#1 The Pace Arrow: l to r.... Betsy, Sharoz, John
by Fiona Laughlin
#2 Sea France
by Fiona Laughlin
#3 Pre Splash
by John Humenik
#4 Atop Cap Gris Nez: l to r.... John, Laura, Clare, Sharoz
#5 MIMS with kayakers Michael Hayes and Danielle Biordi
by Clare
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
EDERLE SWIM RECAP
Getrude Ederle:
http://www.biographybase.com/biograp..._Gertrude.html
The day was amazing. Clare and I spent the night in Bklyn. I woke up early to mix my feeds and fill up a few thermoses with hot water, checked the website for any last minute changes.... none, and loaded up the car. We were treated to a beautiful full moon (cosmo's moon?) still shining bright in the morning sky. There was little traffic on the BQE to the Bklyn Bridge to the FDR north to Houston St. We arrived to pick up Sharoz... knocked down a strong cup of coffee and a bagel (its not morning in NY without a bagel) and drove to north cove. Kayaker Michael Hayes was already there, and we unloaded all of our things parked the cars and greeted the other early arrivers.
Steve Munatones was there to crew for Michael Miller (the Hawaiian!) and we had a little chat while the crowd continued to gather.
YouTube - Dave Barra Talks About His 2010 Marathon Swims
We all met up with our assigned observers, were given a pre-race briefing, sang happy birthday to Gertrude and sadly learned of Fran Crippen's tragic death in Dubai. The only time I ever got to see Fran swim was at Governor's Island last year for the NY Pro Swim 10k. He was gracious, and was the only swimmer to approach the rocks where we were watching to thank everyone for coming. We would be swimming around the other side of Gov's Island, the Bklyn side called Buttermilk Channel (no one knows why).
We boarded our boat met Captain Al White and left the dock at North Cove.... heading slowly to the Battery for the start. Michael paddled away and was waiting for us when we got there. Lots of CIBBOWS friends were cheering from the sea wall. The start was staggered in 4 waves. Lance Ogren and I were the last to splash.
I drank a pre-race cocktail of EFS and 1st endurance Pre-Race.... quite the same as I had been doing all season, but in retrospect, I didn't hydrate enough. It would be easy to blame the chilly morning, but really, I just f'd up. I began my regular 20 minute feed cycle of alternating EFS and ginger tea with agave nectar, but had trouble urinating and digesting the high calorie mix. My left hamstring cramped up and I took a couple of minutes to squeeze it out and settle into a no-kick stroke. By the Verrazano Bridge, I started giving back my feeds to the sea immediately after drinking them down, and shortly after that pretty much emptied my stomach. My stroke rate that started at about 70 , now dropped to the low 60's. I would get it back up to 70 again after the next 2 warm water only "feeds". I took nothing for the last hour. I have to make sure to hydrate to the point of "free-flowing" before these swims. I was able to manage things this time, but would have had a hard time on a longer swim.
Sandy Hook lies pretty low, so when I was able to see the beach from the water, I knew I had less than 2 miles to go and Michael confirmed this. There was some disagreement about whether to send more feeds my way for the final push... I knew I could finish this on my reserves and would have turned away the bottle... throat quite sore from puking and not wanting to tempt an encore performance.
The Ambrose Channel was busy with ships both anchored and underway. From the water, it is impossible to know which are moving and which are stationary. My boat kept pretty far to my left, with the kayak between. As the wind was coming from the west, things were a little bumpy at times... not big, but hard for me to fall into sync with. I breathed to my left (east) almost exclusively for this one.
I heard that Lance and Liz Fry had quite a race to the finish, but we all landed pretty spread out across Sandy Hook; Eileen Burke was next to me. No time to chat though, so just a quick congrats and back to the boat to warm up. My capt was taking temperature readings from 55 - 56+ throughout the swim. I am certain it never hit 60, and I'm happy to say that this is the longest swim in the 50's I've done to date.
