Green Mountain Swimming

Back to the Green Mountains of Vermont, and green they are, the scenery is lush with green grass, the smell of hay and a steamy feel to the air. Once off the plane from Ireland me and my sister hit the 90 degree air with a wham, I am like a fish needing to be slid back into the water, top on the list is to slide me back into my favourite local Open Water Lake, the ” Green River Reservoir”, with 19 miles of shoreline and no motorized boats she is a real gem, me and Robbin both venture out on our return from Ireland, what a treat…

 After drinking in the view it is time to hit the water, time to get going, today a 10km swim, this week on the docket 50,000 meters.

 How? One stroke after another, Robbin and I get ready by the waters edge…

 

Point and Swim

 The plan is point and swim, head down and do what I am told, work on fast feeds and clock some major meters, lucky for me I have some swim buddies ready to keep me company in the water, that’s us in the distance….

 

 Out into the familiar waters I go, everything is delightful, the warm sun on my back, the smells of the lush tree covered banks and the sound of the loons singing, it feels like magic, as I swim I think ” enjoy right now, what a journey” and I do, on I swim.

 Before I know it the swim is over, it is time to dry off, load the boat on the car and prepare for the rest of the week, we get loaded up, driving home I ponder…” how amazing that just 6 weeks ago this water was bitingly cold, a bone chilling 47 degrees, now mother nature has heated this play ground right up and I am frolicking like a dolphin in Hawaii, yet it can change so quick…..and it most likely will”, I think to myself, ” 

50,000 meters complete 

 Turns out the weather does not change this week, under clear sunny skies some terrific swims:

Tuesday 8km

Wednesday 9km

Thursday 8.5 km

Friday Rest

Saturday 16km

Sunday 8.5km

Add strength training and Yoga and you have a good training week and one tired Kiwi…..

 What will mother nature deliver for next week’s schedule of 59km? I’ll keep you posted, but here’s a hint……good week for a duck

Closing thought:

  ” The successful man is the average man focused “

                                      – Author Unknown

 

Day 9 :Sandycove Island 6 Hour swim

 Here it is, the final swim in Ireland, swim number 17 and the Irish have turned on a stellar morning for the final day, clear skies, little to no wind and a brisk air temperature of 10 degrees.

 I awake early, the skies get light at 4:15am in Kinsale which still astounds me even after watching the sunrise for 11 mornings since my arrival, 11 mornings, 9 of them awakening  me to the grim thought of emerging into that 11-13 degree water for as long as my body will function, I shudder at the thought this morning of one final swim.

 I make Robbin a morning cup of tea, then on to mixing my feeds, Maxim and wild berry juice from the local Supervalue, next up porridge and toast, then into the car and down to Sandycove, the parking lot is alive with activity as swimmers prepare their supplies for the 6 hour swim, there is a boat ready to take the feeds to the island, I place my feeds in the B Bin for Brynn.

 

 Then we gather for our final morning meeting, ” Today is about us helping you, we will be on the island ready to give you your feeds, whatever you need we are here to help”, says Ned, with that we go about getting ready to go, that’s me and Carol, last year Carol was helping with the 6 hour swim, in fact she helped me a great deal, this year she has shed her wetsuit and is swimming too…..

 

 

 We wait for the final instructions and then watch as the boats take our feeds over to the island….

 

 

 The tide is on it’s way out and will be low tide in 2 hours, that means walking to get around the island, my plan is 2 laps then I will swim on the inside of the island, we enter the water….

 

 

 

 I am the one dawdling in the back, I like to ease into the water, we are off, we head out towards the first corner because of the outgoing tide the sea is heavy with thick seaweed and the rocks are exposed, ” take it slow to avoid slicing yourself”, I coach myself as I weave through the shallows, once through the narrow bit we are off, I swim alongside Carol and Jenn, I like swimming with them, the water feels colder than usual, I push a little harder, ” my last laps of Sandycove, be sure to notice how amazing this island is”, I think to myself and I do as I whizz by the jagged rocks, the grassy knoll of the island, the wild goats that live on the island and the dramatic surf that crashes onto the rocks, “amazing, what a gift to swim here”, I think.

