Lake Champlain, Vermont ICE SWIM

This spring boasted chilly temperatures in the air and water, perfect for an Ice Swim

 

 We motored out to measure the water, Booby Roberts rocked the boat support…

Average Temp of 4.96 Celcius Time to gear up!

The Challenge 1 mile swim in water 41F/5 C or below, the coolwater a  BIG motivator to SWIM FAST!

 

Game face on, I grit my teeth and plunge in, I’m off…

Cynthia Needham guided me by kayak….

My heart thumped hard to keep my core warm…

I swam with all my might, the boat crew cheered as is I got close, Tricia Kules from Little River Land Surveying was measuring the course, head down and swim on until 1.1 miles was complete WAHOO!

Margaret Haskins wrapped  me up once I hauled up onto the boat..

SUCCESS Now time for Hot Chocolate and to REHEAT!

My time?

What a blast, thanks International Ice Swimming Association for the cool certificate and patch and to all the crew who helped support this icy dip!

Cynthia Needham,Bill Kules, Tricia Kules, Margaret Haskins  Darla Whitmer and  Bobby Roberts, you guys rocked the Lake!

Summer Dreaming
A twist on the saying ” Endless Summer” in Vermont for the 2014 Winter is “ENDLESS WINTER” ! This winterVermont has boasted record below zero temps haunting us well after March’s official first day of spring. If you are in the same boat, here are some pool workouts to keep you sharp in the water until you can bust outdoors, anyday now for us!

SPEED UP THE ICE MELT SET

Warm Up

2 x ( 300 Free, 100 Kick, 100 Back)

Focus on long balanced vessel in the water, eyes down, press down

4 x 400’s Descend from 75% to Good Effort Interval 1st swim time + 15 sec

6 X 200’s Hold 80% Effort on 3:15 Interval SCM Goal same time each repeat, interval 1st swim time + 10 sec rest

Speed Play 12 x 100’s ( 3 rounds of 4 x 100’s), interval 1st swim time + 10 sec rest

1-3 Hold steady 75% effort

4 Go Big record your time

Distance 5000 meters

 

 ICE BREAKER   SET

WU

Warm Up

2 x ( 300 Free, 100 Kick, 100 fist drill)

 Focus on your catch,keep upper arm high while applying gentle pressure to hand & forearm to face them backwards, now your’re ready to pull, focus on forearm pull with fist drill.

Pre Set

5 x 400’s Free ( Interval 1st swim time + 15 sec rest)

Main Set

4 Rounds of the following

2 x 200’s+ 4 x 100’s + 4 x 25’s DFBB+ 2 x 200’s Active recovery

200’s Interval time of 1st swim + 15 sec rest

100’s Interval time of first swim plus 10 sec rest

25’s 10 seconds rest

Active Recovery 200’s , 200 interval from above + extra 15 seconds.

There is no break between rounds, stay on your interval

4 x 100’s Increase effort by round, drop 2-3 seconds per round

 Round # 1  75%/ # 2 80% / # 3 85%/ # 4  Move it out!

Take 1 minute rest then swim 2 x 500’s, set a goal time, beating it’s OK, swim strong even if your’re tired!

DRILLS / ACTIVE RECOVERY

4 x 100’s Drill ( fins optional) 25 Arms By Side Drill, 25 Free, 25 6 Kick switch drill, 25 Free 20 sec rest

4 x 100’s Agility Paddles 20 sec rest

Distance 10, 000Meters

Have fun and stive for quality NO SLOPPY SWIMMING!

 

 

 

 20,140K

 

New Years Eve and the close of Brynnswim 2013 swimming adventures, what better way to welcome 2014 than with a distance swim?

 All it took was one short text from Paula Yankauskas, ” Will you consider a 20k instead of a 10k  to close out the year?” I replied lickety split ” YEHAW! How bout 20,140 meters for 2014? Im Pumped”, and with that I wrote the workout…

 Warm up  1000 Meters

2 x ( 300 Free, 100 Kick, 100 Back)

Pre Set

10 x 400’s on 6:15 Interval

Swim Time 5:55

Main Set

50 x 200’s on 3:20 Interval

Swim Times

1-15  2:55

16-20 Descend to 2:45

31-50 2:50-2:55

Speed Set

50 x 100’s on 1:45 Interval Swim Time 1:28

# 31-40  1:25

#41-49 1:22

# 50 SPRINT TO SHORE 1:16

Landing set

1 x 100 75% 1:28

1 x 40 meters Fast, stand up with a fist pump and walk 10 meters to the end of the pool!

Celebrate  success 20,140 meters!

Closing Thought: Monster swim = Monster fun

 

The  “Brynnswim Holiday Challenge”

HOW IT STARTED

 It all started one dark winter morning at The Swimming Hole in Stowe, Vermont in 2011, I was gearing up for another winter of long indoor swims in preparation for my English Channel attempt in 2012, I would arrive to train in the dark  of the chilly Vermont winter early mornings 6 days a week and on Saturday’s slog out a good effort 10k swim, it was after one of these Saturday morning swims in December of 2011 that I started to hum in my cold shower post swim, ” On the first day of Christmas my swim coach gave to me One Thousand FREEEEEE”, the seed was planted, within 10 seconds and foamy shampoo all through my  hair  I’d declared a new short term training goal, ” The Twelve Days of Christmas Swim Challenge” Ta Daaaaaaa.

 Wrapped up in a towel  I emerged from the shower and shared the news with my training buddy Paula Yankauskas, ” Paula, are you game to join me in the 12 days of Christmas, it is 12 days of swimming, it starts on December 13th with 1000 meters swimming, then on the 2nd day it’s 2000 meters and well you get the rest add 1000 meters a day until December 24th, the grand finale  a 12,000 meter swim”, I blurted out at high speed, my post swim buzz having my speech in overdrive, immediately Paula agreed to join me and ” Bob’s your Uncle”, I had company and  that’s how it this whole thing started!

So where are we now, well YOU can join too! If you decide to swim along, find us on  facebook at Stowe Distance Swimmers to post your progress, or just follow along here, I’ll post some workout options, you can modify intervals to best suit your speed and ability, have fun and remember every workout counts and NEVER GIVE UP!

WORKOUTS OF THE DAY

 

DAY 1 Holiday Workout 1000 meters or yards

Drill Set

4 x 50’s Drill 25/ Swim 25 Free with 15 seconds rest 65% effort

Drill = side balance ABS ( Arms by Side AND engage your Abdominals for a tight body line)

Main Set

4 x ( 1 minute vertical kick hands up deep water + 2 x 25’s kick FAST w/board + 2 x 50’s SPRINT on 1 min interval)

Timed Swim

Have a swim buddy or coach time you for 100 ALL OUT off the wall, tight streamline off evry wall

Swim Down

100 Chicken T Push ( this is elementary backstroke, it will feel great after your sprint!)

Now GET OUT your’e done for today!