Results:
http://www.nycswim.org/Event/Event.a...2&from=results
Some pics from Tom McGann:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4878240...7625100763301/
.... and I'm happy to see about half of the field signed up for a victory lap at Coney Island on Nov 6th!!!!!
http://cibbows.org/races/2010/2010VDreg.pdf
(and so can you be too!)
http://www.biographybase.com/biograp..._Gertrude.html
The day was amazing. Clare and I spent the night in Bklyn. I woke up early to mix my feeds and fill up a few thermoses with hot water, checked the website for any last minute changes.... none, and loaded up the car. We were treated to a beautiful full moon (cosmo's moon?) still shining bright in the morning sky. There was little traffic on the BQE to the Bklyn Bridge to the FDR north to Houston St. We arrived to pick up Sharoz... knocked down a strong cup of coffee and a bagel (its not morning in NY without a bagel) and drove to north cove. Kayaker Michael Hayes was already there, and we unloaded all of our things parked the cars and greeted the other early arrivers.
Steve Munatones was there to crew for Michael Miller (the Hawaiian!) and we had a little chat while the crowd continued to gather.
YouTube - Dave Barra Talks About His 2010 Marathon SwimsWe all met up with our assigned observers, were given a pre-race briefing, sang happy birthday to Gertrude and sadly learned of Fran Crippen's tragic death in Dubai. The only time I ever got to see Fran swim was at Governor's Island last year for the NY Pro Swim 10k. He was gracious, and was the only swimmer to approach the rocks where we were watching to thank everyone for coming. We would be swimming around the other side of Gov's Island, the Bklyn side called Buttermilk Channel (no one knows why).
We boarded our boat met Captain Al White and left the dock at North Cove.... heading slowly to the Battery for the start. Michael paddled away and was waiting for us when we got there. Lots of CIBBOWS friends were cheering from the sea wall. The start was staggered in 4 waves. Lance Ogren and I were the last to splash.
I drank a pre-race cocktail of EFS and 1st endurance Pre-Race.... quite the same as I had been doing all season, but in retrospect, I didn't hydrate enough. It would be easy to blame the chilly morning, but really, I just f'd up. I began my regular 20 minute feed cycle of alternating EFS and ginger tea with agave nectar, but had trouble urinating and digesting the high calorie mix. My left hamstring cramped up and I took a couple of minutes to squeeze it out and settle into a no-kick stroke. By the Verrazano Bridge, I started giving back my feeds to the sea immediately after drinking them down, and shortly after that pretty much emptied my stomach. My stroke rate that started at about 70 , now dropped to the low 60's. I would get it back up to 70 again after the next 2 warm water only "feeds". I took nothing for the last hour. I have to make sure to hydrate to the point of "free-flowing" before these swims. I was able to manage things this time, but would have had a hard time on a longer swim.
Sandy Hook lies pretty low, so when I was able to see the beach from the water, I knew I had less than 2 miles to go and Michael confirmed this. There was some disagreement about whether to send more feeds my way for the final push... I knew I could finish this on my reserves and would have turned away the bottle... throat quite sore from puking and not wanting to tempt an encore performance.
The Ambrose Channel was busy with ships both anchored and underway. From the water, it is impossible to know which are moving and which are stationary. My boat kept pretty far to my left, with the kayak between. As the wind was coming from the west, things were a little bumpy at times... not big, but hard for me to fall into sync with. I breathed to my left (east) almost exclusively for this one.
I heard that Lance and Liz Fry had quite a race to the finish, but we all landed pretty spread out across Sandy Hook; Eileen Burke was next to me. No time to chat though, so just a quick congrats and back to the boat to warm up. My capt was taking temperature readings from 55 - 56+ throughout the swim. I am certain it never hit 60, and I'm happy to say that this is the longest swim in the 50's I've done to date.
Results:
http://www.nycswim.org/Event/Event.a...2&from=results
Some pics from Tom McGann:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4878240...7625100763301/
.... and I'm happy to see about half of the field signed up for a victory lap at Coney Island on Nov 6th!!!!!
http://cibbows.org/races/2010/2010VDreg.pdf
(and so can you be too!)
Friday, October 15, 2010
PRE-EDERLE
The day is nearly upon us. The 17.5 mile (as the crow flies) event that was scheduled for the 16th of October had to be rescheduled due to atmospheric conditions that produced high winds and waves. Historically, this is not an uncommon occurrence for the middle of October in NY, and the NYC Swim Ederle event has seen a fair amount of adversity. To date, only 50% of those who have started the swim have touched Sandy Hook and the percentage of swimmers who have withdrawn before the start is quite high as well. There are many reasons for this, but the two most common are scheduling/rescheduling issues and unfavorable conditions.
