Open Water Swimming Connection

This race has been on my bucket list for a while. I'm from Denver and regarding destination races I've mostly gone west, La Jolla Rough Water, Waikiki, Alcatraz etc., have hit the Midwest twice with Big Shoulders and the USMS championship in Noblesville, Indiana. This is the first time I've raced on the East coast and New York City no less.

First a salute to the NYCSWIM organizers & volunteers, a race like this takes a tremendous amount of man hours and logistical support to pull it off, Thanks!

I worked a half day on Friday morning (negotiation with the boss and had a afternoon flight), blew out there and headed to the airport all went as planned arrived at my departure gate just minutes before they started boarding the plane. I was a bit worried about this as I wouldn’t get in to NYC until after 8 pm, and my Hotel near Times Square not until 10 pm. Along with the two time zone changes which studies show west to east not so conducive to athletic performance. Race start was for 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

I had pre-planned my subway trip from my hotel to the race start & finish via the MTA website, for someone who hasn't been to the Big Apple in over 25 years this went off without a hitch, thanks for the tip Dave Barra.

Was in the 7th out of 9 waves for the start, waves started from slow to fast about 5 minutes apart. I had minor goggle leak right at the start that I stopped and fixed putting me in the tail end of my wave but I felt strong right out of the gate and passed my entire wave within a half mile, I had a feeling I might be under seeded and was correct. I continued to feel strong, loose in the calm water and played my favorite motivational game of pass the person ahead of me, since there were at least 200 swimmers in front of me I was able to play this game for a while. A couple of things changed as I closed in on the George Washington bridge, most of swimmers disappeared as I had passed them, except a few orange hats (speedsters in the last wave) showed up, but it became kinda lonely. I started to bonk just a bit, I was assuming a race time of around hour and half based on previous years times and did not feed, thinking I could do entire course on good pre-race nutrition/hydration. Apparently if I had participated in the webinar presentation a couple of days prior to the race, I would have learned they expected a longer swim time this year due to an expected weaker assisting current. Not that it would have mattered much, as I had forgotten to pack a gel. Finally the water became noticeably rougher as we approached the bridge, post race many swimmers commented on this. I didn't find it to big of a deal as I had done many laps in July with English Channel swimmers Sarah Thomas and Joe Bakel rocking & rolling along the north wall of the Dover Harbor which more then prepared me for this, plus I had done the 1 and 3 mile races at La Jolla just two weeks before. Once past the bridge, water calmed considerably and cruised the last mile, but becoming aware that even though I didn't have a watch on this was going well past an my expectation of an hour and a half, I finished just under two hours. Yes I did do a couple of backstrokes going under the bridge.

Regarding navigation, per the pre-race instruction I concentrated on the East Stanchion of the George Washington bridge however this was a bit problematic with my typical gator style sighting, most of the time I had the stanchion directly in front of me but was not getting a good east/west side perspective. On more then one occasion I was admonished by the patrolling kayaks I was out of the five yard range of the course buoys that I suppose to be in. My greatest frustration and issue in all of my races this year was my swim cap kept coming off, after twice stopping to put it back on I finally stuffed it in my suit but put it back just before the race finish as I wasn't sure of the rule. I need to cure this problem, don't normally train with a cap. Water temp around 70F, I prefer a bit cooler but I think for most folks this is a good temp.

Nice area for the finish, camped out on the patio with a young triathlete named Mark had a fun conversation while waiting for the awards. There was a shower at the finish, plenty of snack foods and a decent goody bag. Very much like the long sleeve event shirt, nice finish medal and a award to boot, first place in my age group about 13th overall. Overall two thumbs up! Do this race, it's a good one!

Having already swum across the Catalina Channel on two separate occasions, and having been successful circumnavigating Manhattan Island in New York during the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (MIMS) event, I thought this year I would try something a little different. Instead of an ocean swim, I had heard of others performing long swims in fresh water. I live in land-locked Colorado which means the majority of my training has been, and continues to be at altitude in our scenic lakes and reservoirs. After looking at a few options and speaking to a few other fresh water distance swimmers, I decided to attempt a swim across Lake Tahoe, and to wrap a family vacation around the whole experience.

I struggled at first during the planning process. Were there rules? If so, what were they? What were the generally accepted routes across the lake? Who could I talk to to get a boat and a pilot? Was there a governing body of some kind and would they provide an observer? What were the costs? Some of my questions were answered by a couple of swimmer friends who had completed swims across the lake, but I still had other questions. So, I was thrilled to meet (virtually) Karen Rogers on Facebook who helped set me on the right path. She pointed me to the Lake Tahoe Swimming Society website where I could get more information and register my intent to swim. Once I did that, I was contacted by Jamie Patrick who offered to serve as my adviser, boat pilot AND pace swimmer. Jackpot!

Now, about the swim. I had originally intended to swim at night like others before me had done to take advantage of calm conditions. However I had been monitoring night-time weather conditions leading up to my date with the lake and noticed the nights were cold and breezy. I was concerned about two things. First, I didn't want my sister Andrea and her husband Mel, who would crew for me, to get cold. Second, in the event I got cold in the water, I knew the cool air and wind chill would offer no relief. Jamie brought me full circle by saying if I timed my swim just right, I might actually get a little help from the prevailing southwest afternoon winds. With day-time air temperatures of 80-85F and sunny weather forecast, I decided to begin my swim during the early morning hours, estimating a 10-hour swim overall.

Before dawn on the morning of my swim, my wife Julie drove me, Andrea and Mel from Kings Beach in the north, around the eastern edge of the lake, to Camp Richardson in the south. The moon was low, bright, and just a shade past full on the western horizon just above the Sierra Nevada range. I marveled at the beauty of shimmering moonlight upon the lake's surface and for a few moments, I regretted not swimming that night. I wondered how the moonlight would reflect in a myriad of patterns below the water's surface as I stirred it up into eddies and bubbles with every stroke. That alone, I thought, would've kept me distracted from my physical discomfort and entertained for hours. Ah well.

We arrived at the Camp Richardson boat dock at around 6:30am as the sun rapidly lit up the sky. We parked and walked over to the dock and Jamie was already there, waiting patiently I presumed. He had picked up a nice, new 20' covered pontoon boat which I had rented for the day, and which he had piloted from the north end of the lake to the south end. It was moored to the pier. We loaded all our stuff onto the boat and I began to get prepped to swim. This is usually the part where I realize I forgot to bring something important in my swim bag.

Yep, I forgot to bring a printout of my "Swim and Feeding Plan". Brilliant! With hopes for quick feedings dashed, I stripped down to my jammers while Julie pulled on a latex glove and began to "paint" thick gobs of white zinc oxide all over my backside and nose to protect my skin from hours of exposure to the sun's intense UV rays. With that messy task accomplished, I added a layer of 50 SPF sunscreen to my face, neck and chest; and then another layer of Bag Balm to my chafing areas - arm pits, neck, face, and sides. Speedo jokes may not be appreciated by swimmers, but if there's anything open water marathon swimmers deserve to be heckled for by non-swimmers, it's this curious and amusing practice of lubing up before a swim.

With all that messiness out of the way, and my "feeds" prepared and put away in a cooler, I exited the boat, kissed Julie saying, "I love you!", and walked back down the pier to the beach just a few feet left of the pier. I signaled to Jamie I was ready to swim so he could start the clock. I waded in until I was hip-deep, and then shoved off!

There are two parts of a marathon swim I like most, and one that I like the least. Despite the tightness I often experience, I absolutely treasure the beginning of a swim. It's what I've trained and sacrificed for, and the feeling of cold water on my skin is a remarkably exhilarating sensation. My launch into Lake Tahoe was certainly no exception. But the added sensation this time was what I saw with my eyes. The water was so unbelievably clear and transparent, I could see not only the lake bottom down to 50-100 feet or more, but I saw the lake bottom in great detail - every little rock and crevice; sunglasses and other man-made items inadvertently dropped by other lake dwellers who I imagined, having seen their sunken items below, tried to retrieve them before realizing they were quite safely out of reach.

After about an hour of swimming, I was feeling pretty loose and thought it would be a good time to open it up a little. I increased my stroke rate from my usual low-50 strokes-per-minute (SPM) all the way to 60 SPM which I maintained for maybe another 3 or 4 hours, stopping briefly every 30 minutes to refuel. I was feeling good; better and stronger, in fact, than I've felt on a few other swims. However I knew at some point there would be a price to pay for that extra up-front effort.

Around the 5-hour mark I was beginning to feel a bit of joint and muscle discomfort creeping in. Fortunately, I knew what I needed in terms of nourishment and pain relievers to keep the fatigue from accelerating too quickly throughout my body. Jamie and crew knew exactly what to do to keep me focused and motivated so my mind wouldn't tell me it might be a good time to join them on the boat. It was around this time Jamie asked me to describe my level of comfort in the water on a scale of 1-to-10. He would ask me this question several times over the course of the swim and my answer was always "7". Jamie also asked if he could pace with me. "So polite to ask." I thought. "Of course, get in here!" Mel took over the navigation while Jamie dove in and swam with me.

Not many swimmers have as slow a turnover as I have, however Jamie's is even a shade slower and yet he had no trouble staying by my side the entire time. In addition to the mental boost of having him swim beside me, I now had an opportunity to examine his stroke, his catch, his kick; and sort of compare it to my own. Outside of his longer reach which allows him to push more water, I didn't really see much difference. Like so many pool competitors I had to swim against as an age-grouper, Jaime's a bigger dude with longer arms and bigger feet. Ah well.

This is a good point to explain what I like the least about a long swim. It's roughly Hours 6 through 9; the point where I'm fatigued and suspect I still have a lot of swimming to do to make it to the finish point. It's the point at which I try to "change-up" my stroke, to stretch and work different muscle groups, and last but not least, to keep my mind occupied on other things besides the "why" I'm doing this ridiculously long swim in the first place, and how nice it would be to relax on the boat ("why not"). When I get to a point where making ridiculous rationalizations replaces repetitive dub-step musical beats in my brain, then I know it's time to bring out the "balance sheet". Instead of rationalizing and accepting all the "excuses" that would've led me to quit my swim, I decided to add a second column of compelling "reasons" why I should soldier on to the finish. This whole topic is part of a longer narrative on motivation and is a story unto itself, so I'll save it for another time. Suffice to say the balance sheet is a mental tool I use to keep me swimming and I'll just say it helped me stay the course, and I felt so blessed to have family and friends waiting for us at the north end of Lake Tahoe!

