Taper!

Earlier in the season, I attended an Art Opening at Peter Blake Gallery and was chatting with my friend Bob Pece (http://www.scagallery.com/sca_artist_bobp.html) . He introduced me to Joe Emley, who is a chiropractor and head of his volunteer fire battalion in Emerald Bay (friend of swimmer friend Bruce Newell who is head of his volunteer fire battalion in Modjeska Canyon). anyways Dr. Emley offered me an adjustment before and after my Catalina attempt.

Last Friday I got the courage to go to his office (in Laguna Beach at the corner of Thalia and Glennerye) and ask for the adjustment.

I've never been to a chiropractor before but it seemed like he unleashed the inner popcorn popper in my spine. Wow! That felt good! Well, some of it hurt a little too but there was a nice warmth afterward. He said to come back for one more adjustment before my swim!

The next day when did an ocean swim with Patsee, she said it seemed like I was swimming faster...OOooohhh! I just want to be able to get there.

You mean I don't have to kill myself?

Nick Adams (who swam Catalina AND English Channel this year...English Channel many times) sent me the note below. I was contemplating doing another 8 hour swim this weekend, but he (and others) advise against it. There is nothing that I can do now that will make me swim farther, faster or give me any more stamina (except getting lots of rest and good food).

Lazy-lethargic-Lynn is saying "Oh goodie, let's have a Guiness or three and a nap!" and Stern-work-ethic-driven-Lynn is moaning..."no, no, no...you'll swell up like a whale and they will have to gaff you out of the channel!"

*************************************************

Dearest Darling Lynn

You are a hero! Personally I wouldn't be doing so much distance this close to a swim. You've done plenty and will be fine on the day. Rest now, eat lots to get fully fuelled for your swim.

Give your body time to rest and repair. You are so strong mentally and physically, that you'll do what's required on the day, but you have to start the swim fresh and injury-free.

You really are one of my heroes. I have never met anyone with such a sunny personality and someone that smiles as much as you. Belive in yourself like we do; don't best yourself up before the swim believing it's the only way.

With all my love
Nick
PS Hug hug hug

Friends from "down unda"!

Facebook friends, Penny Palfrey (Santa Barbara Is. to Palos Verde Sept 24-25) and Chris Palfrey (Catalina Sept 28-29) are out visiting for channel swims. They are from Townsville, North Queensland, Australia...

http://palfreymarathonswims.com/

I was going to kayak for Chris' swim, but had signed up before scheduling my own swim and Forrest talked me out of that.

I am going to update Penny's Facebook for her via updates from her observer Anne Cleveland starting tomorrow! That will be fun to be in on the progress of her swim. I hope the ocean lays down calm for her.

Last night (Sept 22-23) Carol Sing went out for her swim but the conditions were so choppy she was getting sick and and had to let the attempt go. I was sad to hear of that, because if she had been successful she would have set the record for oldest person to swim the channel at 68. I hope she tries again!

Tomorrow night Chris Palfrey will be joining us for our kayak-led night swim. That will be fun having a guest from "down unda"! Too bad it's in the dark and Chris won't be able to see how beautiful Laguna Beach is...

8 hour swim

This was my longest swim since I hurt myself! 8 hours...and this is the way it went:

6:57-7:48 (51)

7:50-8:40 (50)

8:42-9:31 (49)

9:33-10:24 (51)

10:26-11:17 (51)

11:19-12:12 (53)

12:14-1:08 (54)

1:10-2:03 (53)

2:05-3:16 (71)

All of the legs were Oak to Main and back (approx. 1.65 miles) except the last, which included the rocks past Brook Street and back (2.25 miles)

483 minutes (8 hours 3 minutes) for 15.45 miles!

I saw lots of Garibaldi, pretty schools of fish and some interesting looking sharks. Not too many people and the guards are gone (I miss them).

As I was getting out, an overly-tanned man said "Are you tired yet? I watched you swim since 10am!" I guess I was tired but my arms were sore more than anything. In the middle of the swim my lower back hurt a lot, but I would roll-stretch and do some backstroke...that didn't help but the pain went away eventually. I am wondering what the channel will feel like more than anything.

16 more days.

Falling into place...

I am so excited! I just got an email from Paula Selby of CCSF:

********************************

Hi Lynn,

This message is to confirm that David Clark has been assigned as your primary observer, and Beth Weber as your assistant observer for your Catalina Channel swim scheduled for Tuesday, October 6 – Wednesday, October 7 on the Outrider. As time and logistics permit, Beth can probably assist with paddling as well, if needed.

