Day 2/ Swim 2: Lough Ine

 Back into the car, a 1.5 hour drive and we arrive at the finish point of our upcoming swim, a brief meeting then we all jam into a handful of cars and head off to our starting location, Robbin drives us over, we arrive at a lovely sandy beach equipment with facilities and a lifeguard station, very nice. We arrive just in time to hear Ned approach the lifeguard, ” just want to let you know that last time we came to this beach we lost 60 swimmers, you are about to lose 50″, Ned says with a grin like a Cheshire cat, the lifeguard looks a little stunned, here is his station….

 We all go about getting ready for the swim, along with visiting fellow swimmers, I am excited to finally meet a swimmer whose first name is Brynn, he has an August 8th – 16th tide also this year, this is us  ready to swim……

 We break into 3 groups, the slower swimmers leave 7 minutes ahead, then group 2, finally 2 minutes laater group one, I am in group one with 7 other swimmers, here we are ready to enter the water……

I  am excited to swim this point to point swim, the rain drys up and the sun starts to shine, we are off, I wade out with my elbows lifted up high out of the water, what a skirt! My Irish swim buddy Colm, ploughs in splashing us all like it is a hot summers day….in Florida perhaps, not in Ireland.

 Now to the task at hand, swimming out of the bay into the open ocean, along the coast then cutting into Lough Ine and riding the river rapids back to the finish location, sound exciting? It is .

 Out the bay we go, I pull alongside Colm, he swims with long efficient strokes, every now and then  he rolls onto his back for 5-10 strokes of backstroke checking in on the rest of the group. The water feels great, a few hundred meters out I start to see the odd Jelly below, the water temperature plummets and the jellyfish numbers flourish, we swim on.

 There are hundreds of Jellyfish, they vary in size from that of a grapefruit to a small melon, they are white, some have a purple ring around them, they bounce off my feet, my arms, my head, I enter my arm, drop my hand and forearm to catch the water, I catch a Jellyfish, this way and that they bounce off me, I feel like I am in a Jellyfish Pin Ball game, I laugh as 2 bounce off my nose, ” I am a Jellyfish pinball wizard just for a moment”, I think with a smirk, ” how  mesmerizing  they are, elegantly flowing up and down, this way and that” I think in wonderment. Finally  we make it out of the bay and in to the wide ocean, the swell picks up, each swell lifts us and the Jellies up and tosses us to the side, I feel like I am Jelly surfing, I am having fun.

 We pull up to regroup, sight the turn off and swim towards it, only we don’t swim towards it, Colm, Barbara and I head further out to sea, after a bit we stop and see how far out we are, a shout from the kayaker to come closer and we swim in towards the inlet. It is a strange swim in that there are tremendously cold patches and then warmer spots.

Into the river mouth we go, the scenery is stunning, rugged rock cliffs to my right, a beautiful ridge of trees to my left, I am ready for the river rapids and dig a bit deeper as the river narrows, then all I can see is the aquatic plants and rocks whizzing by beneath me, I feel like I am flying, Colm is right beside me, we hit the rapids and drop into the lake like pond on the other side. ” 500 meters to shore sprint”, says Colm, I am grateful for the prompt and off we sprint, my heart pumps, my breathing gets heavier, my stroke rate builds, I lift my head, still a ways to go, down goes the head and I push on, Colm, edges forwards, I push harder, finally I can see the bottom getting shallow, I look over to see 4 Fly strokes, Colm is ripping out some Butterfly for the last stretch, what a character, I stick with my Freestyle and we both pull up, fist pump, DONE!

 Next up dry off, cozy clothes on and wait for this one from my brilliant sister Robbin….Hot Chocolate with Jelly Babies in the bottom of the cup YUM, well worth 4km in 51-53 degree water. We drop some other swimmers back to their cars and start the journey home, with a pit stop that I have been looking forward to, Fish’n Chips from a roadside stand, YUM. They only taste good to me in Ireland, so this is my first Chips since July 2011. Here is me warming up….. I know, I look a little pale after the swim……

 So did I get a sting? Yip, on the back of the Neck

What’s up next? In bed by 1:00am, alarm set for 5:00am to get ready for a 6:00am Sandy Cove Island swim

Will Sandycove remind me who is boss? I’ll keep you posted

 Closing Thought:

 You have to be in the fight to finish

Day 2/ Swim 1 Sandycove Island

It’s a foggy start this morning, there is a misty wet dense feel in the air, the layer makes the visibility poor, it looks like a Sandycove Halloween scene, minus the candy, all the same I am excited to pounce back in the water this morning, we receive our morning briefing ” it’s foggy, hard to see out there, careful not to miss the island and swim out to see or turn in too soon and hot the island, it will hurt you will be cut to shreds”, announces Ned, following that is a grim account of a swimmer last year shredded to tatters by rocks and then finished off by an elbow from Finbarr…..he has a big elbow, I make a mental note, do not swim close to Finbarr today!

