Maintenance Training

July 12th 2008
I have just completed my last week of "maintenance" swimming (i.e. to maintain long-distance conditioning). Last week I logged 25 km--including a 3 hr (10 km) swim. This week, I swam 29 KM--including a 4 hr. (14 km) swim. And now I can finally TAPER and gain a few pounds...what a hardship!

Summary of training experiences over the last two weeks:

1. July 5th (Saturday morning brunch series at our house)

• Every summer, the Okanagan Masters Swim Club hosts a series of Saturday morning training swims in the lake. This is followed by a hearty brunch and social time with my fellow swimmers. When it comes to the workout component, no-one is much interested in swimming for 3 hrs straight. Thankfully Mike Stamhuis (AKA the "old man") joined me for 2.5 hrs. Mike is an amazing swimmer. He is in his late 50s and consistently breaks Canadian Records in long distance freestyle and backstroke events. He recently finished 2nd overall at the World Open Water Masters Swimming Championships in Perth. Although he is dubbed the "old man," truth is, he is faster than most competitive swimmers half his age. I am very thankful to have the opportunity to train with Mike. He is a fierce competitor and raises the bar everytime we work out. In other words, Mike keeps us humble by kicking our assess on a consistent basis. Mike has swum at least 50 KM with me in the lake over the last year.
• This particular brunch swim was 10 km in length. I am amazed that I was able to swim this distance so soon after my Bowen Island swim. This just goes to show how training and preparation can assist the body to adapt to such physical stresses. Last year at this time, it took me over a week to recover from a 6 hr. training swim.

2. July 10th

• I happen to be in Cranbrook for work-related meetings. Following which, I asked my colleagues where I could 'jump into a lake?" I get the typical response....."Are you kidding?" "We were happy with your input....Don't feel like you have to jump into a lake..." To which a replied...."I was happy with our productivity too....it's just that I am training for this little swim and I need a cold lake to swim in." Fortunately, Cranbrook is situated in the Rocky Mountain trench in South Eastern BC. It is a beautiful place with pristine, and yes, cold lakes. I travelled 15 min. west to Moyie Lake for an epic swim.
• When I arrived, campers were scurrying for cover. The skies opened up with buckets of rain, and the wind was blowing on shore at 20-25 knots. Perfect conditions for a Channel training session. Donning my Speedo, I calmly walked to the lake--much to the surprise of onlookers--and swam head-on into the swell. Being a lake, the swell is of short duration (2-3 second intervals). It makes for very "choppy' conditions or what meteorologists would call a "small craft warning." This means that the conditions are unsafe for small boats...But for Channel swimmers...?
• The trick to swimming in these conditions is to find a rhythm in sync with the waves. To this effect, I time my breaths before the wave crests and burry my head under the wave in an effort to propel me out the other side. This action is what surfers call the "duck dive." It is how surfers paddle out beyond huge breaking waves. The other technical thing I do in these conditions is straighten my front crawl arm recovery. This enables me to reach past cresting waves. Conversely, if I recover with a bent arm, I risk my stroke being interrupted in mid-stream by a breaking wave.
• Once I was in the middle of the lake, I took a few minutes to take in the sights while floating on my back. There was a deluge of rain from above; and yet again, I was surrounded by towering mountains. It was a "Zen" moment....very peaceful, relaxing and invigorating.
• The temperature was around 17'C which was very pleasant. From here I returned to shore....this time with the swell at my back. If only I could be so lucky to have these conditions swimming into France (highly unlikely). The trick to swimming "with" the swell is to maintain a low centre of gravity in the water...just like surfers do when catching waves. If my timing is right, I can "body surf" the swell to my advantage. Besides getting you to your end-point faster, it is a lot of fun. There is no sense training for the Channel if I am not going to have fun doing it.