Please advise David and Beth as to when Outrider is scheduled to leave the dock in San Pedro. Best of luck to you with your training! We’ve had a highly successful year so far this year, so the Channel Gods are smiling down upon us! On behalf of the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation, we wish you the best of luck with your upcoming solo swim!

Cheers,

Paula Selby

Support - Catalina Channel Swimming Federation

********************************

David was the Observer on Chris Robert's swim when I kayaked. I got shoved out into the dark roiling void saying "I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared..." He didn't think I would last 15 minutes and I went on to pull through several hours into a beautiful sunrise (though the conditions were still pretty crappy).

So David is among one of the more experienced CCSF observers and teaches the observer kayaker class. I feel honored to have him as my observer.

OMG...why am I doing this again?

I was trolling the Channels Swimmers group and found this list of helpful tips:

1) Embrace your fear/worry/anxiety/self doubt. You wouldn't be doing
it if were easy. And we all have them.
2) Don't worry that you're tired all the time that you are in
training - you're training to swim the Channel for god's sake!
3) On the day don't get overwhelmed. Don't think "Oh my god, I'm
going to be swimming for 14 hours". Instead think, "Hey it will all
be over this time tomorrow!" (doesn't count if you're doing a
two-way/three-way!)
4) Don't wear a watch during your swim. Never ask how far you've
swum/how far you have to go. It doesn't make any difference and the
first half of your swim may have no bearing on the second half
5) Keep your feeds as short as possible
6) When you get close to Palos Verde don't keep looking at the coast - it
doesn't get any closer for hours and you'll just get frustrated
7) Keep telling your crew how you are - they probably won't ask you,
but keep telling them (briefly) anyway.
8) Many people are ill and still keep swimming - if you are sick,
don't panic. You can keep swimming. Adrenalin is an amazing thing.
9) When you are getting really tired and miserable, think "Is there
any reason that I can't keep going?" If the answer is no, then KEEP
GOING!
10) Remember that the only bit worth swimming is the last bit!

But wait! There's more!

- swim from feed to feed -
- and remember, a feed IS JUST A FEED as Sal says - it is NOT a rest!
- just keep moving your arms and legs - until you get to the other side....
- and to quote a very good friend of ours, Dennis from Connecticut , USA -
" Start steady - and taper off at the end"!
- and to quote good old Charlie
"don't peak too early!!"

And:

"Prepare for the worst - and hope for the best!!

...oh!

"just swim till there is no more water".

Two nights, two night swims!

Swimming in the dark.

There is something about it that is scary and there is a point where fear becomes irrelevant because "it" is a thing you have to get through. Fear gets in the way of the thing that need to be done.

Soooo...last night I was very lucky to have Beth Weber kayak for me! We put glow sticks on the kayak and I put a glow necklace on her. I like the kayaker's torso right at my side, that keeps me in a place of comfort. I need to figure out a better feed delivery system because the 16oz. screw top water bottles are awkward. I may hit the dollar store tomorrow and see what I can find...

We went about 2.3 miles last night:

This evening I met up with Ray Meltvedt. He had on a glow necklace and I had bracelets and a glow stick pinned to my back. We swam straight out and I swam right into the buoy! (clang!!!)

That felt stupid, but at least didn't hurt much! We swam all the way to the rocks but a little less distance, since we left out at the tower. It was a lot harder to spot Ray with the necklace and I had to do some headup swimming to spot him a couple of times.

He offered to swim straight out from the buoy so I could get some of the really dark training in that I should do. I postponed for next week when we have a kayak (my new security blanket) to go out with us.

I am so very grateful to Ray and Beth for helping me get some of the nighttime kinks out!

Getting back up to speed?

This is the longest ocean swim since I got hurt. Took 3 hrs 42 minutes (222 minutes). This was after a 4100 yard workout at UCI this morning ("the donning of the Flowered Caps" for Ellen and Jenna's birthdays). I hurt a bit this morning but did ice/heat for about an hour and felt NOTHING at all in the ocean! I am happy for that right now.

I did 4 laps and on the last I was going to go to the rocks but ran into a floating mylar balloon. I did a catchup drill into the balloon to bring it into shore. I could have popped it but it was much more fun that way. The surfers seemed to like it anyways.

Night Swims!!!