We all scatter off to our cars to get ready….clothes off, grease on, ear plugs in, cap on and goggles down, I am ready to swim and make my way down the slipway hastily, once there I wade out and swim hard and fast to pull along side Ned, he is a terrific pace to swim with , I pull up alongside his hip, he stops and laughs, “I recognise that right arm”, he says and with that we resume swimming around the island, I am happy to be in the water and in such good company, I swam with Ned a lot last year, he is a strong and shrewd swimmer and navigates the island like a pro, I follow his lead.

Lap 1 down, onto Lap 2, things feels great, no cold feet, no aching head, no cramping hands, lap 2 down, we check in with other swimmers, all good, I check the water temperature on my watch 52.6 degrees Fahrenheit ( 11 C ).

Off we zoom, around the back of the island where the water is coldest, I can’t wait to hit the second corner where the water warms up to a balmy 53.8F,” we are getting closer to that lovely warm water”, I think, ” I just know it”. Then it happened, Ned starts to pull away, I pick up my stroke rate, “RATS”, I think to myself, I work harder to raise my heart rate with a higher stroke rate, it helps a bit but, I feel warm in my core, my brain is working, but my hands are starting to claw up, less power in my pull, I am showing the early signs of Hypothermia, ” Bugger” I mutter.

 We pull up at the corner, Ned knows, he has seen my slow up and crash before a number of times, ” this is your last lap”, he shouts, ” OK”, I reply, ” do you want to go straight in or into the inlet”, Ned asks, ” Inlet please”, I blurt out, and off we go to the inlet, it is essentially the long way home, it adds another 10-15 minutes to today’s swim, we all pick up the pace, I swim with all I’ve got in past the Big Red House, we hit the slipway, this mornings swim is over for me, all the same I am pleased, further and longer than yesterday and I didn’t crash as fast as last year, an improvement indeed.

 Robbin, my sister is there ready to help, Ned reaches a hand as I step up on the slipway, ” Blanket or towel?”, Robbins asks, ready to help, I grin and Ned answers,” She doesn’t need either”! Well I tell you I feel SO HAPPY to stride up that slipway not wrapped up ( granted it is a bit of a wobbly stride but all the same I feel proud )

 Of course I have to mention, that is my small achievement of the day 1 Hour 40 minutes, there are still swimmers out there, swimming 4 and 5 laps in 2 hours, I feel humbled and happy, what a wonderful combination.

 Next up: Food, Yoga, Nap, Food again then up for a 1.5 Hour drive to Loughe Ine, last year there were lots of Jellies.

What will this year bring, a few Jellies or hundreds of Jellies?  I’ll keep you posted

Closing Thought: 

 Little steps make the Leap

Day 1 : Ned Denison’s training camp

 Here I go again, last year I was hauled out of the water during swim # 1, by hauled I mean my body and mind had checked out, chilled like a Popsicle, after the swim I was helped out of the water by Ned and my sister Robbin and wrapped in what is now my favourite blanket, it has a big lion on it and for some reason it is very comforting and warming, I suspect last year I liked it so much because I could sheepishly bury myself in it after each swim, I felt VERY small last year and I don’t mean my  body size. After each swim last year I was self quarantined to the warmth of the car, Robbin my ever helpful and loyal sister would tug socks on my corpse like feet and I would clutch a cup of hot chocolate spilling it all over the car with my shaking hands as I raised the cup to take a sip. I would look in wonderment at these amazing swimmers who would swim in 50 degree water, chat away and post swim be in good enough shape to laugh and chat around the cars while they drank hot chocolate, teas and coffee.

  I watched and watched for days longing to hop out of the car for a chat, the swimmers were mostly local and so kind, they would come by the car window, I would crack it down a bit, ” How’s the Hypothermia coming along today?”, one might say, I thought I would reply by I guess it was a slurred chatter of teeth.

 So there is the background, last years camp, especially the first swim was tremendously challenging for me, if you want to read a blow by blow of the ugliness check on Ireland Distance Week on the right hand corner of this page, for now let’s see how swim # 1 goes this year?

 We Arrive early to the swim……

We arrive early, parking the car I see the massive growth of the group, 40-50 swimmers all gathered around for instructions, we park and instantly see some warm and familiar faces from last year, hugs and greetings all round and some introductions to new faces, after a few reunion visits I notice a trend ” You look well”, next hug ” you look well”, finally a big hi to Craig, a fellow down under, ” you’ve got bigger”, he says, ” why thank you so much for the compliment, I am 10 pounds up”, I exclaim, ” can’t usually say that to a girl if they have gained weight, but it is different with us”, Craig says with a grin, usually it is ” You Look Well”, he adds, well I giggle myself silly, every time I hear you look well now.

