rate of 72 back.
 Time to get out of the water, where is Paula?. She and Picard are our land support crew today, Picard has a dog buddy with him called Oliver and I suspect they  have gone down to the point to watch us swim in. Paula joins us just a few seconds after we return to shore, the dogs are whizzing around excitedly as I navigate getting dressed,suit off, clothes on, I forgot my possum hat  "agghhhh that is a crime", I scold myself, how could I leave home lidless? Fortunately I have a furry hood on my Burton jacket, OK hood up that works, now let's see how my new cunning plan works........ not so good, the snow boots are even harder to get on than the slip on shoes, my feet are wet and I have small stones stuck to the soles of my feet, " jam'em in " I command, I do and it feels horrid, especially with all the little stones in there, it hurts my feet as I shuffle up to the car. Paula escorts me up to the car with her newly found beaver stick, it is a stick that has been stripped of it's bark, you can see the beaver teeth marks all over it and where the beaver severed the stick from the tree.

 Into the car, time to defrost, it takes no time at all, I actually didn't feel that cold swimming today and feel myself recover quickly, within 10 minutes the shaking is almost gone, I am able to pour my tea and drink it without spilling it all over myself and the mini, now that's progress. My bottom is baking nicely on the heated seats and all fingers and toes are accounted for and functioning, excellent.
 Time to go, Paula rides with me for a bit, I enjoy the post swim company, soon it is time for us to part ways at the fork in the road, we say our goodbyes and agree it was a good outing.

 Next up the legendary " Big Ned ' meets me for a pool training swim , Ned is my Mentor, he lives in Ireland and runs the Cork Island long distance training camp, I say legendary because out of the long distance swimming training camps that aspiring channel swimmers sometimes attend the Cork camp is reported to be being the toughest camp out there and is by invitation only.
I call  Big Ned, " Big Ned " for a number of reasons which are:

•  He is my mentor, what he says goes
•  He has made the crossing, he swam the English Channel in 2005
•  He has provided me with training information and backed it up with personal experience &  statistics
•  He is 6" 6 and weighs 225 pounds
• I get the distinct feeling he is as tough as old boots
• He heads up the toughest Long Distance swimming training camp
•  And finally he said this to me" You find your own way....so take everything with a grain of salt and adjust to you"

How will I fare following Ned's lead in our scheduled 5:45am training swim on Thursday at the indoor lap pool? I don't know how far or how long we are swimming and I am not going to ask. What will it be like? Will I make the distance? I'll keep you posted.
 Today's swim song was ' Bad Romance" Lady Gaga.....I often have an eclectic blend playing in my head from swim to swim, I 'll let you know what I'm humming underwater next time.

"Snows a coming "batten down the hatches, wind and hail and we are going in!

Sunday October 17th, 2010
Air Temperature: 44 degrees, windy, hail
Water Temperature: 51-53 degrees

It snowed Friday night, I knew it was coming but that didn't make it any easier knowing I would be  swimming outdoors today with fresh snow on the mountains. Mount Mansfield was proudly sporting 12- 14 inches of fresh new white stuff, 20 inches fell but the high winds packed it down to a compact 12-14 inches. The first snow of the season creates an exciting buzz around the village, those eager to ride and ski have already hiked up the mountain first thing on Saturday morning to get those early season fresh tracks, for me on Saturday it was a toasty 8000m swim in the 82 degree indoor lap pool, today is a different scenario, I am scheduled to swim outside at the Green River Reservoir at 11:00am, Cara one of my training crew team members is scheduled to kayak with me, Cara sends a text at 7:30am , " I am not well, Sore throat & chills. I don't know if I can make it on the lake today. Call me when you get up. So sorry." I call Cara to tell her she should sit tight, plopping her out on a windy and wet lake is not going to help her feel any better, " you stay at home and keep warm I'll be good as gold" , we say our goodbyes and I hang up.
 Hmmm........ time to regroup, Cara can't come with me, there is snow on the mountains, the wind is blowing, it is cold out, Sunday is my rest day, I was called into work last night and didn't get to bed until midnight, I got a call early at 7:15am this morning, I didn't sleep well, I had a long pool swim yesterday......Wahhh Wahhh, the list went on and on, I thought of every excuse in the book not to follow through with today's training swim, it is amazing how many excuses you can come up with if you open the door and let them come tumbling out. I head downstairs to get a cup of tea, mashed banana on toast and to mull the whole thing over. Jeff my husband is in the kitchen, as I amble in he asks " you swimming outside today"?, "was going to but Cara's sick, she was going to come with me"I replied in a noncommittal kind of way, " I'll come out with you if you want?" ,  " are you sure, I haven't figured out if I'll swim or not, can I let you know"?, I give myself yet another out. We agree on a plan, Jeff is heading out for a workout, we will grab lunch when he gets back then figure out  a plan, PHEW bought myself a little more time tucked up indoors.
 Jeff heads off to the gym and I head down to the office to work on my swim log, I am entering all my swims recorded this year into a snappy little grid to give me a running total of how far I have swum in the pool and in the open water this year, it shows the water temperature, the location of the swim and my total YTD meterage, it also allows me to see if I am matching, exceeding or falling below the annual distance goal I have set for myself for 2010. As I am entering the swims for May, June, July and August I reflect on how far I have come since January 1st 2010 when I began training for an attempt on the English Channel....how can I blow off today's training swim after all I have been through already? I can't and I know it.

