Feelin' the Love

I am one blessed swimmer. My English Channel attempt is a solo swim, but I'm hardly alone. I have a flotilla of support from my family and friends, including many friends I haven't met in person yet, but feel I know like neighbors or swim teammates on facebook. Say what you will about the evils of social media, but it's been a beloved source of training tips, silly jokes and wise counsel when things have been going tough.

Last week, a few of my peeps got together for a lovely send-off for the adventure. With glamorous goggles, a sparkling tiara swimcap, delicious snacks and lots of other kind and creative gifts, these dear friends made me feel like Queen of the Channel. Best of all -- I enjoyed an evening of laughter and great conversation, relaxing and enjoying the moment with those I know best. How often does that happen?! Not nearly enough.

And then my co-workers got into the act with a fantastic channel cheer party at work. Decorations, an ocean-themed cake and thoughtful gifts I really don't deserve, but was overjoyed to receive. Many thanks to my incredible Marketing-PR team: Tami, Joanne, Elie and Sarah!

It's humbling and a bit embarrassing to be at the center of attention, but I deeply appreciate the heartwarming support I've collected on this journey. I enjoy sharing the trials and triumphs of my crazy goal, but never expected it to be that big of a deal to others. It's not nearly as pretty as figure skating or gymnastics. Not as cool as mountain biking or triathlon. But, it's what I love to do. So, I guess I'll go do it! 

Another Weekend Swim

This is my next to last weekend before we head to Dover. I can't quite get my head around the fact that my channel tide is less than a month away. When I started this journey in January of 2013, it seemed so far away -- couldn't even imagine the shoreline, so to speak.

For what seems like the hundreth time, I waded into Branched Oak Lake on Saturday. It's become a good friend. I know every point and buoy around its perimeter. I see the same folks in boats, often asking how long I'm swimming today. It's my Mayberry.

I planned on 6 hours for Saturday and my friend Rodney took the first 3-hour shift. The water seemed unusually warm -- 75f according to my thermometer. But, it felt OK. Sure beats shivering after 10 minutes. 

Rodney and I paddled and swam under a gorgeous summer morning sky. The water was completely flat - a very rare phenomenon. Things felt good and I was humming along at my fastest rate yet, according to my Endomondo tracker.

We wandered a little too far into the north end of the lake, but it was no big deal. Nothing to do but swim for 6 hours, so the route doesn't much matter. When we crossed the lake to get back to the beach at Area 1, I was surprised that the lake was still so smooth. We both stopped a bit to check out a helicopter that was carrying a fire bucket. Not sure why - must have been a drill.

Paul took over kayak duty at the beach while I meandered between the buoys. My shoulders, especially the left one, were beginning to bother me. And my head was completely stuffed up. There must be a lot more algae in the water. I had to blow out the snot block every once and awhile. Conveniently, there's plenty of water to wash up with.

When we got to the north side of the lake, a young guy on a paddle board came over and asked if I was training for something. I told him I was training for the English Channel and would be heading over in a couple of weeks. He said, "That's you. I heard you were training for that. That's incredible." I'm sure not doing this for any kind of fame, but it's nice to know that people care.

I had thought about putting in 7 hours, but at about 5 and a half, my left shoulder was killing me and my head was about to explode from the sinus pressure. So, we stuck to the plan and completed the 3-hour loop as intended. My tummy was feeling pretty gross, too. As we crossed the lake to get back to the beach, the water was like a washing machine from all the boat traffic. I mention these things because they were going on, but really, it's par for the course in long open water swims. Some swims are better than others. This one was one of the others and it's OK. Just keep swimming. I waded out at 6 hours, 25 minutes. Blew a gallon of lake water out of my nose then sneezed incessantly for about 10 minutes. Very weird. 

I took 2 sudefed, 2 ibuprofen and a benadryl, which finally cleared out my head after about an hour and a half. Don't do this at home, kids.