 

 

 

DAY 2 Holiday Workout 2000 meters Speed Work

These short swim sets are a perfect time to work on speed & pacing,  get ready to get uncomfortable…..

20 x 100’s = 4 Rounds of ( 4 x 100’s Free on 1:30 Interval + 1 x 100 IM on 2:15 interval)

Descend Free by rounds, set a goal time before you start swimming, then hold that time for all 4 100’s, all IM are 65-70%, focus on tight streamline off the walls and moderate pace.

Round 1: 75% Effort Goal Time 1:25

Round 2: 80% Effort Goal Time 1:20

Round 3: 85% Effort Goal Time 1:17

Round 4: 85-92% Effort Goal Time 1:15

Work hard!

DAY 3 Holiday Workout 3000 Meters Aerobic Cruise Pace Set

( Adjust interval for yard pool and to be  suit you!)

For today’s swim we take yesterday’s 75-85% descend pace and hold it for a longer distance

Warm Up 500 meters ( 300 Free, 100 Free 25 Drill side balance, 3 stroke switch, 75 Swim, 100 Back)

Main Set

10 x 200’s on 3:00 Interval

1-3 75% Effort Goal Time 2:50

4-6 80% Effort Goal Time 2:45

7-9 85 % Effort Goal Time 2:40

10 Good Effort for Grins 2:37

Active Recovery Drill set 65-70% Effort

5 x 100’s Drill 25, Swim 25, Drill 25, Swim 25 ( Interval = first swim + 15 seconds rest)

Drill = ABS Arms By Side, keep the core tight as you balance on your side with a light flutter kick.

Focus to work on Balance in the water,  leaning your bottom shoulder down and holding your aquatic line in the water, this means crown of the head leads down the pool, nose down, eyes down, no dragging hips, work to feel horizontal in the water.Switch from one side to the other, when you need a breath, hold your body line rotate your head so your nose is up, after you breath return to a nose down postion then rotate to the other side, drive from the hip to switch sides.

DAY 4     Holiday swim 4000 meters

Todays Focus: Easy Pre Set, Pace Work, Good Effort Kick, Strong Pull to finish

Pre Set 65-70%

4 x 150’s 15 seconds Rest

100 Pull + 50 Non Free ( Odd Numbers Brst, Even Numbers Back )

Main Set

3 Rounds of ( 4 x 100’s on 1:40 Interval + 2 x 50’s on 1:15 Interval)

Descend 100’s by round, drop 3-5 seconds of each round, first 50 SPRINT, second 50, EZ active recovery

Here are my swim times, you set your own and hit them!

Round 1 : 100’s 1:25 / 50’s 38 for the first, 45 for the second

Round 2: 100’s 1:20/ 50’s 38 for the first, 45 for the second

Round 3: 100’s 1:17/ 50’s 38 for the first, 45 for the second

Kick Set

100 Kick for Time + 100 EZ Recovery 15 seconds rest then repeat!

2nd 100 kick time should match or beat your first!

Recovery Drills

3 x 25 Fist Drill/ 75 Swim Free

200 Free, focus on early vertical forearm catch

Grand Finale Pull Set

TYR Catalyst Paddles 5 x 200’s on 3:00 Interval Swim Time 2:45

Good Effort on both Kick and Pull complete, kick back your’e done for the day!

DAY 5  Holiday Swim 5000 meters

Pre Set

10 x 200’s on 3:20 Goal Time 3:00 Easy Pace, focus on holding the same time every repeat, goal consistency. 70 % Effort

400 Free Every 3rd length kick on back, every 4th length underwater dolphin kick 70% Effort

Rev Set

8 X 25’s Free  Down Fast/ Easy Back with 10 seconds rest

200 65% Recovery Breath every 3rd stroke

6 x 50’s odd numbers Kick FAST, even numbers recovery Free

Leg Burner Main Set – Focus Kick

100 Kick with board , Good Effort + 200 70 % Effort Pull

Take 15 seconds rest then repeat.

4 x 50’s Good Effort Kick with board, your combined time should be faster than the combijned 200 Kick from the repeat set above.

100 Recovery

Pull Set

5 x 200’s Pull on 3:00 Interval Goal Time 2:45

Day 6  Holiday Swim 6000 meters

Focus: Pace Work / Kicking for Time

Drill Set 10 sec Rest

6 x 50’s with fins, 25  Breaststroke with flutter kick &  mini pull, focus on getting narrow and head in line with your spine

                                    25 Breaststroke with dolphin kick

Main Set

4 x 200’s on Descend 3:15 Interval

Drop 2-3 seconds off each 200

100 FlutterKick for Time with Board

4 x 200’s on 3:15 Descend Interval

Drop 2-3 seconds off each Interval

100 Flutter Kick for Time with board (  faster than your previous 100!)

Fin IMs 15 seconds rest

Focus: Great underwater kicking of the walls

4 x 100 IMs with fins, dolphin kick with breaststroke

Pull Set

15 x 200’s on 3:15 Interval

Focus: Hold goal time for all 15 repeats, Goal Time 2:55 ( modify to you and yards!)

Recovery Drill Set on 2:15 interval

5 x 100’s ( 25 ABS Drill, 25 Free, 25 ABS Drill, 25 Free)

6000 meters Your done! Rest up tomorrow we kick for time!

Day 7  Holiday Swim 7000 Meters

Focus: 400 All out Kick for time

Main Set

15 x 400’s on 6:15 Interval Set your goal time and hold for all 15

Goal Time 5:55

Recovery

200 Free Every 4th length kick side for 6 kicks, then take 3 strokes and repeat on other side

Kick Rev Up Set

4 x 50’s odd are Strong Flutter Kick with board, even are EZ Free 15 seconds rest

8 x 25’s # 1 Fast Free / # 2 EZ Free / # 3 Fast Kick with Board / # 4 EZ Kick with board 10 seconds Rest ( Repeat )

 Kick  Set a goal time then kick to hit it: My goal is 8:15 meters

 400 FAST

Record your time, lick your wounds and rest up for tomorrow’s 8000 meters!