Somewhere along this difficult timeline, James Bond and his entourage rapidly approached us in a speedy boat, sending my crew into a red flag-waving frenzy. "Good!" I thought. Up until now this whole adventure seemed to have lacked a sense of... "adventure". Now before you begin to think I must've been hallucinating, it was a real ski boat rapidly approaching our small slow-moving flotilla. But it wasn't James Bond piloting the boat. It was my friend Mike, and he had his family with him! Apparently, they used Jamie's tracking website at... http://www.openwaterlive.com/cliff on a mobile device to find us so they could bear witness to the excitement of me crawling through the lake at 2mph. But more than that, they came by to lend me a morale boost. But I thought I'd ask for permission to climb aboard their vessel first. Permission denied! I was thrilled when Mike jumped off and swam over to pace with me for a few minutes before swimming back to the boat and speeding off almost as quickly as they had arrived. They would come back around again later to boost my spirits once more. Jamie would also hand piloting duties over to Mel one more time to pace with me as we approached Hour 10, the hour I had thought it would take to complete my swim.

When it comes to measuring time and distance, the mind can be an unreliable partner. For example, I wear a sports wristwatch when I swim in open water, and when I do, my mind sometimes tries to convince me that the watch no longer works. The final hours of my swim involved a tug-o-war between my watch and my water-logged brain. They couldn't agree on how long 30 minutes to the next feed should take (HINT: It's 30 minutes), and it had me checking my watch every 5 or 10 minutes. It's like your kids asking, "Are we there yet?" several times on a long road trip (like the one we all took from Colorado to get here!). I know many open water distance swimmers don't wear watches on their swims, probably for this very reason. But because my mind is weak, and despite the fact I feel a need to check on the time every other stroke, the watch stays on!

Distance. What's that phrase? Oh yes, "Don't believe your lyin' eyes." There's nothing quite like the feeling of being a "hamster on a wheel" when you can begin to see your finish beach on the horizon and it never, ever seems to be getting any closer! This is when openness and honesty from the crew can help, and in this case, I had to ask to what extent I was making progress. Jamie and crew assured me we were getting closer and to just keep swimming. I had this same issue last summer crossing Catalina when I couldn't see the haze-shrouded mainland when I thought I should be getting close, and the response from my crew on that occasion was the same, Just keep swimming." Anyway, that's great advice! Why didn't I think of that?

As forecast, the afternoon winds were picking up around the latter part of the swim, slowly transforming the water from flat, transparent glass into a glossy blue surface of tiny ripples. Jamie had been navigating us into position to capitalize on a prevailing southwest breeze by pointing us slightly to the west of our finish point and then arcing in towards it so we would have the wind and waves at our back, pushing us all the way in to shore. Training here in the mountain lakes of Colorado has afforded me opportunities to swim in all kinds of weather conditions, with wind and waves coming at me from all directions. So I can say that having wind and waves at your back pushing you along is fastest by far, causes less impact and stress on the body, and is much more fun. But on this afternoon something wasn't quite right. First, the afternoon wind took it's time getting organized and, and at first, began lightly blowing in from the north directly against us! It only lasted for a brief period before turning calm once again so it's impact seemed minimal to me. Later, a stronger breeze with larger waves arrived at our location, approaching at an angle from my left, which is the side I typically breathe on. This condition didn't bother me too much either, and Jamie positioned the boat to my left which mitigated much of the potential impact. I did eventually benefit from the wind and wave pattern as we continued making our slow northeastward turn towards Hyatt Beach.

I don't know how other open water distance swimmers define the final leg of their swims, but the moment I see the finish area, and I can actually see my own forward progress as the scene comes into full view, it's at that point I know I'm almost done, and it's my other favorite part of a marathon swim. And just knowing my family, a few close friends, and my kids were waiting for us made me very happy indeed! Traffic from other watercraft was also increasing, another encouraging sign. I could hear the sounds of their motors humming along and see my crew frantically waving their red flags again like enthusiastic performers on a high school drill team. Once again, as at the south end of the lake, I could begin to see the bottom long before I would ever touch shore. Once again, I experienced it in great clarity and detail, with man-made items lost long ago, and boulders of every size and shape, resting in randomly scattered patterns across the lake floor. As I approached boats and jet skis moored just outside a buoy line, Jamie repositioned the boat to my immediate right and motioned me in closer to the boat for safety. He navigated as close as possible to the buoy line leading to shore to reduce the chance of a jet ski or boat crossing our path; just one of the many times I felt grateful to have his support!

It was at that point I was joined by another escort entourage... my kids! They had swum to the outer edge of the swim area on my left side to swim me in the rest of the way. And once I reached the beach and could get my legs steadied under me, I saw that family and friends were there to cheer my accomplishment. It was a powerfully joyous moment! My final time was 11 hours and 9 minutes - my longest swim to-date in terms of length of time in the water. I was of course exhausted and glad to be done, but wow, what a great way to finish a long swim in such a beautiful place as Lake Tahoe, a place we would call "home" for a few more days as we explored the lake and surrounding area with family and the best of friends!

The “Biggest Loser” is a show that we enjoy watching in our family, but I am always bummed to see the pool in every shot of the ranch, empty and unused. I’m not sure about the length of the pool or even if it’s “lap swimmer friendly,” but I wish the contestants didn’t spend almost all of their workout time in the gym. Lifetime sports such as swimming, tennis and golf can be great for maintaining fitness and health and I would like to see the show highlight these types of activities. Maybe with Anna Kournikova as a trainer, tennis will get some “face time”.

I think swimming laps can be good exercise for people who are overweight as the water is a more “friendly” environment. Movement is easier in the water and it helps support a person’s body. It’s also a good place to exercise with an injury. I can remember many injured runners in my college years spending time in the pool to maintain their fitness. Swimming is also a sport that can be done throughout one’s life. My dad and mom, (81 and 76 years of age respectively) swim laps in a pool in the winter and a lake in the summer.

To be fair with the show, the contestants may not know how to swim. A person can’t lose weight swimming if they’re a non-swimmer. Maybe too with swimming, contestants wouldn’t see the huge weight drops they experience in the gym. ALTHOUGH, it would be an interesting battle if the half the contestants were former swimmers and worked out in the pool and gym. Would they be able to lose as much weight as the gym rats? It was nice to see some future clips of the show with Anna Kournikova leading a water aerobics class with the older contestants in the pool. Water aerobics can be done by swimmers and non-swimmers alike.

Ultimately a person trying to stay fit for life should choose activities they enjoy. If you are a “swimmer at heart”, embrace the water.

On October 1st the 2011 Winter Swim Challenge begins and this program can help a person with a background in swimming, lose weight. The first category is 50 miles over a 6 month period which works out to about 3400 yards per week. That is 3 workouts of 1150 yards or 5 workouts of 700 yards every week. There are also categories of 100, 150, 200 and 250 miles. Reigstration closes October 2nd. Go to http://usopenwaterswimming.org/virtualswim.htm

I am excited and nervous as I prepare for my 10k swim from the island of Isla Mujeres to Cancun, Mexico. At the mandatory orientation meeting, Chairman Rafael Hernandez, Director de Mercadotecnia of Starc Producciones asked me "have you been practicing?" I said "yes, but last week I went to the beach to try a new swim stroke and met a pretty girl and forgot all about getting in the water." He just smiled.

But, I vowed six months ago to make this swim, and have practiced my swimming daily and even quit smoking....for now. So, for this 66 year old, my mental strength is at its best. The physical part of me is in question. As I write this in real time I will tell you what is really going on in my head. I will not edit this after the race. In other words, if I do not get eaten by sharks, or take too many gulps of sea water, this adventurous story will continue.

It's Thursday night at the informational meeting. Everything is in Spanish, "no hablando Spanish! " But, I have questions and am overwhelmed with fear and confusion."What if " precedes every thought I have in my head. Then, Rafa, a friend of mine, comes up to me and asks "are you OK? " I must of looked a little shell shocked. But, talking with him helped my panic to start to dwindle. He says "don't worry there are many non-professionals in the competition, you will be ok." He gave me some advice on how to maneuver thru current on the first phase of the swim. He said "once you get to the underwater museum, it should be clear sailing after that." He assured me if I have a problem there will be boats to pick me up.

Now I am going to try describe the thinking that started to overcome me. All of a sudden I started to feel at peace and yet excited. Still with a good fear, but it felt almost orgasmic, almost like I did when I drank and used drugs, but without the shame and guilt. This is something new for me, but I like it ! I guess you could say it`s getting high on life "la..natural."

The rules are pretty relaxed for us rookies. We can take a break on one of the floating buoys, but a swimmer must pass between the markers. One can flag down a boat if a drink of water is needed, and it is ok to touch the boat. Also, at any time a swimmer can hop into the boat and call it quits. Oh, but I would be so embarrassed if that happens to me!

I have been told that for us non-professional swimmers we allowed to use fins. At this point I have not decided to add web feet to my wardrobe. I haven`t practiced with fins. I am asking myself, ``Would that make me look like a wimp?`` You see, I thought we had the five hours to complete the swim. It is actually four and a half. I guess that means less breaths and more strokes.

Friday morning... 4:00 am. I slept well but got up way too early. I am excited, got my camera and all my supplies ready. Trying to relax today. I am required to go to the boat launch sight. They are going to paint a number on my arm. I guess it's if they find my remains and then they can somehow identify me. Does this mean I can`t take a shower tonight? I hope not, I do not want to smell funny for all the beautiful fish.

Now, I have called a cab for tomorrow morning to take me to the boat that will take all 500 of us to the island. Tomorrow's plan is to wake up at 3:00 am, cab pick up 4:00 am, and then take a boat from Cancun to the island at 6:00 am. Swim starts at 7 30. I hope, I will arrive in Cancun at noon. Awards are at one pm. But, I am not expecting one, just hope to hold my own.

Friday....went to the official body marking festivity. This was an event in it self. They wrote my number on my back, both arms, hands and both legs. All I kept thinking was if I get eaten one of the sharks my remaining pieces I presume would have my number on it. I suppose I should notify my next of kin and tell them I am number 1387. I am really not worried about the sharks. I know all of them....but one.

They were expecting 500 swimmers but so far it is up to 900 and 60 kayak entrees. These swimmers are very cheerful energizing people who are very supportive of one another. Everyone seams to know they are competing with themselves. Their intention is to have fun and just finish.

I introduced myself to as many swimmers that I could at least the ones that spoke English. Most of them did. I have found most of these swimmers from around the world is well educated, employed people who have a hobby of staying in good health. They are enthusiastic about life and family.