I am happy to report that the rescheduling of this years swim has not been the cause for any withdrawals and all 10 of us will splash tomorrow morning, including Michael Miller who has traveled from Hawaii to swim in the not-so-tropical NY/NJ harbor.
http://www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimm...it-starts.html
The water temperatures continue to drop under the influence of cold nights and diminishing daylight and where we were seeing 64 degrees at the Battery last week, it is now reading below 60.
Clare and Sharoz will be on my boat, and Michael Hayes will be paddling alongside me.
The course will start at the Battery and head east through the Buttermilk Channel (between Governors Island and Bklyn); follow the Bklyn shore past the Gowanus Canal (insert Jimmy Hoffa joke here) and under the Verrazano Bridge before heading west to Sandy Hook.
Splash Time: 10:10 EST
track swimmers: http://www.nycswim.org/Event/Event.a...&from=swimmers
or: http://twitter.com/#!/dvdbarra
I am happy to report that the rescheduling of this years swim has not been the cause for any withdrawals and all 10 of us will splash tomorrow morning, including Michael Miller who has traveled from Hawaii to swim in the not-so-tropical NY/NJ harbor.
http://www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimm...it-starts.html
The water temperatures continue to drop under the influence of cold nights and diminishing daylight and where we were seeing 64 degrees at the Battery last week, it is now reading below 60.
Clare and Sharoz will be on my boat, and Michael Hayes will be paddling alongside me.
The course will start at the Battery and head east through the Buttermilk Channel (between Governors Island and Bklyn); follow the Bklyn shore past the Gowanus Canal (insert Jimmy Hoffa joke here) and under the Verrazano Bridge before heading west to Sandy Hook.
Splash Time: 10:10 EST
track swimmers: http://www.nycswim.org/Event/Event.a...&from=swimmers
or: http://twitter.com/#!/dvdbarra
Saturday, September 11, 2010
ENGLISH CHANNEL 9/1/10 14hrs 27mins
THE WINDOW
The previous neap tide was a complete blow out, as was the following spring tide. I fell into a little funk as swimmers scheduled for this window came to the reality one by one that they would not have the opportunity to swim. With much training and treasure spent, obviously disappointed, they all left Dover with grace and the understanding that chance is still a large factor of any channel attempt. The best wishes from Jordan and Liz and Bryan before their departures strengthened my resolve to give it all I could if/when I got the call.
On Saturday, 9/28 six boats went out with relays competing in a London to Paris triathlon. The conditions were not ideal, but it was the first activity since my arrival a week ago and there was suddenly a buzz in the air. Word on the street was Monday or Tuesday were looking likely for solos in the #1 slot. Since my pilot, Paul Foreman, was able to get a few of his bookings in for their swims earlier in the season, I had been bumped up to #2... lucky me! I was now looking at a Wednesday morning start, though at 2 AM, it really felt like a Tuesday night.
#1's
Captain Paul took out a San Francisco swimmer, Joe Locke, at 1:00 AM Monday morning. Since Joe was also staying at Varne Ridge, I had the pleasure to chat with him a bit and compare notes on the schedule, etc. Joe had an excellent swim, and I imagine conditions were pretty good as at least 3 swimmers broke 10 hours this day. I got a call from Paul Foreman after Joe had landed, and though the connection was spotty, I understood the gist of it.... I'd be meeting him some time Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning for an early splash on Sept 1. There were 4 flags flying at Varne Ridge... UK, USA, Ireland and Australia. Four of my five neighbors were successful, and as far as i could tell from the forecasts; tomorrow was going to be even better.
As per the tide changes, starting times generally shift about an hour per day, so, on 8/31, Joe's splash time was +/- 1 AM; 9/1, my splash time would be +/- 2 AM. Sharroz, John, and I met Fiona and Betsy at the marina at 1:30, loaded up the boat and were on our way to Shakespeare Beach which took no time at all.