3. July 13th

• My last big swim (4 hrs in Kalamalka Lake in Vernon)
• Kalamalka Lake is a beautiful turquoise-colored lake surrounded by the Monashee Mountains to the east and desert Okanagan hillside to the west. This was the second swim in our club's brunch series. I started (this time by myself) at 0520 just as the sun was rising. It was another idyllic setting: As the sun was rising over the Monashees, there were 3 Bald Eagles circling overhead--hopefully not eyeing me for breakfast! I felt very strong and my shoulder passed the test. Kevin Boss (my physiotherapist at Sun City Physiotherapy) has created a shoulder-strengthening program for me (i.e. low resistance stretches using surgical tubing). It seems to be doing the trick.
• Similar to last week, I was joined by other members of the Masters Club for the last 4 km. We had a blast. We came up with an obstacle course on the west side of the lake. We had to swim to a succession of rafts; and at each one, we had to climb out, run across, and dive back in. From there, we swam to the raft with the giant water-slide and slid down it in style! We were kids out there.....having fun and getting some exercise.
• A scrumptious brunch followed at Mike & Trish Stamhuis' place. Being Dutch, Mike cooked up some very tasty pannekoeks. After that hearty meal, I relished in the fact that my distance training has come to a close. Now I can rest and taper for the big swim.

Taper Bound

July 4th 2008
How do I top my Bowen Island swim? Do I need to exceed that mileage (33 KM) before the main event? I am still 3 weeks away from my Channel attempt and it is too early to taper. In the swimming world, tapering refers to diminishing the amount of distance training. When tapering, the focus is on high quality sets with lots of rest and fine-tuning the technical aspects of my swimming in preparation for racing. This is also the time to work on psychological preparation. Speaking of which, there is that inner voice that says..."you have to keep up the distance...swimming more is better..." that needs to be put to rest. This is where professional coaching comes in handy. A good coach can evaluate your progress along a continuum and put your training into perspective. Rob Swan from Critical Speed has been very helpful in this regard. Rob understands competitive swimming; but more importantly, he understands ultra long distance racing---whatever the sport. Rob has suggested that I back off the distance this week (post Bowen Island swim) and build up next week. He reassured me that swimming more is not better at this stage of the game. "Why do you need to swim more?....You have already proven that you can do the distance...Your conditioning is there." Now the focus is to maintain my conditioning and think positively about my preparations. This is also the time to let my injuries heal. My 9.5 hr. Bowen Island swim has exacerbated the tendonitis in my right shoulder. This is another good reason Not to push the distance. I must also make an appointment with Kevin Boss at Sun City Physiotherapy. He will probably give my s*&% if I increase the mileage...another good reason to back off.

Bowen or Bust

June 28th 2008

I am 3-4 weeks away from my Channel attempt. Today marks the culmination of my endurance training...a 33 KM swim around Bowen Island. If I can accomplish this feat, I am ready for the Channel.

Bowen Island is situated in Howe Sound between West Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast. It is easily accessible via 20 minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay. Shane Collins (1st British Columbian to swim the Channel) recommended Bowen for its similarities to the waters between Dover and Calais. The water temperature and distance is comparable; there are strong tidal currents; and rough water conditions prevail on the Georgia Strait side of the island. I also have fond memories of Bowen dating back to the 90's when I served the community as an ambulance paramedic. A swim around Bowen Island seemed perfect. In many respects, it was a "home-coming."

Joining me for this trip was my support crew for England--wife Joanne and my brother-in-law (Mark Stahl). Swimming with me for 1/2 the distance was Rod "the Rocket" Craig from the GooeyTube Masters Swim Club. Escorting us for the entire journey was a new face that none of us had met until this day--Mike Lightbody. Mike's mother (Marietta) is a neighbour of ours in Kelowna. When she heard I was attempting to swim around Bowen, she immediately connected me with her son who lives on the island. Mike is an avid seafarer who has competed internationally as a wind-surfer and studied oceanography. We couldn't have been in better hands. More important than that, we made a new friend. It is the people that you meet along the way that makes this journey so special.