As I took off my shirt to get my numbers painted on my body. I felt somewhat embarrassed to show my tan-less body thinking this is a sure sign of not practicing enough. Surrounded by hundreds of muscular body's, both male and female. I asked myself "what am I was doing here?" Then realizing the problem is not them but me with doubt about my self image. The more people I talked to and the more support I got, my fear started to leave. This 66 year old started to reassure my confidence that "I can make it."

All the swimmers were invited to a healthy dinner at "Carlos and Charles," a well-known restaurant in the hotel zone in Cancun. On my way I meet David Ortega and his wife from Mexico City. This was his 15th year of swimming and his 100th competition. He said "every time I do this I get more excited ! Every swim is different depending on the conditions." He added " It's a good brake from my job and I always feel better when it is over." Hi wife added " I am his cheering section, it is like a vacation for me."

At this point I am still debating whether I should use fins. I asked David " I want your honest opinion should I use fins?" He said " No just go for it and do your best." OK, decision made ....no fins.

At the dinner I sat next to two sisters who are relativity new to open water swimming. Ana Lucia Munoz and Lilana Munoz Garcia both from Mexico. Ana has been swimming for five years and this was her 3ed competition. Lilana, three years of practice and her 1 st official swim. Ana said "Today is my birthday and this swim is a good way to celebrate! I practice five to six days a week. Every time I do I increase my psychical and mental strength. This carry's over to my personal and business life." Her sister added "Since this is my first, I am really nervous. Especially knowing my family will be here to cheer us on. I do not want to let them down."

I made my way back home to Puerto Morelos about 15 miles south of Cancun. All of a sudden I became starved for more food even though I just had a dinner. So I ordered a pizza with everything on it. I ate the whole thing. Probably not a good choice on "the night before." Well as I finish writing this report I must get some sleep. My alarm is set for three am. I will go to bed visualizing me completing the 10k swim.

Its Saturday morning,... feel well and very excited and nervous. Have everything ready to go. It is now 4 18 a.m. the cab is three minutes late. I start to panic and call Emilio, my driver "Where are you?" He said "a few blocks away." I took a sigh of relief. Well ,more later!

It is Saturday evening, just got home. Well my day did not go as planned but was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Here is what happened. I will write this tonight and over the next few days.

Arrived at the launching sight for the boat to take all swimmers from Cancun to the island of Isla Mujeres at
five am. Had an opportunity to meet the two sisters from the dinner last night and their family {their
groupies}...great people!

As a thousand swimmers and fan gather for the boat launch the crowd was unexpectedly silent. Everyone carefully listing to the FINA official go over the rules. I had no idea what they were talking about. I asked one of my swim friends if there was anything I need to know? He said "yes, the markings on the back of your legs tell you what group your in. You are in the first group to jump in the water." I guess the slow ones start out first.

As I click away to get as many photos that tell a story. I watch what everyone is doing. So, I do the same. I put on my sun block, adjust my goggles for a good fit. Then try on my beautiful swimming cap and stretch my mussels. Like that is going to make a difference at this point. I made arrangements for someone to take my camera right before I take the plunge. I will pick it up on the other end. Got some great photos and video on our 45 minute trip to the island. The trip was beautiful. The sun was rising and in the distant horizon you could see the shadow of the island. Then as night turned into day you could see the vegetation on the floor of the sea through the crystal clear blue water.

The ship arrived on the peer. They called for the first group to line up and stand on the peer. We did and again no one was talking. One official announced "you are not allowed to ware a watch." This would really mess me up because my whole game plan was on a time duration. He then corrected himself and said watches are OK. We all walked to the end of the peer and jumped in the water and waited for the whistle to blow. By this time most of the kayaks had taken off. The sweet but scary sound of the whistle came and we were off.

We were warned about how strong the current would be and they were right. I started out fast and slowly got into my pace. From now on it's a head game. My logic kept telling me to swim toward the little hotel I
could barley see in the distance. Swimmers were passing me by but I was OK with that. I was going to stick to my plan to take it easy and last the four and a half hours, which was my top goal, the second promise to myself was to finish the 10k.

After an hour I noticed I was all alone. One of jet skis came to me and said {they all spoke English} "you are going the wrong direction you do not want to end in Cuba do you?" I said "No but I have never been their. I think it's only about 100 miles from Cancun." I changed my position.They laughed as they speed away to check the next lost swimmer.

I started to figure it out, my logic was wrong. I do not swim towards the finish spot. I had to swim in a 90 degree angle to my left so the current would put me in the right direction. I probably wasted 30 minutes to learn this lesson.

It is now two hours into the swim. I am not tired. Still very confident but start thinking about where I would be if I was using the fins? Oh, cant think about those things those thoughts could put doubt in my mind. I have to concentrate on my swim, my time. I see a boat approaching me. They ask "Are you OK, do you want to get in the boat?" I said "No I am fine." He said "You are a good swimmer but I have been watching you for 20 minutes and you only moved ten feet." I answered "At least I am going the right direction, I am making progress." We then both started to sing "Row...Row...Row, your Boat" he then shook his head and left.

I continued feeling very much at peace. No fear of sharks, drowning or getting lost...again. All of a sudden I see this huge ship quickly coming toward me. It was gray in color and when it got closer I could see Policia on the side. They were yelling at me, I think... saying "you cant swim here." I said jokingly "I am not swimming here!... I am on my way to Cancun." I think they understood because they did not smile. They were getting ready to throw a lifesaver tube to me as I keep telling them "no problemo." Quickly from the North I see my bodyguards on the jet ski pull up to the federallies and explain to them about the old man who thinks he can make it to Cancun. They all give me thumbs up as they speed away.

"For my next hour I modified my strokes. Swim, breast, back and side strokes. I lost my goggles which I was not using anyway. But I did want to see the famous underwater museum which I would be swimming over soon. I
could take a break, but if I did the current would again push me way of course. So I had to keep on surging. Time is going very slow, two and a half hours in. My brain is wandering thinking about my past and other challenges I was in. Remembering one competition I was in {when I was younger} when they had a marathon contest called a "Handathon." you put your hand on a truck and the last one standing wins the truck.

I tried to reminisce on my mental condition not the event but my frame of mind. What was I thinking? Before I out lasted everyone for 94 hours and 20 minutes before I won the truck. I continued with my thoughts about how many years ago I overcame an addiction problem and was in a wheelchair for two years because of a back problem. I am also a survivor of prostate Cancer. These issues were racing through my mind. Not the problems but how I worked through them. I kept telling myself. This swim challenge is an opportunity to use those experience's and draw strength to finish this swim.

This helped me to go back to that "controlled energy moment." I was now their, in my head and heart. I see a large boat and Cancun looks close. All of a sudden I felt a new energy I feel proud, I will make it to Cancun !

As I approached the boat it took me ten minutes to go the last ten feet. It is now three hours. I asked how much futher to Cancun? They said "This is the 3k finish point. I said "Excuse me." He said "look behind you, see how big the building's look." He added "Now look at Cancun see how small the buildings look." So I quickly calculated that at the rate I was swimming I would be in Cancun by the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012. I still was not tired and told him I want to keep on going. He said "Sorry according to the rules {In Spanish} that you signed we cant let you continue.You are just to far behind."

I felt disappointed, I failed! Till....I got on the boat it was filled with people who did not complete the 3k and the 10k swim. So maybe it's not all that bad with me making the 3k after all. The rough seas were a challenge for all the swimmers. Out of the 902 swimmers who started only 318 finished. Now how about the 318 who did finish. The winner did it in two and a half hours. WOW....they live by the principle of "How do you get to Carnegie Hall," practice, practice...practice.

On the way back we kept picking up the exhausted swimmers. This was a big boat and it was rocking back and forth. I saw several people, sea sick with their head hanging over the side trying to feed the fish with the good dinner we had the night before.

The boat took us about 200 yards away from the finishing point so we all swam in and got our congratulations. Everyone who participated received a ribbon with a medallion. All the swimmers were invited to a scrumptious buffet lunch. The awards followed.

Life's lessons....are learned by success and failure. Most people archive nether, many live in a stalemate ! Bottom line is we are meant to be happy. If were not we must do something different....change something ! Right or wrong.... success or failure growth cannot happen if you do not try. This was a blast and what a revaluation I possessed...again.

Stay tuned for my next adventure. I am soon on my way to Thailand to volunteer for one year.
Jim Kaszynski......."The Idea Man" ........P.S. Please try this at home !

To get the full visual effect of the swim, check out my short video on utube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb70oB55lSQ

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Yesterday, going home day. I hate to leave, but am looking forward to getting home to my family. It’s the pesky goodbye thing that makes it so tough.

We hug all of our new friends, big squeeze for Rich and Lisa, and on our way. Cab ride, two planes, a bus and a car ride later, I’m home. It always amazes me how I can wake up on a boat in the Caribbean sea and go to bed in my own home in Maine.

Fortunately, Hopper and I were traveling together, which made a long day much easier. We talked about the week mostly - the swims we liked best, the challenges we faced, the great group of swimmers we have come to know. The thing we focused on the most is difficult to put into words - how all of our guests exceeded their own expectations and are leaving the BVIs stronger and more confident in their abilities. I feel so lucky to be a part of that.

Some notes about this awesome group of SwimVacationers:

Joyce just loves being in the water. She was always the last one out and spent hours rolling in the waves.

Tom gave us the gift of his smile by about day three - I even managed to catch it in a picture.

Emma swam farther than she ever has before on Friday. 2.4 miles through chop and swell and she never complained once. She just kept going.

Laird has a beautiful butterfly and amazing freestyle, and he is sneaky fast.

Leighann was somewhat new to open water swimming and tackled her fears above and below the surface. She always took the time to take pictures of me too - even mastering my underwater camera to do it! Thanks, Leighann!

Krista came to SwimVacation to train for another open water swimming event coming up in May - she’s about to tackle the Mediterranean.

Amy gave herself a chit to take one swim off if she needed to at the beginning of the week. She never cashed it in.

Jeff appreciated that so many of our group are also in life transitions - a bonding point for all. He and Amy also showed up to our first dance party wearing flashing head lamps - perfect ambiance for our boat deck disco tech.

Rob stretched his already seasoned open water muscles and proved that he’s just as smooth on the dance floor. He also swam through a personal loss and managed to stay in the moment through it all.

Chess has great style both in the water and out, loves to laugh, and can’t help but flash her bright smile when I’m photographing her while swimming.

