Emerging from the Winter

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

Birthday Swim

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

 Here is how it went down……

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

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

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

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

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

 The cold hits me like a ton of bricks, BAM

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

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

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

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

How far did I swim? 2km

For how long? 27.5 minutes

What’s up next? More cold water swims

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

Closing thought:

                                    A friend is a present you give yourself

Kona Hawaii

Today’s Swim: 8000 meters

7:15am Off to the Pier

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

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

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

Time to swim for the shore

Golden Sand to Land

 

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

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

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

Fast Fun Lap in Kona

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

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

 Back into the water…..

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

Kick Back Beach

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

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

Closing Thought:  Desire Makes Winners in every walk of life

 Here’s to the winners from today:

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

March 2012

Hapuna Beach, Hawaii

Today’s Distance 13,000 meters

Hapuna Beach

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

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

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

Nancy ready to ride to Hawi

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

Me ready for my Hapuna Beach 10km swim

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

What’s that Noise?

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

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

Kohala Forest reserve, what a view

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shark Sighting Hapuna Beach 

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

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

Closing Thought:  Keep Calm and Carry On

Kona, Hawaii

March 2012

Today’s Swim 10,500 meters

 Back into the ocean today, 4 laps to the 1.2 mile Kings Buoy in Kilaua Bay plus a slew of laps  to the Coast Guard Buoy and back to accumulate some additional distance. With plenty of feeds of Maxim packed I set off  at 8:00am for my 2.5 hour session. Today I am feeling very grateful, I have 4 swimmers to swim with me for the first lap.

Me, Evonne, Robyn, Amy and Karlyn, lucky me FUN FAST swimmer chicks to swim with, I am the lucky pengiun today....

The first lap is complete and lucky me Evonne is game for another lap, off we go swimming over all the colorful fish darting around below us, black fish, blue fish, black and blue fish, yellow fish, skinny fish and schools of fish that look like they are a big sunny bed of spring flowers, we soon fall into a comfortable rhythm and before we know it lap 2 is complete, Evonne is off to continue her  training on land and I head off to down some Maxim  and head back out to sea SOLO.

A flower bed of fish

I swim happily off , over the  fish flower bed, past the buoys marking the entrance to the bay, past the boat tours filled with snorkels, fins and wet suit clad swimmers on the hunt to catch a glimpse of spinner dolphins and into the deeper water where I can’t see the bottom, I feel more at ease out here, I like the vastness, it feels peaceful and I get down to getting in my zone and knocking out 2 more good quality laps.

  I stroke and I stroke, the sound of my breath is soothing, ” what’s that?” I ask myself, I listen again, this time the sound is stronger, in fact whatever it is is getting louder by the second…” Squeak, Squeak…..Squeak, Squeak”, as I am pondering the question I see 2 shapes below, dolphin shapes. ” DOLPHINS,  how wonderful to be in such good company, they are doing their deal, I am not going to stop and gawk, I’m going to respect them and continue on my merry way swimming”, I think to myself. 

So that’s how it went the tour boat and their wet suit ladden customers bobbing around in the bay way behind me looking for Dolphins and me futher out at sea, pulling through the water, blowing bubbles as I go, all while taking in the wonderful company below, two athletic dolphins slicing through the water. I swim and swim and they continue to stay right below me, then 2 become 4 Dolphins, then 8 more, now 12 Dolphins below me and to my right, I continue to hold pace as do the Dolphins, I snag a breath to my left and  there I see a mother and baby dolphin, the young dolphin is tucked right  by Mum’s side, memorable indeed.

The Hawaiian Spinner Dolphin

” What a lucky kiwi I am to have such wonderful company today”, I think and with that I take a ” Dolphin Inventory”, 24 Dolphins, they slowly start rising closer to the surface, the Dolphins either side of me snug in tight we are all at the surface together, I breathe air in and out my mouth, they breathe air in and out their  Blowhole on their back, I feel  them breathe and I see the water disperse as their bodies emerge out of the water for air, so close to mine that the spray splatters against the side of my face and my back , there are Dolphins to my left, Dolphons to my right, Dolphins below me and behind me….I am in a Dolphin Pod, I feel honored

Finally  the Dolphins veer off to the right out to the deeper ocean water and I continue on to complete my 10.5 km swim, what a morning!  I head back to Karlyn’s house, through the door I go with a wide mouthed smile, ” How did it go today” Karlyn asks, ” GREAT” I reply, ” I got to swim with 24 dolphins”, I add, ” Ahh, did you swim with the dolphins OR did the Dolphins swim with YOU?” she replies with a sly smile. ” They are probably telling the other Dolphins  Hey Guess what we swam with a human today!”

