Next BIG SWIM ” THE CATALINA CHANNEL”

At midnight Wednesday September 17th ( 3am EST ) I slide into the sea to take on the Catalina Channel, 20.1 Miles from Catalina Island to Point Vicente on the Californian Coast. Last year this Channel was no lamb with waves, swealls & a frisky shark, I was victorious over the shark, but not the Channel, covering 19 of the 20 miles, September 17th I’m going back!

If you’d like to follow along, use Brynnswim spot tracker

Once I’m out of the water, spit out a few fish, and wipe the tears off the shark, I’ll update you on my swim…..and all the adventures!

My Heart Will Swim On!

  The night  is long lasting, here is the routine, I swim,  every 30 minutes my crew sends down my feed cup  with a light stick attached so I can see it in the blackness of the night, hour after hour I swim on through the swells and the waves, cramps in both my upper thighs and hips plague me through the night, each time I stop to feed I draw my knees up into my chest to ease the cramping and release my lower back, feed down and I swim on, time after time, finally  after 6 hours of night battle, the dense blackness begins to lift, silhouettes appear on the boat some bundled in hats, jackets and shirts,  the sun begins to rise an amazing show of reds, oranges and yellows, the sunrise warms my soul.

 You’re over half way, shouts from the boat convey, music to my ears, it fuels my drive even further, I swim on, Forrest’s light stick glows strong at the bow…..

 Cynthia  and Jen, keep my feeds coming, I can feel eyes on me, it is comforting, I swim on…..

 Daylight is shooing away the night, time for another feed….

 The sky is getting brighter,  the swells are easing,the waves small,  the white caps are gone and I am exicted, I feel strong… 

On I swim, the rough night is letting my back and shoulders know that they have been in battle, with each stroke I feel a shot in the shoulder, “time to start to think about how good your toes and feet feel”, I think, the water temperature has felt very manageable all night and into the daytime, now I have an added treat…. sunshine.

 Dolphin Escort..

Up with the sun come the dolphins, 3 pods of them, at times in front of me like they are riding the bow wave of a boat, escorting me in towards the mainland and at times I am told, right under me, looking up at me swimming, I do love dolphins.

 I swim on, stroke after stroke, fortunately the conditions have continued to  improve,  the swells have eased, the sun is rising high in the sky, and every chance I can I am smiling towards the boat.  What would you like us to tell Heidi? Shouts from the boat ask…( Heidi is my 13 year old daughter, who I ADORE!)

  ” Tell her I Love her”, I shout back, I know what is happening, the observers are  starting to ask questions to check on my mental state, if I don’t reply or answer incorrectly it is likely ” Game Over”, for this Kiwi, my focus is “Iron Clad”.

Cynthia and Me in the Sea…

 Cynthia is back in the water kayaking and I am now on the sunny side of the boat, I swim on, in and out to the big boat  for feeds, 7 miles to go, I swim on, 5 miles to go, I swim on, my stroke starts to slow, 3 miles, 2 miles, the water temperature is dropping, my pace is slowing, swimming against the current I drive my head low in the water, grit my teeth and pull hard with each stroke, I am making progress, SLOW progress.

Ready for a Heady?

 Those on the boat are asking questions, checking on my responses, to check in on my wellbeing and mental state…

“What’s Jen’s favourite Beer?” I am asked, ” What?”, I reply

” What’s Jen’s favourite BEER?” I am asked, ” What?”   HEADY TOPPER”, I reply, ” Mate, are you serious, it’s everyone’s favorite beer, it’s THE WORLDS TOP  IPA!”, I think to myself as I swim away thrilled with myself for giving such a ground breaking answer,  “YIPPEE, I think they’ll let me swim forever”, I think. 

With each question I send back the correct answer and swim off…

“What’s the name of Jen’s dog?”, “What?”, I reply

“What’s the name of Jen’s dog?”, “What?, RICO “ I reply, head down I swim off once more. Rico, that little pistol, quick as a flash, rough and tumble fur, what a cute little hair bag he is”, I think as I swim, thrilled with myself that all functions are go, I sight to get a visual on the mainland it is close, I can see it, ” Kick, Kick”, I hear from the boat, ” hmm, I’m not much of a kicker”, I toss in a few token legs swings and focus on pulling hard underwater, my stroke I am sure has little resemblance of my regular stroke rate, I swim on.