I had planned to swim 3 hours at the lake again today, but it was raining and the forecast predicted storms. So, I texted Michaella to see if she'd be available for coffee chat instead of kayaking, which she was. I picked up a coffee for me and some kind of fru fru iced toddy thing with 8 ingredients for her and enjoyed sitting in her beautiful screened in porch, catching up on each other's lives. I will always be grateful that we became friends at Madonna and have stayed friends since she left to become the marketing maven for the Lincoln Children's Museum. Everything is better when shared with good friends.

Oh, and after the chat, I sat in an ice bath for a half hour and swam at the Y for 3 hours and 10,000 yards. After the first few hundred yards to work out the kinks, it felt pretty good. I forgot to bring any Gatorade or carbo drink - doh! But, that's probably good for training. I have plenty of padding to keep me going. Afterwards, I rewarded myself with a delicious bowl of pho. Mmmmmmmmm.

Dude, Somebody Stole my Floatie!

Last weekend, Paul and I were in Springfield, Missouri, to visit his parents and grandma. I was looking forward to swimming in Table Rock Lake. It's so clean and clear and pretty:

I didn't have a kayaker -- wanted Paul to be able to visit with his folks, so I made my way to Moonshine Beach (only in Branson... land of hillbillies, has-beens and holy rollers) a protected cove for swimming with a sandy beach. The swimming area wasn't very big, but I could see a nice route along the buoy line.

I swam out to the first buoy and attached my floating beverage ring by rope and a carabiner to the anchor chain. It's a great little self-service feeding station, pictured here in my corner full o' swimming gear:

The water was absolutely delicious - very little wind, cool but not cold and I could see about 4-5 feet below me. Following the buoys across the swimming beach over to the marina and back took about 15 minutes, so 2 laps to a a feed. 

It is so handy to have that floating feed station. I'm able to relax and swim, not having to go back to the beach or put a handful of gu gels and a water bottle down the back of my suit. As I swam back to the marina, I could see some drowned trees under me in the water -- it was like I was flying over them.

On my way back to the floatie, I noticed a big power boat parked by the buoy. I wondered if it was some sort of lake patrol annoyed that I had attached my float to the buoy, although I don't know why anyone would care. It wasn't a hazard to boats or other swimmers or anything.

By the time I made it to the buoy the boat was gone. And so was my floatie. 

Are you kidding me? Seriously? What kind of cretin steals somebody's float ring and carbo drinks. Did they think there was beer in there? Good grief.

I swam to the beach thinking maybe whoever took it dropped it off, but no such luck. I could have, and should have, put in another hour of swimming, but I felt angry and a little violated. I just wanted to go home to the inlaws, so I did.

The next day, Father's Day, I was determined to get in more swimming since I only swam an hour and 45 minutes at the lake. I stopped by Starbucks, grabbed a latte and a breakfast sandwich and headed to the YMCA, where I like to swim when we're in Springfield.

Could this weekend have been a bigger swim FAIL? Why on earth is the YMCA closed? Father's Day? Sunday? KHAN!!!!

Swimming friends and mentors had been telling me to rest. I had swum 11 hours last weekend and had racked up some decent yardage in the past few weeks. But, I wasn't planning to swim 100 x 100s on the 100 - I just wanted to get in some yards. Believe it or not, I actually like swimming just for the sake of swimming. And I'm a little bit anal about staying on track with my swim plan, which involves certain total yardage each week.

But this weekend wasn't going according to plan. I needed to let it go. Breathe. Maybe one of my swimming friends did some extra yards this week and it all balances out in the swimming cosmos. Gotta go with the flow.

How to Swim All Day

Last Sunday, I waded into Branched Oak Lake at 6 a.m. and sloshed out at 5:08 p.m. I swam for a little more than 11 hours. 

So, what's it like to swim from dawn to dinnertime? Well, like any day - some parts were pretty good and others were challenging.

It was a huge help to have 4 kayakers lined up to provide support in 3-hour shifts. That helped break up the day into separate chunks and get a fresh perspective, and new swim route, with each kayaker. The weather was calm, though a little cool. It was in the high 50s at the start and never rose above 70. It was mostly cloudy and the water was between 69-73 (estimating).