 I laugh at the thought and head to the shower to clean up, what a day.

Coming up tomorrow: Speed Work and plans to travel to a NEW beach

Will there be BIG FISH there? I’ll keep you posted. 

Closing Thought: A person who is enthusiastic soon has enthusiastic followers.

Kona, Hawaii,  February, 2012

Location: The Pier, Kona, Hawaii

Today’s Swim: 10,500 meters               

Kailua Bay, the Iron Man starts here, they swim 2.4 miles, before starting their 112-mile marathon and top it off with a 26 mile marathon run

How did Iron Man Start?

 It started as a friendly debate, in 1977 a group of naval officers debated which type of athlete was more fit, a swimmer, cyclist or runner, to settle it Commander John Collins combined the 3 major endurance races on the island of Oahu, with rudimentary rules in place, on February 18th, 1978 fifteen athletes completed the very first Ironman, the winning time 11 hours, 46 minutes and 58 seconds. In 1981 the event moved to the Big Island of Hawaii, a course that consists of a battle of endurance, stamina and heat.

So how about the training, the average Ironman athlete trains 18-24 hours a week,  and how about me, a modest 20 hours per week!  As for what’s involved in running an event like the Ironman….200,000 cups, 260,000 gallons of cola, water and soup and 5,500 volunteers, WOW, makes my support crew and supplies seem modest in comparison!

The Swim Course

Nearly 1,800 athletes flood the swim start area every October for  Ironman Hawaii, but not today, today my training is a variation of course laps with a dash up to shore between each lap to fuel up with a drink of Maxim. The start is a sandy beach making for a nice entry and exit point, there are outdoor showers to rinse off after my swim and even outdoor cubbies to store my feeds, perfect….

Girls gotta eat! Inside Maxim and post swim chocolate milk

 Into the water I go, I  head out through the colorful fish to the deeper waters of the bay, I swim 3 out and back laps, plus some trips to and from the coastguard buoy, after each lap I dig into my cooler for a feed of Maxim, then head back back out, 2.5 hours later my swim is complete. Time to rinse off, swallow a turkey sandwich and head to ” The Club” for some strength training……

45 Minutes of lifting and I am ready for a nap!

Green Sea Turlte

 

Green Sea Turltes are vegetarians, they eat sea-grass, algae and are called green because of the layer of green fat under their shell

 The lines on her flippers and head are perfectly placed, she looks like she is dressed in her Sunday best outfit, not a hair out of place, she is beautiful…….

Turtle heads off and so do we time to pump out a good effort swim

 Time to Swim

 Back to the task at hand, finishing off this 10,500 meter day, just 2000 meters to go,  Karlyn says ” I am going to give it a good push, do what you need to”. Karlyn is competing in French Nationals next week, this is her taper time, reduced mileage with a mixture of recovery and speed work, this is clearly going to be some speed work! ” Get Ready Kiwi”, I say to myself, and I do.

 Karlyn barrels out of the bay, she is a powerful and fast swimmer, who has been setting world records since 1986, I am not a world record swimmer…..but a very determined one. We thunder out towards the King Buoy, the 1.2 mile turnaround, I decide to think of the buoy as ” Cap Gris Nez, on the French Coast, I imagine that Karlyn is the tide. We swim hard and fast, Karlyn accelerates, I dig deep to stay with her, painful yet fun, the feeling reminds me of words from a recent read, ” pain is inevietable, suffering is optional”, I choose not to suffer and drive on. ” Where is the buoy, where is the buoy”, I push thoughts of the buoy from my mind, stroke by stroke we pull closer to the buoy, finally it is before me, I am elated and relieved, made it, what a terrific push. ” When I get the beat the tide command from my crew in the Channel, I am going to imagine you right by my side”, I tell Karlyn, she has the knack of making you rise to the occasion and she did just that today.