Get in the Boat…

 I see the signal to come into the boat once more, “You’re done, we’re calling the swim, get in the boat”, the observer shouts, my heart sinks, I obediently turn and swim towards the swimmers platform on the back of the boat, and the crew hauls me in the boat, my swim is over.

 Jennifer pulls off my suit, sweatpands and sweatshirt pulled on, then she wraps me up with my sleeping bag, hat pulled down low,  the boat motors back to the dock, I quietly smile under my hat, what a battle that Catalina Channel threw down last night, she fought hard and I fought back, I feel grateful to be satisfied with my efforts, ” What a mission Kiwi, what a mission and what an amazing crew,  I am one lucky fish indeed!”

Farewell  Outrider Crew and Observers, you guys were awesome…..

 We say goodbye and huge thanks to our observers and boat crew, the car is all loaded up, me in the back, Jennifer and Cynthia in the front, in the back I just can’t seem to get comfortable, fidgeting about my sweat pants slip down exposing my hip, “ Hey, I’ve got holes in me!”, I exclaim with a laugh, “ Hold on something’s sticking out of one”, I add, with that I fish out a small object, “ Hey look, it’s a crab pincher!”, I say leaning forward to the front seat in a fit of laughter, we all laugh.

 Back at the house, time to get in the shower and wash off all the dirt and grease, I am filthy, after a good wash I discover something more “ Hey Cynthia, does this look like a mouth mark?”, there on my right hip are some puncture holes and the imprint of a jaw mark. “Show me that crab pincher”, says Cynthia,” that’s not a pincher Charlotte that’s a shark tooth” she adds, we both roar with laughter and with that turn in for the night. In bed I try to get as comfortable as one can post marathon,  ” how weird is that, a bite,  wasn’t a Jelly Fish at all!”, I think as I drift of to sleep to dream of dolphins.

 And that’s the adventure, after 12 hours of swimming I was pulled from the water, 2300 meters from shore, the Catalina Channel claimed victory that day, the shark  however did not, I swam on for another  11 hours with a full set of teeth, he swam away minus one.

What’s  Next? I am exicted to prepare for the 2014 Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and my long term goal?  This Kiwi’s taking flight  home to New Zealand to take on Cook Strait 2015, check out the clip below, this is her annoyed….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPjWMDAYWZs

Have you heard news of the Shark ?  No, we’re not tight…… AND  I’m  not planning on  keeping  in touch!  However I am working with a shark researcher so he and me can learn more about the species, he is studying the water temperture, depth, other marine creatures in the area, how far I was from shore, my swim suit color, illumination and the cycle of the moon that night.  I am learning a lot about sharks!

One thing is  for sure, my experience is tattooed in my mind for life, the moment of impact is etchd in my memory bank forever.

Will I return to the Catalina Channel? “You bet! No worries mate, the water is great, the Catalina Channel Association and it’s observers are outstanding, and The Outrider crew, professional and super nice, I’ll be back!”

Closing Thought: I am often asked,  ‘How do you do it?”

The Answer:  Go with your gut and have fun, for those of you who gel more with a  TOP TEN HOW TO LIST, here it is…

THE  Brynnswim Top Ten Tips to “ENJOY THE RIDE WHATEVER THE TIDE”

1. Whatever your goal pursue it with Passion & Determination

2. Develop GRIT , GRIT is sticking with it even when the going gets tough

3. Have a  Good Attitiude, it makes a not so good day better than it might otherwise have been.

4. Have fun, everything is easier with a smile

5. Have a tolerance for failure, use it as a learning tool to fuel the fire for future successes

6. Roll with the punches, embrace them as an added Challenge

 7. Only YOU can determine how you react to variables in your swimming and Life ” Roll with what you can’t control”

8. Make a difference in the lives of those around you, this will happen naturally if you are passionate about what you do.