Thanks for a great week you guys - it was an honor to be part of this adventure with you. Hopper and I will be swimming in the pool tomorrow. It will be a shock to the system after the week we just had.

Remember to keep your head down and dig deep. Keep it long and strong. Wishing you all great swimming until we meet again.

-Heather

Woke up at Marina Cay and headed out to Guana first thing. Guana Island is one of my favorites (I think I have a lot of favorites here) because it is so unspoiled. I don’t think I ever remember mooring with another boat in Muskmellon Bay.

We anchored in the adjacent bay to start. Hopper plotted out a challenging course - around half the perimeter of our starting bay, around the point of land, and into and around Muskmellon Bay. All together, about 2.5 miles. And not an easy 2.5. Throughout the swim we had wind and surge, sometimes at our backs, sometimes not.

EVERYONE made this swim. And everyone went the whole distance. It was a long haul, and I know there were some doubts out there. But every single one of our SwimVacationers pushed themselves hard - harder than they might have thought possible. When it was done, I think they all felt an immense satisfaction.

As I approached the boat with Emma, I could smell it - breakfast. Pancakes the size of a 24 oz sirloin, with bacon. There might have been something else out there too, but I couldn’t even imagine putting anything else on my plate. After breakfast, free time. Some napped, some chatted, some simply enjoyed the sunshine. By one or so, we were ready to break out the water toys. A number of us waterskied, and a few courageous souls braved the Predator. I ache just thinking about it, but our guests thoroughly enjoyed being dragged behind the dinghy with evil Rich at the wheel. While people took turns on the predator, I did a photo shoot in the water with each of our guests - all superstars in the sea.

Lunch (seriously, i cannot eat again) was burgers (thank you Hopper!) on Lisa’s ridiculous home made buns. The bread this woman makes on this boat defies reason.

While some of the guests were napping or chilling out, Hopper and I went out for a little free diving. Neither of us broke any records today, but we both felt great at the bottom of the bay, unencumbered by equipment. It seemed easy. It felt just right.

An afternoon swim around the other side of Muskmellon, out and back. We capped off the swimming with a quick and fun medly relay race. Hopper, Jeff, Laird and me against Fitzy, Tom, Leighann and Rob. Our backstroke and breaststrokers were neck and neck, and Laird gave me an impressive lead going into the freestyle leg. I kicked like hell and swam so fast, but I could hear great big Rob storming up behind me. In a last ditch effort I grabbed his ankle. All it did was cause him to drag me across the finish line with him. Great fun. Our last swim. We had cocktails as we motored back to Harbour View Marina and had dinner - something else crazy good (who can keep all this fabulous food straight?).

After dinner a slide show of images from the week. Looking at the 300 + pictures flying past, it really hit home what an amazing week we’ve had. It seems impossible that we could have done so much, but we did.

Some stats:
We ate 12 dozen eggs and 8 pounds of butter.
We drank something like 30 bottles of wine.
We didn’t use very much water.
We made 3 never-done-before swims.
We swam about 13 miles.

Tonight I was talking with a few of our guests about their experience. They commented about how so many in our group are in a transition in their lives. They are looking for a place to land, and found themselves leaping into the Caribbean sea for a little while. But what so many of them did here this week transcends the miles they covered. Some of them came unsure about their metal. Unsure if they could go the distance. Unsure. But tonight, having swum hard, swum long, through wind and swell and current, and against the doubts lurking in their own minds, each one of them knows that they are capable of reaching the destination. We’ve over-come hurdles this week, many of them in our own heads. And the new confidence that comes with such hard work and faith in the process and our abilities will spill over into everything we do.

We came to the boat as strangers and will leave tomorrow, united by these efforts and the celebration of what’s possible. I for one hate to say goodbye. To my new friends, to the person i am here, and to this fantastic place and all it gave to us this week. As I let the waves rock me to sleep one more time, I promise to remind myself that open water will always be here waiting.

- Heather

Hopper here. We swam the Baths today, a geologic/oceanic wonder on Virgin Gorda. It was an out-and-back swim, meandering through the massive boulders strewn in a crazy jumble along the shore. I have done this swim enough times now to remember the most fun routes without getting stuck in a dead-end, and I get a kick out of leading clients through the tight spaces. The turnaround point was one of my favorite places in the world; a white sand beach with super clear turquoise water. After the swim we hiked through the same boulder formation, but on land. Heather got some great photos here.

Our group this week is a hard-swimming, fun-loving bunch. I am once again reminded how great it is to have a job where I meet my clients for the first time, then live on a boat with them for a week. This has allowed me, Heather, and Fitzy and to meet really fabulous people, and get to know them very well.

The SwimVacation guides are sharing deckhand duties this week; dishes, helping to sail the boat, meal setup, general boat tidiness, etc. This has deepened my admiration of the Promenade and its crew, and has made me detest any dish in which cheese and the oven is involved (due to the fact that we have to scrape it from the pans afterward). The boat performs its job so well for us, and Rich and Lisa perform their jobs with incredible hard work and grace, even at 6’4”, 275 pounds (that’s Rich, not Lisa).

Happy AAAARRGH tonight at Marina Cay, then off to Guana Island tomorrow for our last day.

-Hopper

Crazy day. First, more sunshine. I think we own it now.

We all had a lot of fun dancing the night a way at Willy T’s in The Bight of Norman Island last night, so we got off to a bit of a slow start this morning. We decided to do a shortish swim to the beach and do a clinic on beach starts and finishes, which is always a lot of fun.

Hopper was demonstrating a good beach start and I was recording it when I felt a searing pain to the back of my arm. it was a Box Jellyfish, which are extremely uncommon in these waters this time of year, but we’d heard a few reports of them in the area, so I knew instantly what it was. The sting was stunningly acute, and within a few minutes I was very uncomfortable. Everyone stayed calm and responded perfectly to the situation. After a few very uncomfortable hours and a lot of benedryl and some other smelly substances, i was feeling much better.

The great news here is that our team was tested in a concerning situation and everyone did everything right, and with a cool head. It’s good to know that our crew is so efficient and level headed in an emergency. Swift action by Hopper, Fitzy, Lisa and Rich made a difference. Thanks also to Neil, the guy on the beach with a big jug of vinegar!

Here’s the thing: The sea is a wild place, and it doesn’t belong to us. We visit, but we always remember that this place is home to other species, and we are subject to their rules. Considering the number of people who go in the oceans of the world every year, the odds of something bad happening are pretty low. The sea that gave me a box jellyfish today is the same sea that gave me two spotted eagle rays yesterday, and a Manta ray the day before.

We’re all here because we’re passionate about swimming, and about swimming in the open water. The challenges that come with that - surge, current, distance, and yes, the occasional jellyfish - are the means by which we push ourselves. We trust in our abilities and fitness that we can make it from point A to point B even though we may never have done that before and may have natural or psychological hurdles before us. And when we arrive, we are better than we were before. This thing we do builds confidence and trust within each of us, while honing our fitness and body awareness. And all the while, the sea treats us to dynamic sights and experiences. How can we be anything other than grateful for our time here?

We sailed from Norman across the way to Salt Island, where our swimmers had a snorkel on the wreck of the Rhone. We lunched on burritos and salad, before which i think i saw a guest abs workout lead by Emma! How they have any more energy for exercise I’ll never know. Perhaps we should work them harder! Later, while some rested on the boat, others went to shore for some hiking, running and beach combing. We planned a short but ambitious island to island swim - from Cooper to Salt. Rich dinghied us to Cooper and we all swam back to the Promenade anchored at Salt. It was good to get back on the horse for me, and everyone proved to themselves, yet again, that they have embraced the challenge of swimming open water.

Cocktails- the bushwacker. It has too many ingredients to mention but they sure do go down nice and easy. Fantastic steak dinner with potatoes and gravy (thank you Lisa!) and into the boat salon for our stroke clinic. Hopper did an expert job discussing our digitally recorded strokes, and the process was really collaborative, with everyone contributing to the discussion. There is nothing like seeing yourself swim from underwater to help you make adjustments to be more efficient.

Hard to believe we’re on the back half of our week. It’s been another special SwimVacation day - I think our guests and crew all feel like a family tonight. We are bonded by this thing we love to do and all that the sea has to give us in the process.

- Heather

Today: The sun.

At long last she came to us, warmed us, blued the sky, reminded us that we are in the Caribbean. Thank you, Sunshine!

We woke up in our new secret spot - White Harbour off Peter Island - around back, in the lee.
The sun was coming through, the water was flat. We had explored half of the bay last night and had another half waiting for us. Into the blue we dove. We all swam 30 minutes out and back along the cliffs. For some that came to about one mile, for others, more like a mile and a half. On the way back we saw two huge spotted eagle rays (my favorite creature on the planet) feeding in the eel grass. They hung around beneath us for maybe 5 minutes - a thrill.

Before we got back on the boat we did a buoy turn clinic and explored the reef nursery near by. Breakfast was that of champions - our crew ate 35 eggs, i don’t even know how much bacon and over a loaf of toast. 35 eggs!

After breakfast, some napping in and out of the sun, and a sail to the Indians. There some snorkeled and I took Leanne on her first dive in a few years. She had a great dive and surprised herself by keeping her cool and taking it all in.

Lunch of quiche and salads and more relaxation. Joyce thinks instead of “Swim. Relax. Repeat.” our motto should be “Swim. Eat. Relax. Repeat.” Hopper is taking this into consideration.

We charted the course for our afternoon swim - a circumnavigation of a small island near the Indians called Pelican Island. The swim came to about 3/4 mile but promised big swell and significant wind. Some weren’t sure they could or would make it all the way around. But we took off, and every one of our swimmers made it around the island. It was tough, and there were times that each of us wanted to quit and request a helicopter rescue, but everyone made it, and discovered strength they didn’t know they had.

Cocktails were margaritas and hummus and veggies while we moved the boat to The Bight of Norman Island, where we left the boat for a little crazy fun at Willy T’s (sticky). We danced and danced and danced some more.

While we were gone, sneaky Rich and Lisa planned a birthday party complete with balloons and fancy table cloth. Rob’s birthday is today and Joyce’s in Sunday, so we decided to celebrate (as if we needed an excuse).
After dinner, more Willy T’s. More dancing and a bunch of pictures you will not see on this blog.

It’s late and morning swim hour will be here before we know it. Off to bed for this exhausted bunch. It’s great to have a day so full - two great swims, overcoming challenges, wildlife and a bunch of dancing. And cake! Don’t forget cake.