Pool closed...not a problem, into the ocean for speed work, that's me in the yellow cap

 Back we go on the return leg, Karlyn powers back towards shore, I follow, 100 meters out, I feel a tap on the head, ” look down there”, it’s Karlyn pointing down, ” thats a ” Bait Ball”, I look down not knowing what a ” Bait Ball” is. Below me is a swirling caldren of thousands of small fish, all swimming in a circle, they are tightly packed together and there is a white hole in the middle where we are treading water, WOW, ” 10,000 fish down there”, says Karlyn, she explains that this is a form of protection, coming together as a team gives bigger fish the impression that they are one big scarey fish not to be messed with.

 We swim into shore, rinse off, next up Yoga, food and lights out…….

What’s coming up tomorrow: Another 10,000 meter plus day in Kailua Bay.

Will I see Dolphins? I’ll keep you posted.

Closing thought:      Part of Wisdom is to know the value of today

                                               – John Palmer

Date: Sunday February 26th, 2012

Today’s Swim: Captain Cook

Me and the Captain Cook Monument (the tiny white speck is my destination, just shy of 3 miles round trip )

 Getting ready to take in a little sight seeing, mode of transportation swimming of course!

 I am excited to take in the scenery and some history, especially as Captain Cook discovered New Zealand, in fact New Zealand’s highest peak is called Mount Cook. Let’s find out how Captain Cook fell here on the Kona coast.

Me and Amy ready to launch in search of the Captain Cook monument....I'm on the left, you know the white one that doesn't look like a local.

 The History…….

  Here is the History, Captain Cook spent close to a decade exploring and charting the South Pacific, on January 19, 1778  he sailed into Kauai’s Waimea Bay where he was welcomed by the Hawaiians, after stocking with provisions he sailed away to return again almost exactly a year later on January 17th, 1779, this time he sailed into Kealakekua Bay on the big Island, where I am swimming today. He arrived during a festival, the big masts, white sails and way he entered the bay fit all fit the legendary descriptions of how Lono a Hwaiian god would appear…..Captain Cook was hooked up with all he desired.

Here is the Captain Cook monument and me

 Captain Cook left the bay on February 4th, on the way out his mast broke and he turned around, returning to repair it. The Hawaiians saw this as a very bad sign that he was not a god, while he was repairing the mast, someone stole one of his boats, things got ugly,  he took the Hawaiian chief hostage, meanwhile another lower chief was shot by one of Cook’s men, Cook proceeded to release the chief he was holding, while dropping him off on the shore the Hawaiians advanced on Cook and his men, story has it Cook was hit on the head and stumbled in the shallow water, ironically he couldn’t swim, his men moved away from the shore in the boat and he was clubbed and stabbed to death in less than 10 minutes, gruesome. 

 Eventually Captain Cooks remains were returned and he was buried, his crew sailed away March 15th 1779, 100 years later a monument was built by his fellow countrymen.

Exploring History underwater at the Captain Cook Monument

 So there we have it, the history of the bay, all very cool but the real goods is “under the water”….

A 6 mile swim goes fast with this view!

 And then there was a stingray to play with……

Hey Eagle Ray lead the way

 We complete the out and back course to the monument, as we swim into the beach I see the deck chairs, they are calling my name, but no deck chair for me, it is out of the water, down 300mls of Maxim and back in for another loop, Karlyn and Amy have completed their training for the day, for a moment I have pangs to stay on the beach relaxing with girl chat, but that’s not the life of an English Channel aspirant, back in the water I go.

Pick me for another lap WAHOO

Dolphins come out to play…

 The second lap was meant to be, I quickly got into a good rhythm on the way out, clambered out on the rocks to read the monument at the other end and swam back, on the return leg I heard squeak squeak, it repeated over and over, there swimming below me where two dolphins, it was like they were downstairs and I was upstairs, I turned to my right to breathe and there was more, 12 more WOW!

Homestretch….

I approach the home beach for the second time today, as it gets closer I push harder, one word in my head FRANCE, FRANCE, FRANCE, a final wave shoves me into the narrow inlet and I am on the welcoming soft white sand in Hawaii, what a swim.