9. Learn to embrace pain, it will be there at times, focus on what does not hurt, rather than what does, it will pass.

10. Never Give Up

 ~ Charlotte Brynn 

WHACK, ” what was that?”, I roll to see myself in close proximatey with Cynthia’s  kayak which just connected  with the  top of my foot , my foot aches for a few strokes, then  my focus shifts back to my next breath, we are talking about a top ten list here and air, moving forwards and my first feed are my top priorities. The collision is  soon put out of my mind. I swim on, my body on auto pilot, my mind focused on the next stroke,  I reach for a song, tonight’s ” I’m bullet proof, nothing to lose, I am Titanium”, I sing away in my mind,I have what I’d describe as an underwater voice, best not to be heard above the water. The song revs me up to punch at the waves with even more strength, I grit my teeth and drive forwards with each stroke.

That’s No Boat!

” OOOOOUCH,  that’s INTENSE!”, another hit, ” What was THAT?”,  this one is painfully different, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, clamping on to my what feels like whole right side”, my mind is trying to make sense of the sharp, powerful blow I ‘ve just been blindsided with,” whatever it is has left go”, I think swimming onwards,  “I feel like I’ve  been smacked with a plank of wood with nails sticking out of it”,  the pain lingers, I swim on, I’ve swum with pain before, but  this is higher on the pain threshold level than anything I’ve encountered before, one stroke after the other, I swim on, my mind shifts gears to ” what just hit me?” 

   I am curious by nature,  my mind kicks into gear to make sense of what just happened, it wants answers ” somthing just hit me in the side”, I think, as I scan my right side, I sight  the kayak, too far away, I sight the boat, not a chance, way to my left,  ” YIP  that was NOT a boat”, I say, thrilled with myself that I am ruling out some of the  possibilities, my mind is busy trying to draw from all my sea swimming encounters:

Well that was no log, definately not a Dolphin, I LOVE them and that hit was far from appealing! Seal, nope, neither was it  like the trash floating in the English  Channel, one Channel  Swimmer  bumped into a refridgerator, definately wasn’t that.  Not like the lobster traps I bumped into in Maine and Boston Harbor and definately not a crab, I duked it out with lots of them as a kid in New Zealand. What about a  Jelly Fish? Well they sting for sure, although not sharp like this, certainly not the same forceful impact, how about a “Mutant Jelly Fish?”, you know like a “GODZILLA JELLY”, there we go a solution, I am happy  for now with that explaination, and with that I swim off into the dark, my mind content that it may have been a Jelly Fish, I am quickly  back on task, I am here to SWIM, Game on, you are not tossing me aside that easily Catalina Channel, I’m right back in your face!

 And that is the last time of think of it, I am 120% committed to swimming to the mainland and navigating whatever is up next, a big part of my training has been learning my doing that you can’t control everything that happens, you can control how you react.

 Suddenly a welcome sight, a light stick circling in the black night air,  SWEET, time for my feed, that’s one hour, I swim over towards light which I know = Cynthia and FOOD, I eagerly await sight of my feed cup,my  fuel, a welcome treat!

 With one fowl sweep from a swell Cynthia is gone, all I can see is the bottom of the Kayak, ” Oh No Cynthia”,  gone with a swirl of  water, there is only blackness, the overturned kayak and the boat, PHEW there she is, now moving towards the rear of the boat,  bobbing in the waves, she is one tough cat!

 Time to check in on my current situation…. ” OK, boat’s not moving, you can’t sit here, you gotta move it”, I say to myself,  I remember Dave the Captain’s  instructions, ” You are not to swim on alone in the night”,   Ned Denison’s evil Torture Swim lessons from Distance Week in Ireland, are still fresh in my mind,  ” If your boat breaks down, keep swimming, you can’t stop, swim around the boat until it’s ready to go”, I heard it  time and time again,  fortunately those torture swim lessons have stuck , thanks again Ned!

