Frostbite in Florida

Last weekend we barely escaped a winter tsunami in Omaha to fly off to "sunny" Florida for a long weekend of swimming and an attempt to complete my 6-hour qualifying swim for the English Channel. 

We landed in Orlando about 11:30 p.m. and went to get my reserved rental car at Budget. After waiting for someone to return to the counter, and 15 minutes full of paperwork covering all sorts of info I already supplied when I paid online for the reservation, the Budget rep informed me that the economy car I had requested was on the other side of the airport. It would take 20 minutes to a half hour for them to drive it over to where we were located or I could upgrade for $10 a day (plus God knows what taxes and add-ons) to get a car closer. I told him I'd wait. Somehow, after a great show of going in and out of the back office, he was able to find me a car closer to our airport exit. My mom and I dragged our suitcases to the correct spot, where dozens of economy cars were lined up. Do NOT rent a car from Budget.

It's now past midnight, and completely strung out after a busy day a work, a harrowing drive through the snow covered interstate to Omaha, a nailbiting departure from Eppley Airport and the car rental experience from hell, we embarked on a two hour commute to Clearwater Beach. Remind me of this the next time I get a steal of deal airfare for a place a hundred miles away from my destination. 

We made it to the Ritz Motel -- a place with more overnight experience than Kim Kardashian. It was clean and located right across the street from the beach, so it worked well for us. Especially at 2:30 a.m.

The next day I met up with my friend GB, but strike those fictitious initials from your memory because this was some sort of top secret mission for him. I had to swear I wouldn't post any photos or evidence of his existence at our training camp. Figures I'd have a clandestine weekend involving nothing more than swimming with a friend under the eagle eye of my mother. I'm forty-eight going on fourteen.

The water felt cold, but wasn't a total shock thanks to those cold baths in previous weeks. In fact, after about 10 minutes, the water felt great! Slicing through the waves, spitting out (or more often, drinking in) the saltwater, watching the clouds overhead, and catching glimpses of dolphins are all things I love about ocean swimming. It is exhilarating to just SWIM - no lane lines or flipturns in a box. 

Unfortunately, the cold started creeping in after about a half hour or so. I tried to concentrate on other things, but eventually, the chill knocks louder, then rings the door bell, then knocks the damn door down. I was so glad our hotel was close by so I could get into a warm shower. Even then, it still took about an hour to finally get rid of the shivers.

We didn't swim as long or as often as I had planned. GB was more concerned with staying fresh for our 6-hour attempt and preferred to put in one swim a day. I thought we'd do 2 or 3, but really, it didn't take much to twist my arm to go shopping and riding the pirate ship instead. 

On Saturday, we met up with our kayakers in Tampa Bay for our 6-hour qualifying attempt. I didn't sleep much the night before. I was so, so nervous about it. My kayaker, Ron Collins, is the director of the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim and a triple crown achiever. Kind of a big deal in swimming circles, and a very friendly and generous guy. A facebook friend of mine helped find a kayaker for GB. Her name was Merit, which I could never remember, so I nicknamed her Mittens. She was the most badass Mittens you've ever met. 

The day was cool and overcast and the water at 60 flat. A couple of other swimmers joined us, including Carl Selles, who'd swum the Red River with me last July, and Chris who's doing the English Channel in 2015. I slinked into the water, getting used to the temp drop. At 8:59 a.m. we were off - GB and me swimming next to each other with our kayakers on each side and the other swimmers ahead of us a bit.

We swam straight out from the beach, then turned around a buoy and retraced the same path back. The other swimmers wished us well as they departed. GB and I continued swimming next to the kayaks, now heading up one side of the bay. 

I felt good. Ron told me later that my stroke rate was consistent at 62 strokes per minute, which is faster than my usual 54. I wanted to keep my body heat up without getting too tired and that seemed a good pace. We took feeds each half hour. GB was usually ahead of me, but I slammed those feeds a lot faster and then he'd have to catch up.

We swam along a row of docks with nice boats and even nicer houses. They were hard to see in the mist, but I could tell they were huge. I thought of various songs and for some reason got stuck singing "I've been workin' on the railroad" in my head. What a dumb song, but helped me keep going.

After about two hours, the cold started seeping into my skin. The fingers in my left hand were floppy. I couldn't keep them together. Then, my toes disappeared. At one point, I reached down to pull seaweed off of my right foot only to discover they were my numb toes. Gross.

At the third hour feed I was getting a little freaked out. I was shivering and desperate to get warmer. I think being really cold is a little like being really hungry. It's almost painful and you'll do anything to make it stop. Imagine being stuck on a streetside on a windy winter day wearing nothing but a wet swimsuit. Now stand there for 3 hours.