And after a great swim in Hawaii? Underwater Yoga

Next Up:Tomorrow a few laps of the Kona Iron Man swim course

Closing Thought:                Learn and Play every day

                                                                  – Charlotte J Brynn

Date: February 24th 2012

Temperature: …NOT COLD!

Purpose: To find my Aquatic Edge

Kona, Hawaii, 9 days of sea swimming to grasp my aquatic edge

 Here I am in beautiful Kona, Hawaii training for the English Channel, why you might ask? The waters are crystal clear, the water temperature is a balmy 74 degrees and the sunshine, well let’s just say stunning. So back to why, this is a sharp contrast to the snarly locations I have sort out over the last 2 + years, over the past 27 months I have submerged myself in temperatures down to 47.5 degrees F, swum in the snow, embraced cloudy murky waters, big swells and menacing waves and here I am right now in the “Disney World of Open Water Swimming”, the water is a vibrant aqua blue, the entertainment under the surface is endless, as I swim there is an array of brightly colored fish, sea turtles and yesterday and energetic pod of dolphins whipped by me as I swam, they were playful, agile and made me in comparison look cumbersome and slow in the water.

 So back to my purpose, I am out here in Kona, Hawaii to…..

  ” Find my Aquatic Edge”

Who with? The best in the world, Karlyn Pipes Neilson, I am one lucky Channel aspirant to be staying here in Kona with Karlyn, not only does she have over 200 Swimming World Records, she is an outstanding coach and instructor, leading clinics all over the world, and this week I, get to train alongside her. What a treat! Just swimming with her is ” gaining speed by osmosis”,  I swim as close as I can…..

 Other goals this week:

 Sea Swimming

Speed Work in the Pool

Improving my Technique

Not getting Sunburn

 Here is the link to the Aquatic Edge Website, there are some great swim clips here and articles to help your stroke  http://aquaticedge.org/

Next Up: Sea Swim on the Kona Coast to Captain Cook. Will I spy Dolphins? I’ll keep you posted.

Closing Thought:

Nothing stays the same, nothing  remains static, Which way a thing changes depends on you.

                                                                                 – Neale Donald Walsch

February 2012

Training Location: Indoors

Why…..Check out the photo below, that has this Kiwi tucked up indoors for a bit.

-19 F, back in the pool for me....

 The Winter before my English Channel swim is finally here, my last cold water swim of 2012 is long gone and for the past 10 weeks I have been tucked up indoors, when I first returned to the pool I felt trapped, the water felt hot and it was challenging to sell myself on the regiment of back and forth, back and forth and back and forth some more. Luckily for me I have a goal to keep me motivated, the thought of the Channel is with me 24/7, all my workouts are geared towards the soul purpose of getting me as prepared as I can for what the Channel tosses at me on the day.

 So with that in mind the winter months have been geared towards swimming 40,000 meters each week, the goal is QUALITY meters, each set has goal times and ends with a beat the tide BIG PUSH, the beat the tide swims hurt, but I make a game out of it and imagine driving hard towards Cap Gris Nez, France, it is always a great sense of satisfaction completing a beat the tide push, my face is usually beet red and I am breathing heavily, often the sets are from the deep end to allow me to practice treading in between repeats. In addition to pool training each week contains 2 sessions of strength training to build muscle and reduce the risk of shoulder impingement ,2 sessions of Yoga to improve  Flexibility and getting outdoors for some sort of activity once a week. 

 Each Day starts at 5:15am, by 8pm I am toast, for me it is usually lights out by 8:30pm. Sunday is my rest day, which is often dedicated to ” Channel Logistics’ , planning and preparing for the Channel itself and the travel to get to England.

Below is my winter training schedule, I am fortunate to have company in the water most days through swimming with the Stowe Masters workout group at The Swimming Hole and also from the support of my kind swimming buddies who are willing to join me in the trenches for some long distance sets, the company helps so much. Friday is the day for my weekly massage from Kate Graves, I look forward to the session all week, her massage, assisted stretching and energy work restores me, come Saturday morning I always hit me best times thanks to Kate’s session the day before.