  I take another look at Cynthia in the water, ” I am not leaving this side of the boat until I see she’s OK”, I say to myself and with that I start swimming laps of the length of the 50 ft boat,after each lap I stop and look for Cynthia, Lap 1, another Lap  2,  another Lap  3, and another Lap 4, I can see my feed bottles being picked up by the waves and washed away, Lap 5, the Kayak and Cynthia are being pulled towards the boat, there is a light stick above me, following me as I swim my laps, I stop at the bow, ” Keep swimming Laps”, shouts the light stick, ” Are you Forrest”, I shout, I am not sure he hears me, but I think I hear ” Yes”. I put my head down and continue to swim, I stop at the bow, again, ” We are not putting in another Kayak, you are going to swim off the boat, move to the other side, stay up here”, I look at him at the bow and them swim around to the other side, I put my head back down and swim hard, I need to work  hard to warm back up after the stop, I am relieved  to be swimming again,  once more I swim in total darkenss,  it is pitch black, all I can see are the lights at the bow of the boat, I love those lights, they are a constant in this night of curve balls, I focus on them with all my might.

Will I hold strong to see the California Sunrise and what will be my next sea creature encounter? I’ll keep you posted

Here’s a hint:           Here comes the sun…..

Closing Thought: Pour in your heart and soul  to remain positive through the ups and downs 

Wednesday August 28th ~ Swim Day = Boat Departs 9pm

  The forecast for today  is stunning, a clear night and no sign of fog, I wake up early and head to the top of the road to the local gym for sunrise yoga at 6:30am, a good exercise in quietening my mind, and getting loose for tonight’s big swim, after a sound night’s sleep I wake up at the crack of dawn , my mind kicking into overdrive on all that had transpired yesterday.

Manhattan Beach ~ Golden Sand and Deep Brown tans

  Tuesday started with crew members Jen kimmich, Cynthia Needham and me walking the length of Manhattan Beach early in the morning, we were in awe of the many surfers and paddle boarders expertly manouvering the breaking waves, such a feeling of commradire as they bobbed on their boards waiting for the next set of waves to roll in, then there were the dads with their young kids, the kids eager to ride the next big wave to the fullest of their ability, I loved their enthusiam with each new wave,   just plain BIG  fun,  that’s how I feel about each and every one of my  swims.

Manhattan Pier ~ Sharks on Display

 Next up a stroll along the  Manhattan Beach Pier, at the end is The Manhattan Aquarium, a closed sign planted on the door, we peer in the windows to see a large artifical Great White Shark complete with a sign saying ,” please no sitting on the shark”. I notice the hours, open Mon- Friday 3-5pm and weekends. Finally there is a cool world map with a blue line around all coastal areas in the world where Great Whites are found, ” Oh dear ” I say to Jen & Cynthia, look at the blue along the California Coast, we laugh, “look at New Zealand”, we all say in unison, the entire coastline is massive shade of blue, “swam all the time in the sea as a wee nipper, no shark worries”, I say to Jen and Cynthia……. Jen does not look convinced.

  Round the back side of the Pier we come across a  fisherman with multiple rods cast, ” Hi, having any luck today?”, I ask,  he immediately bursts into an array of sentences, at the end of it all I catch, ” and then I caught a 5 ft Baby Great White right here, they were pulling them out all along the beach yesterday and tagging them”, he says with a VERY wide smile, he inhales and adds, ”  look here in the photo”, with that he pulls out his phone and displays a large shark,  “Wow”, I reply, “I’m swimming out there tomorrow, I point to the Catalina Channel”, the fisherman’s eyes narrow and he purses his lips ”  sharks in the water, sharks in the water”, he repeats, while pointing his arm out to sea, all while  flashing  the shark photo in my face as if perhaps I did not see it on the first viewing.

   We snap a photo, and wish him good luck with his day’s fishing, ” Good Luck to you in the water”, he says. We walk back down the Pier, ” we should watch jaws tonight”, Cynthia says amongst a  frenzy of laughter, we all laugh and decide that that is more than enough shark talk for the week.

A Dry Run to the Dock

 We wrapped up the day by picking up the kayaks from the most welcoming of Long Beach locals, Sue and Bruce Foat, Sue a swimmer herself cooked us up a terrific lunch, here we are loaded up ready to go…left to right is Jen, Cynthia, me, Sue & Bruce Foat.

Final stop a dry run to the dock and checking out Outrider, what a fine boat..

Wednesday ~ Eat, Sleep, Eat

 Back to today, Wednesday,  the day to motor to the Big Swim, ” you want some breakfast Charlotte”, Jen asks “that’d be great, already had one  breakfast but I’ll take another” I reply,” how many eggs?” she asks, ” Ahh 7″, before I know it they are on a plate in front of me and ….down the hatch.