Day 8  Holiday Swim 8000 Meters

Todays Focus: Early Vertical Forearm catch

Main Set  75% Effort

4 x ( 400 Free on 6:15 + 2 x 200’s Pull on 3:15 + 4 x 100’s on 1:45 with Finis Agility paddles )

12 x 200’s Pull on 3:05 Interval 80 % Effort

Drill Set 15 seconds rest

4 x 75’s with  Fins 70% Effort

25 Arms By Side Balance, 25 Balance Side 6 kick switch sides, 25 Swim ( Focus:  Steady head, No sinking hips)

4 x 75′ No Fins

 # 1 EZ, EZ, Fast Free

# 2 EZM Fast, Fast Free

# 3 All Fast

# 4 All EZ

Day 9 : Holiday 9000 meters

Warm Up

2 x ( 300 Free, 100 Kick, 100 Back)

Drill Set

4 x 100’s on with fins on 2:15 interval  (  Focus side balance )

 25 ABS, 25 Swim,  25 underwater recovery, 25 Swim

4 x 100’s with Fins on 2:15 Interval  ( Focus side balance )

25 Dolphin Underwater/ 25 Swim/ 25 Catch Up Stroke/ 25 Swim

8 x 25’s Free no Fins 10 seconds rest

# 1 Build

# 2 ½ Fast/ ½ EZ

# All Fast

# All EZ

Main Set
        ( 4 x 400’s  Descend on 6:15 )

          Set goal times, swim strong and smooth as you build speed

         Swim Time 5:45 / 5:40 / 5:29/5:17

        ( 8 x 200’s Pull  on 3:15 Fast on # 4 & # 8 )

        ( 16 x 100’s on 1:45  in rounds of 4 )

         # 1 & 2 Agility Paddles 75%

        # 3 Focus on underwater kicking off walls

        # 4 85% Set Goal Time and hit it

              Swim Time 1:20/1:20/ 1:20 /1:20

Speed Set

Interval Play 

4 x 100’s on 1:30 Interval moderate pace, short rest 2-3 seconds

1 x 100 IM on 2:15 Interval  75 % Effort

4 x 100’s on 1:35 Interval, drop 2-3 seconds off your previous swim time

1 x 100 IM on 2:15 Interval 75 % Effort

4x 100’s on 1:40 Interval, drop 2-3 seconds off your previous swim time

1 x 100 IM on 2:15 Interval 75 % Effort

4 x 100’s on 1:45 Interval, GOOD EFFORT SWIM

1 x 100 IM on 2;15 Interval 75 % Effort

 

Recovery

200 EZ Every 4^th length Chicken T Push ( Translation Elementary Backstroke, it feel great after a speed set!)

Rest up tomorrow we swim 10k…

Day 10 : Holiday 10,000 meters

No Frills 10 x 1000’s on 16:00

Odd Pull/ Even Fins

Day 11: Holiday Swim 11,000 meters

This is a 3 dip day due to logistics

Swim 1

30 x 100’s on 1:40 Interval

Swim 2

10 x 400’s Pull on 6:00 Swim Time 5:45

10 x 200’s Pull on 3:00 Swim Time 2:50

Swim 3

3 x 1000’s swim on 15:45

Total Distance 11,000 meters

Nest up the ” Big Finale” Day 12 with 12,000 meters AND our Stowe Swimmers annual 100x 100 meters on the 100 second interval!

 

Day 12: Holiday Swim 12,000 meters

 

Workout : 100 x 100’s on 1:40

# 91-100 Descend to 1:15

5 x 400’s Pull on 5:45 Interval Swim Time 5:35

The Challenge is complete and with a swim cap a day, here is the evidence! If you swam the brute ” way to go”, if not enjoy the workouts above, guareenteed to get you pumping any month of the year, Happy New Year and all the best for 2014!

 

Total Distance: 12,000 meters

 CATALINA CHANNEL ~ The Training Game

Post NYC  there is some welcome recovery swimming, then back in the water for the Greater Kingdom Lake Swim held in July at Lake Memphremagog, Vermont, this year the 10 mile event is a World Open Water Swim Association Championship, 3 weeks after my swim around Manhattan I am rearing to go at the start line, I do love a good race!

 It turns out to be a stunning day, the Lake for the most part  treating us to relatively calm waters. I enjoy the great outdoors for 4 Hours and 33 minutes with a sprint to the finish for 4th place women overall.

 

 Out of the water and  next up my daughter Heidi racing her first 1 mile skin swim, no wet suit for her either, second place in her age group, watching her rip up the course, defintely the highlight of my day!

OCEANS OF FUN

Time to log some hours in the ocean and find some cooler water, the hot summer temperatures have driven the Lake Water Temperature sky high in Vermont, fortunately I am joining  family for one weeks vacation in Maine, via a weekend of sea swimming in Newport, Rhode Island

 Newport is a fun place to visit, I did much of my cold water swimming there a few years back and was lucky enough to befriend some fast, good natured sea swimmers, then they were all in wet suits, this trip they are all skin swimmers too, BIG FUN , then off to Maine I go.

 MAINE EVENT

 

 Funny how things can work out, I sent a message to my Memphre 25.2 Miler buddy Elaine Howley, ” Hey Elaine, I’m going to be in Maine next week, know anyone who might be game to catch a few swims?”, I  saw a photo of Elaine in the Nubble Light House  Swim just a few days ago,  worth asking I think, ” Kristen Read, she’s fast”, Elaine replies.

 I shoot Kirsten a message and before you know it I’m arriving in Maine and me and Kristen are talking on the phone about a 6am swim in the morning, ” Hey Kristen, psyched you are game to swim, where should be meet?”, ” Mothers Beach”, she replies,  turns out our house is right across the road from Mothers Beach, perfect!

   Kirsten and I meet at Mothers, ” I was worried about no wetsuit at 60 degrees, then I saw you, if you can do it, I can, look at you, your skinny”, she says, ” You’ll be good as gold”, I reply and with that we wander into the sea. There is thick fog, the water is calm, we wade out and dive under, then full steam ahead. Kirsten is tall with a long, strong relaxed stroke, we swim side by side, I am thrilled, what a great pace and excellent drive in the water she has. We swim the span of Mothers beach and down the next beach too, Kristen pulls up, I stop too, “we are way far out, you comfortable swimming through those rocks”, she point at mounds of jagged rocks poking through the surface of the water with the outgoing tide, the position of the rocks seems to change with each swell of the sea. “Yip I’m good, for around the point”, I reply, ” your tenacious aren’t you?”, I grin and with that  we swim off through the rocks. Once around the corner we have a straight shot across the bay, we pull up for a  boat, then hug the shore on the return leg of our out and back  swim, what fun great water  and company!

 

 ” I can’t swim tomorrow, my friend Susan may be game”, Kristen says as we say goodbye, ” Brilliant” . So that’s how we became Maine swim pals, Susan and I met the following day, much to my delight she was also brilliant to swim with, we lapped up and down the beach. Later in the week the three of us bombed around the Maine coastline.  Thanks to some great company and good variety of conditions  58km of  sea swimming over the  week, perfect training.

 

 

Maine was a blast, swim, nap, eat, swim , nap, dinner, perfect training, I say farewell to my new friends, ” see ya Pencil Fish”, I hear from a distance, I know I’ll swim with these Maine mermaids  in the future. It’s official I LOVE MAINE!

 

RHODE ISLAND ~MANSIONS OF FUN

August is here, time for one last Hooray sea swimming, crew member Cynthia Needham and me head back down to Newport, Rhode Island for some ocean paddling and sea swimming. A stormy Friday leaves us with some surf and sea swells to train with on Saturday morning. Here we are armed with kayak, feeds ready to paddle out through the surf, my pal Jacki drops as off at first beach, the plan is for us to swim to second beach for a ride back to hers….. 

