Oops! Don't talk to Strangers?

Okay...normally I don't pick up my cell phone with a strange number but this is the second time I have done this and the caller is the "priceless" Forrest Nelson!

He called me just now to check on my training this last week, I let him know about my 6+ hour swim and future plans...and he has some GREAT ideas for future training.

I have to get up to a 10 hour swim at minimum and some dark swims too.

There is a NOVA Labor Day party coming up and I will come with a calendar to recruit escort swimmers and kayakers for training swims.

every night I have to review how closer I am to swimming this channel.

I can do it...

(can I do it?)

Lanolin?

a note on the Lanolin.

Many people have told me to go to WALMART PHARMACY to get Lanolin.

So it figures that I would find the one lubricant-challenged Walmart in Southern California! I asked the pharmacist for Lanolin. "What's Lanolin?" (uh oh! a test) "Uh...a dermal excretion from wool-bearing animals such as sheep?" ..."we don't carry that." "Well no, many people have told me you special-order it?", "No, we don't carry it". After a small conversation in the back I was directed to the infant section. "It's over by the breast pumps". I am thinking "Been there, done that" but with no where else to go, I settle for the A&D Ointment (15.5% Lanoline)

At least I wasn't chaffed today!

6+ Hour Swim

It was that times seven.

I was awakened at 3:00am this morning by the loud crashing waves down the street. "Oh no" I thought...I could pick a better day to do this swim.

stress...stress....stress. And I could pick a worse day too.

I got up at 5:30am. I gulped some coffee and oatmeal and got my nutrition bottles ready.

When I got to the beach the waves looked as big as they sounded. I put some A&D ointment on my neck and arms and dove in - Oak Street at 6:55am. Getting through the waves was fun but the water felt a lot colder than the 70F that was displayed on the website for Shaw's Cove (north of Oak Street).

The neat thing about this swim was I saw ""I could have picked a better day" fall away to "I couldn't have picked a better day"

The first lap was really unpleasant but I saw the sun rise over the houses spreading light rays through the sea mist. Second lap was a little better, felt a little warmer. It took me 2 minutes on the sand to write down my times and get food and get back out. Third lap the winds died down. The guards had arrived in the middle of the fourth lap and I saw a red flag go up at Main Beach. I did 7 laps total and on my way in I got slapped around by some waves and lost my goggles (good time to quit).

I felt pretty good except for all the sand in my suit, ears, etc, from getting rolled. Next time goggles go around my neck, not on my forehead!

It was not steady because the conditions changed throughout the day. Currents turned...(I could tell because of the way the kelp flowed).

The way it went was:

6:55-7:45 (50)

7:47-8:41 (54)

8:43-9:38 (55)

9:41-10:35 (54)

10:38-11:33 (57)

11:35-12:30 (55)

12:33-1:28 (55)

So with food, ins-in-outs I was 6hours, 20 minutes...and around 11.55 miles from rough Google Earth guess. I can't figure the getting in and out of the waves factor but they were pretty big!

Next long swim will be 7 hours (but I will be shooting for 8!)

The Projectile Vomit practice????

I got an email from Forrest this morning about a swimmer making an EC attempt:

...swimmer made an attempt this month and wrote this recap: "got violently sea sick, could not stop wretching, pulled ligaments in my back while vomiting, zapped all my energy after 30 mins of it, had to give up at 3 hours, just treading water being sick with nothing left to come up"

Who's to say why this happened. Motion illness? Wrong fuel? Bad meal the day before? Stress? Boat ride to the start? Boat fumes during that ride?

But, as we discussed, that's why you practice. You actually want a training swim to go wrong, just so you can recover and gain confidence. Just as you did the other day.... this swimmer had never before been sick in the water and within 3 hours was finished... they hadn't practiced the projectile vomit portion of the swim...

I've gotten sick but not to the point of throwing up, and I went for a couple more hours. I guess I have a lot more to practice...

Checklist

I got a concerned call from Forrest Nelson last Sunday with a list of suggestions; a checklist of things I need to accomplish and skills I need to get comfortable with prior to my swim.