Good morning, Branched Oak

The first shift with Tammy went well. We took a loop around the lake and as we were crossing the open lake to return to the start, the wind and lake current were pushing us back -- like walking up a down escalator. Tammy asked if I wanted to backtrack, but I figured this was probably a lot like it will feel getting to France. We must plow through! And we did. It just took a looooooong time.

When we arrived back at the beach, Ashley was ready to take over. We followed a similar loop, but went clockwise instead. This segment was a little tougher. I had put in more than 3 hours and knew I still had many, many more hours to go. This is the mental challenge of marathon swimming. It's hard to stay in the moment and not get pulled into the daunting prospect of many more hours of swimming. I tried to stay focused on my stroke form and singing songs in my head. 

The feeds and comfort stops were going well. The free sample of maltodextrin as a feed passed inspection. In fact, it dissolved more completely than the Genr8 and I really didn't notice any difference in energy levels. 

After retracing my steps - or rather, strokes - we made it back to the Area 1 beach where Matt was ready for his shift. It was now noon and the boat traffic was picking up. Having predicted as much, Matt's route was an out-and-back course near the shoreline. This shift was hard, but also easy in a way. I was tired, but I knew this was my last 3-hour chunk. Again, I had to shift my focus back to the present moment and just put one arm over the other.

The feeds I'd given Matt were mixed with ginger beer. I thought that might help settle my tummy, but they tasted terribly acidic. I should have left the ginger beer out to get flat. But, I'm not sure that would have made much of a difference anyway. I was running out of songs to sing and my mind was coming up with all sorts of excuses for ending the swim: my right goggle lens was leaky - better get out; I left my swim parka on a picnic table, I'd better go lock it in the car; those clouds are getting darker, we'd better get out; I'm getting cold and I still have hours to go, I'd better get out.

But, I didn't. I kept swimming. 

Finally, Matt and I made the return trip to the beach and Paul was there for the last 2-hour shift. Although I was bone tired, I knew I could make it with just 2 hours left. I had given Paul feeds I thought would be good to have at the end: Genr8 with Sprite and Genr8 with tea. I hated them both. I skipped one of the feeds and took a Gaviscon tablet. Oh the joy of Gaviscon! It totally wiped out my nausea, but unfortunately, I totally ran out of gas without the calories. I guzzled as much of the sprite mix as I could. The tea was just too awful.

Paul is such a good support kayaker - always positioned just right and has feeds ready to go so I can take them quickly. But, since he's my hubby, it's also tempting for me stop and chat for the dummest reasons. By now, I'm cold, tired, hungry but slightly nauseous and exhausted and have felt this way for several hours. But, I also know I'm going to make it and that is a powerful motivator. The very best!

Swim Video

I plowed my way back to the beach and felt a little woosy walking onto the sand. I wanted a hot shower and to stop moving! I'd been in perpetual motion all day long and I just wanted to SIT. So, I sat for a brief minute, then collected my gear and drove up to the showers while Paul loaded the kayak on top of the Pilot and went off in search of roast chicken for dinner.

The shower felt so, so, so good. I'd still be in it now if I'd had enough quarters. I still need to work on my cold water acclimation. Second verse, same as the first. But, I am still proud of completing my longest swim to date. Eleven hours is an accomplishment!

And that chicken dinner was the best meal I've ever had :-)

Back to Back

Cyndi Lauper - still rockin' it!

The one and only, Cher

This weekend (May 31-June 1) was a planned back-to-back swim adventure: 5 hours on Saturday and 4 hours on Sunday. What I didn't take into account was the Cyndi Lauper and Cher concert on Friday night with my mom and daughter. Friday had been a stressful day at work and I was focused on having fun with my favorite gals. I tend to get a little obsessive about my areas of interest and enjoying the concert became my life's mission that particular evening. 

Me, my mom, Audrey and Jaxon (the cat)

Audrey and Mary Ann on our way to the arena

I had a blast and enjoyed my own personal dance party, much to the amusement of the guy sitting behind me and the total embarrassment of my daughter. We made it home around 12:30 a.m. and the alarm going off at 6 was the very definition of a rude awakening.