Mini with a Kayak Lid

 Jeff arrives back from the gym, we eat lunch and pack up the gear, we have to travel the kayak on the mini today and  that's entertaining in itself, the boat is longer than the car. Everything is packed in the mini, then it is suit on, extra baby oil on the arms, back and shoulders and lots of warm clothes ontop. I let Jeff know that there is a chance we may not swim today, I explain that if it is below 50 degrees we will turn around and come home, he says " OK".
 Then we are off, the forecast says sunshine today, it is not accurate, the skies are dark, it is damp and cold and we see small pellets of hail bouncing off the mini as we drive to the Reservoir, we arrive to find that the gate to the canoe launch is padlocked, "Rats we'll have to walk everything down,
 let's go throw the Turtle in before we lug all the stuff" I say to Jeff, inside me there is a glimmer of hope that the Turtle will say " too bad it's only 49 degrees, why don't you head home and have a hot chocolate, maybe even a nap".
 The Turtle does not say that, he answers quite confidently 53 degrees, " lady you are going swimming", all right then, I think, action stations, ear plugs in, cap on, pants off, I leave my big Burton jacket on as we lug the boat down to the canoe launch, it takes about 4-5 minutes, my right shoulder is aching from carrying the boat, Jeff gets in the Kayak and as I take off my heavy jacket I look out to the deserted lake, during the summer months it used to be so alive with people, canoes, kayaks, loons, people camping and fishing, no longer, it is desolate and remote feeling.
 I pay my attention to the task at hand, 1.34 miles, one lap around Blueberry Island in 51-53 degrees water..." do it, do it, do it", I mumble...and I am in, ohhhh boy that is chilly, my arms are spinning fast like a roulette wheel, I am swimming right alongside the boat and see that poor Jeff is getting soaked from the water splashing from my frantically spinning arms, I feel bad for him but can't slow down or adjust, it is just too cold, he doesn't miss a beat and takes the drenching.
 I can see nothing today, my goggles are completely fogged up and I can't tell if I am swimming away from Jeff or close to him, ' have to wing it" I decide, instead on relying on sight I swim on feel, I desperately want to know where I am but can't see anything, then I feel the water getting warmer, it must be getting shallow, that means I am close to Blueberry Island my halfway point and turn around, thank goodness, I am quietly relived, we round the Island and head for home, the water is choppy and the Kayak is being pushed around by the wind, I can see the sky, it looks angry and dark, it makes me shudder, I drive on harder through the waves, again I begin to wonder " am I there yet, am I there yet?", then I feel the water warm up to the shoreline 53 degree temperature, YES, I am close, I sneak a couple of peaks, Jeff sees me peaking and I throw my head back down and swim. My stroke rate is 74 strokes per minute for the entire 1.34 miles, we pull into the canoe launch, 30 minutes, we did it, I did not want to swim today, i fought it to the bitter end and finally overcame all the excuses and got the job done, when you write down the workout you do it, even better tell someone else you are doing it too!
 Post swim the plan was for me to scurry up to the car and Jeff to navigate the boat on his own, out of the water and I got my jacket on, shoes on and towel wrapped around my waist " I want to carry the boat up now with you now ", Jeff didn't want me too but I was adamant, I trotted up the hill behind him kayak in hand, by the time we reached the car I was spent and concentrated on getting off my wet suit and getting on the possum hat, fleece leggings, merino sweater and woolly slippers, as I was navigating all this two cars with Massachusetts plates pulled up in the parking lot,  four people got out and walked by, they looked gobsmacked, I made a point to make no eye contact, they asked Jeff  if " the water was cold", lucky I had my ear plugs in and didn't hear their question, who knows what my reply might have been and if it would have been appropriate to share with you, yes better left unheard, they disappeared down the road to the canoe launch, perhaps to check out the water temperature for themselves.
 Car packed up and we were off, hot shower, warm clothes and another cold water acclimatization swim checked off. Next up Tuesday October 19th, Green River Reservoir, the forecast is calling for cold nights 32-34 degrees for the next few nights, Tuesday may be the farewell to the reservoir for 2010, will it be, we will find out on Tuesday afternoon when Turtle is scheduled once again to take the first dip, Will he be the solo swimmer on Tuesday? It will depend on the temperature, I'll keep you posted.

Stormy skies, snow on the trials of Mount Mansfield, Stowe, Vermont

Time to break out the Down Jacket



Thursday October 14th, 2010
Location: The Lap Pond
Air Temperature: 35 degrees
Water Temperature: 51.5 degrees

Today is my last scheduled visit to " the lap pond" for 2010, I woke up both excited and nervous about what the water temperature will be, "if it is below 55 degrees I won't swim" I tell myself unconvincingly, I'll just hop back in the mini and buzz over to the indoor lap pool and knock out 6000m, it will be OK....."it won't be OK", I secretly think to myself, it will be predictable, a forgone conclusion and I will never know what that water felt like and how I felt swimming in it, I already know I'll take the dip, but who knows how long.
 I scoop up all my bags for work for the day, one for my food, one for my laptop and one for my clothes, I already have on my suit, my daughter Heidi slopped baby oil on my arms, back and shoulders for me before she left for school.



The "Down Jacket" with furry hood

 It was cold last night and the air temperature at my house reads 34 degrees," boy I am going to need some heavier duty clothing today". I dig out my big thick grey down jacket, it is the one I wear if it is below zero during the Vermont winter, it has a furry hood that is made of down too, perfect for today's conditions I think as I heave it onto my shoulders, it is no light weight and feels not only cozy but also heavy to wear. Now I'm ready,  armed with my possum fur hat, down jacket with furry hood, fleece pants and slip on shoes with a woolly liner, 7:30am and I'm into the mini and off to the pond.
 I am tempted to crank up the heated seats and blast the heat but this is a ritual I reserve for after my swim, " If I toast my butt up now I will need a shoe horn  to pry myself out of the car when I arrive at the pond,  I'd be better to avoid the temptation and leave the heated seats off for now".
 My hands are cold  gripping the steering wheel as I drive, when I arrive at the pond it looks frigid, " now or never" , I think as I turn off the car, earplugs in, cap on, possum hat on, furry hood up and I am off down to the pond by foot, the turtle goes in first and checks out the water temperature stats as I dash back up to the car to get my camera," I have to get a photo of the pond today", I take a picture then fish out the turtle and check out the temperature reading, 51.5 degrees, OK that is an all time low for me and below the 55 degree cut off mark, I had told myself less than one hour before that  I would not swim in the pond today below 55 degrees, but I am already here, my ear plugs are in and I am curious to know what 51.5 degrees will feel like. I tried to swim in 52 degrees this spring, on May 16th, 2010 the water was 52 degrees and the air temperature was 60 degrees, I put on a 5mm wetsuit and was only able to swim a mere 42 minutes, my notes from that swim include:

• when the water hit my face it hurt and took my breath away
• my chest felt like it was caving in
• my chest felt tight, my breaths were short and shallow
• my teeth ached
• my hands were like claws