 What else have I been up to?  Eat, Sleep, Work and……

 The One Hour Swim January 2012

In January I competed in the United States Masters One Hour swim, this is an event you swim in your own pool under the watch of a lap counter and verifier who records your splits for each 50, once complete you enter your results into the National Event.

 On January 7th, I completed the 2012 One Hour swim, I was very happy with my swim, my distance covered was 4,310 meters, my goal was to hold the fastest possible pace and even splits, my 100’s remained a consistent pace for the hour and I felt in control, it felt great.

One Hour Swim...check, that's me on the right with the pink Aquatic Edge cap on and my swim buddy Paula on the left.

Next Up……Logistics continue, Planning Planning Planning…and more swimming of course!

Closing Thought: Motivation is a fire from within

                                          – Stephen R Covey

Sunday, today we are swimming in the snow!

 Air Temperature 30 Degrees F

Wind Chill Brutal

Water Temperature 48.5 Degrees

 The first thing I notice when I wake up this morning is that the rain is no longer pounding on the roof as it was last night, ” hmmm, that means either it’s stopped raining or the rain has turned to quiet peacefully falling snow flakes”, I think as I lean over to peer out the window, outside it looks like a big white comforter has been draped over the hillside, ” that sure looks cozy from here, but how about stripping off and inching my way into the water?”, I ponder my own question, ” well I’ve already declared that I am swimming today, so onwards, regardless of the snow, if anything it will make the hot chocolate feel even better after the swim”

 So with that I go about packing up my gear, today I have 3 layers of clothes on top of my suit and I am armed with hot feeds and blankets, ” now how about some foot wear to hike down to the canoe launch in and back up to the car after my swim”, I settle on my white Nike snow boots with white pom poms on the laces, “Bye” I shout to my family at the door, my daughter Heidi replies ” You’re going out there  aren’t you Mum?”, ” Yes I am”, I reply with a sly grin, ” WHO could possibly kayak for you in the snow today, it’s going to be very cold in a Kayak with the snow and the wind”, she announces, ” Deb is kayaking”, I reply, ” Wow, she is tough, that will be miserable”, Heidi declares and with that she pulls the blanket up closer to her chin and snuggles into the corner of the couch.

Gear is loaded " Let's Motor"

 I meet Deb, Paula and Paula’s sister Valerie at gate of the Green River Reservoir, in a flash the kayak is off the car and we begin to hike down to the canoe launch, it is a short walk but feels like a long slow walk to the gallows for me, I am walking especially slow.

Step by step we get closer to the shoreline

We arrive at the canoe launch, it looks very deserted, there are no kayakers getting ready to explore the inlets, there are no kids paddling in the shallow water, no eager fishermen heading out ready to land the big fish of the day, just a piercingly cold wind biting into the skin on my face, I am cold. ” Definitely putting that turtle thermometer in before I go in”, I think to myself, ” Turtle looks quite alarmed as I plop him in the water”,  after a few minutes I haul him out, 48.5 degrees he declares, ” Turtle says 48.5, I announce to Paula, let’s do this”.

Next up clothes off, "crikey it's time to strip"

 My hands are already white and rendered useless as I start to remove layers of clothes, as soon as the wind hits any exposed skin it burns, Paula is already in her wet suit and heading towards the water, ” don’t think my goggles will fog today….they’ll frost”, she shouts as she wades in…

Frosty goggles and blowing snow what an adventure....

 Deb slops baby oil on my neck, shoulders, back and arms, it won’t keep the cold out but mentally it helps, the smell is soothing. I walk to the waters edge, take off my snow boots and wade in.

Is that a smile or a frozen grimace? A smile I am excited to swim....

  I stand waist deep for a few minutes, ” do you mind if I keep a bit further away from you today? Your splashing wont get me as wet?” shouts Deb from the Kayak, ” No worries” , I shout back, hoping the words will reach her through the noisy head wind blowing into the canoe inlet. I take one last look at the stark beauty of my surroundings, the previously grim looking trees stripped of their bright colored fall leaves are now covered in bright white snow, a sharp contrast to the blue water, it looks beautiful. With that final thought in I plunge.