I was determined to make it. I always figured the only way I'd not make it across the Channel is if I went unconscious and had to be pulled out. I am committed to this. I tried thinking of songs. I imagined a torch burning in my tummy. I counted to ten, then 20, then 30.

At the 4 hour feed, I was toast. No. I WISHED I was toast. I was an ice cube. I was nauseated from swallowing saltwater, my back was killing me and the only thought I had in my head was how I had never experienced cold like this before. I thought a cold bath for a half hour was misery. Now, I felt like rats with ice teeth were gnawing at my bones.

I told Ron I couldn't keep going. He wisely asked me what my birthday was and what my mom's name was. I knew and was able to reply through chattering teeth, so I wasn't so bad off that I'd need medical attention. But the drive to get out of that water was overwhelming. I swam a little further to get close to the beach, then stopped again and told Ron I was swimming in. My friend GB was right there and asked me what I was doing. I told him I was going in and he said to try to make it to the next feed. I appreciated the nudge and figured I'd give it another try. I swam for about 10 more minutes, but I was going further from the beach. I didn't want to be stuck out in the water where I couldn't easily get to shore, so I bailed and told Ron I was done and swam back to the beach while GB kept going.

I was miserable but also absolutely relieved to get out of the water. With Ann's help (my facebook friend who met us there, took care of our gear and kept tabs on us), I made it to the pool, which felt like a hot tub compared to the ocean. I shook off some of the cold, although I was still shaking after a half hour. My head was throbbing and I was hoping I wouldn't puke in the pool.

I finally felt warmed up enough to get my feet in the real hot tub next to the pool. It was pure bliss. I eventually sunk down into the hot water and steamed off the rest of the chill. I've never been so happy to have misery end, but my confidence was still floating out there in the bay. If I can't swim 6 hours in this stuff, how am I ever going to make it for 15 or 16 or 18 hours in the Channel?

Ron reassured me that I had plenty of time to continue my acclimation. I swam longer in cold water than I have ever done before on nothing more than cold baths for my prep. At this point, my head just hurt and I couldn't really process my thoughts. I was a mess of emotions, but mostly glad to be warm.

I got out to check on GB who was nearing the finish of his 6-hour swim. At least one of us was going to make it and I was very happy for him. I took video of his finish. You'll never see it, but it was cool.

We drove back to Clearwater Beach and I took a long hot shower, scrubbing off the Bag Balm/Desitin grease mix with Dawn dish soap. That is awesome stuff. We met up about an hour later for dinner at one of the beachside restaurants and enjoyed a nice dinner before my mom and I had to leave - at 4 in the morning. A group of young women sat next to us. Turns out these were gals my mom had met earlier that afternoon so there was a lot of squealing and photo taking. When I found our waitress to pay our dinner bill, I found out one of the young women had paid our bill. How cool is that?!! What a beautiful ending to a great week.

This was a learning experience. It's still early in the season so I have the gift of more time to train and acclimate. But man. That was a COLD wake-up call. I need to spend a lot more time in cold baths until the ice melts on our lakes. And more experience will help toughen me up mentally, too. I really really really hate quitting.

Wear Sunsceen

Back in 1997 there was a talk-song that was popular for maybe a week or two called "Wear Sunscreen." It was the kind of speech you hear at graduations -- lots of stuff about living well, being true to yourself and not sweating the small stuff. Just found out this was authored by Baz Luhrmann. Figures. He is my favorite movie director and all around awesome human being.

But, truly, wear sunscreen or you, too, may end up with a highly unattractive gouge out of your face like mine.

Granted, this isn't the biggest deal in the world. There are folks struggling with issues much, much more serious. But still, it's a reminder to wear your damn sunscreen all the time. 

The good news is this was a tiny little blob that was quickly and completely removed by my enthusiastic dermatologist. The bad news is that it kept me out of the pool for 5 days. Turns out, that may have been good news.

Since I couldn't swim, I jogged, I rowed, I did weights and stretches and all my shoulder PT exercises. I enjoyed time with good friends and finished a book. And spent some time in cold baths.

And when I got back into the water, I felt surprisingly good! I cranked out a couple of very challenging workouts and didn't puke or pass out before the finish. 

So, all in all, this was a good week. I have another week of prep before I head to Clearwater Beach, Florida, for cold ocean swim training and, if things go well, an attempt at my 6-hour qualifying swim. Right now, water temps in Clearwater are hovering around 55 degrees, so I'm thinking warm thoughts. I really want the full 6-0 for my qualifying attempt. There will be plenty of time for more cold water swimming before the Channel and it would feel so nice to have this checked off the list. One less monkey getting a free ride on my tired shoulders.