 

 Next up is a comedy of errors as Cynthia and I do a comical impersonation of two land crabs trying to paddle a kayak through the breaking waves, translation = we SUCKED at this and tipped the kayak upside down atleast 3 times, littering all our supplies all over the beach, so much so a paddle boarder paddles in  and politely asks, ” could I help you get out past the breakers”, “YES PLEASE”, Cynthia and I reply, ” definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting a different result”, I say to him with a sea smacked face smile, he laughs with us, and then manouvers the boat out for us, Cynthia bounces on it like a kangaroo and we are off, I roar with laughter underwater for a full 30 minutes as I swim thinking of what we must have looked like trying to launch! We swim along the cliffs and gaze up at the Mansions, outstanding 3 hours of Mansion views, sea swells and Jelly Fish.  

 

Next is Sunday, time to meet the  Expedition swimmers from Rhode Island, the swim 7 miles along the coastline from  Breton Point to Second Beach, stunning conditions, views of fish below and only menacing thing these pockets of hatching crabs that pinch your skin, one  snacks on the back of my neck at the base of my cap line as I’m swimming, menacing to say the least and a little creepy due to the fact I can hear the snapping of its wee crab claws as it pinches, too stubborn to stop  I swam on regardless, eventually it washes off, afterwards I found little chow marks on my tummy, darn crabs! Here we are at the end  of the point to point expedition…

 

What a fun way to wrap up my final 50K week, time to head back to Vermont, a lighter week coming up with 30km of swimming and then Open Water 5 mile race at Lake Willoughby to mark the end of my Catalina Training and start of my taper, the forecast looks great for race day which is Saturday,  kayaking for me is Beth Barnes, also knowen as” I kayak for you”, Beth has supported some amazing swimmers across Catalina and lucky me she is game to join me for a little Lake Willoughby pace and race, can’t wait.

Will it be a stellar day and will we be a lean mean kayak swim machine? I’ll keep you posted

 

 

 

Manhattan Island Marathon June 8, 2013

 I am pumped, the rain has let up overnight, as I arrive to the Pier, there is a ray of sunshine breaking through the reminant clouds of Tropical Storm Andrea, crew is ready,  gear is ready, I am ready, as my eyes scan the pier I catch glimpses of my fellow swimmers greasing up, all sorts of individual techniques are in use to apply the messy grease which helps reduce chaffing during a swim, I use straight lanolin, all around my suit straps, around my neck and upper back, now I am ready to go too.

 Cynthia and Jen load our boat ” Charlie Tuna” ,  Jeff, my husband waits with me  for the  call to load the swimmer zodiac boat which will motor me and the rest of my wave to the start location, nearly time to  jump. We wait and we wait, I am aware that we have  missed our scheduled start time, I notice some swimmers getting fidgety, I cuddle under Jeff’s arm, he is the calmest of individuals, he  helps me stay relaxed, ” remember have fun out there, enjoy it”, he says with a warm smile, I smile back. There is much activity on the dock, and then….. we get the call, ” Swimmers time to laod the boat”, I kiss Jeff goodbye and me and the rest of the swimmers walk single file down the ramp towards the boat, ” I feel like I am walking the plank on Captain Hook’s ship”, it feels exciting and magical, I am about to find out just how much!

 

 

 

 Jumping Ship ~ The Race Begins…

On the boat I go, we all sit down, there are a bunch of the Aussie swimmers, an Irish contingent, a few from the USA and me…..

 We begin to motor towards the start, I gaze at the skysrapers, ” OK that shiny one right there will be a good landmark at the finish”, I think, as we get closer to the start location I see a crowd gathering, directly across from the crowd  is Lady Liberty, holding her torch high in the sky, ” WOW, Impressive”, I take a long mental snapshot in my mind. My wandering thoughts are quiclky pulled back to the boat, ” Gezz Mate “, the Aussies’ are hooting and holloring, I start to giggle, ” I forgot what troublemakers you Aussies are”, I say with a grin, ” Awww gezz, wait til you see us with some beers in us after the swim MATE”, one shouts out, they all explode into laughter like a pack of miscievious monkeys, I laugh too,” those Aussies are great at keeping ones spirits soaring”, I think.

Wave 1 jumps, I start to strip of my jacket, Wave 2 jumps, the crowd cheers as the swimmers hit the water, I look up from the boat and see Jeff smiling down on me, I take of my hat, the countdown begins for wave 3, my wave,  this is it, after nearly 1000 miles of training, a brutally harsh spring of 45-55F swims in Vermont and a power of eating to fuel my swim it is time, 10, 9, 8 , 7, 6, the crowd starts to join in the countdown, 5,4,3, the Aussie are perched up on the side of the boat ready to plunge, 2, I am  poised on the side of the boat, 1….JUMP, the boys leap with an Aussie warhoop, I slide slowly in to the brown, turbulant water below and take a moment, I turn and look up at Jeff, wave and swim away after the boys, I feel relaxed and even better the 60 degree water feels great, ” This is the best”, I think and it is, with that I swim towards the Staten Island Ferry with a vengance.

 

Are You my Kayaker?

 I am off  pounding towards the East River and the historical Brooklyn Bridge, the first on my to do list, apart from swimming of course is to connect with my NYC Swim assigned kayaker, Daryl, I have looked at photos from past years and am on the look out for a yellow sit on top kayak, the brown foamy water swirls around me as I roll to breathe,  I search for my paddler, # 28, I stroke and stroke, still no # 28, then I spy a purple kayak, a women with a big brimmed hat sporting the number 28, I swim with all my might towards her, then she disappears, again no #28 in sight, then I notice a yellow sit on top by my side, # 28, there is Daryl, #28 my kayaker….my new best friend, I hug close to his boat, bam, I feel a smack on my left side, I roll to breathe to the left to check out what I hit, there is the purple kayak, #28, can you beleive it there are two kayaks escorting me towards the legendary Brooklyn Bridge, head down, onwards I go sporting a smile.

 

 We make our way under the Brooklyn Bridge, going through my head is all that I have learnt about what it took to build this amazing bridge and what it means to both to those who have crossed it over the last few hundred years, now here I am right underneath, I roll momentarily onto my back and live the moment…..then back to the task at hand, head down and swim hard. At one hour my feed cup appears in Daryl’s hand, I take it without  a word, he says nothing and I swim on, feeds come and go, the scenery changes from grim looking walls to brick buildings, I don’t know where I am, I have not seen my crew, nor ” Charlie Tuna”, the boat they are on, there is just one stroke after the other, I feel good, all is as it should be, I am swimming strong and being fed!

Rescue at sea by ” The Aussie Boat!”