This swim was more than a training session: It was a transcendental experience in an idyllic setting. This was easily the most enjoyable swim of my life! I departed Snug Cove under clear skies and calm seas. Just as I departed, the sun was rising over the Coastal Mountain range to the east. Veering south with the ebb tide, I swam towards Georgia Strait. Turning my head to the left, I could make out the City of Vancouver in the distance; turning to the right, I took in the vast coniferous forest of Bowen. Rounding the south-west tip of the island (Cowan Point) locals who came out to cheer us on. Thanks to Mike for arranging the cheering section! Now we were swimming west toward Cape Roger Curtis on the Georgia Strait side of Bowen. From this vantage point, I could make out Vancouver Island. Looking more closely, I could even make out the Olympic Mountain range in Washington State! This was the roughest section of the swim. Cape Roger Curtis dished out wind waves and a "confused" sea state created when the ebb current from Howe Sound met the flood current of Georgia Strait. Turning north-west from the Cape, there were yet more mountains to take in--the Coastal Range that towers above the Sunshine Coast. Up to this point, I had been swimming for 3 hours. Honestly, it felt more like 30 minutes. Given these idyllic conditions, I had no problem occupying my mind for the 9.5 hr. swim. It was also at this point that my crew informed me that I was "not alone"...there were a few Harbour Seals swimming with us. There was also a large Bald Eagle who had swooped down for a fish right in front of us. I was stoked! Only a pod of Killer Whales swimming by could have topped this! After a couple more hours swimming north with the flood tide, we predicted that I would be done in about 7 hours. As it turned out, this was too good to be true. Our ETA changed drastically after we rounding the north-west corner of the island and began swimming east toward Hood Point. This is where I met the flood tide head-on from the other diretion. I was literally swimming upstream against a current. Up to this point, I had covered over 2/3rds of the island in 6 hrs. It took me another 2 hrs just to swim a 4 KM stretch toward Hood Point. If this is what the current is like off of the French coast, I can totally appreciate how some swimmers get swept back into the Channel. This was great experience. Finally at 9 hrs and 26 minutes, I was back in Snug Cove. Perfect strangers assisted me out of the water and wished me good luck with the Channel! Got to love Bowen Islanders!! Following the swim, we treated Mike to a delicious pasta sea food meal at one of the great restaurants in Snug Cove. Following that, I fell into a heavenly slumber in the comfort of being satisfied with today's accomplishment. I ready for the Channel.

Technical notes:

• my stroke rate was consistent throughout the entire swim (50-56 for the 1st 3 hrs; and 60-62 for the remainder)
• my nutrition was bang on--no cramping and complete satiation. I kept to q 30 minute feeds throughout
• I did not feel cold for the entire duration--no evidence of even mild hypothermia
• My only concern is the tendonitis in my right shoulder. This didn't affect me until hour 6. My taper and physio treatments should bring this discomfort under control.
  
  
  

Swimming Upstream

I was in Kamloops on Wednesday (June 25th) for business. Before driving back to Kelowna, I went for a swim in the Thompson River. The South and the North Thompson Rivers converge in Kamloops. These great rivers drain melting snow from the West Rockies, Columbia, Cariboo and Monashee Mountain rainges. Not surprisingly, the current rate of snow melt is high, thus contributing to swollen rivers. The combination of cold and current lends itself to perfect conditions for Channel training.

For safety reasons, I swam along a public park with beach access. Needless to say, I was the only one in the water, but there were a lot of people watching the "crazy" guy. I gather I am the 1st swimmer of the year to take the Thompson River plunge. I started of by swimming downstream 400 m--this took about a minute (eat your heart out Ian Thorpe--Australia's 400 m freestyle WR holder); then I turned 180' and sprinted for 15 min. to get back to my departure point. Swimming in these conditions is akin to swimming on a treadmill. I was swimming nowhere fast. If the currents off the coast of France are this strong, it will take every ounce of energy I can muster to "break through." Alternatively, it may mean that I continue swimming (backwards for a time) until the tide changes in my favour. Either way, in the river, there is a trick to swimming upstream. I call it the "salmon" manoevre whereby I cut across to the riverbank and find an back eddy to assist me upstream...just like the salmon do when they swim upriver to their spawning grounds. All in all, this was a very memorable swim in a very beautiful public park. Good for 30 min. worth of cold (13'C) "treadmill" swimming.