 With my tummy full of food it is now time for me to rest up, here is the challenge…to keep me low key for the day, I am wired to hit the ground running full steam ahead each day, today is different, nice and easy, the girls set me up on the couch with a bag of chips, a gossip magazine, TV remote and my phone, ” Phew, this being lazy is hard work”, I joke  ” and rather dull” I add, ” I have to take a photo” says Jen, ” I’ve never seen you sit still before!”  Smile couch potato…

 Meanwhile the girls bustle about getting the final crew supplies and feeds ready for tonight’s swim, first they head out to the store to pick up final supplies, then back to pack and label everything, I move from the couch to the bed, my schedule says rest 1-4pm, I do my best at closing my eyes…

 The rest time goes fast, there has been no rest for Jen and Cynthia, they are packed up tight ready to go, 5pm arrives we all put on our sea sickness patches, they need to be on 4 hours before we board the boat, I have never been sea sick before and I am not taking any chances of tonight being the first.

 Next up 2 lbs of beef and  another 7 eggs, down the hatch…

 My gear bag is packed, my health insurance card and drivers license are in a seal tight bag,  I am excited and ready for battle, bring it on Catalina Channel, I have this gut feeling I am about to embark on an adventure unlike no others.

 The sun sets as we drive to the dock, we are singing away to the California playlist I made for the trip, ” California here we come”, then we see the lights of the dock, Jen and Cynthia muscle through unloading all the gear, I introduce myself to the guys on the boat.

Pre Departure Safety Meeting

 Finally we are all on board, Barbara Held, one of the two Catalina Channel Association Observers, David and Danny the boat Captains and Micheal,deck hand, who has the role of making sure we have everything we need, super impressive crew! David sits us  down to go over the safety features  of the boat including life jackets and life boat, he asks us our plan for feeding, my estimated swim time and makes a point of telling us that a swimmer is never to swim along ahead of the boat alone. “Any questions”, David asks, ” Yes ” says Cynthia with a smile, with that she makes a shark fin with her hands above her head, we all laugh, ” what?”, David asks, ” You know, sharks ” replies Cynthia, ” We have never had a shark encounter, nothing to worry about”, he adds. “I have a question, what’s  the shore like at Catalina Island, is it clear where I go”,  I ask, “Yes, you swim in, there’s thick kelp, you can get tangled in it so be careful and also there’s a buoy, you can go over or under it”, David replies calmly, ” Barbara chips in ” go over you can get caught under “, satisfied with the answers I make a mental note to not dive under anything unneccessarily swimming into Catalina Island!

Next up is Barbara, time to read over the Catalina Channel Association rules, Barbara reads the rules, which include that the swim officiallt  starts once I leave the shore of Catalina Island, I may wear only a bathing suit, one cap, ear plugs, goggles, no aids or flotation devices and no assistance from the boat apart from feeding,  I may not hang on the kayak or escort boat and an escort swimmer may be allowed to join the water only for an hour preiod at a time. She reads through the final rules and looks up at me, I know you know this, you follow the rules, I nod my head, in reply. Finally, ” Forrest, will be joining us by Water Taxi”, say Barbara, Forrest is anther observer, I am yet to meet,  I head down below to get some sleep, it is a 2.5  hour journey to Catalina Island, I lay down in the bunk, the water is swishing alongside the bow of the boat right by my head, the boat is creaking as it rolls from side to side, ” funny, I remember the forecast saying calm and clear”, and with that the boat rocks me off to dreams of dolphins swimming alongside of me, it feels like they are a baseball mit and I am the ball, I feel cozy…

Rise and Shine Time to Swim

 “Time to swim Charlotte, 30 minutes”, Jen’s voice is right in my sleepy head, I open my eyes, it’s time, I climb up the stairs to the cabin and begin making final preparations, I lay out my light sticks, sun lotion and grease, Cynthia is all geared up to  Kayak, she is going to paddle to my right with the boat to my left for the first few hours..