 

 Round we go to complete lap one, for me a pit stop in for a feed, it is so shallow I have to stand up and walk in, Ned is there waiting with my feed, my skin chills against the cool morning air, then back in the water for lap 2, around I go, I feel great, how exciting, ” much better than last year’, I think, once more I head in to feed, I see Ned’s frame holding my feed cup, I stand and wade through the water, it takes a while, down with the feed and out I go swimming on the inside of the island, I swim down to the far corner, then turn around and come back for another feed, again and again, each time my jaw clenches a little tighter, my hands claw up a bit more and I feel my feet less and less, I am unsure how far I am swimming before I come back in for a feed, I am confused, I am not aware of any other swimmers, of nothing but my feed cup and the fact that I must not stop swimming between feeds, each time I get out of the water for a feed it hurts more to get back in, as I swim away from Ned I try to spin my arms as fast as I can, ” if my stroke rate drops he will pull me out, if my stroke rate drops he will pull me out”, I repeat it over and over in my mind, it is my mantra, ” Must Not Slow Down”

 I swim in yet again, Ned and Donal are there, ” where does your sister live”, he asks, I am pretty sure I say ” ahh California”, with that I swim away, thrilled that I have tricked clever old Ned himself into thinking I am as sharp as a tack, Off I swim, admittedly struggling a bit, down and back on the inside of the island only to the closest buoy this time, it is the smallest of distances, then back to feed, I stand up to be greeted by Ned holding his long arm pointing sternly to the shore, I am done, ” guess there is no fooling Ned, he knows me and hypothermia better than I do”, I accept defeat and swim in, I am pleased, this year the 6 hour swim went better than last and I did not stop swimming between feeds, excellent.  

 

 So what was the water temperature? 11 degrees celsius ( 51F)

 I head off to shower and change, then back to wish our fellow Distance week buddies farewell, many will be in Dover, including Colm who is in my tide window, we have the same pilot Neil Streeter in Suva, he is number 1 and I am number 2, I am thrilled to know he is the swimmer before me, we swim well together and if I’m lucky we will be able to taper train in Dover Harbor together…..

 

 

 

  Farewell Kinsale, Cork County, Ireland 

 So what is left, a farewell to Kinsale of course but also a reflection on the past week, so here it is:

 ” Hard lessons and tough conditions both mentally and physically, that will serve me well in the channel”

 I ponder some more, and read an extract from Heidi Grant Halvorsen

 

 Believing that the road to success will be rocky leads to a greater success because it forces you to take action. People that are confident that they will succeed and are equally confident that success won’t come easily, put in more effort, plan how they will deal with problems before they arise, and persist longer in the face of difficulty.

And here is the key….

 Realistic optimists believe they will succeed, but also believe they have to make success happen- through things like effort, careful planning, persistence and choosing the right strategy

 

 And for me coming to Ireland was miserable, tough,  painful,  incredibly satisfying, a good bit of fun and it was the right strategy to prepare for the English Channel…….I am pleased and grateful to Ned and all my fellow distance week swimmers, bye Kinsale….

 

 

 

 

 

Oh and What was my answer to Ned’s question… Where does your sister live?

Well let me give you a hint, later that day once I was warmed up Ned said ” by the way your sister does not live in Tasmania”

 

Day 9 – The Torture Swim

 Total Brain Body Confusion Swim 10am

 Today is about mental training and for me learning lessons the hard way, during the torture swim last year I got in the boat, I didn’t land on the beach and it burned in my brain, so much that it helped fuel my fire to keep swimming 15 Hours and 30 minutes down Lake Memphremagog last September, it helped me to keep swimming when my support kayak and the support boat were no longer by my side in the dark of that night early in the swim, I was alone, rather than panic I thought back to the 2011 torture swim, ” if your boat disappears SWIM”, Ned said….. and swim I did.

 Now here I am willingly showing up for another torture swim, do I know that the torturers are doing their best to sabotage my swim YES, do I take it seriously YES. I arrive early and survey the scene the day is overcast and gray…….

 

    Ned gives us instructions, the tortures enter their boats, me and my fellow swimmers walk the long walk out to the water, I feel like I am walking the plank on Captain Hook’s boat……

 Into the water we go, Ned has told us that he plans to split us up from any swimmers we have taken comfort swimming with during distance week, I look over at Colm, we have swum together a lot, ” best to swim out with another swimmer, Colm and I are sure to be split up”, I think , I spot Jenn, a strong and upbeat swimmer from California, and move towards her, we give each other a knowing look and stick together as we enter the water, we swim side by side out around the island, she is a great pace to swim with ” this is fun”, I think, ” much better than last year”.

 ” Swim over there”, someone shouts from the boat, we do, boats zoom by, the wake jostling us about,  ” turn around”, shouts a voice angrily from the boat, we do, this continues for sometime, then the boat is stopped, ” they want us”, says Jenn, I look up and see 3 or 4 swimmers treading by the boat waiting for a bottle of water, I wait my turn, every minute I wait I can feel my body temperature dropping, I drink the water and swim on, ” that way”, I see a raised arm, the other swimmers are sent the other way, I feel abandoned, suddenly it seems I am very alone.