- Heather

Monday, March 8, 2010

We woke up to a sun struggling to be seen, working so hard to break through. It peeked through more and more through out the day, giving us all the hope that we might actually go home something other than pasty white.

Great Harbour has always been my favorite swim here in the BVIs and gosh darn it all if it didn’t rise to the occasion again. We woke up to steady winds but no rain. We dove in for a big swim around the periphery of the harbor. We cruised through schools of silversides so thick we could barely see through them. Tarpon patrolled in platoons. Pelicans punctuated the action. A sea turtle here, a sting ray there. The swell was large and we all dug deep. It has become our custom to end this swim at the water fun park crazy blow up toys thing. There’s an inflatable iceberg for climbing, 20 feet tall, and of course, the floating trampoline. How can you not love a floating trampoline when you’ve just swum over a mile to get there? Suddenly we’re all 8 years old bouncing around. It was, as always, a great swim.

We came back to eggs benedict and fresh fruit. After breakfast our swimmers headed to shore for a hike across the island headed by Fitzy. Hopper got some “work” done, and Lisa and I colluded on an excuse to go for a dive.

Backstory: Last November I lead the swim here in Great Harbor with swimmer Chris Matava close on my heels. My mind was blown with a most incredible sighting - a Manta Ray - very very rare in this part of the world. Chris got a super close up view of it, and Keith caught a quick glance. I knew this would never happen again - a once in a lifetime. Right?

Wrongo. Lisa and I were cruising around at about 60 feet, when out of the blue comes my pet Manta. And this time I had the camera to come back with the evidence. Amazing. Mind blowing. A Manta.

So now SwimVacation has a secret - we have a pet Manta Ray in Great Harbour. Don’t try to see it unless you’re with us. Cause he won’t show up for anyone but us.

The group on shore had a fantastic hike - some ran, some walked, they all enjoyed the view and chilled on the beach until Rich went to collect them in the dinghy.

Lunch - crazy good pizza. A respite for our bunch, who enjoyed the few minutes of sunshine we had with naps on the trampoline and bimbo mats.

We sailed around to the back of Peter Island to a spot not often visited by boats, and plotted a pioneering swim there. We kicked off the swim with an underwater video taping for later review, and launched into a 20 minute out, 20 minute back swim along a beautiful and pristine cliff face. The reef was so beautiful here - undisturbed by boat activity. After the swim Joyce and I explored another little reef nearby and found it to be a spectacular reef nursery loaded with juvenile fish of a bazillion colors.

Back to the boat for naughty cocktail hour gaming, nachos, and dinner - ribs and potatoes followed by chocolate cheese cake (enough already! I can’t fit in my suit any more!) After dinner I came down here to blog, but was dragged up to a dance party on the deck of Promenade. Emma and Hopper got into a DJ spin off (I declare it a draw) and we danced ourselves into exhaustion. One by one our swimmers have been trickling off to bed. Hop’s finishing the dishes and I’m typing away. There’s so much to tell - how can our days be so impossibly full?

We’re hoping sunshine awaits us in the morning, but come rain or shine, we know we’ll fill the day with one of a kind experiences.

-Heather

PS. Thanks to Chess for some great pics today!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

In the deluge they arrived, two by two (more or less) to our luxury yacht, The Promenade. We boarded and everyone settled into their cabins, unpacked and came up to a welcome beverage. We watched as they each unwound, relaxed, settled in with that “ahhhh I’m finally here!” expression.

The wind blew and the rain came down, and Hopper, Fitzy and I were relieved to see that it didn’t seem to matter much - our guests were just happy to be aboard.

We sailed to Little Harbor, Peter Island, where we lunched and had boat and swim briefings.

Hopper put on a show for us in swimming the stern line to a rock on shore. We plunged in for a paddle around - the water was so warm compared to the unusually cold air. We poked around and marveled at the schools of silversides and tarpon who didn’t disappoint, pelicans diving from 100 feet in the air, gulping at the plenty below. Laird had the wildlife siting of the day with a lovely Scrawled Filefish (Aluterus scriptus).

We got out, chilled for a little bit, and prepared for our first swim. Hopper plotted a course along and then across Little Harbor - about 1 1/2 miles. No matter the weather, no matter the swell, our SwimVacationers jumped in and got to it. Chess saw two spotted eagle rays, and Emma and I saw a fat barracuda.

I love when we swim in bays where other yachts are at anchor. As we swim by them, the people aboard always stop and stare. They can’t imagine doing what we do here. It makes us feel pretty bad-ass.

We trickled in after the swim - all except for Joyce who loves the sea so much she stayed in and poked around for another half hour or so.

We came up to hot chocolate (with Bailey’s, thank you) and freshened up for cocktail hour. Mojitos with cheese and crackers (Lisa went easy on us today) and then a fantastic dinner of tuna steaks, pea pods and garlic bread. Wine, wine and also some wine. Dessert - chocolate fondue (stop it! we’ve barely worked out yet!).

Now we’re hanging in our new sea home, getting to know each other, completing the transformation from regular life to SwimVacation.

We don’t know what the weather will hold for us this week, but apparently and happily, our swimmers are up for whatever the sea can throw at us. We’re anchored now in Great Harbor where we will swim first thing in the morning. This has been one of my favorite swims, and I can’t wait to see what’s waiting for us tomorrow.

-Heather

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Picture it. It’s dark, stormy, wind howling, rain pouring down. Two people, looking for adventure and some intrepid companions, set out from a tiny Caribbean airport.

They walk. Destination Loose Mongoose. The rendez-vous point can’t be too far, right? So what it’s raining! They can get wet - after all, they’re swimmers!

It rains. It pours. And still, they walk. Through giant puddles (they almost lost the little one) and over huge swaths of cold, wet sand. Dragging their luggage, leaving tracks on the beach. It can’t be much farther...

They climb over a jetty (the little one almost blows away) and into the welcoming arms of a polished gentlemen who says “You’re with the Promenade? Yes! Your group is right over here!”

Around the corner and there are the bright, excited faces of 4 SwimVacationers and Guide Fitzy, all delighted to see the soggy two, Guide Heather and Leader Hopper, squish up to the bar to join them....

So, we’re here, and it’s wet. But we’re here to get wet!

Last night we met Laird and Emma, Rob and Chess, we raised a glass and downed some burgers before dragging our soggy selves to the Promenade where three dry bunks were ready for us.

The wind howled all night, but that and the patter of rain on my hatch lulled me to sleep. I always sleep so well on a boat, and last night was no exception. We’ll catch some breakfast this morning and then prepare for the official start of our SwimVacation adventure. Our guests will be here at noon.

It may rain, it may pour. But what we know about the folks who come to swim is that they are usually up for anything. No doubt we’ll make the most of everything the BVI has to give us this week.

-Heather

PS. Seeing Captain Rich and Admiral Lisa this morning is better than any sunrise could have been!

Friday, March 5, 2010

Hi! I’m Heather, SwimVacation Guide, Photographer and Marine Naturalist! Let’s talk about our wildlife sightings on today’s swim! Hopper found a lovely example of Alopecia truncatus, and later I found its larger cousin, Alopecia rotundus. Good eyes! These two species in the freshwater hair ball family are common in most public swimming pools...

Ha ha.
Ha!

Tomorrow, we will no doubt see various forms of wildlife as we come from all corners of the nation, traveling through various airports, on our way to the sunny BVIs for our next SwimVacation adventure.

Oh but Sunday, Sunday. We will plunge into the Caribbean blue sea, stretch our muscles, and swim. And when we swim, we will see all manner of things - sea turtles, rays, huge schools of fish above lovely coral reefs....just a few things this week will hold for us.

So enjoy your last pool swim, my friends, and rinse off that chlorine. Tomorrow, you leave for SwimVacation!

Travel safe and we’ll see you in the bright blue BVIs!

- Heather

The Coney Island Cyclone was to my left and the Pier was behind me, it was just another sunny July day in New York. I guess I was swimming about an eighth of a mile out. My plan was to develop a pace that I could hold for eight miles. Why eight miles? That is the exact distance of the Boston Light swim (less than thirty days away). The current shifted and my landmarks seemed much closer even though I was slowly drifting out to sea. I kept stroking on an angle that brought me closer to shore. I was alone and almost a quarter of a mile out at this point yet I was comfortable and relaxed -- my concentration was getting stronger -- the ocean water at Brighton is my water and my home away from home. About a half-hour later, I touched ground at Grimaldo's lifeguard chair. One more training swim under my belt.

I walked out of 70 degree waist-deep water onto warm summer sand. There were about a dozen CIBBOWS (Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers) hanging out behind the chair. I walked over to Abe right away. Abe was talking with a few people but he stopped and greeted me with his usual warm smile. He is about sixty but he could easily pass for forty five. He has a stylish goatee and interesting tatoos that cover his legs and arms. He asked, "good swim?" Yea, not bad, I found a good pace coming back with the current --you know" I responded. "Yea, I know, where I'm going in three weeks there are no friendly currents, I guess that is one of the things that makes the English Channel the English Channel," he said seriously. I paused and asked, "Are you ready to go, Abe?" He waited a split second and said. "I think I am. I have paid my dues in cold water, brother. I believe a swimmer has to handle the cold water issue first. Look at it this way, if you can't hack ten hours in water that is in the low-sixties, it doesn't matter how good of a swimmer you are, as for me, I plan on swimming eighteen, maybe twenty hours at my own pace --slow and steady. I'll be heading up to Boston again this Thursday to get some more cold water swims in. Aren't you heading up there soon for the Boston swim?" "I am. How are you getting up there?" I asked quickly. "Fung Wah bus in Chinatown -- twelve bucks, it's not too bad, really... It's only fair that I let you know that there was a time when the driver turned on to a side-road at about eighty miles an hour though --quite memorable." We both laughed loudly like we usually do together.. Then, Abe picked up his goggles and headed for shore but shouted "Revere Beach is your best bet in Boston." I walked over to my blanket to talk with other swimmers.