THE SPLASH
I was anxious to get started, so stripped down, inserted ear plugs, applied a bit of channel grease to my pits, shoulders, jaw, neck, upper back, groin, etc. wiped my hands, put on my cap, turned on the green strobe that was attached to my goggle strap, clipped on a belt (and tucked it into my suit) with a couple of glow lights, and jumped in. It was only a short swim to the beach, and after just a few seconds, I was on my way to France. Though I'm a much stronger left breather, Paul requested that I swim on the left side of the boat. This was a position that made it easy for him to keep his eye on me, and I complied without complaint. My plan was to breathe every 3 strokes and keep my stroke rate between 65 and 70. The adrenaline kicked in, and I felt like I was moving at a good clip though kicking a bit too much. I wanted to get warm fast (though the 62 degree water never felt cold) and after 2.5 hours, got a major cramp in my left hamstring.... the same thing that forced my resignation from the 2006 MIMS. Four years wiser, I was able to massage out the cramp and continue along with minimal leg movement (for the next 12 hours). Dodged a bullet!
THE FEEDS
The first mate would blind me with a spotlight to indicate feed time. (should have worked out a better signal) I would be alternating between 1st Endurance EFS and ginger tea with agave nectar every 20 minutes. The feeds were coming to me warm; not as hot as I expected them to be but since the temperature of the water didn't seem to be an issue, I didn't request them to be any hotter. The string I packed for this trip was a thin lacing cord that tangled up terribly, sometimes causing my feed stops to be a bit awkward. Additionally, my sinus was a bit irritated from the salty irrigations of harbor water for the past 10 days, so breathing through my nose was not happening; this prevented me from chugging my 11 oz feeds as quickly as I would have liked to. Oh well, I wasn't going to break any records anyway.
THE SUNRISE
Swimming on the port side of the Pace Arrow gave me an unobstructed view of the horizon. I have never experienced a clear sunrise from a fish eye view before. It was nothing short of magnificent. I thought standing on french sand (or pebbles) would be the emotional climax, but tears of joy were filling up my goggles as the sky lit up red and orange. I saw Roz and Fiona had the cameras going but know that photographs could never convey this feeling of swimming through the darkness. The fresh morning suggested warmth, though I don't think the temperature changed at all.
THE VIEW
The channel is rather shallow <180 feet (compare to Catalina +/- 3000 ft!) and there aren't a lot of things to look at except white cliffs at either coast and the passing ships and ferries. Now in the daylight, I could see the cliffs of Dover when I would roll on my back to feed though its impossible to gauge the distance covered. Still, I quickly remind myself not to look toward France. Though the shipping lanes are wide, the direction of traffic indicates when we are in English or French waters. I lost count of how many ships crossed our path, but it was more than a dozen. It surprised me that their wakes were barely perceivable although they seemed to pass quickly and closely.
THE FINISH
I broke my first rule (DON"T LOOK TOWARD THE FINISH) and looked at France. It seemed so close.... for so long; the lighthouse atop Cap Gris Nez a welcome sight. At my next feed Fiona shouted a few words of encouragement "you're almost there!", which prompted me to ask "how many more feeds?". This was not part of my communication plan and I think also qualifies as breaking rule #2... (JUST SHUT UP AND SWIM), but I wanted to know if I could start consuming fewer calories as we seemed to be in the home stretch. John was caught off guard by my inquiry; "two more" he shouted. So now in my mind, I'm thinking I've got another 40 minutes to an hour of swimming left. I could cruise in on what I've consumed so far and let the next two feeds go back to the boat after just a few sips. The hour has passed, and the view of the lighthouse hasn't changed at all. There would be another ten feeds coming my way, and I went back to drinking it all down. During this futile siege I noticed Capt. Paul changing the position of the boat relative to the Cap... trying to find a break in the currents that would allow us passage. At one point, he pulled around to my left, and I saw for the first time the giant woven nylon parachute that he was dragging behind the boat. This was preventing the boat from turning into the wind and current.
We missed hitting the Cap, (I don't think anyone hit it directly that day), and the wind was picking up. I thought of the possibility that I might have to hold this position for up to six hours and wait for the tide to change (based on stories of swims past) and laughed to myself as I watched the boat bouncing up and down in the six to eight foot swells... it must suck being on that boat... wasn't I the lucky one!