  The Water is cold but not alarmingly so, I go about powering my way out the canoe launch, time to generate some heat in my core, I swim strong, my heart rate rises, my body recognises what is needed and shunts warm blood to my midsection, I feel toasty and warm in my core,  all that is under the surface of the water feels comfortable, now my exposed arms and upper back that is another story, the cold air, combined with the wind chill bites into my skin, it feels bitterly cold.

 I dive my head down to submerge it as much as possible, warmer down there in that 48 degree water than leaving it riding high and vulnerable to that cold air, 18F with the windchill this morning, brrrrrr….

 I search for Deb and spy her paddling along side the shoreline, as promised she is paddling further away today, I miss her not being close by my side, but I have Paula swimming with me, she is in her wetsuit and on my left, we swim towards Blueberry Island, we are close, like whales in a pod, closer than usual, we bounce of each other a few times, it makes me smile, it is almost like we agreed to swim close for body warmth today……but there is no body warmth from two people next to each other, so close they are touching,  just the comfort of knowing she is right there with me, what a strong bond it forms when 2 people endure a physical and mental challenge together, I feel fortunate that Paula is swimming with me today, very fortunate indeed.

 The water is rougher as we approach Blueberry Island, finally I can see the rocks on the bottom, ” Yes that means we are at the island”, my spirits lift up as we round the Island and are on the way back home, I pick up my stroke rate and drive forwards through the choppy  water…

30 F Air Temp, with the wind chill a brisk 18F, a sure fire way to make the water more appealing than the air

 Before I know it the Blueberry Island Lap is complete, Deb steers us around and we head back out towards Blueberry Island once more, our plan to swim back towards Blueberry Island, at 30 minutes stop and take a hot feed, then swim back to the canoe launch. Deb signals my pickup, time to swim harder, I put the pedal down and pull hard, it causes me to breathe heavier, I scan my body, the usual culprits, ice block feet, but other than that everything is doing great, no shivering, no clawed up hands, I feel good. I know that following my pickup will be my hot feed, 150mls on double strength Maxim with 150 mls of hot water added to it, ahhhh I can almost feel the hot liquid sliding down, ” soon”, I tell myself. Deb stops paddling and goes about getting my feed ready, the thermos is out, I watch her pour the hot water into my feed cup, each time I watch her I am impressed that she seamlessly balances in the kayak, reaches for my feeds, mixes them up, gives me my instructions all through hand signals, counts my strokes, is time keeper and still manages to dance a rubber duck along the water or some other little character from time to time to entertain me, I like it, it makes me smile, an underwater grin and sometimes a giggle. Towards the end of some of our gruelling training swims, she will take a swig of water from her camel back and shoot out a spurt of water, better than any water pistol, I in turn repsond with the biggest mouthful of water I can and without breaking stroke will fire out a water fountain of water towards the kayak, it is fun, I normally have 3 or 4 goes at creating my best impression of a fountain of water that looks like the golden arch of Mc Donalds and then settle back to the job at hand of completing the swim. Deb signals for me to stop and feed, I reach for my Feed Cup….

Feeding Time, I am looking forward to some hot fuel

 I pass the cup to Paula, ” here this will help”, if my jaw worked when I formed the words,  this is what was I said, Paula takes a swig, passes it back to me and I tip it back, ” Wow, that is hot”, I think, I can feel it go down my throat and feel the heat in my chest. With the feed complete we swing around and head back towards the canoe launch, Paula and I both pick up the pace, we round the corner for the final sprint into shore, my tactic on this last stretch is always ” Sprint to France”, everything I’ve got until I make it to shore, I always long to see the rocks on the bottom, those are the ” you’re there rocks” and today like most days I have to earn it, I swim as hard as I can, I know this is my last “Sprint to France” this year, I last out door swim in Vermont, the frozen ice will ensure that. ” Lets make it count”, I say to myself as I pound towards the shore, I wait, I wait and I wait and then after waiting some more the rocks appears, PHEW, I made it.

 I am feeling most pleased and as always circle around to find Deb and smile, I stay in the water with my eyes just about the surface, ” it’s cold out there”, I say as I glance to the shore, Paula and I give each other a congratulatory hug and then it is time to get out, this is when things get ugly, once I get my wet body out of the water the cold air and wind chill will render me useless within 2 minutes, imagine yourself walking into a walk in cooler set at 18F and hanging out.