I start to strip off my clothes, first the shoes, then fleece pants, off with the jacket and lastly the possum hat, " looks like I am going to swim" I say to myself, "just 5 laps, yes a 1000 yard swim would be a terrific accomplishment today, I know I can do it". I walk in the water and stand there for 30 seconds taking deep relaxing breaths, breathe, relax, warm blanket....who am I kidding warm blanket my ass it's 51.5 degrees! Then I am off and a strange thing happens, it is cold as you can imagine, I spin my arms fast and they work, I am pulling with strong strokes, but when my face hits the water it does not give me a fright or take my breath away as it did on the May 16th swim AND my torso feels warm, in fact it feels toasty! I swam the first 200 yard lap knowing I would comfortably be able to achieve the 5 laps this morning, my only concern was that one of the toy boats has floated into the middle of the pond since my last swim, it is the size of park bench and I am worried about swimming into it, "Oh well suck it up and take the hit", I laugh as I say it.
 Lap number 3, I have a thought, "it's only 5 laps, you are going to rock it", " you will get out after 5 and be happy that you swam your 5 laps, your 1000 yards in 51.5 degree water".....no I won't I think ,I will not be satisfied if I don't swim the full 10 laps that I've been doing every other Thursday, 30 minutes of swimming, I know I can swim 10 laps today and that's what I am going to do.
 10 laps, 2000 yards, I will be thrilled if I swim this.
 I continued on lap 5, lap 6, then I notice something else amazing..." I am enjoying this, I don't want it to whizz by too fast, I want to savor the experience", and I do, but by lap 9 my hands start to experience " Channel cramp", they feel like claws and are not pulling me through the water as strongly as they did earlier in the swim, none the less I finish lap 10 and pull up short of the shore, I stop swimming and let myself relax and sink under the surface, " OK brain take this in, you are in 51.5 degree water, you are able to function, to swim and hang out under water and look around without snuffing it, remember this for next time", then I resurface and paddle to the shore, time to get out, my brain knows what to do but my feet are not responding, they are like blocks of ice and it is hard to step onto the grass, I look down at my hands, WOW that is horrible, I have a Halloween look straight out of a Halloween catalog, my hands are red and swollen, they look puffy. Now the hard work really starts, when I am swimming my heart rate is up and keeping my midsection warm, now that I have stopped swimming it lowers, that combined with the 35 degree air temperature and I start to get cold fast, I know I have limited time to get my stuff together before things get really hard, wet suit down, warm under layer and down jacket on, hood up....that helps, I wrap a towel around my waist, I should get the wet suit off but decide not too, not a good call but now I just want to get to the car and home into a hot shower, less than 5 minutes drive away. I struggle with my right shoe, it is a size 10, usually easy to slip on but like my hands my feet appear to be swollen, I get the right foot in and look at the left that is next up....too hard, I scoop up the left shoe in my hand, " enough of that", one shoe on, one shoe off, I scamper up to the car, engine on, heater blasting and heated seats cranked on high, I can feel heat from none of them," if I can just sustain the drive home I will be OK", I tell myself repeatedly, the 5 minute drive takes forever, it feels like hours, like I am stuck in rush hour traffic in the Boston Tunnel. What if I am pulled over? I ask myself, there is no way I can sit in the car waiting for the traffic officer to check my licence, registration and insurance, besides he will probably think I'm drunk if I slur my words when I answer his questions, I make a plan of action if needed, I will keep driving to my house, he or she will have to follow me with their lights flashing and wait until I am out of the hot shower, I look at my speedometer, I am barely hitting 25 miles per hour, not much chance of a speeding violation here.
 I pull into the drive way and manage to grab all my swim gear and dash into the house, the front door is left wide open and I am dropping my bags, towel, down jacket and finally the possum hat in a big trail to the bathroom, shower on and I am in, Oh that's what I'm talking about, bring it on, now that is the ticket right there, I soak it up, wonderful, I glance at my watch 9:01, I stay in the shower for 20 minutes, the transition from the hot shower to getting dressed seems near impossible, I am fully recovered now, I can feel both hands, feet, no teeth chattering and no body shakes, now I am just being a big baby, " I don't want to get out of the shower, I'll get cold", what a skirt, I laugh to myself.
 Shower off and I make a break for it, wow I didn't even manage to pull the shower curtain properly, the bathroom floor looks like a little kids paddling pool.
 Into to bedroom and before you know it I am snuggled up in warm leggings, fleece pullover, sweater on top and matching hat, little black ballet shoes and I am ready to go, off to work.
 I am thrilled to pieces with today's swim, a fitting end to 2010's lap pond adventures, I am so pleased I choose the pond over the pool today. Three more Vermont Open Water Swims left in 2010, they are all in the Green River Reservoir, the next one is on Sunday, will I take the plunge on Sunday? What do you think? I'll keep you posted.





" The Lap Pond" 51.5 degrees quietly waiting for me to enter it's waters

 

12 more days PLUS "How dirty is the water?"

Tuesday October 12th, 2010
Air Temperature 50 degrees
Water Temperature 56.5 degrees
Weather Conditions: Partly cloudy skies, windy