 Jen applies my final layer of lotion, I pull my cap over my head, before my ear plugs go in I catch the boat captain saying ” squid hatchlings everywhere out here”, I secure my ear plugs and from then on hear only  the slow steady sound of my breath, the crew continue to bustle around me, Jen is applying grease thickly on my suit straps, neck, thighs, armpits, Michael is helping get Cynthia and the kayak in the water,” it’s time”  shouts David the Captain, I have already let him know that  I am not a jump in fast gal, I am a “piddle about” getting in swimmer.

Kiwi In the Water

  I peer over the side of the boat, next I go over and peer over the other side of the boat, all I can see is the black, there is no difference between the sky and the water, it is all pitch black, “Where is Cynthia?” I think, as I move towards the swimmers platform off the back of the boat .

 ” Is she going?”, I hear someone shout, I step onto the swimmers platform, it feels cold on my bare feet, ” Relax, take your time and  enjoy the ride”, I give myself one final pep talk of  lessons learnt from past swims, the corners of my mouth curl up in a small smile ” what fun”, and with that I sit on the platform, dangle my feet over the side, take one last look into the blackness, and  slither into the water, I feel the swell move me away from the boat.

Blackness surrounds me as I swim away from the comfort of the boat,  I see a spotlight and swim towards it, then the  thick leathery kelp David had told me about is under my body, I pull through it with my hands, I half swim, half crawl up onto the shore, with the water cleared I turn to face the lightsof the boat and raise my hands signalling that I am on the Island of Catalina, cheering erupts from the boat and  I step into the thick kelp covered sea, my Catalina Channel swim has begun!

 The water is jostly, the swell unpredictable, the only consistant thing is the small  slither of moon, Cynthia is a mere dot of blue light, she appears and disappears with the roll of the ocean,  the swell picks me up and rolls me like cork towards her, with the next stroke I am picked up by another swell and tipped in the opposite direction towards the boat which is on my left, I evaluate the here and now, ” no calm seas right now, kick it in Kiwi, this is what you trainined for”, I think, I am in for a battle and I am not about to back down, I drive my head down and attack each and every stroke with all my determintaion.

  I swim on through the dark night, my body and mind feels freight train strong,” here is where I am at, at least another 6 hours of night swimming, you love the waves, lets get dig it in and enjoy them “, with a positive outlook reinforced I roll to breathe just as a rouge wave hits my mouth, a mouthfull of salt water goes down the hatch, ” Rats”, I think, “I’ve gotta minimize that”, I breathe to the left in the hope that it is a clearer shot for air and swallow yet another gulp of salt water, ” regroup time”, I  ride my body a little higher in the water to better clear my mouth from the sea when breathing and swim on. ” Now time to   manage the space between me, Outrider and Cynthia and  I will be all comfy and settled in for the night swimming ahead, my performance zone is just around the corner”, I think.

 Will I settle into cosy  night swimming or will the dark of the night lure out yet another challenge?

I’ll Keep You posted!                        Here’s a hint… SHARK

Closing Thought: NEVER GIVE UP, difficulties strengthen the mind, as workouts stengthens the body.

 Touchdown in California, what a welcome, golden sand, surfers in the water, lifeguards on the beach, kids boggie boarding, wave juming and then there is us, resting up for our upcoming adventure…..The Catalina Channel.

 Here is Catalina Island, the start point…..

 Here is Point Vicente, the finish point, in between lies the Catalina Channel.

The Channel is 20.1 miles wide, with possible dense fog, gale force winds, swells, treacherous rocks and dangerous marine creatures such a sharks, along with that it boasts dolphins, a stunning coastline and little to no refrigerators floating in the water, sounds like a worthy adventure indeed!

Crew on board and or in kayak: Cynthia Needham/ Jennifer Kimmich, both sharp as a tack and adventurers, I feel grateful to have them on the Brynnswim team.

 They have a marathon of a night ahead of them tommorrow too when we team up to take on our latest adventure ” The Catalina Channel”  , they will be awake for an estimated 36 hours all told, Phew!

  Today, is rest and relaxation, what better place for that than Manhattan Beach, CA, we relax on the beach and take in the laid back Californian vibe…

 I am tapering, full rest, still I can’t resisit playing in the waves, the dolphins are surfacing  close while I wave jump..