Finally, we got through the currents and entered into a shallow cove just north of Cap Gris Nez. I saw John suiting up to escort me to the finish and in front of us, a street that ended in a boat ramp with a few houses on the right and, a restaurant (La Sirene) on the left. I kept sighting on the boat ramp, and was rewarded with a sandy/pebbly beach to walk up. There were a few people standing at the top of the ramp, and from their gestures, I thought they were inviting us to come have a drink.... John says this was purely my imagination, and anyway, Paul was already sounding the horn for us to swim the hundred or so yards back to the boat. We grabbed a few rocks and started swimming.
THE RIDE BACK
The Pace Arrow is one of the fastest boats of all the channel pilots, and Paul was in a hurry to get back. We were getting bounced around pretty good, but still, after a trip to the head and wiping the grease off me, I was out like a light. Sharoz and Fiona took lots of video and stills and along with John and Betsy were tremendous support. I've said it before, but it can't be overstated: I could have never completed any of these swims without the enthusiastic support of so many friends and family. I am humbled in the presence of such love and generosity.
THE CROWNS
I'm not sure who came up with the "Triple Crown",http://www.triplecrownofopenwaterswimming.com/ but it seems to have become a motivating force for marathon swimmers. Catalina has seen large increases in the number of swimmers scheduling attempts, MIMS fills up in an hour or so, and the EC is booked up for a couple of years in advance. I was inspired by Antonio Arguelles who I met at MIMS last year whose goal was to swim the three in one year. This seemed to make sense to me, and since I had aN EC booking, all I had to do was get into MIMS and find a Catalina date somewhere in the middle. It was 82 days from MIMS to my EC crossing. Steve Munatones did a nice write up... thanks Steve! http://www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimm...et-enough.html
Colorado swimmer Craig Lenning completed the TC in less than a year as well.http://www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimm...rown-club.html
I had the pleasure of swimming with him at MIMS and Tampa Bay this year.
...... up next; La Sirene, the Serp, the Thames, etc
The previous neap tide was a complete blow out, as was the following spring tide. I fell into a little funk as swimmers scheduled for this window came to the reality one by one that they would not have the opportunity to swim. With much training and treasure spent, obviously disappointed, they all left Dover with grace and the understanding that chance is still a large factor of any channel attempt. The best wishes from Jordan and Liz and Bryan before their departures strengthened my resolve to give it all I could if/when I got the call.
On Saturday, 9/28 six boats went out with relays competing in a London to Paris triathlon. The conditions were not ideal, but it was the first activity since my arrival a week ago and there was suddenly a buzz in the air. Word on the street was Monday or Tuesday were looking likely for solos in the #1 slot. Since my pilot, Paul Foreman, was able to get a few of his bookings in for their swims earlier in the season, I had been bumped up to #2... lucky me! I was now looking at a Wednesday morning start, though at 2 AM, it really felt like a Tuesday night.
#1's
Captain Paul took out a San Francisco swimmer, Joe Locke, at 1:00 AM Monday morning. Since Joe was also staying at Varne Ridge, I had the pleasure to chat with him a bit and compare notes on the schedule, etc. Joe had an excellent swim, and I imagine conditions were pretty good as at least 3 swimmers broke 10 hours this day. I got a call from Paul Foreman after Joe had landed, and though the connection was spotty, I understood the gist of it.... I'd be meeting him some time Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning for an early splash on Sept 1. There were 4 flags flying at Varne Ridge... UK, USA, Ireland and Australia. Four of my five neighbors were successful, and as far as i could tell from the forecasts; tomorrow was going to be even better.
As per the tide changes, starting times generally shift about an hour per day, so, on 8/31, Joe's splash time was +/- 1 AM; 9/1, my splash time would be +/- 2 AM. Sharroz, John, and I met Fiona and Betsy at the marina at 1:30, loaded up the boat and were on our way to Shakespeare Beach which took no time at all.