Bring your own glow stick (BYOGS).
Thursday (9-17) AND Friday (9-18) nights!!!
Main Beach Life Guard Tower. If we go south there are no rocks to worry about.
Sunset is around 7pm, so meet at 7:30pm

Healing

It was a BIG week last week. I was hurting but was able to kind of take it "easy" with 2 back-to-back channel crossings for Joe Locke (Sept 8-9)

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

and David Livengood (Sept 9-10)

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym4FkTI8gHg

I saw my doctor on Thursday and he said he said to stay off of it for another week (oh well) and gave me a 7 day prescription for a strong anti-inflammatory. I didn't swim Friday and attended a funeral for a friend's father (the ceramics teacher from my high school), Cliff Hilliard.

Saturday I met with my coach Ahelee who helped me work out a revised training schedule. She believes that I have a solid training base and that even if I don't do any more "big swims" between now and then I will be able to do the channel! That was a HUGE confidence boost.

Sunday I did the Gatorman (3 mile) at La Jolla and the conditions were really rough. This was the first time I had swam since the previous Monday and I felt the pain enough to just go slow (my time was a terrible 1:50.something).

Monday I just did a 3000 kicks with arms at sides and iced all day.

Today (Tuesday) the 15th I did 3150 in my normal lane. I still feel it but not nearly as bad as Sunday. I may go out for an ocean swim later on today (or stay home and ice/heat the area some more).

I am trying to get some folks together for some Night swims this week. I need more of the dark training!!!

It is getting so close.

Hurts to breathe, Hurts to swim

I am not sure how this happened, but I woke up with it this morning.

Today was a glorious day and I had planned on a 4-6 hour swim but my body said: NO!

I took off at 7am and the water was a balmy 70-72 at least....clear and gorgeous. A PERFECT day!

except...

What's that pain in my chest?

My friend's father had passed away the night before and I cried a bit...was my heart hurting? Yes and no...this was on my right side. swim swim swim.

Made it to the Main Beach buoy but with significant pain. But the water was so beautiful...schools of fish and ouch, ouch , ouch. I can't continue. But I didn't want to get out and walk.

I made it back to Oak street and conceeded that my swimming day was done.

I chattted with a cute older surfer guy (who was an Army Medic in the day) strained muscle...take it easy.

I do not have that long to "take it easy" though. I am a little worried. My massage Therapist friend Kathy, felt it up and said it felt tight and to compress and ice.

I have 2...count 'em, two back-to-back channel crossings Tue-Wed (Joe Locke) and Wed-Thu (David Livengood, love that name) this week. I was supposed to be a kayaker for Joe but got promoted to Official Observer! that is good because kayaking could hurt my "owie" more if I had to go out and work those muscles

This thing has a week to heel up. I still need to do a 10 hour swim and night time training. Not much time...I may have to defer to next year if it still hurts.

I so want to do this, but I do not want to be crawling in excruciating pain. I want this to be a joyful thing.

A herd a flock a pod...

8 hr swim today. A herd of sunbathers, a flock of rays, and a pod of dolphins.

Not in that order.

And an inanimate object rescue.

I overturned the sign at Lap 5 and retrieved it to give to the lifeguard on lap 6...

This morning as i was putting on the A&D ointment I saw a pod of 4 dolphins going south about 100 yards out. The whole set went like this:

6:48-7:38 (50)

7:40-8:30 (50)

8:32-9:23 (51)

9:25-10:18 (53)

10:20-11:15 (55) saw sign and dove to turn it over. I saw the rays near Main Beach...at least a dozen grey rays with one beige ray that didn't seem to get along with the others (Crikey!)

11:17-12:13 (56) swam back to the sign and gave it to the guard (cute guy but likely my son's age)

12:15-1:11 (56) chatted with cute (older) paddleboard guy who had paddled from Victoria Beach

1:14-2:10 (56) chatted with two swimmers Peter (the dad), and Conner (the son, maybe 10)

2:12-3:10 (58) 2 huge military helicopters with open sides flew really low over me...one on each side!

483 minutes 8 hours 3 minutes, 14.85 miles (including chat and stuff)

I felt like I had the energy to go further but my arms were hurting a bit so decided to stop. I had the energy to do my laundry after that...so does that perhaps mean I might have the energy to do the remaining 5.15 miles?

Training Tomorrow

I am apprehensive about this 8 hour training swim tomorrow.

The hardest part is getting in...I've got pre-mixed bottles of stuff (16 oz bottle, 1.5 scoop perpetuem, 0.5 scoop heed). I ran out of perpetuem but have ordered more.

Sunscreen goes on before I leave the house.

Remember the A&D at straps and under arms.

Remember earplugsRemember pad of paper and pen to write down times on shore-breaks.

It will be 9 or 10 laps depending on currents and surf.

Early to bed....