Distance Week buddies

That's me with the straight arm recovery swimming....

That's Colm, me, Carol and Alan post swim

Sandycove Island

It is hard to believe that I am back in Ireland again, just under 12 months have passed, yet the memories of last year’s ” Ned Denison’s Distance Week” are still very fresh in my mind as if it was yesterday,  yip 16 swims and 16 bouts of Hypothermia, it is something that is kind of ingrained. All the same  I am looking forward to getting in the water tomorrow morning in Sandycove and swimming around the Island, it is stunning scenery and I know each stroke will make me stronger and tougher, I am excited to get out there.

 What else am I looking forward too, hot chocolate and Jelly Babies after each swim….

What will the water temperature be tommorrow morning?  I’ll keep you posted

Training miles continue to build up, and lucky for me I often have company in the water, even in the cold water, at 47 degrees I have had company, at 82 degrees Fahrenheit I have had company, in Vermont I had such a tremendous support, fellow swimmers who have embraced distance sets, even the sets that some might consider ugly, have been  swum with  a smile, 3-4 hours of swimming often with nasty little descending efforts at the end of each set.

 Then there are the wonderful swimmers, I have swum with in Hawaii, Rhode Island, California and of course throughout New England itself, all fun hard working individuals, whether it be Iron Men and women, world record holders or swimmers new to the water who have only been swimming a short time they have been equally terrific.

 And then there was an extra special day, that was the day my daughter Heidi perked up a bit of interest to come for a dip in the Open Water, long story short she submitted an entry for the Greater Kingdom Lake swim 1 mile event this July, from there we planned for her to come and snag a few swims with me in the lake to start preparation and introduce her to the open water, here’s how it went down…….

 “ Mum, can I go out with you to swim this weekend, PLEASE”, asks Heidi with her very best puppy dog eyes, they are big and blue and melt your heart, “ No, not yet Heidi, the water is still 50 degrees, we will wait a bit longer”, I reply with my most sympathetic voice, “ But I can’t wait Mum, I can’t”, she replies pleadingly, “ I understand Heidi, I am super excited you want to swim , you’ll have to be patient”.

 One week later the sun has been shining and the water has inched it’s way up to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, I haul myself in the door from my training swim, swim gear in hand, “ How was the water?, What temperature was it Mum, WHAT WAS IT?”, asks Heidi as she dances excitedly around the living room, “ well Heidi it is up to 55 degrees”, I reply, “ 55 Mum, that is warm come on let me go”, she replies, “ OK Heidi, 60 degrees water temperature and you’re in.

  Wouldn’t you know it just a week later the Turtle Thermometer read 60 degrees, I did’t say a word to Heidi that night, instead I got up super early before she was awake and lay out her suit, cap, goggles and some ear plugs on her bed, then I sat, she slowly opens her eyes, I lean over and whisper “ How about an open water swim today?” YES, YES, YES, she squeals, then she sees her swim gear laid out and leaps out of bed, she is excited, I feel excited too.

 Out we head to the lake, we chat on the shore, “ today is about feeling the lake, it will feel different than the pool and that is OK, notice what you feel and see, or don’t see, there are no black lines on the bottom, stick right by my hip, we’ll take a few strokes and then stop and check in, biggest thing is to relax” Then we talk about the surface on the bottom, what to watch out for…

In we go, Heidi strokes hard and fast, after 100 meters Heidi pulls up, “ it is hard to breathe”, Heidi quietly and calmly announces, “ that is just your body and brain getting used to the Open water, imagine you are in a snugly blanket all cozy, it will feel relaxing”, I reply, and with that we are off, Heidi takes long, relaxed strokes, we swim out of the canoe launch inlet , past the big rock and stop, “ Heidi, you are amazing, the big rock was the goal today and you did it”, “ please can we go further, I don’t want to stop”, she replies and with that we swim on for another  5 minutes. I pull up, “Heidi see that Island”, Yes she replies, “ that is Blueberry Island, 2km, that is our goal this summer”, Heidi pauses and looks at the island with a very long stare, then we turned for shore and swam in, 20 minutes done.

 I LOVE Open Water Mum, I LOVE it, and of course you know what came next “ when can we go again?”

 Next weekend comes around fast and Heidi and I find ourselves once again out at the Lake, this time there is no turning back, Heidi and I swam to Blueberry Island and back, as we approach shore Heidi grins a very big grin, “ you did it Heidi, Blueberry Island conquered, I am so proud of you”, Heidi looks up with a very big smile, you said that was the maximum goal Mum, so that was the one I wanted, we did it”, “ Yes  Heidi, YOU DID IT.