 I swim on and on,” sighting too much”, I think,  I am confused about where I am swimming  and now am concerned that I can’t see any boats, my jaw is locking shut, my hands have adopted a claw shape, ” oh dear, I should be sprinting to warm up”,  I think, yet I don’t.

 Ned returns and yells at me to swim, “SWIM to the Red House”, I can do that”, I think, off I go,” he said swim to the red house, I love the red house”,  I am excited to have a destination, I swim, I sight to see the red house ” hey where did it go, it’s not there anymore, how did I get turned around”, I can’t figure out what is going on, I swim on, “I am pretty sure I am swimming consistent”, I think, but apparently not Ned pulls up in the boat, “YOU have stopped 5 times in the last 5 minutes, YOU are worrying me, GET IN THE BOAT”

 My heart sinks as I hear the words, I obediently move to the ladder at the back of the boat, my hands are so clawed they can’t hold the ladder, 2 sets of hands drag me in, I sit in the front seat, dejected. Ned pulls out all sorts of clothes, a cup of tea is thrust in my hand, I hunch over and shiver and shake, I am the first one pulled, I feel down, I am devastated.

 We follow the other swimmers in the boat and I listen, I watch the other swimmers, I am happy to see then doing well, I warm up a bit and have the chance to have a birds eye view from the boat of the ” what to’s” and “what not too do’s” as the torturers give a running commentary of the progress of the swimmers in the water, ” he keeps stopping, that is not going to do”, says one, ” he can’t swim in a straight line to save his life, if he swims away from the boat like that in the channel the pilot will pull him”, the comments keep coming and I learn from each one.

 Another swimmer is pulled, ” time to drop these two to  the shore”, Ned says, he radios Robbin, “get ready two swimmers coming in”…..

 

 Ned pulls the boat a few hundred meters off shore, ” this is as close as we can get, you’ll have to swim in, sorry a bit tough having to get back in so soon”, Ned says, I struggle with clumsey hands to get my cap, goggles and ear plugs situated, then slide into the water and swim in to Robbin and the Tiger Blanket, I am both pleased and sad to be back on shore.

 Robbin wraps me up and we wait for all the other swimmers to swim in, one by one swimmers make it back to the slipway, most swim in,  some ride in the boat, the torturers arrive on shore as well and we gather to talk about the swim. ” This could all happen to you in the Channel, your boat disappears, the crew drops your feed overboard, you get the wrong feed, you don’t understand what your crew is yelling at you, your job is to SWIM” says Ned. One by one we share our major obstacle, then the torturers share what they saw, ” I saw a lot of stopping and looking around……NEVER F&CKING STOP SWIMMING” says Gabor, it hits home hard.

 We gather up our things, I take a seat above the slipway, I sit alone away from the group, I feel down…..

 Ned sits his tall frame down beside me, ” You’ve got to keep swimming, you were doing the seal out there”, he says, with that Ned mimics a seal with his head out of the water rubber necking to see what is going on above the surface, I don’t laugh out loud, I am far too down for that, but I do find myself smiling inside and perhaps allowing a slight curl on the side of my mouth, ” with your build, you have to swim”, he says, ” I HATE GETTING IN THE BOAT”, I reply, ” I know you do”, he responds and with that gets up and is gone. I get up too say my goodbyes and head back to the house, the afternoon flies by and I find myself still feeling low by evening, ” I know I have to work through this” I say to myself, ” the idea is to learn by doing  you have to take this lesson, digest it and use it to serve you well in the Channel, I think, ” time to move on”, I declare and I do, I go over my take home lessons from the day, they are:

Follow Directions from the boat

Don’t stop between feeds

Don’t look Up

If you don’t see the boat just keep swimming

 Now on to tomorrow’s swim, and with that I start packing my stuff for the morning, as I am getting ready the phone rings, it is Jeff, my husband, ” Hey how are the swims going”, he says brightly, that was all it took I start to well up and sob, ” not good, I got in the boat early, I sucked”, I sob the answer to him, ” hey I’m sure you were not as bad as you think”, Jeff replies kindly, ” YEEESSSSS I WASSSSS”, I stammer out the words, Jeff continues to reassure me, finally he says, ” Heidi wants to talk to you”, my daughter Heidi’s bright cherry voice comes on the other end of the line ” Hi Mum, I LOVE YOU, how was your swim today?”, ” I had a bad swim today Heidi”, I reply, ” Mum, your worst swim day is amazing to all of us back home, no one here could even put their big toe in the water”, says Heidi, and with that I smile warmly, ” go figure, I am am uplifted by my incredible 12 year old daughter”, I think as I reply to her, ” thanks so much Heidi I LOVE YOU.