But, the swim must be done, so I got up, slugged a coffee, loaded up the car with the gear and headed to the lake. I swam 2 hours on my own along the buoy line, then Paul joined me in the kayak for the last 3. It was a pleasant enough day, although it rained for an hour. I didn't mind it but it's a drag for the kayaker.

I actually enjoyed the swim. I told Paul it was one of those picture perfect days I'd remember when we're old, sitting on the porch swing. After the rain, the sky cleared up with a few of those popcorn puff summer clouds and the lake was smooth as silk. I felt surprisingly good despite my late night partying and just enjoyed the swim.

The next day, I planned a 4 hour slog on my lonesome. But my luck held out and my friend Alberta and her husband were at the lake, too. Donny, Alberta's husband, kindly took my feeds and somehow managed to cover both of us as we swam along the buoy line. It's so much nicer to have company even if you're not swimming side by side. Just having a friend in the water makes it easier somehow. The four hours went by surprisingly fast. At least that's how it seems looking back on it!

The water was well out of Channel range, probably in the low 70s. I've been taking cold baths in the horse tank - that's all the acclimation I've got until Dover. Here's my Awkward Family photo of me in the tank during a cookout with the family:

Swimming in the Dark

My long swim yesterday began after 3 and a half hours of sleep. We had to get up at 2 a.m. to be toes-in-the-water by 4 a.m. I was hoping to get to bed by 8, but you know how it goes. We had a couple of fun HS grad parties to attend, then it always takes longer than expected to fill feed bottles, collect all the gear, set-up a string of glow lights and whatnot. Tiredness was just one of many challenges that popped up during my 7 and a half hour swim at Branched Oak Lake. 

I felt a little blurry, too.

There's a lake out there. Somewhere.

I've been eager to get in a swim in the dark. Yes, I really was excited about this prospect. It's a weird swimmer thing (don't know if Paul found this as interesting as I did, but he is my chief kayaker and dutifully joined me in the adventure). It was as cool as I imagined in would be. There is something exhilarating about swimming in the dark under the stars. Not that I got to see a lot of them with my face in the water but I'd catch a glimpse when I turned my head to take a breath. Keeping close to the kayak was trickier than I thought it would be. My string of glow sticks got all clumped up, so instead of illuminating the length of the kayak, they were a bright blob of light in one spot. It's hard to judge distance in the dark, in the water, with goggles.

The lake and weather conditions were perfect - no wind, water about 65 degrees and a glasstop surface to the water. Although, I don't think Paul enjoyed the gentle rain we had for about an hour during the first shift. I thought it was nice - another weird swimmer thing.

We took a big loop around the lake and I felt good. I was chilly, but not nearly as much as during the qualifying swim 2 weeks ago when the water was around 58-59f. I liked watching the sky get lighter with the coming dawn, but with the rain, it was cloudy and stayed that way all through the swim.

After 3 hours we made it back to the beach at Area 1 and it was time for my friend Rodney to take over support kayak duties. I swam between buoys for a few loops while the boys swapped places and got the next batch of feeds in the boat. I was glad to see that Paul gave Rodney his yellow safety jacket, which was a fantastic and generous gift from one of my friends and swim supporters, Bill Johnson. It's nice to be able to clearly see one's support kayaker and the jacket makes a beacon of hope, light, safety and all the good things that a swimmer associates with their support kayaker.

The next 2 hours were tougher. My stomach was giving me a hard time and I was feeling nauseous. I don't think I was taking in much lake water because the water was nearly flat, but maybe it was the lack of sleep or something. I was using my normal feed, Genr8, which I've used on several a long swims without any problem. There was one feed I thought I'd barf up a couple minutes later, but instead, swam on with horrible reflux creeping up my esophagus. I wish I could puke easier. I know that's gross. It's a weird swimmer thing.