 So off we went up to the car for a post swim hot chocolate, we giggle and laugh enjoying talking about the swim, sharing the Open Water together, “ so how excited are you Heidi?” I ask, Heidi replies, “ I am thrilled, true to form Mum you don’t disappoint.

So Heidi qualified for the July 7^th, 2012 1 mile youth swim and I had the pleasure of joining her for her Open water adventure. What fun!

Next up more company in the water…IRISH COMPANY.  If you haven’t read of last years distance week training camp in Cork County, Ireland then have a read, after that we can both say together “ Charlotte are you really going back to do that again?” The answer is YES, getting on the plane as you read .

Will it be brutal, tough and miserably cold? All signs point to yes

How Brutal? I’ll keep you posted

What’s been on the schedule the last 6 weeks? Cold Water Training Vermont Style

Yip, that means  snow, frosts, rain, oh and did I forget to mention it is not unusual for Mother Nature to toss  a 80 degree Fahrenheit day at you for grins, and of course there are those special spring time extra considerations like, if you lay your suit outside before your early morning Open Water swim it will freeze……….not fun to pull that suit on.

 The last 6 weeks  has been a mixture of distance training in the pool and fast frantic open water swims in the lake

Why fast and frantic?47 degree Fahrenheit water that is why.

Once I get myself in I swim hard to generate warmth in my mid section, once I get out it is a mad dash to shore to get out of my wet suit and pull on warm cozy clothes, followed of course by my regular bout of Hypothermia, the aching, the shaking and the shivering and the slow painful return of feeling to the feet and sometimes the hands, and the reward Hot Chocolate, Jelly Babies and hanging  with my swim buds on the shore reflecting on the swim…..always memorable.

Time for a swim meet are you kidding me?

My schedule over the winter and spring months has included…….

40,000 meters of swimming each week

2 sessions of strength training

Teaching 3 fitness classes

2 classes of Yoga

……….. AND then along came a swim meet just 2 weeks ago , I was skeptical of pool racing  after all the distance swimming over the winter, however I mailed in an entry and decided that the ” Beat the Tide” sprint sets I have included in my workouts would help me punch out  some fast  freestyle and it would be fun to enjoy the meet with my teammates

The first challenge is tugging on my speed suit, the extra 8 pounds of fat and 2 pounds of muscle I have gained over the winter are very welcome in the Open Water but squeezing it into my race suit is proving to be a bit of a challenge. Regardless I get the suit on and roll up for my first event the 500 Yard Freestyle, it is a mixed event and I am in the final and fastest heat, up on the blocks I step, ” what will this feel like?”, I wonder to myself on top of the blocks, at that point I set my intention…..”FAST, this will be fast”, I say to myself, the starter blows his whistle, ” Take your marks, BEEP”, I am off.

 I explode of the block, no thinking required, instinct takes over, all cylinders are firing, the first wall is there, then the next and the next, I feel myself pulling away from the rest of the swimmers, I push with the top possible effort I can muster without blowing up, I am verging on feeling tingling in my hands and feet but manage to keep my intensity  under control, and then I hear the bell, ” last lap bell, WAHOO”, I think to myself, I punch out my last 50 and smack the wall, BAM! I hold on to the wall heaving, air sucking in deep, then rushing out, my body is reeling from the effort, I glance at the clock, 5 minutes, 48 seconds, 1st overall and a meet record, I am pleased, my body remembered fast and snapped me back in to the ” thrill of the race mode”, what fun. 

 Next up,  the 200 Free,  2 minutes and 14 seconds, snagged me a second place finish and my final swim the day the 1000 Free, a wonderful smooth swim, my strokes felt long and controlled, my time 11 minutes, 53 seconds, fast enough for first overall but not fast enough for the meet record, some swimmer swam 11 minutes and 44 seconds last year keeping a new record from my grasp. Who was it….that Charlotte Brynn!

 Back Out Doors

And now the schedule is about to change, June is here and I am no longer swimming in the pool at all, it is Out Doors only and I couln’t be more excited, just over 2 months until my English Channel Tide window of August 8th-16th and I sense that many more adventures are just around the corner. 

Will my next adventure include another swimmer? A hint YOU BET

 Who? I’ll keep you posted

Closing Thought: Real love of a hard battle

 Day 9 : Kona, Hawaii

 Distance: 10,000 meters

 Location: Keauhou Bay- Kailua Bay

 Today I am excited, I am closing in on my short term goal of swimming 90,000 meters in 9 days while I’m here on the Big Island, just 10k to go and the plan is to knock that out this morning before I fly back to the mainland later today and lucky for me I have boat support for today’s point to point swim, what a treat!