I'll Drink to That

My life is simple: swim, work, gym, eat, sleep. The Creature from the Black Lagoon has a lot more excitement. I don't have time to chase fair maidens doing backstroke or go after mad scientists. You need to pick your priorities.

I've been researching nutrition the past week or so. There is a plethora of pet theories on the best way to keep chuggin' through ultra endurance events. Super starch, brand name UCAN, is a current super star of endurance nutrition. Some people swear by it and others think it's just way overpriced cornstarch.

I've used Perpetuem in my long swim events, but became horribly nauseated after the Pensacola 25K and especially after the Red River Swim. The body can only process about 200-300 calories per hour during exercise and I was consuming about 350 per hour in carb drinks and gu gels. I'm a medium to slower speed swimmer, so I don't think I'm processing as many calories as faster or bigger swimmers. All that sweet gunk builds up in my gut, making me want to puke. And what's worse is I'm not an easy puker. I feel absolutely awful, but can't toss the cookies. So to speak.

I was excited to learn about another carb drink called Genr8, which has low osmolality, meaning it's supposed to pass through the stomach faster than traditional carb drinks like Perpetuem and CarboPro. Sounds like my kind of product. I used it on my 8-hour pool swim a few weeks ago and didn't have any stomach upset, bloating or that other "bubbly" side effect of Perpetuem and CarboPro. But, a pool swim is entirely different from an ocean swim, which involves a lot more effort. I'm taking it with me to Florida for training and hope it will prove to be an effective source of calories without GI distress.

I've also quit drinking alcohol. Sure a beer here or there probably wouldn't hurt, but 1. why would anyone want "a" beer and 2. it helps me feel like I'm in training-mode to stick with ginger beer. When I step into the water to swim to France, I want to know I've done everything I could to be well prepared. The folks at Hammer nutrition have a good article about the effects of drinking on athletic performance and recovery: How alcohol diminishes performance gains from training.

I've also been thinking, stewing and ruminating about cold water acclimation. I've done a few cold baths, I've walked around in short sleeves, but I know I need to do more. Less talking. More doing.

I'm lookin' at YOU Cap Gris Nez

It's finally here! It's finally here! My year to swim the English Channel! Some of you dear readers may be running across this soggy little blog for the first time, having noticed my recent declaration on Facebook, showing my CSA registration info and swim cap.

Well, I'll let you in on a secret. I've been plotting this since January 2013. Last February, I wired the booking fee to my boat pilot, Stuart Gleeson, owner of an impressive 32' fishing vessel, the Sea Leopard, and one of the best pilots for the CSA. I snagged the first slot on the last neap tide in July 2014, the 19-27th. I made accommodation reservations in Dover for the entire month of July. I've connected with other marathon swimmers and English Channel aspirants from around the world on various swimming forums and groups. I've rolled out of bed and into a cold pool more mornings than not, knowing that every single swim helps me prepare for this incredible challenge.

And now finally, after a year of training (1,180,000 yards or 670.2 miles), thinking (OK, obsessing) and planning for it, I'm closing in. It's like being in the middle of the French shipping lane on my way to Cap Gris Nez. There is still a lot of prep to do. I need to ramp up my volume (an 8 hour pool swim last Sunday was involved), take care of my shoulders and eat real food. And no fun beverages until I've crossed the Channel. Are these sacrifices? Not so much. I'm am SO FREAKING STOKED to do this, I am thrilled with every opportunity to work toward my goal. Remind me of that when I'm blue and shivering and cussing up a thunderstorm after swimming in cold water or taking an ice bath.

Thanks for sharing this adventure with me. Journeys are a lot more fun with friends.

Birthday Laps

I put in 5500 yards on my birthday, thinking that life is like a workout. Some years go by so quickly, you hardly remember them. Others are like swimming butterfly - a lot of work but a lot of fun. Some are like breaststroke - try as you might, you just can't get ahead. And others are a mixed bag of IMs, kicks, drills and sprints.

I'm not complaining. In fact, I'm probably in the best fitness of my life right now. If you had told my 18-year old self that I would be attempting to swim the English Channel in 30 years, I would have told you to sleep it off. I'm enjoying this particular slice of middle age. Paul and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, our daughter is in college (at least that's what she's telling us), work is going well and I'm blessed to have fantastic friends. Really - see for yourself!