THE SPLASH
I was anxious to get started, so stripped down, inserted ear plugs, applied a bit of channel grease to my pits, shoulders, jaw, neck, upper back, groin, etc. wiped my hands, put on my cap, turned on the green strobe that was attached to my goggle strap, clipped on a belt (and tucked it into my suit) with a couple of glow lights, and jumped in. It was only a short swim to the beach, and after just a few seconds, I was on my way to France. Though I'm a much stronger left breather, Paul requested that I swim on the left side of the boat. This was a position that made it easy for him to keep his eye on me, and I complied without complaint. My plan was to breathe every 3 strokes and keep my stroke rate between 65 and 70. The adrenaline kicked in, and I felt like I was moving at a good clip though kicking a bit too much. I wanted to get warm fast (though the 62 degree water never felt cold) and after 2.5 hours, got a major cramp in my left hamstring.... the same thing that forced my resignation from the 2006 MIMS. Four years wiser, I was able to massage out the cramp and continue along with minimal leg movement (for the next 12 hours). Dodged a bullet!
THE FEEDS
The first mate would blind me with a spotlight to indicate feed time. (should have worked out a better signal) I would be alternating between 1st Endurance EFS and ginger tea with agave nectar every 20 minutes. The feeds were coming to me warm; not as hot as I expected them to be but since the temperature of the water didn't seem to be an issue, I didn't request them to be any hotter. The string I packed for this trip was a thin lacing cord that tangled up terribly, sometimes causing my feed stops to be a bit awkward. Additionally, my sinus was a bit irritated from the salty irrigations of harbor water for the past 10 days, so breathing through my nose was not happening; this prevented me from chugging my 11 oz feeds as quickly as I would have liked to. Oh well, I wasn't going to break any records anyway.
THE SUNRISE
Swimming on the port side of the Pace Arrow gave me an unobstructed view of the horizon. I have never experienced a clear sunrise from a fish eye view before. It was nothing short of magnificent. I thought standing on french sand (or pebbles) would be the emotional climax, but tears of joy were filling up my goggles as the sky lit up red and orange. I saw Roz and Fiona had the cameras going but know that photographs could never convey this feeling of swimming through the darkness. The fresh morning suggested warmth, though I don't think the temperature changed at all.
THE VIEW
The channel is rather shallow <180 feet (compare to Catalina +/- 3000 ft!) and there aren't a lot of things to look at except white cliffs at either coast and the passing ships and ferries. Now in the daylight, I could see the cliffs of Dover when I would roll on my back to feed though its impossible to gauge the distance covered. Still, I quickly remind myself not to look toward France. Though the shipping lanes are wide, the direction of traffic indicates when we are in English or French waters. I lost count of how many ships crossed our path, but it was more than a dozen. It surprised me that their wakes were barely perceivable although they seemed to pass quickly and closely.
THE FINISH
I broke my first rule (DON"T LOOK TOWARD THE FINISH) and looked at France. It seemed so close.... for so long; the lighthouse atop Cap Gris Nez a welcome sight. At my next feed Fiona shouted a few words of encouragement "you're almost there!", which prompted me to ask "how many more feeds?". This was not part of my communication plan and I think also qualifies as breaking rule #2... (JUST SHUT UP AND SWIM), but I wanted to know if I could start consuming fewer calories as we seemed to be in the home stretch. John was caught off guard by my inquiry; "two more" he shouted. So now in my mind, I'm thinking I've got another 40 minutes to an hour of swimming left. I could cruise in on what I've consumed so far and let the next two feeds go back to the boat after just a few sips. The hour has passed, and the view of the lighthouse hasn't changed at all. There would be another ten feeds coming my way, and I went back to drinking it all down. During this futile siege I noticed Capt. Paul changing the position of the boat relative to the Cap... trying to find a break in the currents that would allow us passage. At one point, he pulled around to my left, and I saw for the first time the giant woven nylon parachute that he was dragging behind the boat. This was preventing the boat from turning into the wind and current.
We missed hitting the Cap, (I don't think anyone hit it directly that day), and the wind was picking up. I thought of the possibility that I might have to hold this position for up to six hours and wait for the tide to change (based on stories of swims past) and laughed to myself as I watched the boat bouncing up and down in the six to eight foot swells... it must suck being on that boat... wasn't I the lucky one!