12 Days and counting! There are 12 more days until I wrap up my Open Water swimming in Vermont for 2010, we are getting down to the wire, I have never trained outdoors this late in the year before, every day, every swim is an unknown, a " I don't know what to expect", so I am prepared for anything mother nature throws at me, clouds, sun, rain , even snow, I'll give it a "good old kiwi try", even if it is just a dunking, I am committed.
 Today is looking pretty good, the skies are blue apart from some rouge clouds, some of the trees on the way to the reservoir are still putting on  a fine fall show of reds and oranges, I am amazed that I have found a few trees still so on fire with color, they line Garfield Road, the road that leads me to the final dirt road access to the canoe launch, when I look at the trees I can't help but feel the warmth radiate from their fiery colors," this heat is going to stick with me in the water today, I just know it", I think to myself.
 I am scheduled to meet Deb and Paula at 2pm, we read in the local paper that the Reservoir is now closed for the season, we are concerned that the gate will be locked and it might be a long walk down the access road carrying the boat to get to the canoe launch, never the less we are prepared to make the commute, boat in hand.
 Turns out the state park is closed but the gate is open and we are able to drive right down to the canoe launch, " thank goodness " I think less distance for me to high tail it up to those heated seats after my dip".
 Deb is in the kayak today, Paula is on shore with Picard and a video camera to get some action shots of today's swim. I have a new tactic now the temperature is dropping even further, today I put my cap and goggles on at the car, wrap a towel around my waist, zip up my sweater the finishing touch is possum hat on top of the swim cap, I check out my reflection in the car window before I head down to the shore, I don't normally look but today must look extra bizarre and decide it would be entertaining to take  a peak, it is...... WOW that is freaky, one scary look for sure!
 Turtle Thermometer takes the first dip, poor beggar always has to take the plunge before me, true to form his eyes are wide in fright as he plunges into the cold, Paula is manning the temperature check today while  I load my feed onto the kayak, Picard decides the turtle looks like a tremendous playmate and shows signs of plucking him out of the water early but Paula is all over it and ensures Turtle has a long enough dip to give us the information we need, 56.5 degrees she declares, " crikey dick", I think, game on!
 Next up baby oil on my back, shoulders and arms, " extra today please Paula " I ask, I want all the help I can get, I am also wearing a black suit and cap, dark colors will attract more heat from the sun, " soak it up suit", I say under my breath.
 Into the water, I find this extra exciting today as Paula is documenting the water entry with her video camera, hmmm....." look strong and confident, stride into the water", I think, I prompt myself on how I should look on film starting my swim, just as I am thinking this I stumble on a large rock that seems as wide as a table top,as I try to adjust I can't seem to find anything but the rock to step on, usually the bottom is soft, sludgy and flat when I walk in, today I am stumbling all over the place, it looks like I downed a bottle of Jack Daniels before I entered the water, I am weaving here and there and  haven't even started swimming yet, I laugh at the thought of looking at this movie clip later, what a klutz!
 " Get those arms spinning", shouts Deb, I do and we are off....I am spinning my arms fast and can now confirm to my brain" it is freakin cold", OK, give it time I think, it always feels like this to start, things begin to feel less frigid, regardless I keep my stroke count up, the faster I spin my arms the warmer I will feel, I keep it at 74 strokes per minute for the majority of the swim, that is my usual 5 minute speed pickup pace, I am happy to be holding it comfortably as this is my third training swim today. At 6:30am this morning I headed to the indoor  lap pool for 15 x 200 meters, I felt heavy in the arms at the start of the set, I have trained in the water 21 days straight and am overdue for a day off, I skipped my last 2 rest days( I usually take one day off a week) to jump on some extra cold water swims, for the first seven 200s I hold a 2:50 and swim on the 3 minute interval, number eight I swim in 2:45, number nine 2:44 and number ten my time is 2:40, that last five 200s I settle back into a 2:50 pace.
Training session One:  3000 meters completed...CHECK
 Out of the water and off to teach a 7:45am Kranking class, then back in the water at 8:30am to swim with the Masters swimmers. Today we are swimming a drill set,  a main set of 3 repeats of 8 x 25 meter sprints, followed by a straight 300 meter aerobic swim, then a recovery set. Again I descend this time in the 300s, this means that each time I swim a 300 it will be faster than the one before, my first 300 takes 4 minutes and 20 seconds, my second is a 4:05 and my final and fastest 300 is a 3:50 with my 100 pace a 1:17, 1:17 and for the final 100 split a 1:16. I feel powerful, strong and relaxed during the set, my body likes to descend, it goes into overdrive, once my intensity rises to 80% or above, my body snaps into the " performance zone" whether my mind likes it or not, in past years I  have had some great performances in "the zone", but would not know when it was going to happen or how I got into it, now I know when it is going to happen and what I need to do to get there, can it be uncomfortable, YES, does it give me my best times and performance, YES, does it also feel great, YES, I have learnt not to fight it or deny it, it is part of my makeup, once I reach 80% intensity I snap into an instinctive overdrive, high performance zone kicks in and I am a monster. Second workout completed after  an additional 4 x 250s of pull with Paula.
 Trainning session Two: 3450 meters CHECK
 Back to the lake, the plan today is if it is below 58 degrees one lap of Blueberry Island ( 1.1 miles), if it is 58 degrees or above we go twice around. We reach the island the first time, it gets shallow and I can feel the water warm, ahhhhh complete bliss, I laugh thinking that what I am feeling is the shoreline temperature the turtle read back at the canoe launch 56.5 degrees, around the island and back into the deeper water, the temperature drops again, I keep swimming fast, there is no sign off fatigue in any part of my body, I pull up after 25 minutes I can see we are approaching the turn off towards the canoe launch and I want to go around the Island again, " sorry for stopping Deb, but I want to do the island again, can we turn around?", she gives me a knowing look, " do you want a feed?" , yes please I answer, I don't really but know how important it is to stay fuelled , I mixed my feed too strong today and it tastes sweet, I chug some down and am off again, I feel the fuel give me a blast of energy, before I know it I am once again feeling the warmer water of Blueberry Island, yes 56.5 degrees feels balmy compared to the 54.5 I estimate the main lake is, we make the turn and head for home, Wahoo what a good outing, I pull up short of the shore and take a moment to smile at Deb, " we did great today" I say, I relax in the water.
 Next up, time to land, Possum fur hat on, sweater on, towel wrapped around my waist and up to the car, wet suit off, merino sweater, fleecy legging and woolly slippers on, then into those heated seats....agghhhh fabulous!
 My toes feel like Popsicles and my teeth are chattering as my body works to warm up, I can't feel the heated seats in the mini yet but I am recovering faster today than after other swims, Paula brings me my hot tea, I drink a couple of cups and am able to talk to both Deb and Paula with speech they can understand, I am beside myself with excitement " Look I can talk already" I blurt out like a toddler who has just mastered his or her first sentence. We say our goodbyes and I am off home to wash out my swim gear and take a hot shower. When I first began swimming in the reservoir in 2006 I used to feel quite queasy in the stomach after my swims, by 2007 I didn't notice feeling that way anymore, maybe my system has adapted to any foreign matter in the water that I ingest while I swim. To give you an idea of the water I swim in check out the color of the water in the wash basin before and after I rinsed out my suit after today's swim.