I don't take any of this for granted. Working in a rehabilitation hospital lends itself to counting your blessings. I am very grateful to have the gift of each day even though I still complain once and awhile. It's what humans do.

There's not much new to report in the way of training. I've missed a workout here and there, but have managed to generally stick with my plan in spite of lots of holiday distractions. One of these was torch singing class - you know, like lounge singing. I channeled my inner Ella Fitzgerald and sang "Up on the Housetop" and "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" at Zen's Lounge. I hope that love will keep me warm from England to France!

For now, I'm getting in my swims, working hard at the office and enjoying the many indulgences of the holidays. Though I love this time of year, I'm also looking forward to getting down to the business of channel swimming training after the New Year. Life is about to get very simple: eat, sleep, swim, work. Repeat.

The Hours

Training takes up a lot of time -- time I could be sleeping in bed (especially around 5:30 a.m.) or watching TV (evening swims or kettlebell) or hanging out with friends or doing any number of things that don't involve being face down in the water for an hour or two. Add in the shower, dress and blow dry time and a 90-minute swim takes 2 hours. Which is a tiny drop in the bucket to what it will take me to cross the English Channel. I expect that will run 16-20 hours. And it's just around the corner - less than 8 months away.

Last Saturday, I swam 6 hours at the Y, stopping every half hour to swallow some carb drink and/or run to the bathroom. Last Sunday, I swam 2 hours and 20 minutes with my good friend Melissa at her fantastic Y in Council Bluffs. This week wasn't my best for morning workouts. I made it Tuesday morning, but fell into sloth and didn't swim again until Thursday evening. Friday morning was good. Saturday not too bad - swimming, yoga and a massage. Today, I swam Suzie Dod's 4-hour monster workout: 200s on the 3:20 for an hour, 200s on the 3:15 for an hour, 100s on the 1:45 for an hour and 100s on 1:40 for the last hour. I had to pad the intervals a bit for the last half hour of the fast 200s and 100s, but still felt good about my effort. I really liked that workout. I'm sure it helps increase speed and stamina.

I'm trying to figure out my spring training. I'll be increasing my time and distance during the week, but also need to fit in as much cold ocean swimming as possible. I'm thinking of Tampa in early February, but the water may not be cold enough to have a qualifying swim. I'd really like to knock that out if I can. San Diego or the east side of Florida would be alternatives. I'll do some more research and get it figured out. 

The cold acclimation continues to freak me out. I really hope I can get used to it. I haven't been taking cold showers like I should and I tend to forget to not wear a stocking cap and gloves outside. I need to find my inner Celtic Warrior Princess.

Meanwhile, we're getting ready to host Thanksgiving for my family next Sunday. Paul put the Christmas tree up and I decorated it so the house will look festive. We don't usually put the tree up before Thanksgiving, but since it's so late this year, Paul agreed to put it up for me :-) He's a good guy.

In the Middle

I made the decision to attempt the English Channel in late January of this year and shortly thereafter secured my July 19-27, 2014 tide with the Sea Leopard  I've been swimming toward this goal for 10 months and have 8 more to go until the big event. The middle of training is a lot like the middle of a marathon swim. I'm tired, but not defeated, and there's a long way ahead. I can't see the beginning behind me, nor the finish ahead of me. It's just one arm stroke after the next with nothing in sight. 

I'm trying to figure out my spring plan and I don't have a coach or pre-packaged plan to follow. There aren't a lot of English Channel aspirants in Nebraska, though I am fortunate to have some advice from Kris Rutford, the only Channel swimmer I know of conveniently located right here in Lincoln. Kris is in a league of his own. He's not only conquered the English Channel, he's also swum the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim about 28 times. He's swum it clockwise and counterclockwise - he's probably swum it with bells on, all 28-miles of it. And as if that weren't enough for a statue in the park, he's a totally nice guy. The kind who picks up trash on the sidewalk and throws it in a trash bin. The kind who helps people find directions. The kind who tells an already slightly overweight swimmer she should pack on another 10 pounds to acclimate for cold water swimming insulation.

So between Kris and the many accomplished swimmers on the Marathon Swimmers forum, I have access to people with knowledge and experience. But I still need to swim this damn thing on my own and be prepared for it as best I can. I'm not sure whether it would be better to have two 4-day ocean swimming trips in the spring or just one for a full week. I need as much cold, ocean swimming practice as I can get and I need to complete a 6-hour swim to qualify for the English Channel. Are my chances better with 2 short trips or one long one? I just don't know.

I have some time to figure this out and will keep pool swimming and weight lifting and cinnamon roll eating in the meantime. Just keep swimming.