There was a swimmer talking to my friend, Sil, at the blanket next to mine. She looked like a real cold water swimmer to me-- big and solid. I quickly introduced myself. She then said, "I'm Julie Sheldon, hi." She recognized my name as one of the swimmers on the Boston Light entrant list right away, and, yes, I recognized her name. She was a serious swimmer alright. Not only was she on the Boston Light swimmer list, but she was training for the NYC to Sandy Hook, N.J. 17.5 mile Ederle swim in October. She came from the midwest and she impressed me as being very independent-minded. She seemed to have an individual plan for everything she did when it came to training. She also drove from New Jersey to Brighton Beach to put in her ocean swimming time. Most of the swimmers left the beach at noon that day. Sil, Julie and I spent three or four hours just sitting on our blankets taking in the bright sunshine, telling stories and laughing at our crazy experiences out in the open water. It was all good fun. In between the stories, she gave us some valuable open-water tips... We walked off the beach when it was time to go home for dinner! To close, Julie eventually pulled herself from the Boston Light because she was focusing on the great Ederle swim in October.

A few days later, I took my usual twelve mile bike ride out to Riis Park Beach in Rockaway. I used to do a lot of triathlons, so Riis Park has long been one of my favorite places to train because of the long bike ride and rough surf. I locked the bike in the usual spot near the boardwalk then I walked to the lifeguard chair straight ahead. Cindy, the lifeguard greeted me: "Hey, John, the sweep is this way (she pointed east)." All good for me since I always liked to go east because i had much better on-shore sightings. I also wanted to swim with the current because the Boston Light is current assisted. I always feel more comfortable in the water with a current --I'm much more patient. I wait for my stroke to develop, therefore, my extension is better - thus my stroke is longer. Solid distance swimmers will tell you that efficiency is the name of the game when swimming a marathon (over 6 miles). This would be my focus from here on in (till the Boston Light) --a long and efficient stroke with a lot of roll. Anyway, I turned to Cindy and shouted, "later." Then I walked into the ocean until I waist deep, waited a moment, then I dove into the rough surf. The good thing about Rockaway is that there is usually a sand-bar seventy or eighty yards out and the ocean gets smoother if one goes out far enough. I did. I swam for two hours. I just swam directly east and ended up in the next town over. I body surfed a few waves into shore, slipped my goggles in my swimsuit, then I jogged back to pick -up my clothes before the lifeguards went off-duty. I rode my bike the same twelve miles back to my apartment near Prospect Park. To close, I swam about 4 miles (with a current assist), jogged 4 miles and rode a total of 25 miles on my nineteen year old Cannondale mountain bike. I have always felt best when doing the swim , bike & run thing. What I lacked in my preparation at this point were serious cold water training and speed -work (hitting tight pool intervals or doing open-water swims with faster swimmers).

I decided to follow up on Abe's Fung Wah bus lead to Boston in a hurry. I figured I needed some hard cold water time to help deal with the conditions I might face in the Boston Light swim. Why not train close to the event? That's what worked for me in the Pennock Island Challenge 8 mile swim in Alaska last year, right? I called up the Fung Wah Bus Company on Canal St and they told me that a bus leaves every hour on the hour and that all I had to do was come a half-hour early. So, that's exactly what I did. But before I bought my ticket, I stopped by Wo Hop restaurant at 17 Mott St. It was only 3 blocks away and it's absolutely one of favorite places to eat Chinese. I ordered a large bowl of Wonton Soup with plenty of egg noodles and spinach. After a great lunch at Wo Hop, I boarded the Fung Wa bus. I got a window seat about ten rows back. The seat itself didn't seem to bolted all the way, no complaints here though, there is nothing wrong with a little play in the seat for a $12 fare to Boston -- agreed?

The driver couldn't speak English very well but he sure knew the quickest and easiest way out of New York City via the Brooklyn -Queens Expressway, and, yes, my friend was right; the drivers' had no problem applying heavy force on the gas pedal. I plugged in my old CDs headphones and began listening to Michael McDonald's "No Lookin' Back." There is something about being on the highway or on the road that makes me feel like I have no problems or no problems worth thinking about. I also believe the road helps me to stay in the moment. In other words, I was going to Boston to complete a task: to get at least 6 hours of cold-water swimming in and I would accept nothing less from myself. The "present" was the only thing that mattered. There is no auto-pilot mode when one travels to new places to do challenging tasks. One stays focused on the present moment or bad things happen -- fast! Back to the driver --he simply got down to the business of getting us to Boston pronto and passed slower vehicles in a no-nonsense fashion. Hey, all of a sudden, I found myself in downtown Boston boarding a train marked - Paul Revere Beach. About a half-hour later, I touched sand. I was 50 yards from shore - I felt at home. I always feel at home when I'm near the ocean, no matter what ocean.

It was close to 5PM and I had a slight issue: what do I do with my bag? Leave it on the beach while I swim? No, not a good idea. I asked the first lifeguard I saw: "Do you know a safe place that I could leave my bag for a few hours?" She responded quickly: "We get off in less than an hour, maybe you could leave it at the lifeguard station," she pointed to a building about a half of mile south. I walked into the station and asked for the chief or head lifeguard. Six or seven lifeguards were hanging out. One of the lifeguards asked me: "Can I help you with anything?" I responded by saying: I plan on swimming for a few hours, I need a safe place to leave my bag." He replied: "Two hours?" I figure I'd be up-front and said: "Yea, I just got off a bus from NYC - I'll be swimming from the the Boston Lighthouse to Boston Harbor in three weeks, so I need to get some cold -water time in." He responded: "You're kidding?" I said: "No, I'm serious -I just got here from NYC and I need some cold water time badly." He replied: "It's not too cold --mid sixties." I was surprised. Then the chief walked through the back door and said: "I overheard you - sorry, we can't be responsible for your bag, anyway, we leave here in a little over an hour, sorry." Just as I was about to say something, a lifeguard quickly stood -up and said: "It's okay, i'll be responsible for his bag, I have to stay late to workout anyway, I'll lock-up tonight." The chief's facial expression turned serious then he said: "Well okay then, we usually don't do this --just this once." I smiled and thanked him and the lifeguard: "I'll set my stop-watch --I'll be back by 8pm," I said quickly. I took off my street clothes and got my goggles and cap and took to the Boston sea. Then I walked to the shore and quickly entered the surf and dove under the low waves. I spotted a bright pink house at the end of the 1.5 mile beach. The water was calm but there was a pretty strong sweep heading north. The temperature felt like upper-sixties to me. I started my stroke. I kept a solid or steady pace and swam the length of the beach in forty minutes. I jogged back to the lifeguard station and did the whole thing again. I was not cold in the least and felt comfortable and strong all the way. The water seemed saltier than New York water. I always swam well in salty water. My kick is not my strong-point to say the least, so the more buoyancy I have -the better-off I am. I finished the second trip, dolphin-kicked to shore and jogged back to the station, i walked in at 7:50 (ten minutes to spare). I hung-out with a few lifeguards for about fifteen minutes. They wished me luck and I walked out with my bag.

I walked along the shore for a few minutes and I looked out past the Harbor to see a huge lighthouse far out at sea in the twilight. I wondered, could it be the famous Boston Lighthouse? It must be. It looked to be about ten miles out. I stopped, sat on the beach and just kept looking. I asked myself, am I really going to swim from that lighthouse all the way to shore? Then I asked myself, "why?" After thinking it over, I had no real answer for either question in my conscious mind. I just knew deep down that the time was right for me to make the Boston Light attempt. I thought, if my life was the sum of all the decisions that I had ever made, then this one seemed to fit right in. After all, people asked me why I travelled to Alaska to do the Pennock Island Challenge in 2008. I had no real answer outside of, "why not." But it turned out to be the right move for me at that time - after Alaska, things seemed to change for me. It's hard for me to explain, but finishing that swim was like opening a door to a room with a key that I always had but had never used. I got the feeling that people viewed me and my feat in a very positive way, but, much more importantly, I viewed myself in a more athletic and positive way! For example, two guys that I didn't know tapped me on the shoulder before an MIF Hudson River race and asked: "Are you that dude that swam around an Alaskan Island?" I said with a slight smile: "Yea, it was a nice refreshing little swim." They both laughed and shook my hand. It was all fun and cool. It was like a brand new starting point for me at an age in life when many people are looking for finishing points. For example, a few months after my Pennock story was picked-up, I started recieving emails from readers who wanted to share their views or interpretations. It was all good... The truth is that when I wrote about my experience of "finishing the race," I thought that touching the buoy (finish line) was major, but, in my mind, the story was more about "trying with all my might" to finish the race. I hadn't ever felt passionate enough about anything to surrender my "whole being" or my "life-force" to it. Yes, after Alaska, things had changed for the better. I had completed an event that a good number of swimmers thought I could not do, but, again, more importantly, I had finished an event that "I, myself," wasn't sure I could finish. I remember boarding the small plane at Ketchikan Airport realizing that I wasn't the same. Something changed deep-down inside of me. I had more confidence in myself and my ability to follow -through in highly demanding circumstances. To close, yes, my life's story has more than just begun, but I now had solid evidence that my path should go more in the direction of my own hopes and dreams, no more side-tracking, no more long "pit-stops." Yes, I was moving forward on a new and exciting journey with more challenges and more adventures ahead, and, yes, more decisions.

So, was the Boston Light the right marathon swim for me? Why I'll just "give it my best shot" once more - right? Wasn't my best usually good enough? I started asking myself more questions then I stopped for a moment. I sat alone on the beach listening to the soft sound of waves as I looked to the shining Lighthouse far out at sea. There was something very extraordinary about the whole scene. I couldn't help but ask myself one more question -- did I ever imagine or believe that I could be a distance swimmer capable of being dropped off eight miles out at sea in sixty degree water with the ability to make it to shore? Just the fact that I was in a prestigious marathon event for the second straight year made me proud. I then looked up over yellow Harbor lights to see bright stars appear over low sea clouds. I kept listening to the soft and soothing sound of low waves breaking close to shore. Then I thought of a poem that I wrote in New York City on a snowy January night:

Far Away Destinations

Snow falls past
midnight
as I walk alone
heading
for home
on a dimly lit
city side-street.

I think of days
when I'll find
the roads
that lead me to
the open sea
where I'll swim
beyond the breakers
and dream of
far-away destinations...
~JD

I walked along the shore until I left the beach, then walked a block to the train, got on, switched once and checked into the Boston YMCA at 316 Huntington Ave for $48. It's a great old pre-war YMCA with history. The next day the sun was shining so it was easy and fun to make it back to Revere Beach. After taking NYC subways my whole life, I appreciated the Boston train system. In short, much cleaner and friendlier than NYC but one major issue: the trains do not run twenty four hours! Anyway, back to swimming, I dove into the warm sea (still upper sixties) about 10AM and swam for about 2.5 hours. I thought the depth of the water had something to do with the temperature. Sometimes I would hit cold spots where I could not see the bottom, but, overall, I was swimming in water no more than 4 or 5 feet deep.