This is the water before I rinsed out my suit after my swim today

The water after I rinsed out my suit

 Total distance today, 9,830 meters, a little over 6 miles, 3 workouts, the temperature range, a low temp of 54.5-56.5 degrees up to a high temp of 82 degrees in the pool, that's a 27.5 degree drop in temperature from this morning's' swims to this afternoons 53 minute dip, longest and coldest swim to date, I am pleased. Next date outdoors? Thursday in the lap pond, I am predicting the temperature to drop further, will it? I'll keep you posted.

Swimming with the pack ~ Sachest Ocean Swimmers

Sunday October 10th, 2010
Location: Second Beach Rhode Island
Air Temperature 52 degrees
Water Temperature 58-62.3 degrees

Last night it dropped down to 37 degrees, I woke up today excited to swim with the Sachest Ocean Swimmers, they are a group of 8-18 swimmers who meet regularly to ocean swim from first beach, they are described to me as varying abilities and very very kind, they swim to certain meeting points, get the group together, then are off again. They are described accurately, they are super kind, very welcoming and cool to let this " down under girl " join them for a training swim today. We are setup to meet at second beach at 9:00 am, I meet Katrina & Ellen who are suiting up, I go away to " undress" to my one piece suit, when I come back I head down to the beach to scout out the girls, ear plugs in, cap on, goggles on  my head, wrapped in a towel and wearing my big fleece jacket, I glance at the beach and don't see Katrina and Ellen, my SUP buddy Tim sees me looking disorientated and shouts they are waiting for you in the car, you need a ride to first beach, I laugh as I run past Tim to my car to get rid of my towel and fleece shouting " who's the new girl". I drop off my stuff at my car and spot a car full of "wetsuits" with people in them, " must be my ride" I think, I recognise Katrina and Ellen, everyone else quickly introduces themselves, I suddenly feel very under dressed sitting in the back seat of the car wearing only my one piece suit, cap and goggles, at least I didn't wear my two piece tankini I giggle to myself.
 A short 5 minute ride and we arrive at first beach, the mission  to swim back to second beach ( 1.7 miles) where the cars are parked, on the drive over I get to chat to Ellen and Katrina, I enjoy their company, Ellen has a long history of swimming including 10 and 12 mile open water swims and friends who have made the English Channel Crossing, she is fun to talk to, but the main thing I notice is both Ellen and Katrina have great energy, that always makes for a good swim and I am excited to begin.
 We arrive at the parking lot, out of the car and onto the beach, 6 of us swimming today, I think to myself, then I see  another wad of wetsuit clad swimmers pouring out of a few other cars and striding down to the water, " how cool there is a whole fleet" I think to myself, I couldn't be happier, it feels like I am heading out to play with a colony of seals. We make the transition from sand to sea and are off, a frenzy of arms and legs moving through the water, we all swim towards the point, 3-4 swimmers reach the point where first beach ends they pull up, I swim towards them and stop too, one by one the rest of the group swim in, then Ellen says " we have to keep moving or she'll get cold', she was right I was feeling my body temperature dropping with every minute we were not swimming, it was an intuitive move by Ellen and one I was grateful for, there was talk of where to sight while swimming, the tide was high and some rocks that were usually fully exposed today would be partially or fully submerged below the surface, we wanted to make sure we didn't swim into any hidden rocks lurking at or just below the  surface,landmarks were discussed and we were off, as we headed round to second beach the water became noticeably warmer, the water temperature reading this morning on the computer was 58 degrees off one buoy and 62.3 degrees off the other buoy in the general area we are swimming, Chris who I am staying with grew up surfing in these waters, he knows them well, I always ask him about the temperature and conditions before I swim, he is always spot on, today he says some areas will be warmer at 62.3 degrees and at some points I will catch the current it will read colder at 58 degrees, he is right again, I can feel the temperature shift while I swim, fortunately for me the warm water is on the home stretch, I swim side by side with Katrina for the second half of the swim, it is great we swim well together, same pace and rhythm, effortless yet strong. Before we know it we are on the beach, and gathering together for a post swim chat, the group are swimming again in the morning but for me it is back to Vermont, a long outdoor hot shower, followed by a quick packing of the car, then Heidi, my daughter and I hit the road, as we reach the Vermont border I notice the skies grow dark, the leaves have fallen from the trees, the hills look brown, stick like and the temperature drops, " we could have snow in the next two weeks" I say to Heidi, she agrees it sometimes snows at Halloween, I have 5 outdoor swims left here in Vermont this Fall, last week the water was 57 degrees, what will it read this week? I'll keep you posted.

What's in the sea wild & free?

Saturday October 9th, 2010
Location: Potter's Cove, Rhode Island
Air Temperature 50 degrees
Water 63 degrees