 I met Kate Shannon earlier in my stay, she swims with a local masters group and today she is kindly coming out to paddle her outrigger canoe alongside me while I swim from Keauhou Bay to Kilua Bay in Kona.

 Kate and I meet down in Kona, we drop Karlyn’s car at what will be the finish of our swim and drive up to Kleauhou Bay, Kate and I chatter along the way, she has lots of interesting stories of her paddling, I feel fortunate to have her with me today, not only is the company great but she has a good knowledge of the area and the ocean, she is a dive instructor and knows water.

 We soon arrive at the beach and go about unloading her outrigger canoe, ” here is where the shark bite marks are”, she says as she sets the canoe on the beach, ” Wow”, I reply as I check it out, ” don’t worry though it got the bite before I bought it”, she adds, I laugh, ” reassuring to know it is not a recent encounter” I tell Kate.

 Next up we talk about the swim, ” I follow you, if I am swimming off course, you keep on course, I will adjust to follow you, if I am not adjusting, slap the paddle at me and I’ll shift”, OK replies Kate,  then we talk about feeding, ” at 25 minutes an arm circle like this to speed me up, then at 28 minutes a slow down signal and finally at 30 minutes give me a hands down signal to feed” .

 We also set up a stroke count where Kate counts how many strokes I take per minute, Kate has everything down in no time and we walk out into the shallow water to launch, wouldn’t you know it a green sea turtle is cruising by to wish us bon voyage….

"Say Hi to the Whales for me" Turtle wishes us farewell

She’s a pearl of a day, slightly overcast skies and a light wind, I begin stroking out of the Bay, as I look at Kate I can instantly see how at ease she is in the boat, “this girl is a paddler”,I think,  I feel grateful to have her by my side. Out of the Bay we go, it feels great to swim alongside the boat and I am enjoying studying the outrigger canoe, it is big and yellow and commands the water. We head out alongside the shoreline and after a bit Kate takes me away from the shallow waters of the shore to the deep. I deep water feels cozy.

 30 minutes is soon up and it’s time to down my feed, down the hatch and off we go again, then in a flash another 30 minutes is gone,time to down my feed again, this time I dawdle a bit, eager to chat to Kate, ” you’re doing great Kate”, I shout,  I am having fun, I swim on.

  Suddenly I feel stabbing pains on my arms, it feels like I am swimming through a snow storm of mini knives, except it is not miniature knives, it is what looks like hundreds of  tiny little Jelly Fish, hardly visable, to me they look like snow flakes ” horror snowflakes”, each sting hurts and after the intial stabbing sting a lingering pain in the arm. ”  NOT COOL,  just keep swimming and be patient the pain will subside over time and you are sure to be just minutes from getting out of this jelly fish war zone”, I reassure myself,   I wait for the relief of moving out of this menacing pool of miniature jellies, I wait and I wait, time ticks by but no relief comes. I swim on regardless.

 Then comes the big hit,  ” Bugger Me”, I mutter underwater,” that was right down my bikini top”, I lurch my hand down my top in an effort to free myself of the offending  jelly fish the goal is to pull up my top, and free  the Jelly without stopping swimming.I twist and contort for a stroke or two then force my head down and swim on ” suck it up” I command myself, and that’s what I do for the next 30 minutes. “Jellies”, I say to Kate at the next feed, ” I thought you saw a big fish”, she replies, and we swim on.

Here is the Jelly Zapper I applied, my favourite treatment: Vineger from the Fish'n Chip stand in Ireland

 Fortunately the Jelly Fish seem to have been left behind me, the stings are very manageable, now just a dull ache, the next 30 minutes seems quite uneventfull, Kate gives me my feed signal, as I grab my feed cup, Kate excitedly says, ” An Eagle Ray flew out of the water and flipped on his back, right by you, I’ve NEVER seen that before, and there were 2 whales out there, I could see their tails, did you see?” I love hearing all Kate’s marine life reports, ” would you rather be closer to shore?” Kate asks, “No let’s stay deep” I reply and swim on.

 Time ticks on and I find myself starting to speculate on where I am and how far I have to go, ” dangerous stuff, just swim” I tell myself and with that I put my head down and pull hard, the wind has picked up, the sea is not as calm as it was when we started, I am starting to have to earn it. Kate and I battle on towards Kona, the last 30 minutes seems to take  an eternity, the water pulls me this way and that,  I feel like Kailua Bay isn’t too keen for me to land in her Bay, she is creating a problematic current and I am having to swim against it to reach the beach. Finally I am close, I know I am close because I lift my head for a peak and find the bay wall right in front of me, Yip I am swimming into it, ” over here” shouts Kate, as she points to the sandy beach, I follow her lead and there it is, that golden sand in my hands, we made it YES!