 

 ” You gotta get in the boat, NOW they’re pulling everyone”, I turn to see two other swimmers beside me, ” Get in the boat”, in front of me are steps, I climb into the boat  looking for Cynthia and Jen my crew and some clothes, now that I’m not swimming my core temperarure is rapidly plummeting, two emergency blankets are tossed around me and a white hotel towel, ” do you have anything warm”, I ask, ” No, sorry wev’e got other swimmers coming on board”, I pull the thin blankets around me tight,” time to take an inventory”,I think, ” OK, this is not your support boat, your dry bag with your most cozy of clothes, hat and down sleeping bag are not on this boat, your crew is not here, time to make the best of what you have at your disposal”, I coach myself, I remember Ned Denison’s advice, get yourself  into the cabin of a nice boat, out of the wind, I scan past the Captain, it is definately a nice boat and there is a cabin, I am in luck, I shuffle down the steps into the cabin and  huddle into the corner of the bench, Ipull my knees up towards my chest and drop my head low in a tight little ball, my teeth catter, my body begins it’s post swim hypothermic shake, not unusual for me after exiting 60 degree water post swim, not ideal mid swim,I sit and wait it out. ” I wonder what’s going out there?”, I think, ” roll only with the here and now I command myself”, with that I relax and do my best at warming up.

 As luck would have it, Barbara, fellow Cork Distance Camp Swimmer  is on board this very boat as an observer, she fills me in with  information at hand,” some swimmers are in distress, the tide has turned, Race Director called over the radio to pull swmmers”.

Two  Aussie swimmers join me in the cabin, it is their support boat I am crashing, I feel gratefull to be sharing their ride, ” we are going to be dropped back in the water past Hellbrook to continue swimming”, they say,  ” Charlotte, you OK”, my fellow Aussie swimmer says, I have seen photos of me when I come out of the water, sheet white face and red sunken eyes, ” I’m good”, I reply. with that Aussie Andrew sits beside me, scoops me up and folds me into a big Aussie Bear hug, I feel the heat from him instantly and start to warm up, and many say Kiwis and Aussies don’t get along WRONG!  

 Next comes the ” Are you getting back in conversation” , the Aussies and I chat, ” What are YOU doing Charlotte, are you swimming?”, asks my Aussie swim pals, ” Too bloody right…. I’m swimming this thing to the end”, I reply, with my never give up intensity.

 ” Back in the water”, calls the Boat Captain, my folded up body climbs the cabin steps, ”  I have no support boat or kayak, want me to wait”, I ask the Captain,” your boat broke down, you get in with the boys”, he replys. I start to unfold my stiff body, my saving grace I have two feeds to guzzle down…… how you may ask? That sharp crew of mine had the forsight to send 2 feeds to me via the NYPD, boy I feel the love from my crew, down the hatch goes my feed, I toss off the paper thin emergency blankets, throw back my shoulders, stand tall and stride to the edge of the boat, ” Game on”, I think, before sliding back into the river with the Aussie swimmers,  I look back at the boat full of strangers who took this vagabond on board, ” Hey, thanks for having me over”, I shout with a smile, and with that swim away, what an adventure I am having, I  wonder what on earth could happen next!

Grin Swim!

 

 Back in the water, how great to be swimming again, I have no idea where I am, what I do know is that my two #28 kayakers are no where in sight and my crew is currently MIA, my only job right now is to stay relaxed and swim hard to warm myself back up, the good news is the water is feeling good. I start to swim under small bridges here and there, nothing looks familiar, after a while I notice something pulling up alongside me, YES a feed cup and on the other end of it is Daryl, # 28  WAHOO, boy am I happy to see him and to my left Carmen in the purple kayak, still where are my crew? And then I see some HUGE smiles from Cynthia and Jenn, they are giving me the hand signal for ” you’re doing great”, what a rush, I smile my biggest “grin while you swim” smile in the hopes they can see me, ” Who’s boat are they on?”, I find out later that they brokedown in the East River, and had to remain anchored off Roosevelt Island until help and a new boat arrived, it arrived alright, check out the COOL BOAT….with our observer, driver dude and Dean who became a welcome cheer leader!

Harlem Jellies

  What a trip, I am having a blast, my crew  has perservered and returned with a killer boat and boat captain, they resourcefully recruited the NYPD to deliver me feeds until Daryl and Carmen my paddlers made it back to my side, I am one lucky cat, the skies are clearing, there is some sun on my shoulders, I am one happy camper, is that the Harlem Boat house? YES, now I know where I am to boot! Here is me and Daryl at the Boot House…

 Head down I swim on, the sun peaks through giving me just a bit more vision under the surface of the murky Harlem waters, hey hold on a minute, there are lots of white objects down there, they start bouncing off my body as I swim, how strange to have Jellies all the way up here in the Harlem I think, Jen and Cynthia are enthusiastically jumping up and down on the boat, ohhh I must be swimming well I think and smile. Next up comes my feed, some slippery little peaches appears coutesty of Carmen in my feed cup, clumisly I tip my cup slightly sideways and some Harlem water spills in with the peaches, I look in dispair, they would feel so nice on my throat, ” Oh well, down the hatch”, I tip back the peaches and the brown Harlem water. the peaches are a lift, 30 minutes later the next feed arrives including, wait for it the biggest treat EVER….mint fresh mouth wash, ah pure bliss rinsing out my mouth which right now tastes like a toilet, um an unflushed one. 

 On I swim, something is caught on my goggles, it is long and flappy and caught on the top strap of my goggles, every time I roll to breathe it dangles across my face. Whatever it is I am not stopping to disentagle it from my goggles, I swim on.

 

 

 

Spuyten Duyvil

 I can picture it in my mind, the course map at the top of the Harlem River is Spuyten Duyvil, a small waterway that connects the Harlem to the mighty Hudson River, the Hudson will have a strong tidal push, once there it should be smooth fast sailing down to lower Manhattan, Lady Liberty and the finish buoy of the 2013 Manhattan island Marathon. I know from studying the map that there is a train  track near the entrance to the Hudson and a big C painted on the cliff, I am dreaming of a train whistle and that C, C for Charlotte, C for conquor, right now C means success. I swim on. Meanwhile Daryl is feeding me every 30 minutes, suddenly I feel that I knowen him for a lifetime, Daryl and Carmen are my new best friends even though we have never spoken a word! Suddenly I hear a train, then the giant C appears to my right, my spirits soar, the best is yet to come a WAHOO from Daryl, his excitment fuels mine, I dig head head even lower and pull hard, Hudson River and George Washington Bridge here we come!

