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?