 What an adventure, Jelly Fish, an Eagle Ray, Whales, a top rate “Captain Kate”  to crew for me, and my 90km goal achieved, I am pleased. Kate and I say our goodbyes and I head off to shower and pack, then onto American Airlines, next stop Mainland USA

Where is my next Open Water Swim? California

What is the reported Water Temperature? 52 Degrees

How many Jelly Fish Stings did I find post swim? 23

Emerging from the Winter

The snow has melted off the ground, the ice has finally broken and I am back outdoors, what a treat to be swimming outside once more. My first outdoor swim was on March 21st, memorable for the fact that it was still winter here in Vermont, the swim took place in my friend Margaret’s pond, granted we only swam for 17 minutes but still it was winter, there was snow on the hills and we were proud of ourselves.

Birthday Swim

Next came my birthday dip, April 19th my 46th Birthday, the perfect day, 10km in the pool in the morning, then out to the lake for my first lake swim of the year, the water a brisk 47.5F, the 66F air temperature making the water feel even colder.

 Here is how it went down……

 I am  loaded up with supplies on arrival at the lake, hot thermos, gingernut biscuits, jelly babies, hot chocolate, tea, I am juggling getting all this down to the shore and  wouldn’t you know it some of my swim buddies join me, what a treat, not only do I have help to get down to the shore but also the sweet prospect of company while I swim and of course Deb kayaking by my side, how lucky am I to have friends who were willing to plunge into 47.5 degree water and swim to help me celebrate my birthday!  I love birthdays so I know this would be a wonderful swim.

 This is us unpacking in the parking lot, it IS deserted except for a truck with 2 guys loading on their canoe, ” are you swimming?”, one exclaimed, I turn around while scooping up my gear and walk a few paces towards them, they are asking something else and I can’t make out what they are saying, then I drop my gear bag, no big deal right? Well to me it was, I was horrified as my gear bag split apart on contact with the ground and out tumbled my most delicate of underwear, there they lay on the dirt, time seemed to stop as me and the guys stared at the ground for what felt like an eternity, then I slowly bent down picking them up, pretending I was not embarrassed…..but I was. Blushing I drew back towards the kayak and the comfort of my swim friends, on the way down the hill to the lake we all laughed. I am skip around on the path towards the shoreline, I am excited to swim.

 My buddies wait on the rock as we measure the water temperature and I get ready to swim….

 Come on Birthday girl are you ready yet? I am busy putting on my cap, ear plugs in and getting Deb to pour some baby oil on my back to help cut the wind chill, it doesn’t help a whole lot but I like the smell and it makes me think I have a barrier to the cold when I am in the water, I am slippery like a fish…..

 Paula, Margaret and Cynthia walk into the water with me, they begin swimming, I stand waist deep for a minute or so, the cold water stings my thighs, then I am off.

 The cold hits me like a ton of bricks, BAM

 We make our way towards Blueberry Island, it is a 2km round trip, I know once we make it to the island we are half way and the only option is to swim hard to get back to the shore, my stroke feels strong, 20 minutes down, then 25 minutes, I start to lose some of my power, my hands feel like they are turning to claws, I know I can make it back to shore, I push on, my swim buddy Paula is right by my side.

It is time for the final sprint in, I am breathing heavily from the high intensity effort, I keep pushing and then YES, I see the bottom, made it!

 We all emerge out of the water, it takes me 2 or 3 tries to stand up, my feet are frozen and I keep falling back in, now I am up and busy stripping off my wet bathing suit and bundling up in sweat pants, Swandri  ( this is a big New Zealand super warm woolen top) and a blanket, hat on and I am all set.

Hypothermia sets in, my body shakes, my muscles spasm, they are randomly contracting to try and warm my core, it hurts, my buddies wrap up too off come their wetsuits, clothes go on and we gather round for a birthday hot chocolate, what an adventure.

How far did I swim? 2km

For how long? 27.5 minutes

What’s up next? More cold water swims

 Will the water have warmed up a bit for the next outdoor dip? I’ll keep you posted

Closing thought:

                                    A friend is a present you give yourself

Kona Hawaii

Today’s Swim: 8000 meters

7:15am Off to the Pier

  I arrive at the pier at 7:15am ready to meet Evonne Van Vlerken, Jano Soto and Jano’s wife Paola, we plan to swim to 2.4 Iron Man Buoy today, Paola will be leading us on her paddle board out to the 2.4 mile buoy. Robin Parsis is ready to swim too so we head down to the waters edge ready to launch. ” My coach wants a time for the course today”, says Yvonne as we are wading in, ” perfect, nothing like a stop watch to encourage a good clip in the water”, I think and with that, wet suits are zipped up and we are off powering through the water, the day is a beauty with calm waters, clear skies and a young sun in the sky eager to rise up and pump some Hawaiian heat into the day.