 Time for final preparations, today we are going to meet some new friends Bruce and Sue Foat in long Beach, they are kindly setting us up with two kayaks for the big swim, then back to the beach house to rest up, what’s next?

Wednesday August 28th, 2013  9 pm Depart San Pedro on John Pitman’s boat ” Outrider”  to motor to Catalina Island

Thursday August 29th, 2013      12am    3-2-1 JUMP TIME

Will it be smooth sailing or High Adventure on the seas?  I’ll kee you posted

If you want to follow our  journey in the Channel  here is the link to our spot tracker, look for the red spot

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0kVsiOSoKWKJ5bj21ZTaG19j9n7Wn3Wec

One Week until my California departure date, perfect timing for the annual Lake Willoughby  Race, a 5 miler end to end. This swim is part of the Kingdom Lake Swim series which features a Vermont week of scenic lake swimming, this is one of the most stunning of swims, with deep clear waters and drammatic rocky mountains.

 Today Beth is racing with me, I am thrilled, she has bucket loads of experience and best of all she has great energy, when you swim alongside her she oozes an amazing blend of ” I’m on it” seriousness mixed in with lashings of ” this is a blast, I lOVE it out here”, you just can’t help but swim well and enjoy yourself. We are beachside, the day, a real crowd pleaser, I adore a splash and dash Lake swim, this is going to be a blast!

  Beth has my swim plan recorded and ready to go, we are in sync….

 We make our way into the water to start, some in wetsuits, some skin swimmers like me, Beth and the other kayakers paddle out a bit and wait for us to swim out, what a view!

 Go Time, suddenly I am racing, I pull hard, my heart rate drives up fast, all cylinders are firing, what a rush. Beth and I quickly connect, it is always a relief to settle in alongside your kayak support after the start, I tuck in alongside her like a star fish, my eyes are fixed on her with every breath I take.

 The field spreads quickly and soon all I can see is Beth, me and another kayak swimmer pair ahead and  to our right drinking in the calm waters and breathtaking view with us. Beth counts my stroke at 20 minutes, gives me a signal to dig deeper for my 25 minute speed pickup, I roll through another 30 minute cycle to make an hour, then it is time for my feed, Beth  reaches for my feed cup, I lurk close by ready to snatch it up, ” Thanks”, I say as I tip back the cup, gulp and go.

 I notice the walls of the lake closing in, the lake narrows towards the far end and dramatic rock faces appear, we are close to half way, no time to let up, I push harder and work on eyes down, hips up and staying  long to maximise my distance per stroke, Beth is holding a straight course, we make a good team. The lake continues to narrow, we are getting closer to the red kayak and swimmer team, time for my 1 hour, 20 minute stroke count, Beth signals 66 strokes per minute, the other team look on at Beth and me communicating seemlessly without uttering a word.

  I am excited, red kayak swimmer pair is in sight, they are giving me a good push, I love a good race and set out to narrow the gap!

 We narrow the gap as we close in to the finish, Red Kayaker swimmer pair holds the lead to take first skin swimmer overall, and me first women overall in a time of 2 hours, 5 minutes, what a swim, and good training, turns out red kayak swimmer is  Scott, a strong swimmer from the Upper Valley, he gave me a great run for my money, most excellent!

 Me and Beth accept our medal together and then the big honor arrives….” Charlotte, would you sign my paddle, I have had my Catalina swimmers sign it and you would be my first Lake Swimmer to sign”, Beth asks, ” No way, are you kidding me, that is such an honor, YES”, I reply, ” Great, who would you like to be next to”, Beth asks, well I scoop up the paddle and my jaw drops as I read the list of names of Marathon swimmers on Beth’s paddle, Greg O Connor, Penny Palfry, Dave Barra, I read on, ” you sure about this?” I ask Beth, she smiles and I start signing my name next to Greg’s

I am grateful for a fun day  teaming up with Beth, what a blast!  Time to head home, tomorrow Caspian Lake swim then it is ” Taper Time”, Rest, Yoga and packing for Catalina, I am excited, after sea swimming in Rhode Island, dodging the lobster traps in Maine and some Greater North East Kingdom Lake swimming it is time to fly.

 What day and time will I swim the Catalina Channel? I’ll keep you posted