I just took a couple of sips the next feed and felt better after awhile. But now the cold was getting to me. Again, not in a severe "I don't think I can make it" sort of way, but rather just a miserable "I need to keep going" sort of way. Also, I brought my evil waterproof mp3 player thinking it would be a nice to have on the long training swim, but the damn thing didn't charge on my computer and was totally dead when I tried to turn it on. So, I had to quickly adjust to the reality that I'd have to think about the cold and every little ache without the pleasant and motivating distraction of my favorite tunes. It's OK. I can't use it during the Channel crossing, so no use getting dependent on it. But believe me, it's really, really nice to swim to music.

We made an out and back track to Area 1 in 2 hours and Tony took over the kayak. He took the yellow jacket from Rodney and it amused me how attached I had become to that jacket :-) Tony said we had 2 hours and suggested the out and back track again. I was surprised because I thought we had 3 hours left, but figured the transition times must have added up. Foreshadowing.

Tony is an experienced kayaker and did a great job -- right next to me, in the sunlight (or, as it was, at least positioned where the sunlight would be if we had any) and kept me away from boaters and branches and buoys. This shift, my nausea was really wearing on me and was compounded by a pulled groin on my left side. I couldn't kick with that leg anymore, so was swimming like a mummy, dragging that useless heavy thing behind me. On the bright side, the peppermint tea feed was a soothing break from the fruit flavored feeds, and warm, since it was in the one and only insulated thermos I own. And I knew it was the last shift and I was going to make it. That is really the best feeling in the whole world.

On the way back, Tony asked if my goal was to complete 8 hours. After swimming 7 some hours in cold water, I knew the correct answer: to the beach. I was pretty sure we needed more time, but this wasn't a decision I was willing to make at that point. 

Sure enough, as we neared the beach, Paul said we needed another 25 minutes. "Good enough" I said and kept swimming for land. It was a great training swim and considering the logistics and the pain and nausea I was feeling, I consider it a huge success. 

Endomondo tracker

I am so very grateful for kayak support. If you have ever wanted to help someone, consider kayaking for a marathon swimmer. You.Will.Be.Loved. I totally rely on my kayaker to keep me safe, fed and keep me going when I'd much rather call it a day and find the closest Village Inn.

Every swim offers lessons and here are a few I've learned from yesterday's 7 hour, 35 minute swim in 65 degree water:

• Swims that start in the early dark hours are beautiful, but get at least 5 hours of sleep before.
• Not sure why I was so nauseous and given that I'm not an easy puker, I need to find a system that works. I didn't worry about how much I was taking in. Some feeds went better than others and that's OK. If I'd taken the full 8 to 10oz every feed, I would have been even more miserable. Tea seemed to sit better than the juice.
• Need to do stretches for those tight hip flexors, which I'm fairly sure were the cause of the leg/groin cramp.
• Still need to work on my acclimation. I'm going to pick up a horse tank at Tractor Supply and spend some time sitting in cold water in the comfort of our back patio.
• I felt miserable all afternoon after the swim. I was totally exhausted, but unable to sleep, tummy felt gross, head was pounding. I felt much better after taking a sudafed. I ordered some nose plugs - the kind that go into the nostrils instead of a clamp over the nose, which I hope will help keep water out of my sinuses.
• I'm proud of myself for plugging away despite feeling tired, nauseous and painful. My arms and shoulders were champs. No issues there. Woo hoo!
• Long swims are a different animal. It's not at all the same as swimming long practice swims during the week. I need these every weekend until I leave for Dover.

Made My Qualifying Swim!

Last Saturday, I finally achieved the swim I failed to do in Florida and California. I swam 6 hours in water averaging 59f in my own backyard (not literally -- Branched Oak Lake is about a 45 minute drive NW of our home, but still, a lot closer than either coast.)

I was elated, ecstatic and ... exhausted.

Swimming to the finish!

Sloshing out of the lake.

Making it to dry land!

Me and my handsome kayaker

My wonderful friend and biggest swim fan, Cindy.

My buddy Bill, giving me 70 push-ups to celebrate my victory!

Bill and I both upright!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of my kayaker and friend Tammy Walter. She was AMAZING! I will make sure to get a photo with Tammy to add to this post later. 