First up pulling up the Kayak so Deb and Cat can find land too....

 As I wobble out of the water my hands are starting to curl up, my bent fingers are in the perfect shape to hook onto the kayak  and haul it shore. Next up navigating getting dressed, everything hurts, standing is excruciating, I strip off my suit and wrestle on a fleece top and my New Zealand Wool Swandri, hat on, then Jacket, now time to deal with my lower body,  I glance down my feet, they are corpse white, they are the most painful part of my body, my hands a close second, I pull on sweatpants, it takes too long but I make it, I am still standing in the snow, it is almost like my feet are frozen there. ” Deb, I can’t get anything on my feet”, I have already had a number of goes getting snow boots on,with Deb’s help steadying me the boots are finally on, it feels like they are 4 sizes to small, with a big blanket wrapped around me I turn and head up the hill to the car , ” I can do it, I can do it”, I mumble to myself as I weave up the hill, it feels like forever to reach the parking lot at the top. In a flash I am in the mini, I am all bundled up, now I wait, the hypothermia has taken over and it will take some time for my body to recalibrate, my legs and arms are shaking uncontrollably.

 Paula joins me and we shake and shudder together in the front seats of the mini. After a bit Deb and Valerie return also with the Kayak, we are recovering, we chat of our swim and the excitement of swimming in the snow. Next up a toast to the final outdoor swim of 2011 with a hot chocolate and a few Jelly Babies, what an adventure.

 Paula, Deb, Valerie and I say our farewells and we all head home, I am all bundled for the drive, and 30 minutes later I pull into my driveway, ” I don’t want to get out”, I think, I sit in the car for a bit in the warm comfort of my” mini cocoon”,” what a time, what a trip”, I say to myself and with that I haul myself out of the mini, scoop up all my gear and make my way into the house. Inside Heidi looks up and says ” How did your swim go Mum?”, ” Brilliant, it was brutal but I did it Heidi”, I say with a smile, ” I knew you could do it Mum, if anyone can do it, you can”, she replies matter of factly. I give her a hug.

 With the Vermont outdoor season finished up what’s next?  Cold Water Acclimatization in Rhode Island/ Aerobic Base Conditioning/ Beat the Tide Sets

 What does that mean for me? Some long pool swims, all out sprints at the end of my sets, a weekend trip to Rhode Island for some sea swims and a Championship Swim Meet.

Closing Thought:

” Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It is not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it is when you’ve had everything to do and you’ve done it”

                                                – Margaret Thatcher

 Sunday Morning  and it’s  time to swim, swim, swim…

No sleep in this morning, no lounging around the house, no kicking back and relaxing after yesterday’s swim meet, it is back in the pool for me this morning and this afternoon back to lake for an outdoor swim.

 By 8:00am I am at the pool, I have the Stowe Masters workout group to swim with today and I am pleased to have to company for the 6000 meter swim, I am back  home  at 11:00am, by midday I have topped up on food and have the Mini packed with blankets, my swim bag and my after swim yum yums bag, inside  is a thermos of hot water, tea, coffee, ginger-nut biscuits and Jelly Babies.

 “See you later. I am off for a swim”, I shout to my family as I head towards the door, ” didn’t you already swim today?”, replies my daughter Heidi, ” Yes, but that was in the pool, now I have a cold water swim outdoors”, I reply, ” Of Course you do Mum, and why…because that’s what you do, have fun”, says Heidi, ” I will”, I say with a wide mouthed smile.

 Into the car I bound, I am headed out to the Green River Reservoir and as luck would have it I have 3 others joining me for this afternoons swim, what fun! The day is overcast, it is one of those bone chilling days to look at, the ones where it is cloudy and gray out, it looks like it could be 8:ooam  in the morning or late afternoon just before dusk, it looks quite grim. Things look much brighter when I see my fellow swimmers, Hillary and Sue Ellen, who are already at the canoe launch, Paula soon joins us along with Deb in the Kayak.

 The girls are already making there way into the water, I pass Deb my feed supplies, 2 containers, each with 150 mls of Maxim ( my carbo drink), to which Deb will add 150mls of hot water at feeding time, the hot feeds not only fuel me, but also help me combat the cold, I am not even in the water yet and I am dreaming of that hot feed.