 Our pace feels great, the four of us pulling away and dropping back like race horses in a pack. I like swimming with Yvonne, she has great drive, Jano has great enthusiasm and energy, you can tell when he trains he is excited to be out there and give it his all , Robin slices through the water fast with a big kick.

We pull up briefly at the Kings Buoy regroup, I turn to Yvonne ” what a funny pair we are, Pro Iron Man Athletes and an English Channel aspirant bombing along together”,  we laugh and swim  to the 2.4 mile buoy.

Time to swim for the shore

Golden Sand to Land

 

 Turnaround done and we head back for home, I love the homestretch, there is bit of a current as we get closer to shore, the bay narrows dramatically, the water pulls this way and that, it feels like it doesn’t quite know which way it should flow, I like the challenge.

The last few 100 meters my mind is visualizing sprinting  to the shores of France, no matter what I am gunning it until my hand hits the land, Jano, Yvonne and I  tuck in tight  as we near the beach, we close in on the final buoy building speed as we go, past the last buoy, the swim is done for most,  but no stopping for me, there are legs of swimmers standing in the shallow waters, still no stopping for me, I wind through the legs in a full sprint until my hand hits the bottom, YES land, it never gets old to touch down at the end of a swim. I stand myself upright apologizing to the swimmers at my landing spot, opps sorry Kona Swimmers, party’s not over til I hit land….

The five of us gather round Paola’s board for farewells

Fast Fun Lap in Kona

Check out Paola’s fun clip of our Kona swim below 

Kicking it in Kona with Yvonne Van Vlerken, Jano Soto and Robin Parisi

 Back into the water…..

 Then for me it is back out to sea for more laps to the Coast Guard Buoy, every lap I swim the more familiar the landmarks get, I now know every roof shape and color, the numbers of trees in each grouping, the fences and the hotels,  finally it is the last sprint to shore and I earn my reward of  a spot on the lazy beach adjacent to the pier in one of Karlyn’s deck chairs. Time to inhale lunch, then off to weight train.

Kick Back Beach

What’s coming up tomorrow?10km from Keauhou Bay to Kailua Bay, Kona with Kate who is supporting me in her outrigger canoe, fantastic!

No Jelly Fish stings so far, will I swim 9 days straight in the sea sting free? I’ll keep you posted.

Closing Thought:  Desire Makes Winners in every walk of life

 Here’s to the winners from today:

•   Yvonne Van Vlerken a.k.a ” The Flying Dutchwoman”, multiple sub 9 hour Iron Man  Course finishes including a Silver at the Kona Iron Man Championships
•  Jano Soto, multiple top 6 Iron Man 70.3  finishes
•   Robin, pure FAST in the water

March 2012

Hapuna Beach, Hawaii

Today’s Distance 13,000 meters

Hapuna Beach

 Today I’m off for a new adventure at a new beach AND I have a new partner in crime, Nancy Taubner. Nancy is a friend of Karlyn Pipes Neilsen and her mum and now lucky for me she is a friend of mine. Nancy is amazing, she is fit, strong and delicate all rolled into one, and she’s tough, I can tell you she’s tough because this young looking woman in her 60’s has 14 Iron Man races under her belt, Marathons and more and has no sign on easing her foot off the pedal.

 Here is our plan for today, we drive together to Hapuna Beach, where we park the car, I swim a few hours while Nancy rides her road bike along the Iron Man course, I get out and drive to pick her up, then we take in a little sight seeing together, perfect right?

 Well off we go with lunch coolers packed with food, we head out of Kona and along the long desolate highway towards Hapuna Beach, instead of paddocks of lush green grass filled with grazing sheep that you would find in New Zealand there are only piles of black rock, volcanic rock fields from the still active Volcano on the island. We drive for an hour, and I take in all the fascinating stories of Nancy’s races, after one story finishes I am hungry for another, she describes what it is like to ride the 112 mile bike section of the Kona Iron Man bike course which travels this very road, ” this part right here is tough, it looks like it is down hill but it is actually a gruelling gradual climb, I know every post on this road, every curve and pile of rocks”. I feel like I have  a snap shot into the ride, I feel admiration for all those who have pedalled this road.