7:20am I am due to meet Ray and a few other swimmers to catch a training swim. I meet Ray, Lou and skip and we all get ready to launch into Potter's Cove. The water is reading 58.6 degrees in Potters cove on the computer, I am mentally prepared, I swam in 57 degree water on Thursday and my brain hasn't forgotten I am ready for another round.
 Ray is an " English Channel swimmer ", he has made the crossing, I am an aspiring EC swimmer or an " English Channel Wannabe" as I have heard others refer to swimmers like me preparing for an attempt. Ray lets me know that the other guys are swimming in wet suits yet we will still be faster than they are, our plan to swim a 1.2 mile leg across Potter's Cove to a point, the landmark a big jetty, Ray asked about how I behave in the water when I get cold, also if I want to hug the shore or swim in a straight line to the midway point of our out and back course, "straight line for sure, I am a destination girl " I reply, he is a destination swimmer too he says and  we agree that if we are cold at the jetty we will high tail it back to the beach,  if  we are not " on the edge "we will hang out for a bit, swim back to pick up Lou and Skip, then swim back out to the  jetty with them and all head back together.
 We are off, I spin my arms fast as soon as I dive in anticipating the impact of the cold, it doesn't come, it feels balmy today, I am thrilled with myself and switch my focus to keeping Ray in my sights, he is faster than me, a strong swimmer with a smooth sighting technique that blends right into his stroke flawlessly, I quickly figure out my best tactic is to sight his bright red cap and arms splashing in the water rather than the grey jetty that I can barely make out in the distance, I do and it works well, after a while he pulls up and looks at his watch, it gives him a temperature reading, "63.4 degrees" he announces, I thought it was warm,  I laugh at the power of the mind, I was all prepared for 58 degrees today, when it turned out to be 63 I was lapping up the warmth  like a seal in the sun, 10 months ago I would have been freaking out at the thought and feel of a 63 degree swim, not any more compared to 58 it feels like a bathtub today.....acclimatization is starting.
 The sun was rising as we were swimming and lit up the sky with colors of yellow, orange and red, as I rolled to breath I caught a birds eye view of birds heading south in flocks, they are all in flying in an organised fashion and look like  big ribbons in the sky.
 The water is clearer than it has been on past swims, when it is shallow I can see shells and ocean life below. We reach the turn around jetty, tread water then swim back to check in on Skip and Lou, when we reach them we visit for a while and then swim back to the turn around jetty where we hang out and talk, I notice I am getting cold while we are talking and not swimming but say nothing, cold water acclimatization, "shut up and deal with it" I think to myself. Ray cues us to start the return swim, I soon warm right back up and enjoy the swim back, "don't swim into a moored yacht on the way back " I think to myself, how embarrassing would that be!
 Ray is well ahead of me and is waiting on the beach with Skip as I swim in, a great swim.
 We talk on the beach for a while and Ray offers some valuable tips on what had worked for him during his crossing and what had gone wrong. We talked about feeding, he had started swimming with a nose clip shortly before his Channel crossing, what didn't work was it was hard for him to get his feed down while wearing his nose clip and  alot of his allocated feed didn't go in his mouth, by hour 8 he said he was low on gas," be sure not to give your feed to the ocean, and if you do take in more feed to compensate for the feed that went into the sea" I think to myself , I write the thought down in my journal when I get home.
 We say our goodbyes and I am off to shower, eat  and get ready for an 11:00am Yoga Class at Pulse in Newport, it was great, then more food and off to first beach with my daughter Heidi and her friend Ada, it was a stunning afternoon 65 degrees, ice cream in hand we walked along the beach and then checked out the Newport Aquarium where I got to learn about some of the creatures I have been hanging out with in the sea with when I swim here in Rhode Island, it was cool check it out......
 First, the Forbes Starfish

This guy has no muscles and uses water pressure to move and eat, he takes water in and out of the " mother port"( that little orange dot in the middle of his body) it's like his blow hole, he can see light and dark with an eye at the end of each of his 5 legs, I am definitely going to keep smiling when I swim now I know star fish have five eyes that might be looking my way.


Second, the Sea Urchin

This wee guy is like a starfish with all his 5 legs curled up under his body, he has little spines all over his body that look like pine needles, tough to see he blends into the rock he is hanging out on.

Last, but not least The Jelly Fish
 Finally a Jelly Fish encounter but I am dry, no chance of a Jelly sting today, however I do get to learn alot more about them, their tentacles have stingers on them ( they look like floaty hairs) , they use their tentacles to catch and paralyse food and carry it to their stomachs. They move in the water by pumping their stomachs allowing them to move in the water mostly up and down, letting the currents carry them from side to side, hmmm........know your enemy is the saying, I don't think of the Jelly fish as my enemy but know I can't take them lightly and they deserve respect, I will have to  learn  more about these.

Steaks for dinner and off to bed to get ready for tomorrow morning's 9am swim time at surfers end of second beach, a new group of swimmers, I am excited to have company tomorrow and meet yet another group of swimmers. I still have sand behind my ears and on my neck from this mornings outing ( I promise I did shower!), what will I see in the water tomorrow and who will I meet? I will keep you posted.

First Beach: Tomorrow's swim Second beach from surfers end to First beach

Lap Pond Temperature is dropping

Thursday October 7th, 2010
Air Temperature 49 degrees
Water Temperature 57 degrees

A 30 minute dip in the lap pond today is on the schedule followed by a short 2000m warm up swim in the indoor Olympic sized lap pool. I head over to the lap pond, the skies are ominous, dark clouds surround the pond and it is raining. I park the car, no mini today so no heated seats, I am driving the suburban, cloth seats and a lazy heater, rats!
 I tip Turtle into the pond for an early morning dip, he looks scared to say the least, I pull him out early, 58 degrees he tells me, I drop him back in for a another 60 seconds, 57 degrees he declares with a look on his face that says " deal with it lady, get in and swim", I do, it is cold, even the " I am in a warm blanket, I am in a warm blanket" mantra does not help, one lap goes by, I am planning 10 laps today to make a 2000 yard swim but I am feeling cold, my body feels unfamiliar, my control is slipping, I talk to myself " get a grip and relax you will be OK, there is the shore right over there, you can see it when you breath", this registers in my brain, I can see the shore and I will be OK, I swim on and an amazing thing happens, I relax and it is OK, before I know it I am at lap 10, I stop short of the edge of the pond and bob above the surface and below, letting my body and mind relax and let go of any fear, remember this I tell my primitive brain, I survived this swim and feel OK, don't be anxious next time. I stroke to the side of the pond to exit the water and see if my land legs still work, they are wobbly but do manage to navigate me to the suburban, I struggle to get my clothes on then into the car, " darn you cloth seats without a heater" I mutter under my breath, then it is off to the indoor pool, a few minutes drive and I am there, my teeth are chattering and my lips are numb, that is weird I haven't felt this in the lips before, I don't know what a Botox injection feels like but imagine it might be similar to how my lips feel right now, over sized, puffy and frozen, I make a bee line for the pool, I am standing on the pool deck fiddling with my cap and goggles, Cara is coaching the masters practice today, she know me so well, " get in and swim, 75s " she says, I do it, then it is on to a broken 1500m set, after 500 meters I start to feel blood rush back to my extremities, first to my hands, then to my feet, WOW it hurts today, my feet throb as they begin to warm up, a sweet reminder that today I swam in the coldest water yet, 57 degrees for 30 minutes, I am pleased.
 Later in the day I am scheduled for my weekly run up the Pinnacle, it is a really pretty scenic hike that I like to run up as fast as I can and then hike down, I am scheduled to go with my Pinnacle buddy Margaret, she is recovering from racing a half marathon this past weekend so we both know we are in for a fun recovery run up the pinnacle today, enough to raise the Heart rate up to 70-75% of it's maximum but not a free for all threshold pace run. We have fun, it is pouring with rain, muddy and as we reach the summit the ground shows signs of the hail settling that has started to pelt us as we summit the top of the trial. On the way down Margaret mentions how fun it would be to see how much food I take in to fuel my body when I am training, I ponder this thought, she is right reading it is one thing seeing it is another. " I don't know if I can fit a whole days worth of food on my dining room table" I announce, we laugh at the thought.  So for grins here is a photo of my dinner ( before I ate it!) this does not include my appetizer that I always inhale when I first get home from work.
 Have fun peaking. Next up the ocean is calling, back to Rhode Island tomorrow Friday October 7th, I am meeting Ray( who has already made the EC crossing and is booked to go again in 2012) for a Saturday morning training swim, he emailed today that the temperature is 59 degrees, perfect he said!
 Will it be, I'll keep you posted.