 With that the phone call was over, I survived the day and turn in to bed ready to give my final swim my all….

How will the last swim go? I’ll keep you posted

Closing Thought:

   Within each of us is a hidden store of determination

  – Roger Dawson

 

 

 

Day 7/ Garrettstown : Swim and Play

 6:30pm we roll up to the beach at Garrettstown, the wind is gusting, as I open the car door I feel like I am about to get sucked out, like Dorothy and Toto in the Wizard of Oz, Robbin and I climb out of the car, there is a small handful of people gathering for tonight’s swim and play, Robbin and I use the ” clutch on to each other technique” to prevent getting blown off the footpath….

 

 The surf is heavy, the wind relentless, the roughest of days and guess who is planning to be first in the water?

 Robbin, that tough sister of mine is planning to swim, in fact her bathing suit is already on, only thing is she forgot to throw in her wet suit so now she gets to go in bare skinned, wahoo…..

 

 Down towards the sea she runs, skipping here and there to avoid the fleet of Jellyfish that have washed up on the beach, she dances around the surf excitedly then dashes back up to the car, what fun, she gives me the 2 thumbs up and I toss a towel around her shoulders, what a treat to be supporting her, even if it was a meager towel throw, I enjoy seeing her have some fun after the stress of watching me wade in for my ice bath swims day after day over the last week, I feel for her, harder to be on the beach waiting, then watching me shiver and shake post swim, than being in the water, I feel grateful that she is here in Ireland.

 

 Next up Sarah and Aussie Andrew head down the beach with their Li Lo’s, if you’e asking what the heck is that? Here is the scoop……a Li Lo  is what we call a smallish inflatable raft, if you’re still not sure what I mean look at the picture above, meanwhile  I scurry off to change too and we all weave our way through the Jellyfish towards the sea……

 There is a rip, the waves are big , it takes some effort to get out through the breaker waves but once there we bob about laughing as we get picked up and tossed this way and that with each wave, Andrew paddles out with his Li Lo, ” want a try?” , he asks, ” you bet”, I reply, ” OK climb on and kick hard before the wave breaks”, I do, along with a squeal of delight as the wave picks me and the raft up and thrusts us both forward at what feels like a high rate of speed, ” good old fashioned fun, this beats a water park any day”, I grin as the thought crosses my mind.

 After a bit it is time to head in, there are 3 kite boarders whipping back and forward near us, I can see their sails speeding by, super fun however I am concerned about an accidental collision in the unpredictable surf, I start the swim in, harder than you would think, it takes some effort and a number of tangles with tall house plant like seaweed, I make it in and up to the car, I pull down my suit to change and discover screeds of seaweed down my front, I change regardless, it is itchy under my clothes, ” now today, I REALLY can’t wait for that shower”, I laugh.

  With all swimmers out of the water, Ned pulls out two massive chocolate gatteaux cakes for me and my fellow swimmers, we all pile off to Finbarr’s place to eat the cake, ” where’s Robbing, first in the water gets first piece”, shouts Ned above the crowd, Robbin heads over for a chunk of cake, I am proud of her. One by one we head up to get a piece of cake, it slides down VERY easily, Yum.

 Robbin and I punch out early and head back to the house for a shower, dinner and sleep, next up Day 8, the ” Torture Swim”, last year I found this terribly hard and left with some hard learned lessons that have served me well over the last 12 months.

Oh and did Robbin experience “the claw”?  I’ll give you a hint, that is not my hand in the picture above…. I say YES

 Is it possible to learn even more through another ” Torture Swim”? All signs point to yes, I’ll keep you posted

Closing Thought:

     ” To a young heart everything is fun”

– Charles Dickens

 

 

Day 7/ Swim 1 Iniscara Lake

The stormy weather continues, the wind has dropped considerably since yesterday’s howler of a day, still sea conditions are still heavy so Ned has rescheduled this morning’s swim back to the lake, we arrive at 5:45am, the road is littered with remnants of the storm, leaves and smaller branches from the trees are scattered everywhere, “so windy yesterday I couldn’t even leave my dog outside the store”, said one local shop owner as he was describing the force of the wind….

 

 We check in for the morning swim instructions and then prepare to begin our swim,  that’s me on the left,  I stay bundled up to the last possible minute……….