Finally, we got through the currents and entered into a shallow cove just north of Cap Gris Nez. I saw John suiting up to escort me to the finish and in front of us, a street that ended in a boat ramp with a few houses on the right and, a restaurant (La Sirene) on the left. I kept sighting on the boat ramp, and was rewarded with a sandy/pebbly beach to walk up. There were a few people standing at the top of the ramp, and from their gestures, I thought they were inviting us to come have a drink.... John says this was purely my imagination, and anyway, Paul was already sounding the horn for us to swim the hundred or so yards back to the boat. We grabbed a few rocks and started swimming.
THE RIDE BACK
The Pace Arrow is one of the fastest boats of all the channel pilots, and Paul was in a hurry to get back. We were getting bounced around pretty good, but still, after a trip to the head and wiping the grease off me, I was out like a light. Sharoz and Fiona took lots of video and stills and along with John and Betsy were tremendous support. I've said it before, but it can't be overstated: I could have never completed any of these swims without the enthusiastic support of so many friends and family. I am humbled in the presence of such love and generosity.
THE CROWNS
I'm not sure who came up with the "Triple Crown",http://www.triplecrownofopenwaterswimming.com/ but it seems to have become a motivating force for marathon swimmers. Catalina has seen large increases in the number of swimmers scheduling attempts, MIMS fills up in an hour or so, and the EC is booked up for a couple of years in advance. I was inspired by Antonio Arguelles who I met at MIMS last year whose goal was to swim the three in one year. This seemed to make sense to me, and since I had aN EC booking, all I had to do was get into MIMS and find a Catalina date somewhere in the middle. It was 82 days from MIMS to my EC crossing. Steve Munatones did a nice write up... thanks Steve! http://www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimm...et-enough.html
Colorado swimmer Craig Lenning completed the TC in less than a year as well.http://www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimm...rown-club.html
I had the pleasure of swimming with him at MIMS and Tampa Bay this year.
...... up next; La Sirene, the Serp, the Thames, etc
Monday, August 30, 2010
TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT
We will be meeting pilot of the Pace Arrow, Paul Foreman at the Dover Marina at 1:30 AM. After loading up and a brief ride, I should be jumping in at Samphire Hoe between 2:30 and 3:00 AM.
Today there were quite a few successful crossings, including 4 of our neighbors here at Varne Ridge. Evelyn and David had the flags of Australia, Great Britain, Norway, and the US of A. The american was Joe Locke from San francisco with an awesome 10 and a half hour swim. The English women's record was broken, and an Aussie right next door swam a 9 1/2 hour crossing.
From Varne Ridge, tomorrow, my friend and current house mate Ian Hodgeson and I will be representing the USA, and 2 irish swimmers will also be taking their turn at the crossing.
Lots more to share, but its time to try and get a bit of rest.........
Today there were quite a few successful crossings, including 4 of our neighbors here at Varne Ridge. Evelyn and David had the flags of Australia, Great Britain, Norway, and the US of A. The american was Joe Locke from San francisco with an awesome 10 and a half hour swim. The English women's record was broken, and an Aussie right next door swam a 9 1/2 hour crossing.
From Varne Ridge, tomorrow, my friend and current house mate Ian Hodgeson and I will be representing the USA, and 2 irish swimmers will also be taking their turn at the crossing.
Lots more to share, but its time to try and get a bit of rest.........
Friday, August 27, 2010
DOVER: DAY 8
Day 8, and the weather is still pretty crappy though it looks like things will open up next week. Alternating strong winds and rain have been the story thus far and I'm very sad to say that a bunch of swimmers have run out of time and left Dover without their shot at a crossing.... east coast friends Jordan Waxman and Liz Fry among them. Jordan's departure hit me especially hard as we have been training together since spring at Brighton Beach, the Hudson River, and Lake Minnewaska. We both swam MIMS and the CIBBOWS 5k finishing within a couple of minutes of each other and seconds apart... respectively. Liz was planning a double and required a window of clear weather of > 20 hours.
Still, swimmers of the next tidal window (my tide) are arriving daily and another CIBBOWS swimmer, Jim Meier, has just e-mailed me with his plans to go for swim this afternoon.... I'll join him in the harbor around 5PM.
I've got 3 different sources for weather forecasts, and I check each several times daily:
http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=96593
http://www.accuweather.com/ukie/fore...209XT&metric=1
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=62304
..... such is the life of a EC aspirant.