-6, 8 10 hour swims

-More night swimming

-Feeding off a kayak

-Swimming with a kayak in the dark (sighting off a glowstick)

-Feeding off a kayak in the dark

This week I'll need to do a 6 hour swim and eventually work my way up to a 10 hour swim. I think I can pull an 8 hour ocean swim off (in 4x2hour blocks) but I think I will do the 10 in the pool. The ocean gets to me when I am all by myself and I don't think I can do a 10 as a solitary thing (I think I can do an 8). He recommended having a gallon of double strength feeding solution to add to warm water in case I need a warm feed (mixed w/ hot water). Also need to do more dark swims and practice feeding off a kayak and feeding off a kayak in the dark. I am going to hit up my kayaking friend on Beverly for that. Also just need to get in more dark swims. Jen's training partner "Uncle Dan" had done no night training and consequently got motion sick while swimming in the dark (just sighting off glow sticks and the boat). I wonder how I will do?

I wasn't sure if he was trying to talk me out of it or not. I don't think so...still I am scared.

A note from my Swim Team friends...

Dear all,

Hope you all have a great weekend! Thanks for staying tuned! Here are the updates:

The band: Surfin USA, if you want to see their recent performance, follow the links here!!

http://www.postyourmusic.com/myvideos/video/1113/Fun-Fun-Fun

http://www.postyourmusic.com/myvideos/video/1114/Surfin-USA

1) Concert location: swimming family comes to rescue again! We are very lucky to be able to use the area by Waters Restaurant, by the lake!

http://www.watersrestaurant.com/

2) Concert date: 9/20/09, Sunday, from 12pm to 4pm.

3) This concert will be a charity concert and by the rules of the location we are not allowed to soliciate money in public, so donations will be appreciated! here are the donations details:

i) Contribute to Lynn's swim: please make the check to "Lynn Kubasek", noting it's for the Catalina channel swim, and please send them to:
the following PO box; (I am taking the responsibility for some accounting for the time being) or better yet please pass them by me during practices

Attn: Alex Cheung,
P.O. Box 7010, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

please note all the proceedings will be contribute toward Lynn's expansese for the swim; any additional money will be contribute to Laguna College of Art and Design as a scholarship

ii) To contribute to Laguna College of Art and Design schloarly directly, please make the check to Laguna College of Art and Design (Patsee please make sure I get this correct and if any additional details are needed) and please also send the checks to me at the above PO Box.

4) We plan on doing raffle tickets!! There will be art prizes and other prizes, please stay tuned. And if you have any other ideas please please let us know!!!

5) Final thought: please please spread the word to everyone!! This is going to be a FUN FUN FUN event and for a great cause! It will be great if we have a big crowd!


6) Couple requests:
can someone help with making flyers? Stephanie I know you have softwares etc, do you have time to do it or do you need some more help??
T-shirts: can someone help with making T-shirts?

please let us know if any other details I am missing out....

REALLY appreciate your help and support!! Thanks!!

Cheers,
Alex

Different Challenges

We were hoping to do a 10k (6.2 miles) but the conditions were pretty rough. Today's swim had it all, and was truly a "roughwater swim" in every aspect. Some of the challenges:

1. Swimming against the current. We went north to south & the current was south to north.
2. A slight upwelling resulting in water a little colder (64 degrees) than we expected.
3. Wind chop. Wind out of the south resulted in a pretty bumpy swim. It was worse at the end - kinda like swimming in a washing machine.
4. Big waves. The predicted large surf was beginning to roll in. Made the beach exit a little more exciting.

I started shivering after we got out and decided to let it go for today...a little disappointed. I spoke with Forrest Nelson (a channel swimmer and member of CCSF) about my upcoming swim and he suggested to write down my 3 biggest fears (and think of ways to address those fears) and 3 biggest confidences every week and note that it will change every week. So...

Fears:

1. Hypothermia - I don't think I can do a whole swim in 63F water. I am hoping for 67+, I would have to put on some weight to handle the temp.

2. Giving up - I am afraid of giving up before I am truly spent

3. Motion Sickness - I usually don't get sick in the water but I know it can happen. I remember some swimmers taking Dramaine Lite before the start of their swims. I wonder if that can hamper performance.