Tonight's refuel: 4 Fillet Mignon steaks, salad, hummus and dressing, sauteed mushrooms, a Laraway bar, a skinny chocolate bar and a York Peppermint Pattie

Loons Head South for the winter

Sunday October 3rd, 2010 - The day after the swim meet
Air Temperature 46 degrees, windy
Water Temperature 59.5 degrees

It got cold last night, I wake up excited to take my ice bath swim today, I know it will help reduce any potential muscle soreness from my all out race effort yesterday, the ice will help reduce any intracellular swelling, I calculate that a  59.5 degree total body submersion will do the job nicely.

 Today Deb is my kayak support, Paula is there too with Picard to hold down the fort on shore, that comforts me knowing that she and Picard are on shore ready to help us land at the end of the swim. I struggle with even the most simple tasks after a cold water training swim, putting on slip on shoes
 or boots is near impossible it takes a few tries, I can normally pull on my possum hat and wrap a towel on myself pretty easily, sweater is OK too but getting those thermal fleece lined leggings on is a real brain teaser, actually it is quite hard getting the ear plugs out too!
 I arrive early today to get my gear ready and let the turtle tell the tale of what to expect today with regard to the water temperature, as I walk down to the canoe launch I notice the leaves tumbling from the trees, yellows, reds and orange leaves all falling so beautifully, it is like they have rehearsed who goes in what order so it looks like a rainbow of color gracefully floating down to land on the path to the canoe launch, I wish I could film it, but my mind is elsewhere I stride down to the shore and mercilessly toss Turtle in for a swim, it seems like turtles eyes are getting wider by the second, " how did I not notice that white around his eyes before?" I ask myself, "sure must be cold today", it is colder 59.5 degrees at the shore, I compute the information..that puts it at 57.5 mid lake.

The Green River Reservoir canoe launch path

 Paula covers my arms, shoulders and back in baby oil, Deb launches the boat and we are off, a few hundred strokes out and I am feeling on top of the world, comfortable even, our plan is a 1.1 mile lap around Blueberry Island, we will stop at 30 minutes to practice a fast feed, if we are on task it is 2 laps of the island, the goal an hour in the water. We complete 2 laps strong and fast, it is the best I have felt in the water, my stroke rate is 70 for my first 20 minutes then a build of speed to 72 strokes per minute and a 25-30 minute pickup at 74 strokes per minute. Good stuff, our only snafu in all the excitement was over shooting the canoe launch, we were swimming so fast during our last pickup that neither Deb or I noticed we went right by the canoe launch inlet. We swam on then stopped, " we are at the dam" Deb said, I was disorientated and try to navigate ( not well ) " are you following me?" Deb asked, I put my head down and swam, you bet I am I think to myself, I obediently follow Deb back to the boat launch. Poor Paula heard us and had seen us go the wrong way but we couldn't hear her, she had to patiently wait on shore until we got our bearings and landed, we did and with a smile....we ended up swimming 1 hour 17 minutes, longer than we had hoped to swim and the longest time in sub 60 degree water, Hooray!
 One thing was a miss today, the Loons were  absent, I have been swimming with the loons all summer, I used to alarm them, after a few months they seemed to get used to me, just 6 weeks ago I was swimming a 4.5 mile solo training swim and when I turned to breath I found myself eye to eye with a loon, I stopped, I had never been so close, we stared at each other for what seemed like a lifetime then I continued to swim, for the next 3 stroke cycles every time I turned to the right to breath the loon was right there with me, then in slow motion I saw him dive down under the water....gone. The loon is an unusual bird, it is an amazing and powerful swimmer, it's feet act like divers fins and it's wings steer and it can stay under water for up to 5 minutes, some people say even 10. The loons are not around today, normally they dive under me while I am swimming or under the kayak, I have noticed fewer and fewer loons at the Reservoir over the last month, I am curious, I want to know where they are, they comfort me when I swim. I do some research and find out that the Loons are headed south, unlike geese that fly in large flocks the Loon migrate singly or in small groups, when they first depart they go from smaller lakes like the Reservoir to larger lakes, from there to traditional fall stopping places on the way south where they get together for short term loon conventions, a bit like a family get together, super fun but after a while time to move on and get back to life as you know it. How fast are the loons out of the water? I  wonder, I have seen them swim and they are snappy, in the air I discover they are also quick, 108 miles per hour as they head south, they often leave their summer hang out when there is a north wind that will give them help moving south. The final thing I discover from my borrowed book of Loons is that departure may begin as early as the the beginning of August. The reservoir is quiet, the loons are gone and I swim on, the solo swimmer.
 Next up pool training until Thursday, then it is an outdoor dip in the lap pond, rain in the forecast, How much? I'll keep you posted

Deb launching the Kayak...not a loon in sight

Swim Meet: The day of firsts

Saturday October 2nd
US Masters Swim Meet
Location: White River Junction, Vermont