There appears to be a window opening next week, and as per my pilot Paul Foreman, it is possible to go out with winds predicted at 10 - 15 mph with a bit of 20 mph. With that in mind, it looks to me like the first swimmer will not have the best conditions, so, Paul might opt to take a relay, or offer it to the #1 slot (who happens to be an american, Joe L. from SF). If Joe passes, I have the option, and the way things have been the past several weeks, there is no way I'll turn it down.
Roz arrives this afternoon, so I'll have a solid support crew with her and John... like a mini Catalina reunion!
Still, swimmers of the next tidal window (my tide) are arriving daily and another CIBBOWS swimmer, Jim Meier, has just e-mailed me with his plans to go for swim this afternoon.... I'll join him in the harbor around 5PM.
I've got 3 different sources for weather forecasts, and I check each several times daily:
http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=96593
http://www.accuweather.com/ukie/fore...209XT&metric=1
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=62304
..... such is the life of a EC aspirant.
There appears to be a window opening next week, and as per my pilot Paul Foreman, it is possible to go out with winds predicted at 10 - 15 mph with a bit of 20 mph. With that in mind, it looks to me like the first swimmer will not have the best conditions, so, Paul might opt to take a relay, or offer it to the #1 slot (who happens to be an american, Joe L. from SF). If Joe passes, I have the option, and the way things have been the past several weeks, there is no way I'll turn it down.
Roz arrives this afternoon, so I'll have a solid support crew with her and John... like a mini Catalina reunion!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
DOVER: DAY 5
I arrived in Dover on the 20th of August. It was a sunny day but breezy with white caps visible just beyond the harbor. An international scene and busy for a friday on the pebble beach and in the water with several relay teams (matching kits the dead giveaway) and lots of soloists. The mexican flag was waving and just next to that party was a group of 12 year olds in matching green terry cloth changing ponchos. Most of the gathered were at the end of their mid-august tide.... a complete blowout, but were holding on to some hope that the winds would change and they might get a shot at a crossing before the next tide begins on the 29th. The forecasts are not good.
I spent the night at Churchill House with my friend and Brighton Beach training partner, Jordan Waxman. J has been here for a week and has extended his stay a couple of times already, but time is running out for him, and I fear that if he doesn't get a shot by this weeks end, he will have to abort.
There is a chance (albeit small) that he may get to go out tonight around midnight, but we won't know for sure until 7 PM. Jordan and I have contracted the same pilot, Paul Foreman, and I am hoping to be able to crew for him, so.... fingers crossed.
I moved into my caravan at Varne Ridge on saturday. Just 4.5 miles south of Dover proper, this will be my home for the next 3 weeks. My hosts, Evelyn and David really cater to channel swimmers, and plaques line the alley of the entrance and include all the swimmers that have stayed here.... the list reads like a who's who of marathon swimming... very humbling. VR stocks a healthy supply of gear and supplies for swimmers including channel grease, feed poles, thermal jugs, glow sticks, etc. and make it all readily available. (perhaps I could have gotten away with just a carry-on bag).
I'll write more later. The sun is shining and I want to get outside.
I spent the night at Churchill House with my friend and Brighton Beach training partner, Jordan Waxman. J has been here for a week and has extended his stay a couple of times already, but time is running out for him, and I fear that if he doesn't get a shot by this weeks end, he will have to abort.
There is a chance (albeit small) that he may get to go out tonight around midnight, but we won't know for sure until 7 PM. Jordan and I have contracted the same pilot, Paul Foreman, and I am hoping to be able to crew for him, so.... fingers crossed.
I moved into my caravan at Varne Ridge on saturday. Just 4.5 miles south of Dover proper, this will be my home for the next 3 weeks. My hosts, Evelyn and David really cater to channel swimmers, and plaques line the alley of the entrance and include all the swimmers that have stayed here.... the list reads like a who's who of marathon swimming... very humbling. VR stocks a healthy supply of gear and supplies for swimmers including channel grease, feed poles, thermal jugs, glow sticks, etc. and make it all readily available. (perhaps I could have gotten away with just a carry-on bag).
I'll write more later. The sun is shining and I want to get outside.
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