Time to catch the Fung Wah bus back to Chinatown, NYC. I found a window seat about fifteen rows back! As a matter of fact, the seat I was sitting in was bolted down a little tighter than the first one. A little less rocking this time out. But again, for a $12 fare to NYC, I'll rock, or, heck, I'll even rock hard straight through the night! ...Ha.... That said, there was another no-nonsense driver behind the Fung Wah bus wheel with a strong urge to cut corners and keep a heavy foot on the gas pedal! --- All good.

It was time for me to finally get someone I knew and trusted to be my crew. I had asked two very experienced swimmers on my Chelsea Piers masters team, Lance Ogren and Kenn Lowy. I asked Lance first but he wasn't sure when he would be getting back from England. It just so happened that he was crewing for Abe's Channel swim. He also would be going back to England in late August for his own Channel attempt. Back in June, he swam solo around Manhattan Island. Needless to say, he was booked through the summer. To sum -up, Lance was my number one choice. I asked my longtime teammate, Kenn Lowy, also a MIMS soloist and an English Channel crew member, because he is an open open-water veteran who knows swim marathon events inside and out. In addition, he knew Boston well and he seemed to have an interest in swimming the Boston Light himself, so I thought it could be a win-win situation. I was optimistic when Kenn gave me a maybe. After Lance, he would be the best guy I could get to be my crew. Besides that, I always thought he was fun guy to hang-out with. About a week later, his maybe turned into a no when he decided to enter Grimaldo's Mile race (the same day as the Boston Light). I was disappointed. Why not ask Lance again, I thought. After all, he said maybe too. So, I asked him again. I said this time I would need a "yes" or a "no" because time was running out. He responded enthusiastically: "We're on, JD!" I soon found out that there was room for one more on the boat, so Lance would be coming up with Carlie Brown, our very cool CP coach. Lance was the only swimmer to finish the great 2008 17.5 mile Ederle race (NYC to Sandy Hook, N.J) in sub-sixty degree rough water --no one questioned his determination or ability.. Oh, yea, some ocean swimmers were very talented, some talked a good game on our beach, but everyone knew that Lance had the best chance of a successful English Channel crossing, but, more than that, he was an inspirational guy with a real passion for the open-water. So, to wrap-up: I had a proven pilot in Bill, one of the best swimmers and motivators at Brighton Beach in Lance Ogren, and, to-boot, Carlie Brown, my coach, was on board. The universe seemed to be aligning itself up just for me!

I took a summer lecturing job near Jones Beach, Long Island. The upside was that I could get some rough water ocean swims in --the downside was that it pulled me away from my Manhattan masters team. For my Alaska marathon race, I mainly trained in the ocean. Why not take the same approach for Boston? Very different environments, and, yes, the Inside Passage in Alaska is damn cold (mid-fifties) but the race is around an island -- I was never more than a few hundred yards off-shore. The Boston Light Swim is eight miles off-shore. Open water swimmers know all too well that things can change in a flash out at sea.

A few weeks passed. There were less than four days before the race. I hooked up with some of my swimming partners, Silverio and Patrica Sener. Sil was training hard for his upcoming 5K Coney Island race -- he simply has a great work ethic. I was concentrating more on my Total Immersion techniques. Only a few years ago, I swam flat (little roll). Along with rolling more, I now concentrate on distance per stroke while trying to maintain a good streamline position by keeping my weight on the top-half of my body. I am still working on a more efficient recovery (high elbows) while "skating" on my side. In my view, these skills are critical or crucial for older swimmers (40 or 45 and up). P.S. gave me some solid feedback about rolling or connecting my upper body more during the pull. She is one of the original CIBBOWS founders. She works part time as a swim instructor so she was more than able to find stroke issues with swimmers that usually go unnoticed.

More good news -- a swimming partner of mine, Amy Wu, called me to tell me that she hooked -up with another swimmer for a relay attempt. It turned out that Boston Light relay slots were open late. She was going to connect with her her partner, Becky, at the pre-race meeting and swim the next day. This worked out well for both of us -- we could share travel costs and save energy by renting a car. We could now go to Boston in style and maybe even shop at a fancy designer outlet on the way up! Did I just say that? Okay, I admit it, I like to buy stuff at J CREW. Sure enough, somewhere in Connecticut we came across a huge outlet mall. Amy and I walked off in different directions but we wound up meeting in, you guessed it, J CREW. It turned out that J CREW was one of Amy's favorite stores too.. To close, we both bought a few things, stopped in at Starbucks and then continued on 95 North. When we opened the trunk, something smelled slightly sour or foul. I didn't pay too much attention to it, since the only thing I had back there was my gator-aid which was mixed with Twin Lab ultra-fuel powder. When we got to Boston, the trunk smelled pretty damn sour. I mean it really stunk! I had to throw -out eight pre-mixed energy-drink bottles.

We arrived in Boston with an hour to spare. The Boston pre-race meeting started on time at the Boston Yacht Club. This was the same place we would be meeting in the morning. There was a long dock where our pilots would be able to boat-in and pick us up to take us to the Boston Lighthouse. Greg O'Connor, the race director, introduced himself right away, gave me a number , a cap, race instructions and a cool Boston Light tee-shirt. Lance and Carlie called me to tell me that they were stuck in traffic on 95. Amy went her own way to look for her race partner. She soon found Becky and sat with her at Becky's table. I found a place at a table with other swimmers. Hearing their stories was all very interesting to me. I saw swimmers that I recognized, Willy Blumentals, who just finished a Manhattan Island solo swim and Sebastian N, who won the great Ederle swim going away in 5.5 hours. Willy and I talked, joked around a little and got some coffee and pasta at the table in the back of the room. Willy and I knew a lot of the same people from CIBBOWS. He also knew Amy Wu well since they recently swam The Tampa Bay Marathon as a team. The meeting progressed and Greg talked about the tricky parts of the course. I found out that currents sweep around some of the islands and can create some issues for swimmers. He also stressed that we would be getting a push or a current-assist most of the way. There was an absolute cut-off time of 5 hours due to safety and tide issues. Twenty minutes passed by and I turned to see Lance and Carlie (my all-star crew) behind me taking notes about the race. It was great to see them. I walked over to sit with them right away. We admired our official Boston Light Tee shirts. Then we took more notes, in between, we joked and laughed. The meeting progressed further, Greg went on to talk about the great history of the Boston Light Swim. In short, the first documented swim was in 1907 - - it's the oldest marathon swim race in the USA! Each year it starts at the foot of the Boston Light on Little Brewster Island and runs through Harbor Islands to the finish at the L Street Bathouse during a flood tide. Greg made it perfectly clear that sometimes wind and other issues could or would offset the push from the tide. One only has to look at the variation of the recorded winning times of the Boston swim to fully understand his point. Greg wrapped things up by wishing everyone luck, then we all headed for the door.