 

Then down the slipway we go, time to launch, time to peel off the cozy hoodie and kick off the boots, then into the lake……

 

 

 

   The air temperature has dropped over night to 9 degrees Celsius, the water has cooled down also to 13 degrees yet, still it feels warmer than the sea and I enjoy the soft warmth on my skin as I swim, it feels refreshing rather than a piercing cold, I like it.  We soon form a pack and power down the lake, no white caps to drive through this morning making the trip down the lake fast,  before I know it we are at the far end of the lake ready to return to the slipway, “I would like to swim 2 laps today”, I think, “ feed at the end of lap 1 and check in”. My feed, flip flops and Ned’s blanket in the dry bag, patiently wait for me on the slipway……

  Everyone is swimming well this morning, many skipped last night’s swim, “ they must be feeling rested, cool to see everyone punching it hard this morning”, I think. This is the 3^rd swim in the lake for me this week, meaning it is getting more familiar every swim, I recognize the yellow house half way down the lake, the pump house at the end, and my favorite the overturned boats stored on the grass a few hundred meters before the slipway, when I see the boats I know a feed or for the end of my swim a hot chocolate is near.

 I see the yellow house,” half way back on lap one, excellent, time to bring it home strong”, I coach myself to pick up the pace, my brain sends the message to my body, but my body is not having a bar of it, it defiantly SLOWS DOWN!  “Mate”, I sternly say, “ what’s up with this?”, I again try to pick it up, it feels like I have no pull, then I see it, I have the claw, I can see it as clear as daylight on my arm recovery, both hands are clawed up like hawk feet, I pump my fingers open and closed, I continue to swim slow, Ned stops, “ you’re slowing down”, he shouts, I reply by hauling one of my claw hands out of the water, “ I know, got the claw, I’m OK though”. We swim on the last 500 meters, me slow, Ned pulling up frequently to wait,  I am sure he must be getting cold swimming slow in order to limp me back into shore.

 We make it in, “ thanks for swimming in with me”, and with that Ned tosses me a blanket, I LOVE the blanket and snuggle it up around my neck, “ your’e probably tired, you feel the cold more then, end of the week”, I nod and walk up the slipway, he is right I do feel beat today, but beat and happy, I am pleased, no second lap but I am feeling in control and walk up on my own, quickly dress and before I know it am sucking down a hot chocolate, it’s the simple things that mean so much. After 10 cookies and a good few Jelly Babies we are off to Kinsale, a 45 minute drive home, then it is food and a nap.

What’s coming up this afternoon? A swim of course, but this swim is listed as ” play in the surf”, I am intrigued.

What will surf play be? I’ll keep you posted

Closing Thought:

                    ” Welcome the task that makes you go beyond yourself”

                                                                                                                                                  –       Frank Mcgee

 

 

 

Day 6/ Swim # 2 5:00pm : Iniscara Lake

 You guessed it the wind didn’t let up during the day, force 4 winds are firing with both barrels, we arrive to the Lake to see big waves and an epidemic of white caps ( white horses in the USA). ” Never seen waves on a lake this big”, someone shouts over the roar of the wind, ‘ are we really going to do this?”, another swimmer chimes in, ” how about a plunge and out”, someone else adds, but Ned stands tall with a wide mouthed smile, we wait until 5:00 for any stragglers then in. We huddle under a big tree to gain some relief from the teaming rain and biting wind, we all look like penguins huddled together in the Antarctic, I find someone bigger than me and huddle by them.

 ” Lets go”, announces Ned, we all sprint off to strip down and hit the slipway, it feels creepy out, like the scene from some spooky haunted house movie, I wait by the waters edge then I’m in, the water feels warm compared to the 50 degree Fahrenheit air and wind chill, I dive my head under so I can warm my head, the water temperature 57 degrees fahrenheit.

  The waves challenge me, I respond by gritting my teeth and attacking, my body soon replies with a cozy warm feel in my belly, I fight on, memories of the strong head winds and rough waters flood back from the ” In Search Of Memphre” swim, I feel comfort in knowing that I have experienced a similar battle before, I feel strong, I glance to my left Ned is driving through the waves, I sense he likes them too, I feel cozy and safe from the storm tucked up in the lake, I feel like I am under the cozy covers of the bed.

 We swim and swim, the end of the lake takes much longer to reach today, once there Ned pulls up and looks for swim caps, ” there’s Andrew down there, lets go pay him a visit”, Ned shouts, we turn and thunder down the lake, wind at our tail, an assisted swim, what fun.