Nancy ready to ride to Hawi

  Soon we are parked at Hapuna beach, Nancy prepares for her ride, I down a feed of Maxim, gather all my gear and head on down to the beach. It is a stunning beach, calm waters, small breaking waves crashing onto the shore and a real family feel, most of those on the beach are up at the far end, I walk down to the life guard hut, and shout up to the 2 life guards, ” Hi, I am planning to swim some laps of the beach is there anything I should know about, Rips, currents or anything?” . The life guards look at each other almost as if they has just been told a really funny joke, then they look back at me and pause, finally one of them says ” No, you’re good” Then they go back to chatting between themselves, they don’t seem to focused on the bathers, I  scan the beach and see that there are only few swimmers actually in the water, those that are  in are only waist or knee deep, ” weird”,  that more people are not swimming on such a lovely day”, I think to myself.

Me ready for my Hapuna Beach 10km swim

  I set up my chair in between 2 families, layout my feeds and head towards the water at the top end of the beach, I wade past the sparse group of bathers and dive under, the water  is sparkling, I stroke out to the deeper water at the outer edge of the beach and stop to tread while I get my bearings, I sight a point just beyond the far end of the beach, head down and swim, I am under way lap1, I reach the point and tread while I pick a land mark to swim back to, the bathers at the far end of the beach look like tiny specks, I swim back to my start point, 1 mile down. Back I go for my second lap, done ” time to get out for a feed”, I say to myself, I surf in, walk up the beach, down a feed of Maxim, a bottle of water and then back in for another 2 laps…

What’s that Noise?

 I am now starting to recognise things under the water, where the sand turns to reef, where there are fish, where it gets shallow, I no longer have much of a need to sight, 2 more laps down, the sun is beating down on my back as I swim in for my 4 mile feed of Maxim. Back in the water I go, just 2 laps to go, the wind has picked up, the waves have arrived, ” now I have to earn it”, I say to myself, the water is not looking as calm and sleepy as when I arrived”. I push onwards, before I know it Lap 5 is done, “Final lap already, I can’t wait to wrap my jaws around that Turkey sandwich in my cooler”, I have a snap shot in my mind…. Turkey Sandwich, Turkey Sandwich, Turkey Sandwich……the thought gets me all the way down to the point, I turn and look back down the beach towards the tiny specks at the other end, over 2 hours have passed already, 2 hours patiently waiting for this final home stretch.

 I pull hard, each stroke draws me closer to my 10km goal, I breathe to my left and see the lifeguard hut, ” phew, that means I have only quarter of a mile to go, WAHOO”, then I hear a noise, ” what’s that, sounds like a siren”, I jerk my head up and look to the beach, I can’t see if they are clearing the water, I swim some more, the siren keeps going, ” OK, what could it be, an emergency, an alert?  In New Zealand that would mean shark!”  Well I ponder the situation as I swim on….” I only have less than a quarter a lap to go, I don’t see any dorsal fins coming at me, I have to swim in anyway, best to calmly complete my swim nothing gained by thrashing around”, and that’s exactly what I do, I emerge from the water, everything is in order on the beach, no emergency. I wolf down my Turkey Sandwich, change and drive off to meet Nancy.

Kohala Forest reserve, what a view

 Nancy and I connect, she has had a harrowing ride, the winds that had not only been menacing in the water, on the road they were ruthless. We head on to Hawi and then to deadend road with a breathtaking beach, then down a steep path, it is well worth the hike down and steep climb out, I loved the wild untamed waves.

You can hear the thunder of the crashing waves, the rugged coast reminds me of Otago New Zealand

The Life Guards told me: ” I wouldn’t swim if I were you”

  Nancy and I chatted on the way back to Kona, you know I didn’t want to tell you this until after your swim, I rode my bike to Hapuna Beach with the plan to swim, I asked the life guards if they could keep an eye on my bike while I swam, their reply was…. You don’t want to swim out there, there are BIG FISH” ,  Nancy told the story with wide eyes, ” so did you swim?” I asked, ” No way”, she replied.

Oh Tell me Wise Goggle of Shark sightings at Hapuna Beach?

 If in doubt goggle it, and that’s what I do, Goggle pulled up no shortage of shark sightings at Hapuna Beach including beach closing for sharks, take a peak below……..

Shark Sighting Hapuna Beach 

Now I know why I was the the only one out there humming the smurf song merrily as I swam,  if there were any  “Big Fish” out there today they were not interested in me, and if they took a nose around they did it from a distance and said  ” aww mate look at that skinny pengiun…..I’m not bothered! Oh and what was the siren? A monthly civil defense test!

What’s up tonight: Masters Practice in Hawaii with Adrienne Pipes Neilsen’s coaching, she’ll keep me honest and tomorrow the 2.4 mile Iron Man Course in Kona with some fun local swimmers

Closing Thought:  Keep Calm and Carry On