George Washington Bridge

 In to the Hudson we go, Carmen, Daryl and me, I am excited for the tide assisted cruise down the river, to my dismay what I meet is wind against tide and a menacing chop, Daryl, Carmen and me bounce around as we make our way down towards the George Washington Bridge…

  I can see Carmen getting bounced around, both Kayaks disappear then they return, yellow kayak towing purple, I feel like the three of us are a line of ducklings, I  sense we are closing in on Battery Park our finish location, my stroke rate picks up, I feel a fire in my belly to drive home hard and I do, we start passing other swimmers, Daryl is getting animated, what’s that? There is my New Zealnd duck balanced on Daryl’s paddle, how he is balancing that duck I don’t know but I LOVE it and swim even harder, Daryl starts to cheer ” Come on Charlotte, Faster”, I swim as fast as I can, I am having fun. Here is Kiwi duck, which needed quite the bath post swim…

 

  Then something amazing happens, I catch a glimpse of the big shiny skyscrapper I noticed close to the start location before I jumped, I drive my head down, pull hard and kick it up even further, I am on the home stretch…

 

  Then I catch a glimpse of her, Lady Liberty, standing tall and proud amongst the NYC/ New Jersy skyline, the emotion builds in my gut, tears wellup inside my goggles, the iconic Statue of Liberty, so powerful, so meaningful to me, after covering close to 28 miles around Manhattan Island to reach this very point,  the intensity of the moment grabs me,    ” imagine what Lade Liberty must have meant to those immigrating to the United States all those years ago, leaving their homelands in search of a better life, seeing Lady Liberty welcoming them, a symbol of freedom and hope” I feel quite small and humble in comparison to those who caught glimpse of her before me, ” Whatever happens, whatever my time or my finish standings in this great race, it will be inconsecequential compared to this moment, success is right here, right now”, I think to myself as I pull towards the finish.

Half a mile to go, I can feel the energy of the gathered crowd, I can see my crew cheering, I give it my all to the end and then, the finish buoy is before me, I punch it with all my might, then turn to Aussie Andrew, my fellow swimmer who warmend me on the Aussie boat, he finifshed mere seconds before me, what a rush, we high five, check out the finish here…

https://www.youtube.com/v-WlFfi1pIXi4

 

  Jen and Cynthia are close at hand, I swim the boat and they call me over the side, we motor to the pier and reunite with my husband Jeff and Jen’s husband and son, John and Charlie.  I feel great, we walk back to the hotel sharing stories of the day, I hear of their boat breakdown and the condoms in Harlem River, you guessed it that was not a school of Jelly Fish I swam through and the thing hanging off my goggles while I was swimming….say no more, you do the math!

 

 

 

  Back at the Hotel I shower, put on fresh clothes and head to the post race prize giving, as I arrive there is my buddy Barbara, ” Your swim is not official, you and a bunch of others”, It takes me a few minutes to process, I think back to those thoughts in the Hudson River, the feeling of having the best day, the greatest of adventures, the feeling of elation seeing the Statue of Liberty and of course punching the finish buoy, a quiet calm flows through me, ” You know I had a great day swimming around one of the greatest cities in the world” And there we have it,  8 Hours, 9 minutes, an unofficial swim around Manhattan Island, what an adventure!

 Will I be back in 2014 for an official swim? You bet

 Closing Thought:     Fall down seven times, get up eight….

                                                                                     –

RACE MEETING DAY- Is that a Tropical Storm looming ?

 What a sleep, I awake feeling relaxed and well rested, stretching this way and that as I rise out of bed, I pull back the heavy hotel curtains anticipating  a stellar view of Lady Liberty, ” where is she”, I exclaim, “she is there I just can’t see her”, Lady Liberty is socked in under the pending arrival of Tropical Storm Andrea, ” Oh dear” , I think to myself, then reach for the phone to order some breakfast.

 Today is a big eating day for me, time to stock pile, for many the school of thought is pasta and lots of it, carbo load, carbo load, not me I am taking in protein and fat, good quality clean food. I place my order, before long room service arrives with my over sized breakfast, she looks around to see where the second person is, who is surely sharing this mound of food, ” um just me”, I say with a shy smile.

She sets the table up by the window and leaves me and to feast, what a treat I very rarely indulge in room service.  I munch through my steak, eggs, fruit and toast while  looking  at the headline of today’s  paper, ” Tropical Storm Andrea expected to lash New York City tonight, predicted sea surges”, ” Oh Dear”, I think!

 

 Next up I check the water temperature on the NYCSwim website, it has been hovering around 62F for the last 2 days, the page opens on my screen, 59F, ” Oh goodness, lucky for me it has been such a cold spring in Vermont”, I think and with that I change and get ready for Kate Graves who is arriving at 10am to work her magic with a Tai Massage.The massage is terrific, ” Thanks Kate, I feel relaxed, strong and ready to swim.

   Race meeting time, swimmers and atleast one crew member are required to attend, Jen Kimmick accompanies me, the rain is teaming, as we arrive I feel my energy level rising, there are swimmers everywhere, some are fellow swimmers from past events, some from distance week in Ireland, some from 25k Nationals in 2011 and some that I have just heard about but never seen in person, I am excited.

We collect our race caps and head into the lecture room, the room is full of bustling chatter, a welcoming medley of accents all around me, Aussie, Irish, English, American and my little Vermont Kiwi accent. The meeting begins

” All of the important stuff has been covered in the online webinar meetings “,says Morty the race director, he is right I attended both the course presentation and crew meeting, they were both excellent, with clear instructions and pointers on where to go on the course and where not to go, my take home, ” point and swim”, it is clear that my kayaker will be chief navigator, my directional fate will be in his hands.

 ” A couple of last minute things”, says Morty……..

1. This is the first year the qualifying swim water temperature has been WARMER than the swim, the water tomorrow  is anticpated to be 60F.

2. New York City sewer systems back up if there is more than an inch to an inch and a half of rain in one hour

3. There are not enough boats, some swimmers have agreed to share

The meeting continues with questions of the course and other bits and bobs, the meeting concludes  and you guessed it… ” Time  to feed me again” ! Next up an early dinner of an oversized serving of both steak and cake…… I am embarrassed to tell you that I couldn’t quite finish the Chocolate cake, gave it the good old Kiwi try! Back to the hotel to pack up.

 

  Cynthia, Jenn and I head to my room for the final packing, Jenn and Cythina snap into high gear, bustling around organizing the gear into boat bag, shore bag, feeds, eventually I pull on the big oversized hotel robe sprawl on the bed and watch.

 The packing is soon complete and we all turn in for the night, the alarm is set for 4am. Sleep takes a long time to come, I hear the rain pounding the windows, my mind dashes this way and that thinking about check in time, race start time, what will my boat be like, will the storm clear…..then finally sleep, my last sleep before  the  2013 Manhattan Island Marathon swim, I am pysched to be here, bring it on NYC!

What will NYC toss our way event day? I’ll keep you posted

Closing Thought:  There is no easy way

 

It all started last Fall with these words…….

 ” Hey Paula, want to join me for an Ice Swim this  Spring?

 

  ” Yes”, Paula replied.

 We waited for winter to pass, it was long and harsh, the local lakes froze over……

 

 

We took cold showers, swam indoors and trained for speed, in preparation,  to swim 1 mile in 41 degrees or less I was going to have to swim FAST!

 

 

 Is it Spring yet?

April rolls around,  it’s time for outdoor swimming, but is there any ice free Open Water swimming to be found?

  April in Vermont  can bring, rain, sleet, snow, sunshine or a combination of all, now for the drum roll, what did April bring this year…… cold snarly weather and frozen lakes, time to get creative in finding some water, turns out my favourite local open water swim location The Green River reservoir is still frozen solid, so time for plan B…..