 We reach Andrew, check in and all swim back down the Lake heading for the slipway, we swim and swim, then Ned pulls up, ” back up the lake”, my heart sinks for a moment, ” so close to the slipway”, I think, the thought passes quickly, I turn and once more embrace the fun of battling the Lake, finally we make it back up to the pump house at the end, turn and sprint home, this time we reach the slipway and land, I pause in the water for a bit, “going to be wicked getting out”, I think, I know that as soon as I leave the water the wind chill and air temperature will plummet my body temperature, I savour the 57 degree water for just a few more seconds and then dash for the car.

 A quick change and we are heading home, and what of tomorrow, more wild weather forcing another reschedule?  You guessed it, I get to come back to the lake one more time and I am looking forward to it already.

How long was tonight’s swim?  1.5 Hours

What was the water temperature? 57 degrees Fahrenheit

Closing Thought:

 Your biggest hindrance today can be your biggest helper in the future

 

 

 

 

Day 6/ Swim # 2 Sandycove Island- pictured above with calmer waters…

 I awake at 2 am and pull the covers up tight, the wind is howling, the rain is loud as it thrashes against the window pane, I snuggle deeper under the covers, ” going to be a lumpy swim today”, I think, then curiosity gets the better of me, I peak through the curtains, from my room is a view of Kinsale Harbor and Charles fort, I crack the window a bit, I can hear the heavy surf crashing angrily against the cliffs below and can  just make out the white caps of the  waves, the sea looks and sounds like an angry monster. Back under the covers I go and drift off to sleep dreaming of calm, controlled waters of the indoor pool, I wake at 5:00am to the alarm shouting at me to get up and conquer those waves.

 

 I bound downstairs, down some breakfast and head to the car with all my gear, we arrive at Sandycove at 5:50am for a 6:00am start time, cutting it a it close I know, fortunately it works out, there is only a small group of hardy souls, ” one lap around the island, then it’s laps on this side where it is not as heavy”, Ned delivers his instructions with excitement, ” you may be half way across the Channel and the weather turns and this is what you’ve got”, those of you who really want it swim today”, he adds.

 With that I am off the get ready, I have decided that my best plan of attack is to glue myself to Colm, down the slipway we all go, Carol, Jenn and Ned are there too along with the other hardy souls. In we go, the water is calmer around the slipway, we weave our way out through the thick seaweed, out to the first corner and then it is game on, a big swell, strong menacing wind and waves, I swim beside Colm, with each wave I drive my head down and pull hard, progress down the back side of the island is slow, as we approach the far end I pull up to 5 other bobbing heads, they are popping up and down with the swells, ” doesn’t get much better than this”, shouts Ned above the howl of the wind,” this was Paul’s Channel swim for 6 hours, this could be you”, his voice carries off with the wind, ” the swell with smash you into the rocks on the corner, stay wider than usual”, Ned offers some welcome extra ” How to swim around an island in a raging storm advice”, I listen and swim wide, I feel like I am on an adventure to discover new waters and experiences, I am and I am enjoying it, I am feeling grateful,” I would not swim this alone, no boat would come out with me back home and today here are other swimmers, relaxed, happy, willing and able to be out here today,” how fortunate to swim these conditions and with company”, I think.

 Colm and I do stay wide, when we do make the turn the swell picks us up like we are as light as toothpicks and hurls us forward, no reality TV for me, I am living the dream right here, right now, it is both exhilerating and exciting. Around the corner we fly until we reach the front side of the island, it takes us a lot longer to get around the island today, Carol and Jenn break off, ” one lap for us today”, they had declared at the start, I join them and swim in, a quick dash up the slipway to the car, ” straight back to the house please Robbin, I’m not getting changed, it is right into the shower for me”, I leap in the car and before we know it I am all warm and cozy in dry clothes, hot cup of tea in hand.

 So what did I think of today’s swim?  LOVED it!

What’s next? Tonight’s sea swim has been moved to Iniscara Lake ( you know, my favourite) so until them I am eating and resting, we swim at 5pm

Will the wind speed drop for tonight’s swim? I’ll keep you posted

Closing Thought:

If a thing is obviously right, do it

https://brynnswim.com/1489/

 

 

 

Day 5/ Swim 2: Spike Island Prison Swim

 So how did this prison swim happen, well you know me it starts with an email, ” anyone want to swim Spike Island, one of the triple crown of prison swims?”, the email arrived from Ned 2 weeks ago, I scanned the email and replied, ” I’m in for a bust out”, after sending it I pondered…” wonder how far that isand where”? It was not to matter as the reply was that I was on the wait list and I thought no more of it, then yesterday Ned emailed again, “Spike Island, you’re in”.