Tammy took the first 3 hour shift. The air temp was in the low 60s and I pulled the water temp thermometer after it dropped to 57.7f. I didn't even want to know if it was lower. The skies were cloudy but very little wind, so the conditions were pretty good for the start. Well, except that I forgot that Tammy said she didn't have her kayak and would need mine. Luckily, she came with her guy pal David, who brought his kayak to join in the fun. David kindly let Tammy use his kayak and headed back home to fetch his sailboard. I love having friends with great gear :-)

Tammy and set-off at 7:20 a.m. The water felt chilly, but as usual, after about 5 minutes, the circulatory system did it's lifesaving maneuver of rushing blood to the core and I didn't feel too cold. Things were going really well that first hour. I just had a drink of water at the first feed stop since I was chugging along just fine on my breakfast of steelcut oats and eggs. We rounded the point, swam along the dam and then took the dogleg turn to the right to the north part of the lake. We passed a few boats and I was wondering what those fisherman in their fleece jackets and caps must think of seeing someone swimming by.

Tammy was encouraging and a great support kayaker -- sticking close to me and checking to make sure I knew who I was and not letting me stop for a smoke or shot of Jack Daniels.

Getting into hour 2, I was getting cold. I tried not to think about it, but my neck and shoulders were tensing up. Fortunately, we had a hella headwind and monsterous chop to deal with on the way back to Area 1. I say that only because the extra work of plowing through that mess helped generate a little more heat. Tammy was having some trouble staying close, but not too close, and I felt like I wasn't making any progress. I remember thinking this was probably like stuff I'll run into in the Channel and as long as I'm getting one arm over the next, I'm still in the game. Just keep going.

Hour 2 to 3 was a mental hurdle. I was still in the first part of the swim, but already feeling cold and tired. This is where I concentrated on just being present -- trying not to think of the whole swim, just concentrating on my stroke form and getting to the next feed. Easier said than done.

We finally crossed the lake and I saw Paul in our kayak waiting near the beach. I was too cold to stop and tell Tammy "thank you" so just kept plodding along as they exchanged places. Paul is also an excellent support kayaker. He positioned himself where I could see him in the sunlight and was always within about 10 feet. This is important to a swimmer. It wastes precious energy to have to pull my head up to find my kayaker if he/she is too far up front and I am in no position to navigate, so it's useless to have my kayaker behind me. 

Hour 3 to 4 was also tough. I was glad to have made it to the "downhill" side of the swim, but I still had a long way to go. And the cold was really being obnoxious. It wouldn't be ignored. But, I remembered advice from other swimmers -- concentrate on your core being warm, even if you're cold and miserable - keep moving and you won't get any MORE cold, and just swim to the next feed.

The warm feeds were a wonderful help. I was really pleased with how the feeding and peeing were going. I know that's a bit gross, but if you're not peeing, you're not getting enough nutrition and will totally fail. I drank as much as I could every stop and the restroom activity was going OK. Believe me, it's not as easy as you think to urinate in cold water. Nothing wants to work. It takes intense concentration.

I kept swimming. I just refused to stop. The sun came out, which was a huge help, and I knew I had a ton of people cheering me on. The water was getting a bit warmer and I was able to distract myself with thoughts of great trips Paul and I have taken together, songs, visualizing the faces of my family and good friends and concentrating on getting one arm over the other.

My left shoulder was really bothering me that last hour, but it was the LAST hour! Nothing could have stopped me from finishing my qualifying swim. In fact, once we made the last turn to get back to the beach and I knew I was going to finish, it was the best feeling in the world! I loved that last half hour!

When we got close to the beach, I asked Paul if I could swim in and he informed me that he had me swim an extra 10 minutes just to make sure I made the full 6 hours. I actually appreciated that and headed into shore. I was so delighted and surprised to see Cindy and Bill and Sydney and one of her friends there at the picnic shelter. I didn't expect to have an audience! It was a moment I'll always cherish. I was tired, my shoulders were sore and I was cold, but I DID IT. 

Let the English Channel rumpus begin.