Left to right: Paula, Sue Ellen and Hillary ready to go..." Hey Kiwi are you getting in?"

 You guessed it I am dawdling, I made the mistake of pulling on snow boots to drive to the lake and my coziest sweatshirt, I am so cozy on the shore, I feel like I need a shoe horn to pry myself away from the canoe launch and into the water to get started. ” Deb, can you put baby oil on my shoulders and arms please”, Deb obliges and I quickly slide back into the cozy sweat shirt, ” Deb, can I please have a hot feed before I swim?”, Deb obliges and I go about drinking my feed very slowly.

Me before today's swim, mischievously dawdling on shore, I am enjoying myself

   Enough is enough, time for me to get this show on the road, I kick off my snow boots, ditch the sweatshirt and wade into the water, it stings my legs, at 51 degrees Farenheight it is a sharp contrast from this mornings 82 degree swim. I dive under, the cold hits my entire body, I stroke hard and fast to kick up my heart rate and generate some heat in my core, my skin feels like it is burning, the cold water often makes it feel like this at first, I know after 20 minutes or so it will dissipate, in the mean time best thing for me to do is focus on something else,  I do, I look at my fellow swimmers tucked up in their wetsuits, I think how wonderful they are to come out here with me today, then I see Deb bundled up in the kayak, what a star she is paddling beside me, I know I drench her with every arm stroke, she must be cold paddling into the chilly wind. We leave the canoe launch inlet and make good progress out and around Blueberry Island, we complete the first lap and start heading towards the second and final lap, 30 minutes arrives and we stop for a hot feed MMMmmmm.

 Off we go again, another lap around Blueberry Island, we hug the shoreline as we approach the end of the final lap, Deb steers me into towards the canoe launch, she circles her arm swiftly to signal my sprint to France, I pick up my pace and pull hard towards the shore, the home stretch seems to go on for a very long time, I sprint and sprint, finally I can see the bottom, I dive my arm down to touch the mud and rocks on the bottom, PHEW complete.

 I bring my eyes to the surface, then part of my mouth, just enough so Deb can see my smile, it is my ” how about one of those tasty little Jelly Babies” smile, Deb sees it and passes me a Jelly Baby, I suck it down and say, ” I’ll take his little friend too”, with that she hands over another one and I swallow him whole.

 Next up, getting out, right now this seems like the hardest part, the air temperature is well below that of the water, I know as soon as I get out  the cold air will plummet my body temperature in about 120 seconds, I will have to move fast and get dressed as quick as a flash. Out I go, my clothes are just a few paces away, I peel off my suit, on with a fleece, sweat shirt and sweat pants, next the hat, all I am focusing on is getting dressed and getting dressed fast. I reach into my dry bag and pull out my big soft red blanket as I do so I notice Hillary, my fellow swimmer standing,  it is not the standing that concerns me, it is the fact that she is not getting dressed, and that it looks like someone has smeared blue lipstick on her lips, ” Hillary, lets get this blanket around you, it’s super cozy”, I say as I wrap the blanket around her, ” no you need the blanket”, she replies, ” nope I am all set, warming up already look”, I reply bouncing up and down, ” see I am off up to the car, come up for hot chocolate”. With that I bounce up the road, why do I say bounce?

 Well remember when I told you I wore snow boots today? Yes, well I won’t do that again, they were murderous to get back on after the swim, my feet were wet, corpse white and clumsy, I struggled to get the boots on and once on they hurt with every step I took, as soon as I got to the car I tugged them off and put on my lambswool slippers, ahhh sweet relief.

  We gathered around the car to talk about our swim, while drinking hot chocolate, sipping hot tea and enjoy a few more Jelly Babies. How long was this afternoon’s swim?  54 Minutes.

Total for the Day? 6000 meters Pool / 4000 meters Open Water = 10km

Total for the Week ? 45, 500 meters

 Coming up this week: Pool Swims/Outdoor swims. Will there be snow? I’ll keep you posted.

Here is a sneak preview, this is me driving to my next swim, you guessed it a SNOW SWIM coming your way......