 So that’s how it came about, now we are on route to Cork Harbor with Barbara from California, Paul from the UK, me, Robbin and Ned driving the boat……..

 

 

 The view of Cobn from the boat is stunning, we travel up the port scanning for places to swim in to land…..

 

 Ned points out numerous landing spots ranging from steps to ramps, we drive the boat alongside the wharf to check them out, the water is calm, as we motor past the dock  wall we hear a hiss and a plop, we turn just in time to see raw sewerage spewing out into the harbor water below, I turn and look the other way, ” what you don’t see can’t hurt you”, I think, I decide to focus on the massive church and spike Island in the other direction.

 We pull into a set of steps and pick up the final three swimmers, including the super star swimmer of the day, on to the boat climb, Nora, Eddie and their son Neddy, today he will become the youngest swimmer to swim Spike Island to Cobn, he is 9 years old, we motor towards the Island.

 The conditions are terrific, we all get ready to jump off the boat and swim to the island, once clear of the water on the island, we reenter the water and the swim will begin, Nora, Eddie and Neddy swim in first, then Barbara, Paul and I follow after they have started, ” Channel rules apply Neddie, no touching the boat or another swimmer, clear the water at the other side”, Ned shouts with an enthusiastic smile, they are off, Paul and me enter the water and swim into the island to start out swim…..

 Once on land we enter the water, our Spike Island swim begins, we stroke away from the island, I imagine breaking out, our plan is to ziz zag behind Neddy and his parents on the way over, Barbara swims ahead to get photos, the view is fantastic….

 Neddy and his parents are making good progress, Paul and I swim figure 8’s criss crossing in front of each other, we edge our way closer to Cobn and the landing stairs, I look at the white star line building where the passengers boarded to get on the Titanic, it is now converted into a Titanic Tour and gift shop….

 Soon we are close to the port, Neddy is swimming in bursts, hard for 20-30 meters, then pulling up for a break, I can see his Dad encouraging him, Neddy fights on, the tide has now turned, he is fighting a bit of a current, he is tiring, down but not out. More words of encouragement from Dad and Neddy gives it one last push, he makes it to the steps but not yet out of the water, he is breathing hard and clutching the steps….

 

Ned pulls out a “Youngest Spike Island Swimmer” Trophy, Paul swims it in and presents it to Neddy on the steps, a crowd above us has gathered, they all cheer loudly, what a swim…..

 We all clamor back into the boat, time to head back to get ready for swim number 3 of the day, what a fun swim and privilege to be in the water with this family and gutsy young swimmer, way to go Neddy, oh and how far was the swim 2km as the crow flies, the water 55 degrees fahrenheit.

 We unload the boat, time to drive back to Kinsale, 45 minutes, just in time to change into a dry suit, eat and head out to Sandycove Island for tonight’s swim an Island Race, we all meet at 5;45pm, race instructions are quickly dished out, it is a handicap start, with 5 groups, group 5 starts first then 10 minutes later group 4, followed 3 minutes later by group 3 and on until it is my turn in group 1. The swim is hard and fast, we all jostle around the island and finish red cheeked, swim 3 complete.

What’s up next?An early start tomorrow, Sandycove Island at 6am

Bad weather is rolling in will tomorrow’s evening swim get relocated due to massive swells? I’ll keep you posted

Closing Thought:

                            The Harder the work the greater the satisfaction

                                                                                                                              ( Congratulations Neddy)

 

 

Day 5/ Swim 1 : Iniscara Lake

 Today I wake up excited, I am excited at the prospect of a ” Three-a-day”, meaning 3 training sessions in one day, the first swim is in my favourite lake, Lake Iniscara, the water temperature balmy compared to the Irish sea and chilling rivers, today the water temperature is said to be 16 degrees Celsius ( 61 F )

 

 We arrive early, I get out of the car and contemplate the swim, it is 2 laps of 4km each and an added bonus, a feed of Maxim between laps, something to look forward to…..

 We walk down to the lake edge, I stay wrapped up in a cozy Burton hoodie and a pair on hand-me-down ugg boots, Ned walks beside me…..

 

 I wait for a bit more then strip down to my suit, the lake looks beautiful, I am excited to get in and pump out some laps, that’s me in the middle, we wade deeper down the slipway, the water gets deep fast, I keep edging out, then suddenly there is no more slipway, the slipway drops away and I go under, ” well that dropped off fast”, I giggle to myself and begin swimming, the water feels delightful.