Race day, I have been racing this summer, just not in a pool, I have competed in  a 4.74 mile, 8 mile and 10 mile event along with two 10km( 6.2 mile) races.
 Today is a different kettle of fish, I am racing in a 25 meter pool with starting blocks to push off, lane lines to follow and walls to turn on.
 I have read other Channel swimmers training accounts and more than once have read a reference to a swimmer experiencing a decrease in speeds in the pool, ie noticing a 100 Free pace in the pool not as quick as it had been before Channel training began, it would not come as a complete surprise to me as I have been training different energy systems, I have been training for my " forever stroke" one I can hold for many hours not an all out for 1-5 minute race, I am about to find out how my body performs after months of distance training with less attention to short sprints and non freestyle strokes.
 First up the 200 Freestyle, I am in the last heat which is the fastest heat, it is a mixed heat with both men and women, waiting behind the block I jump up and down five to six times to get my body on alert, it works I am ready to explode off the block, first 75 meters I plan to take it out fast, high stroke turn over, then for the next 75 meters lower the stroke rate slightly, get as long as I can to slide through the water with the least amount of resistance and have more grip with my hand on the water allowing me to pull my body past my hand more with each stroke, a longer but stronger stroke. The first 100 I am aware of the other swimmers blowing by me, I am tempted to go with them but stick to my plan, those that manage their heart rate the best will have the best finish I tell myself, I know I can only hold my sprint for 75 meters after that my body will shut down from the byproducts of the lactate acid production, I know I have to back off and let the aerobic energy production source kick in, I do and am able to swim in control, the last 50 is here and it is time to let the cat out of the bag and give it all I have left, it works and I pull away from the swimmers I had been trailing to take first in the heat.
 I am hanging on the side of the pool sucking wind big time, wow I haven't done that in a while and my body knows it. My time 2:27.72, last October I swam a 2:26.12, I am pleased.
 Next up the 400 Individual medley, hmmm not alot of non freestyle strokes in my training over the last 5 months apart from some lazy " I've finished my workout backstroke ", swum at a turtle's pace ( and that may be insulting the turtle!). I am back up on the blocks 10 minutes after my 200 Free ready to go, my heart is still racing from the last effort. The 400 Individual Medley is a 100 meters of each stroke, butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle in that order, there are certain ways a swimmer must execute turns for each stroke.
 I am off again, 100 fly complete then on to the backstroke, I instantly slip into my turtle backstroke and on my first turn roll onto my stomach to turn, I am too far away from the wall and execute an illegal backstroke turn, it gives me a wake up call, wow that was close I better step it up, I pick up my pace and return to the snappy turns I should be doing....too late the judge disqualifies me, it was a good call he was right, it is my first DQ ever, the day of firsts begins!
 Next up the 100 Breaststroke, followed by the 100 Free and 400 Freestyle, I place first in each, my times are comparable to last year, in the 400 Free I swim a 5:05.91, last year I went 5:05.36.
 After the meet wraps up Paula one of my support crew members and masters team mate and I dive in for an extended cool down, we plan to swim 6 x 250 meters, it feels delicious, I instantly stretch out and fall into my " forever pace" and it welcomes me back, like putting on a broken in pair of comfy woolen slippers. Mid way through we are stopped by lifeguards who are moving the lane lines, " we are switching back to yards' they say, this pool can be set up length wise in meters and width wise in yards, we continue on and decide that 8 x 250's would be much better to give us an even 2000 swim down, the day of firsts continues that is the first time I have completed a swim set that was half in meters and half in yards!
 Afterwards it was a game of pig in the kids pool shooting water basketball hoops and a ride around the lazy river, the grand finale a ride down the water slide.
  Next up a cold water training swim tomorrow ( Sunday) at the Green River Reservoir, if I have any muscle soreness post meet this will be like wrapping in a giant ice pack.....perfect.
 How cold will it get tonight, I 'll keep you posted.

Fall in Vermont - See the leaves fall see the leaves swim

Thursday September 30th Peak Foliage
Dark Skies, heavy rain and a water temperature of 62 degrees greeted me this morning, there has been a flood watch in effect due to the heavy rain over night, by the time I arrive at the lap pond the rain was bucketing down, " raining cats & dogs today" I was always told as a kid in New Zealand, in my mind I imagined cat and dog shaped rain drops pelleting from the sky. Today I have a 2000 yard swim planned, a quick dip, if counting goes as it should I should be back in my car warming on those heated seats in less than 30 minutes. The water feels warmer than the air today, I am more comfortable below the surface than above, it is murky from all the rain and filled with leaves, some I swim through like a barge pushing through ice and some I see a few feet below me suspended in the water, hanging like they are in limbo between their summer life on the trees and where they go next, a somber feeling swimming over them, summer is gone.
 The swim goes well, I am most pleased about swimming straight today and feeling relaxed, before I know it I am back at the car pulling on layers of clothes. After the lap pond it is back to the 82 degree indoor pool for a workout with the Masters swim group, it is hard to get back in the water, the idea of skipping the second swim for a hot shower is so tempting but I have found the hot shower to be a superficial heating tool and a short term fix, after it I am still cold inside, when I get in the pool and swim my muscles contract demanding oxygen, my heart pumps blood back out to the extremities no longer ignoring them as it had been in the cold water where the priority is taking care of my vital organs. The tactic works yet again, after only 500 meters of chasing down my lane mates I am actually starting to feel too warm, it works a charm, I start feeling warm from the inside out.
 Practice wraps up and we all laugh as we discover leaves, pine needles and sap stuck to some strands of hair that has slipped out from under my swim cap, a fun memento from my early morning foliage dip.
 Next up a light swim tomorrow in preparation for a Masters swim meet on Saturday morning, it is a half day meet, I am swimming the 100, 200 and 400 Freestyle and also the 100 Breaststroke and 400 Individual Medley, I have not raced in a meet in 5 months and am curious to see how I go after  a summer of training geared towards preparing for an attempt on the English Channel, 100 meters of swimming vrs the shortest distance across the Channel which is from Shakespeare Beach, Dover, England to Cap Gris Nez, France, a cool 21 land miles which is 18.2 nautical miles, there are 2,000 yards or 1852 meters to a nautical mile. Pilots do start from other places depending on the tide, the weather conditions, and the swimmers ability.
 I have now been gearing my training towards preparing for the  English Channel for 10 months, how will my pool speed compare to the same time last year, we'll find out Saturday....I'll keep you posted.

                         Today's course.......leaves and pine needles, look bleak?