It was race day and race time. We were instructed to wait at the dock for our pilots to pick us up and take us out to sea. The sun was shining and there seemed to be a light wind coming out of the west. The water in the harbor seemed fairly calm -- all good. Bill sent his brother in a small boat and Carlie, Lance & I jumped in. It was important to look back and watch for landmarks because I would be swimming using the same route. We passed under a bridge where the Boston skyline appeared in full. Lance and Carlie seemed more excited than me as they looked out at the islands in the Harbor. About twenty minutes later, we connected with Bill and his huge 28 foot cabin -cruiser --a sweet ride indeed. We met Bill and his wife and started to get things together. I got my Aquasphere goggles out first and quicky used my Barracuda ant-fog liquid on the inside and outside. I then rubbed Bull Frog 30 gel sunblock all over my face and arms. I didn't have grease -- but I had pure vaseline- I put it on my chest and arms - After that, Carlie spread the Bull Frog gel all-over my back.. I pulled the cord on my Dolfin swimsuit tight and tied a tight knot, after that, I adjusted my goggles. My eyes then lit-up as I saw the great Boston Lighthouse under deep blue skies from a few hundred yards away!... The wind picked-up and the water started to get choppy very fast. All the boats were lined-up in a row. Our boat drifted back so I asked Bill to get me as close to the pack as possible. Bill knew that I wasn't going to be a frontrunner, but, hey, I didn't want to come in last place.. who does? He said, "sure, John, " then he quickly maneuvered the boat to get some great position to the far north of the Lighthouse.
All the swimmers were standing on the sides of their boats waiting for the horn to sound. I couldn't help but take one more long look at the Lighthouse -- I was told it was the oldest manned lighthouse in the USA -- simply a great scene. Lance and Carlie both gave me huge high -fives and then the horn sounded --long and loud! I jumped into the dark blue sea! I didn't really know what temperature to expect because New England waters can get cold fast from northern currents. I was told depth also has something to do temperature -- yes, I was in going into deep water alright! I hit the water leaning a little forward so that i would not sink too deep. The water felt like it was somewhere in the low-sixties to me - it actually felt good. I started stroking right away and looked ahead to the boat. the truth is that I never swam with a boat before. I swam with kayakers in the 2008 Alaska race and in the 2009 Manhattan Island relay race. In my judgement, swimming with a kayaker makes things much easier if one trusts the kayaker to do the right things, e.g., choose the best line, watch for tricky currents, etc --simply much less to think about when swimming with a solid kayaker, but, hey, I was lucky to have a boat with an experienced pilot -- many swimmers couldn't find one. A few swimmers had both, kayakers and pilots.
I was only a few minutes into the race, Bill was on my right, a little ahead. I could hear Lance and Carlie cheering me on. Now was the time I had to find a pace that I felt comfortable with and KEEP IT. I remember Erica, one of the English Channel CIBBOW swimmers, said these words to me when I asked her for some last-minute advice or tip: She said: "John, find a pace that you think you can hold all day!" It was her message that echoed in my mind. I tried to find my pace. The water got choppy and there were ocean swells I had to deal with. After all, I was eight miles out at sea so the conditions were not unusual in my opinion. I swam for fifteen minutes following Bill's lead but he was changing speeds to deal with the ocean conditions. I could clearly see the first two islands in front of me. I decided to look more ahead to my landmarks rather than look at the boat for direction. I was starting to feel more comfortable.
I was about a half-hour into the race when I noticed two other swimmers climbing back into their boats. I later found out that three or four swimmers had abandoned their attempts due to the cold water. I began feeling temperature fluctuations but nothing major. I was now starting to swim more like a "Total Immersion" swimmer -- my weight was up-front, my head felt like it was in-line, my extension was good, my body was rolling freely -- hey, I even held my arm extended arm out there for a moment to glide or "skate" on my side --all-good! Could I keep it all day? Answer: Not sure. I was over a mile into the race and was closing in on the first island. I would only look at the boat every few minutes but i could hear Lance and Carlie shouting: "Go, JD, gooooooooooooo!" Something happened between the Lighthouse and the first island that was very special. I was completely aware that my energy and swimming ability was getting me closer and closer to Boston. I could actually see my progress early in the race. It felt absolutely wonderful to be moving forward so far out in the "open sea". It was me and the sea and a few islands in the distance, in other words, it was very liberating and even empowering to look up at the deep-blue sky one second and closer to my clear and real destination in the next second. I thought, why don't I just reach-up to touch the sky one of these times? I nixed the idea though - I would lose time in the process!... Ha... Reality soon set in as Lance shouted: "JD, GU break, come on over!" I took 3 or 4 sips of gator-aid and an orange-burst GU. Carlie asked: "How do you feel?" I said "good, very good." Everyone on the boat cheered me on. It was a good stop but time to move. The first island was less than a quarter mile away. Time to go -- straight ahead!
I passed the first island and was heading for the second. At this time I was using the boat more for direction because I wasn't too sure how to cut the island. The water got more choppy and I started to swallow more salt water than is usual --do I need to say --not good? I felt myself being pulled south of the island slightly, so I started to angle north. I would need to pass north of the island to continue on. I tried to maintain my rhythm and pace but i saw that Bill was meneuvering the boat to try to lead me out of the current.. He was far ahead of me but he got directly in front of me..Lance and Carlie started waving forcefully. For the first time in the race, I started to worry... I picked up my turnover rate -- time to get into a semi-sprint mode. I now realized that I needed to turn the corner or I was done --adrenaline started to flow. I picked up my pace to ninety percent following Bill's lead. I was starting to taste the boat's gasoline. Ten minutes later, I finally turned the corner of the second island. I was back on course but not without a price -- a heavy price. Obviously, the whole thing caught me by surprise. My arms felt tired and my breathing was irregular, but, hey, I had plenty of time to recover, right? It's a long race. Whoever said open water water swimming was highly predictable? I would need to settle down fast. I slowed down. I heard Carlie and Lance scream: "Pick it up, JD." The cold spots started to feel colder and my arms felt heavier. The truth is that I was breathing much heavier than I should have at this point. I was only about 3 miles into the race but it felt like I was 6 miles into it, but, hey, all was not lost, I could see the half-way point (the old bridge) about a mile away. To sum-up, I needed to get things together aerobically after my early sprint. I also needed to find my form again - fast!...
I passed under the bridge on the right side as Greg instructed. I looked up at the bridge to notice I was getting a push from the current. I was starting to feel a little colder. My form still wasn't perfect but I was beginning to feel that I might make it to the finish if there were no more surprises.. Carlie and Lance screamed out again: Coooommme oooonnn, JD" as I swam through the final Harbor islands -- there it was: -- THE BOSTON SKYLINE! I was about five miles into the race and getting a push from the current. Yes, I wasn't myself since the second island, and, yes, I never truly found my rhythm, but, hey, I was still in the race, other swimmers were not far away, and, most importantly, I had less than a mile to go before the turn for home -- the last two miles! Time to step up, i thought. Heck, I've been tired and cold before. I thought of the last mile in the great Pennock Island Challenge race, then I thought of my last four miles gutting it out in the NYC Marathon. Yea, maybe a different time, and, yes, maybe a different place but I've been here before! Hey, time to suck-it-up and show some heart! Questions: Had I lost too much time along the way? Could I realistically make the cut-off time of 5 hours?
Lance signaled me over to the boat -- he looked much more serious this time. He's usually easy-going even in the midst of serious issues or competitions.. He shouted "drink - up, JD." Then he asked: "Are you okay?" He obviously saw that my stoke had slowed down. He looked at me deeply and said: "You have a little over two miles to go, you have only an hour and ten minutes left --do you want it? ..you can do it!" Carlie screamed "You can make it!" Bill and family shouted: "Go for it!" I tried to drink the gator-aid but I couldn't take it in -- I didn't want anything. At this time, I really had no choice but to cut the last island closer than Greg instructed. If I went wide, I would never have made the 5 hour cut-off time. The truth is that I would not have made the cutoff time even if i swam perfectly for the last 2 miles. I understood this perfectly well at the time--so did my crew. Nevertheless, a competition is a competition and the Boston Light is the Boston Light. So what if I would finish in 5 hours, 20 minutes? Anyway, we went for the most direct route to the finish by cutting the last island. It was really my only chance. I kept my head down and forged ahead. I saw the rocks on the tip of the Island get closer --than much closer. Lance yelled: Now JD, pick it up" I could see the Harbor and the straightaway to the Boston Light finish! I looked to the rocks and I was not moving forward --maybe a little, very little.. I kept swimming in place and picked up my turnover. I was tired and cold. I thought of some of the speed workouts that I missed at the CP club. I needed speed and power fast. Real fast. I looked to the rocks again --no progress. Everyone on the boat screamed -- goooooooo! But no matter how hard I tried - I couldn't move forward. I thought about quitting but something inside of me would not let me. I knew I was stuck in the same spot for over fifteen minutes, so the best I could hope for was a finishing time of 5.5 hours (30 minutes past the cut-off). I stopped -- I needed to catch my breath. I needed to get things together. I started to shiver.
I must try again, I thought --one last try to break free! By stopping, I had been pushed backwards by the current. I had to start again fast or lose more ground! I started my crawl stroke with the hope that I had regained some long-lost power. I heard Lance and everyone screaming from the boat -- I was making a little progress now -- just a little more, i thought --just a little longer! ... I swam as hard as I could for five more minutes -- still stuck... My tank was very close to empty -- I looked up at Lance and Carlie.. I said, "I don't know guys, I'm not moving, it's not happening." Lance shot back, "you're moving, JD." I started my stroke again. At that moment, Lance dove off the side of the boat! He swam along-side of me and quickly pulled ahead. I swam for a few more minutes but I could not keep-up. He came back and said: --"Just stay with me!" I could not. Lance was aware that I had zero left and that I had absolutely no chance of making the cut-off time, and, yes, sadly, I was aware of it too. He asked: "Do you want to stop, JD?" I said: "Yes, it's over." It was the right time to end the struggle. There will be more swims ahead. I picked myself up to the boat deck. I heard kind words and phrases by everyone on board like, "great job!" and "awesome try, John." Carlie wrapped towels around me in a hurry.
My stomach was queasy and I was cold. I went into the cabin below and felt my legs and arms getting warmer. Yes, I was disappointed but I had no regrets -I simply did not meet my goal of finishing the race. I found out that better swimmers than me did not finish the Boston Light on that day. No matter -- I will need to train harder to build needed speed for another attempt.
Bill dropped us off at the dock. As I was leaving the boat, he looked directly at me and said loudly: "See you next year!" I smiled and said: "Thanks, Bill, great job --yes, I'll see you." Bill waved goodbye as his big cabin-cruiser left the Harbor. Lance and Carlie went off to get lunch. We would all meet up with Amy later-on. It was mid-afternoon, the sun was shining, the sky was bright-blue and the great Boston skyline was near...

Note: Field of Dreams (Amy Wu and Becky relay team) finished the Boston Light in 4: 13: 00
Willy Blumentals finished the Boston Light in 4:15: 00
Lance Ogren succesfully crossed the English Channel in 11.5 hours in September, 2009.
Carlie Brown crewed for Lance's Channel swim.
Julie Sheldon won the 2009 17.5 mile Ederle Race in 6:13:25 in sub- 60* ocean temperature.
I went on to swim the Bridge to Bridge 10k (Golden Gate Bridge to Bay Bridge) in 2 hours in sub- 60* - 10/ 09.

My marathon swim adventures live on ...
Ciao,
~john

Where were we this morning? It’s hard to remember back that far when we do so much in a day. Ah, yes, Salt Island. We planned a great swim - a one mile loop around Salt Bay - the goal was to swim it twice, the second time faster than the first. We dove in, Busby Berkley style in a peel off the boat. We all made it around once, and some of us headed off for the second round, but the current was crazy and we decided to play it safe. We all worked plenty hard for nearly two miles. No complaints from this crew - they suited up for a hike on Salt Island.

While they explored and hunted down the Geo-cache, Lisa and I enjoyed a lovely dive to about 55 feet just a short distance off the back of the boat. Our mission: come back with conch for fritters. We only found one, and decided to let him be, but on our way back to the boat, we were aggressively courted by two giant remora looking for a ride! We lead them back to the boat for our swimmers to see, but alas, they were not back from their island exploration yet.

A lunch of burritos under weigh as we headed back to the Baths - so glad to return, having missed a shore landing on our first visit earlier in the week. Before we left the boat for our swim, Captain Rich hoisted me up the mast so I could get an eagle eye view of our swimmers in the Promenade’s trampoline.

We swam in to shore and followed the path through the magical boulder field. It was a great thing to do on our last day in the islands. We ended our water sports with a 2+ mile swim from the boulder beach all the way to Spanish Town - current against us. No matter, we dug deep and left it all out there. Everyone was so glad to have made the swim.

As we sailed back to Tortola, Christy zipped me around in the dinghy so i could get pics of our swimmers on our lovely sea-home, sailing off into the sunset.

We gamed over cocktails, stuffed ourselves on a fantastic meal of steak and potatoes. followed by chocolate moose and a slide show recapping the week.

Now the evening’s activities have ended, but we’re all still milling about, procrastinating, not wanting to pack, not wanting to leave. It’s been a special week. We’ve all pushed ourselves more than we could have imagined, found strength in our strokes we didn’t know we had. We’ve seen wildlife, made an historical crossing, and supported each other in swims long and tough. Will declared that what we do is pretty bad-ass, and we all agree that we’ve earned it.

Here are some interesting stats:

We ate 15 lbs of cheese, 8 dozen eggs, 6 blocks of butter, and drank (and rinsed with) 1600 gallons of water. We also swam just about 16 miles, covering Virgin Gorda, Cooper, Salt, Peter and Norman Islands and saw sting rays, a manta, turtles, tarpon and countless other species along the way.

What a week.

Tomorrow we’ll trickle out of Tortola, on our way to homes across the States and Canada. But we’ll be bound by this Caribbean Sea and the strides we’ve made within it.