 Plan B: The Pond

  Plan B is a swim in my friend Margaret’s pond, Margaret takes the thermometer home to report on the current water temperature, ” 46F”, she announces the next day, ” good enough to get started” I say and we plan a swim at Margaret’s pond.

The swim day arrives and before I know it, we arrive at Margaret’s pond, the air is cool and the water looks dark and ominous, I study the pond closely,  it is a lovely pond, quite sheltered from the wind, it is narrow and has some pretty rocks on the side to sit on if one were simply spectating, the length looks about 175 meters round trip, I notice that one end is deeper than the other, Margaret shows me and Paula where they normally get in, I declare my goal of 15 minutes and head to the edge of the pond, Paula is ready to get in too. I edge my feet  in, my toes grip firmly on the bottom, ” It can be a bit slick underfoot”,  Margaret warns me, as she is saying the words my feet begin to slide forwards, I change my stance and the sliding stops, ” Well Margaret, I am a piddle about person when it comes to getting in the water, no  dive and dash for me, I like to walk in waist deep, pause for a bit, and then dive under”, as I am saying the words I start to slide uncontrollably forwards, deeper and deeper I go,” Nooooooooo”, I holler, as I am accelerating forwards like  a kid on a  slip’ n slide, ” clearly time to swim”, I think to myself with a smirk as I plummet under the surface, the cold hits my face  like a ton of bricks, it feels like my skin is on fire, my jaw clenches shut, even my teeth ache, ” temporary discomfort”,I think to myself, with that I bury my head low in the water and focus on thundering up and down the pond, I want 10 laps today, and that’s how the swim goes, Paula and I swimming up and down the pond, one, two, three, four, I count the laps in my head, five, five, hold on did I already do the 5th one? Before I know it 10 laps are up and it is time to get out, I swim to the side and haul myself up the slippery bank, a quick change and I am bundled in warm clothes, hat, and a hot tea in my hands, what bliss.

 

 So that’s how the preparation swims go, we build up to 25 minutes in the pond, the coldest water we hit is 39 degrees fahrenheit in lake Champlain,  each time we emerge from the icy waters our skin looks the color of lobsters in a pot.

 

The week before our big day we head to Lake Champlain to measure a potential course, Tricia from Little River Survey Company joins us with her specialised GPS equipment, it measures to 1cm accuracy, Paula and I hold the Trimble.

We meet Captain Don Couture and go over the course and safety plan, both Paula and I plan to have a kayak guiding us, along with Captain Couture’s boat ” Priority 1 ” as our support boat, on board will be Tricia Kules measuring the course, Sue Ellen Booher, medic and Gerry Kittle first mate and land surveyor, what a crew…

 

 Our big day arrives, Friday April 26th, as is often the case things don’t go to plan, the water is not the right temperature in Mallets Bay where we have planned to swim, Captain Don comes to the rescue searching  Lake Champlain for suitable water, he finds it at the Burlington Waterfront, Lake Champlain, Vermont, we meet by the coast guard station and load into Priority 1, the time has come, my first ever International Ice Swimming Association Swim, the plan to swim a continuous mile swim with no assistance, on the boat is Captain Couture, Gerry, Tricia, Sue, our medic, our observers, Margaret Haskins, our kayakers, Paula and me, we tow the kayaks to our start location near North Beach, our kayakers load into their boats, it is time to strip off my warm cozy clothing…

 Goal Declared, 1 mile at 41 degrees fahrenheit or less…

 The water is an average of 40.8, we have our required conditions, we have to get swimming withing 10 minutes of the temperature  measurement, no time to piddle about now, I strip of my clothing, a small shudder as the last layer comes off, I pull on my cap, ear plugs in, the chatter from the crew is now just a mumble, Cynthia is already in the kayak, her relaxed upbeat smile beaming from the boat, Paula splashes in the water, she is off swimming already, I edge my way to the swimmers platform, I have been eating all day to ensure a full warm belly and keeping well hydrated, that helps me better tolerate the cold, I definitely don’t want to be swimming with a full bladder though, that will take a lot of energy and heat to swim with, so I dangle my feet in the 40.8 degree water from the edge of Priority 1’s swimmer platform and pee, sorry Don!

 

 

 Into the water I slide, I lean into the frigid water and fire up the engines, my plan to ” Fang it”, as we say down under, I am going to give it my all and swim this bad boy as strong and fast as I can, and with that I snapped into race pace, WHOSH.

I scan my body, my thighs feel like someone is running a hot iron up and down them, my forearms feel like sharp blades each time they slice down deep in the water to pull, my feet feel heavy, I continue the scan, ” mind, how about you?”, I check in and notice how relaxed I feel, my body is on auto pilot, it is doing what I have trained it to do, race! My mind is aware of the cold and not alarmed by it ” Oh this again, I remember this, a little discomfort, we swim hard and strong, then get out of the water, warm up and have hot chocolate, bring it on!”

 So that is how it goes, Cynthia paddles beside me smiling, she brings out a few tricks along the way to make me laugh, a bright  orange octopus, a yellow duck, all the things you’d expect during a swim! Meanwhile I follow her every move, smile now and then and let my body ease into the performance zone, what fun!

 Well we swim and swim, we leave North Beach, pass the Ferries at the Burlington waterfront, past the coastguard, past the no swimming sign, ” boy we have come a long way, I wonder if we are close to a mile?”, I think to myself, I keep swimming, I know that I am not to stop until I am told too, I swim, and swim and swim, my body is still functioning, I notice my head starting to ride high in the water, I catch  myself and plunge my face down deep into the icy Lake water.

Cynthia starts looking behind her, I want to look up and see what’s going on in the worst possible way but I resist temptation and keep swimming, then I notice a humming in the water, it’s Priority 1, she is here is to pick me up, WAHOO! Cynthia signals me to the boat, I swim towards the steps and pause for a moment, WAAAAHHHHOOOO I yell, then reach for the steps, into the boat I go, my ice swim is over, time to get warmed up. Margaret and Gerry are  there to help me, my hands are useless so I stand there being dressed like a small child, I keep interrupting Margaret, ” No Questions” she states, not until we get you dressed. I stand tight lipped, holding back my question obediently, I try again ” Did…”, again I have to wait to ask my question. Finally it is time….

“Did I make it?” I ask through chattering teeth,” You bet you did”, Margaret gives me the biggest hug, I feel warm inside.

Check out Ice swim footage here….

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kpFUTAc8nU

How Far did I swim? 1.197 Miles

How Long did it take? 30 minutes and 38 seconds

What was the water Temperature? 40.8 degrees fahrenheit

What’s up Next?  Manhattan Island Marathon Swim

Will I have fun in NYC ? Here is a hint, full story coming soon…

 The Caroline Bay Swimmers

 Here we are pre swim, me and the Caroline Bay swimmers, I am the one in the middle in pink, these welcoming wetsuit clad swimmers are the new freshness of Caroline Bay, we meet a little before 9am Saturday morning for a group swim, Dale introduces himself and gives me the rundown of the swim plan, ” We all swim down the beach, aim for those big trees down there”, I squint to get a glimpse, ” we regroup there, we stick together and watch out for one another, from there we aim for the point, see the building?” I nod Yes, “we regroup and then we swim in, out there is where the dolphins are”, he finishes the briefing and we all stride towards the water, the Caroline Bay Swimmers  are chattering about their recent open water race in Lyttleton, it is exciting to hear swimmers pumped up about Open Water swimming.