Confidences:

1. February Fitness Challenge - I swam 37,000 yards February 1st of this year. It was over three workouts in three different pools and not in the ocean but still...21 miles.

2. I've been doing a lot of training swims by myself so the critters don't scare me as much.

3. I don't know.

It was a pretty good swim overall today though. I hung with Brad Arshat and Ray Meltvedt. Ray is the only one who went back to do the double. I've asked both Brad and Ray to be escort swimmers on my swim too.

OMG...I really am going to do this!

some kind of training...

Yesterday morning I went out at CDM with some friends and swam 3 box laps at 6:15am:

I went home and had 3 packets of Oatmeal and some coffee and left from Oak Street at 10am to Crescent Bay (had some Gu) and back to Oak Street at 12:00.

The conditions were really flat and I saw 2 small leopard sharks, a bunch of rays, Garibaldi & schools of fish. I had 16 oz of Cytomax and a banana and left out again at 12:05.

The wind had picked up and I could tell I was swimming into a choppy current. The Dive website said the water was 70F which worried me a little because it felt more like 65F. The water was not as clear but I still saw quite a few Garibaldi. I got to Crescent bay at 1:10 and had some more Gu. I chatted with a standup paddle board girl who said her boyfriend wants to do the Catalina paddleboard race! Right before I got back to Oak I saw a dark grey shark on the bottom of the water about my length (5'5"). The lifegaurds said that it was a Horn Shark. I'll have to look that up. I got in at 2:15 and had another 16oz of Cytomax, but my stomach was upset so I decided no solid food. I went out at 2:20 and swam a little past Main Beach and back.

I could tell the current was fairly strong because the kelp I swam over was being pulled south at about a 30degree angle. At least the swim back was nice.

I got the sunscreen and the Vaseline right this time but my stomach was upset and I threw up when I got home. I think it was the Gu and salt water. Maybe I was a little dehydrated too...

I am going to have to start swimming with the "crack bottle".

Next swim is a 10K (6 miles) with friends CDM Crystal Cove and Back this Saturday.

4 hours

10:21-12:21 (snack 20 0z Cytomax & a banana) 12:26-2:30. There were some breaks chatting with kayakers and standup paddlers. It was a great day starting out overcast but beautiful clear water (lots of fish, Garibaldi, Bass, minnows and grunion) and ending up sunny with a windy chop and a strong current home (yea!) Now I am thinking about where I need to put the Vaseline next time.

Need food and then a nap. Not sure in what order?

Jen's Finish

Yesterday (08/14/09) I went down to Palos Verde (just below Terranea resort) to see Jen Schumacher's finish. It was fun watching her come in with a police escort!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thEkkli2OGI

I swam my deposit in a Ziploc bag out to John Pittman on the Outrider for my swim October 6-7. OMG! ...

Soooo...today I am doing a 4 hour swim. As far as I can go up the coast for an hour and back to my start point (assume that will be another hour) for cytomax and a banana and then out again for another stint!

Pick it up!

We swam 4000 yard this morning at WAC and this afternoon I did 8 box laps at Corona Del Mar in 2 hours 10 minutes. I got a little cold chatting with triathletes but felt really good after the first hour. I probably could have stayed longer but was expecting some friends (who didn't make it...darn!).

Oh well...probably best not to "kill myself" at this new start!

October 6-7

Well...I got something on Monday that looks like a job offer for next year. And my Nova team mates are getting really enthusiastic for my swim...so I decided to book a date.

I called John Pittman and spoke with Carol Sing of CCSF (who will be doing a swim this year at 68 yo!!!).

Now I have to focus on getting my distances back up and getting confident with night swimming! I went out with Ray Meltvedt and his daughter Sierra last Friday for about an hour at San Clemente pier last Friday night (August 7) for a BYOGS (Bring Your Own Glow Stick) swim. We made the lifegaurds nervous, I think, because they kept flashing us with high beam lights. There were lots of stars out and we saw the moon rise!

My neighbor, Patsee has offered to go out for midnight swims with me to get a sense of the ocean at that time. She has offered to escort swim and kayak.

Now I have to start BIG training (and remember to eat and rest)

I feel really good about this...