 Out into the center of the lake we all go, one by one we stop short, the depth changes once more, my belly and legs drag along the bottom, many swimmers stand up to walk through the shallow waters, we swim off to the side where things get deep again, from here it is full steam ahead, we thunder down the lake headed to the pump station and dam, we are in the reservoir above the river of the dam swim we swam just a few nights ago, to me if feels like another world for the water this morning is soothing on my skin, my feet are not numb, my jaw is not clenched, I am having a fine old time, I swim on. Robbin waits on shore, soon I will swim in and snag a feed from her before entering into lap 2, the ducks wait too…

 

 Lap 1 down, I toss back 300mls of my Maxim Carbo feed and head back out for the final lap, for a total of 8km, Colm and Ned are swimming the second lap alongside me, it is a good clip, I like the company, we reach the pump house quickly and turn for home, ” beat that old guy over there”, shouts Ned, he points to Colm and swims off, I love a bit of a race, I thunder down the lake after Colm, we edge forwards of each other as we jockey for postion on the home stretch, I am breathing heavily and wait for it, I feel warm! Soon we are at the last sprint, I drive my head down and push hard, we reach the slipway, I stand up with thoughts of a hot chocolate and Jelly Babies, ” come one, 20 more minutes to make 2 hours, we swim to the buoy and back, it looks to be about 300 meters each way”, Colm says.

 I obediently follow, I am still thinking of Hot Chocolate, ” it will wait”, I think and then go about chasing Colm, before you know it we are on the last 300, ” all you’ve got to Shore”, he quietly says and with that we are off, stroke by stroke I breathe heavier, my legs begin to tingle and then we touch shore, hooray, we walk out of the water, what a great swim, I like this lake very much….

 

 

  You guessed it, I make a beeline first for warm clothes and then Hot Chocolate, we pack up quickly, why? Because we are on the way to swim # 2, Spike Island, a few of us are swimming from the Prison Island Spike Island to Cobn, Spike Island was a working prison up until 6 years ago and Cobn is a port town and the last port of call for the Titanic where she picked up 123 passengers, a few lucky souls got off in Cobn.

What will a prison break swim be like? I’ll keep you posted

 

What was the best part of today’s swim?I was last, along with Colm out of the water

 

Closing Thought: 

Your ship will not come in to you, you have to swim out to meet it 

 

 

 

Day 4/ Swim # 2: Blackwater River

A shorter drive to tonight’s swim, the swim starts at 7pm, we leave Kinsale in the pouring rain, during the 60 minute ride to the swim it is beautiful sunshine, everything looks bright and cherry, as we arrive at Blackwater River the clouds darken and the wind picks up, it looks ominous.

 The river itself is glass like flat, with a closer look I can see the strong current, we wait tucked up in the warmth and safety of the car and watch the young rowers training on the river.

 Soon it is time for instructions and to prepare to swim, it is an up and back 7.5km swim, Owen gives us the run down on staying close to the bank on the right, “ Heads up for rowers coming straight at you” Ned adds, with that it is into the water.

 

 The water is river cold, it is different to the ocean, it feels dense. The entry is very slippery, one by one we launch, the swim is underway.

 “I feel good”, I say to myself, swimming upstream requires a higher effort level, I breath heavily yet under control, I start to pull up the river. I sight regularly, I am on the lookout for the fallen tree that slashed across my shoulder last year, I don’t want a repeat tonight.

 The sky remains dark, there are swimmers to my left and right, we are to turnaround at a large house on the right or at one hour which ever we reach first, I check my watch 45 minutes, close to turnaround time, Colm is swimming beside me, we both pull up, the water is still flowing downstream but swimmers are not heading up, the current has picked up, one after another the river flow prevents swimmers from going further upstream, I turn and head for home, the current is strong the return journey is fast, I can’t feel either of my feet, yet my hands are good, my mind is strong and I swim with all my might, I am having fun.  Ned appears downstream, he has been herding me and my fellow swimmers into the bank, watching over us all like a flock of sheep, now we are all homeward bound he too swims downstream, we swim in together a good clip, it feels good.

 Before I know it I am back at the slippery steps , out of the river, dressed and huddled in the chair, yes I am shaking and shivering AND VERY PLEASED. The water was a refreshing 12 degrees Celsius ( 53.6F), my swim time was 1 hour 20 minutes. Biscuits and hot chocolate and then it is off home, we pull into Kinsale late, it is close to 11:00pm, what next hand cut Hot Chips, at the local “chippy”, the chips are wrapped in paper and I toss in extra salt. Robbin holds the chips…

 

 

 Well, there we have it, a comeback day indeed……. Did I have something to prove?     YES

And who did I need to prove it to?  Me of course

Closing Thought:

 

Come back stronger than you were before