We wade into the water and are off, immediatlely I am struck at how well these down under swimmers swim, we are off at a good clip, I settle in alongside a sleeveless suit and we thunder our way down to the far end of the bay, I LOVE IT, I sight here and there fixing my gaze on ” The Tree” and enjoy long strong strokes, the water is superb, finally we pull up,my sleeveless suit swimming pal and I realize we have way overshot the meeting place, we turn around and swim back to the group, if I could make dolphin sounds I would, this is FUN!

 Heads are counted, all are accounted for and we are off again, this time heading to the building on the point,  I swim alongside Dale, he swims at an impressive  clip and before we knew it we pull up at the next stop, one by one the other swimmers join us, I notice someone swim up from the opposite direction, he has just come from the beach, I hear a familar accent, ” hmmmm, could that be an Irishman?” I say to Dale, it is indeed, he is living in South Canterbury and immedialtey starts telling tales of swimming in Ireland, ” Where in Ireland?”, I ask, “Sandycove, do you know it, it’s in Cork?” he replies, I smile VERY widely, he goes on chattering a mile a minute of stories Sandycove Island, I can’t understand a bit of what he is saying,  smile, nod and then swim on.

  We all swim to shore, I dash away to get dressed, tucking behind the car to change, then return to the group with a hot tea, we visit and they start to wander off to a concrete building not far away, then return in a short timne all dressed, ” note to self, there are showers and changing rooms on the beach”, I say to myself sheppishly.

 We bid our farewells, time for me to make tracks, I am flying out to to the USA in just a few days, time to pack, hit the 50 meter outdoor pool for a pre flight swim and then settle back into winter in Vermont, and of course that brings us back to the International Ice Swim, on arrival to Vermont, Ice swims are soon to start, and  you are one step closer to hearing  the story of the 2013 Ice Swim in Lake Champlain, Vermont, 41 degrees or under now that is going to be something new for this New Zealand pengiun.

Closing Thought: 

 Do not let a single opportunity or chance  that life offers pass you by, get out there and live each day

Hamish- thanks to you… ( me and Hamish at Christchurch airport)

 

 

Caroline Bay, Timaru, New Zealand

 Time for another sea swim, my sister Sally is  joining me today, yesterday  walking down to the beach to start my swim we spotted a man and woman with a couple of buckets walking down to the beach just ahead of us, naturally inquisitive I ask, ” What are you up to with those buckets”, the couple glance at each other, there is was a long pause giving me the impression that each of them are reluctant to spill the beans,finally the woman answers, ” Mussels”, she says quietly, ” Where from?”, I ask, well the long and the short of it was that is that they were collecting Green lipped Mussels, I head out to swim while the woman shows Sally the best spot on the beach for the  harvest and let her know the local ground rules, ” only one bucket, with a maximum of 50 Mussels per person”.

 Well I am beside myself with excitement beacause I remember swimming as a kid in these waters, pulling mussels off  boat mourings, splitting them open with a pocket knife, adding a splash of vineagar and swallowing them whole, so today I am thrilled to relive this childhood memory, what could go wrong right! 

 

The day is a pearler, clear skies and the tide has started to go out exposing thousands of mussels on the rocks, Sally armed with a bucket starts to pry them off, I collect a few handfuls, the bucket is starting to full. Sally remains on the beach collecting and I head out to swim laps of Caroline Bay, there is a keen wind today which is blowing in the opposite direction of the northerly flow of the water creating a menacing chop, when conditions get a bit challenging I always like to look on the positive side, ” Choppy conditions and wind, I’ll have to earn it today, how lucky am I to have training conditions to make me stronger”.

 I swim my laps up and down the beach, with my new found knowledge on the history of the Bay I imagine what the early settlers might have thought in the 1860s as they gazed from their ship at their first glimpse of Caroline Bay and seen me swimming back and forth across the bay in just a two piece bathing suit, some strange looking glasses strapped to my head and a strange bright hat tightly fitted on my head!

One lap to go, this time I imagine the water littered with the wreckage of  faltered vessel, the furniture and bedding from the cabins bobbing in the water and 11,000 frozen ship carcasses washed up on shore, when the first settlers sailed to New Zealand they were told to furnish their cabins with things that they could later use to furnish their bunks at their first accommodations, sheets, blankets, soap, there was nothing here in new Zealand, even chairs were a luxury in those early days.

 Finally my swim is complete, Sally and I are thrilled with ourselves, we find a nice sheltered spot on the beach to have lunch and hatch a plan to cook up the mussels for our family dinner this very evening.

 

We head home, it is quite a celebration,brother and sisters all together to honor Dad with a pre birthday dinner, Sally arrives early and we begin to cook up the mussells……

 

 The water in the pot begins to boil, finally it is ready, we pour in the mussels, they boil and bubble and……..smell awful, yes it sends a sewer like smell through the whole house, ” I am sure it is just the salt water”, I reassure my family, ” Really it is fine, I used to eat these as a kid all the time you know, remember Hamish we used to harvest them together with Richard Bird?”, ” Ah NO, Charlotte that wasn’t me”, he replies slowly. “Never mind these will be great”, I say.

Finally Sally and I determine they have popped open and are ready to serve, we put them on the table, everyone politely declines a plate except me and Sally, I wrestle one onto my fork and draw it up to my mouth, the smell as it gets closer to my mouth and nose is nauseating, I open my mouth, pop it in, ” ICK”, the mussel spits out and my fork goes down, I slowly look up, ” these don’t taste good”, I say as I fix my gaze on Sally, she looks at me, down the hatch goes her mussel, ” no, not good”, she calmly replies after swallowing her mussel, meanwhile I am ready to disinfect my mouth, ” Yip, things are different in Caroline Bay these days,these are not as I remember!”

 We finish a lovely meal together, excluding the mussels of course, I am ready to turn, a new day tomorrow, I am hopeful there are no ill effects from my Wild Green Lipped Mussell harvesting experience, oh the photo above is me and my sister Robbin, yes we dressed up for dinner, the little guy to our right is not the help, that’s Dad, he cooks a mean serving of scallops!

Closing thought: Yes there is always a take home,today I have two for you:

1. When the mind is full of memories it misses the freshness of the present moment– Matthieu Ricard

     Time to discover Caroline Bay in 2013, tomorrow I meet the Caroline Bay open water swimmers, I am looking forward to new fresh experiences in these New Zealand waters!

2. Next time I collect mussels it will be from the fish shop…New Zealand seafood ROCKS!