Six Hour Marathon Swim

June 21st 2008
Six hour training swim with friends from the Okanagan Masters Swim Club, and my wife Joanne. I could not take on a challenge of this magnitude without their support! From left to right Liezel Heigers, Mike Stamhuis, Brent Hobbs, Pascal Sutherland (back row), wife Joanne and son Connor, Carmelle Guidi-Swan and Steve Ott.

What was supposed to be a gloriously hot Okanagan summer day turned out to be overcast with intermittent rain showers and a slight breeze from the north. The water temperature was 15-16'C (59-61'F), air temperature 21'C and lake conditions were calm. I swam a total of 20.5 KM in 6 hrs. Overall, I was pleased with my performance:

• maintained a consistent pace of 3.25-3.5 km/hr
• held a stroke rate of 52 strokes/min. for the 1st 2 hrs; 57/min for the middle 2 hours; and finished with a rate of 63/min. for the final stretch
• I felt a "chill" between hours 2 and 3 but found that picking up my stroke/kick rate generated some internal heat. I learned this technique from Lynne Cox (1st person to swim the Berring Strait and Antarctica--reference book Swimming to Antarctica. Temperature wise, I felt no ill effects for the last 3 hrs. Furthermore, I did not exhibit any signs of hypothermia upon exiting the water. I am very pleased about this. My cold water training sesssion have definitely paid off.
• I was also psychologically able to "hold my swim together." I did not suffer from boredom and I did not ruminate about hot tubs. Rather, I have learned to let my "mind go free" during these long swims. Sometimes I immerse my mind in work--sorting out the priorities I need to attend to. The good news is I can quickly switch work off to concentrate on other interests such as my kids, music and the coast of France. I also like to "explore." For example, I swam above a group of under water divers; I explored submerged timbers that used to support an old ferry dock. I said hello to some big ass Carp--some 10-15 pounders down there! I also like to check out the pricey water front realestate market. There is definitely no shortage of wealthy people who own water front property out at Okanagan Centre.

All in all, I am pleased with today's results. However, I have to keep it all in context. The Lake conditions I swam in do not reflect the reality of the Channel. There was very little current, no swell and little chop. I will experience this next week when I attempt to circumnavigate Bowen Island in Howe Sound. The only factor that I need to keep an eye on is my right shoulder--it feels a little tender. I will need to follow up this matter with the good folks at Sun City Physiotherapy.

Swimming by Moonlight

June 15th 11:00 pm
A middle aged man dressed in Speedo, goggles and bright red bathing cap is seen walking down Abbott St. with a halo-like glow eminating from his head. He is accompanied by two women (Anne Morgenstern and Sheree Moffatt) who are donned in kayak gear and cave lamps attached to their heads. A security guard pulls up to this mottly crew......"What are you doing? You cannot be here." I reply, "but I am training for the English Channel....this is my obligatory night training session..." The security guard appears dumbfounded...thinking to himself that we are on foreign substances. With some cajoling we are permitted to launch from the Byrne St. Beach access. This is my night training session. Swimming by moon and starlight. The water is cold (14'C) but I hardly notice because I am so stoked about swimming at night. The combination of moonlight, phosphorescence and Milky Way made for a surreal experience. Anne and Sheree did an amazing piloting job in the darkness. It is very hard to navigate in these conditions--witness the buoy and dock I almost collided with. I felt very comfortable swimming in the dark but I would not recommend doing this alone. The other lesson learned is that it feels a lot colder without the warmth of the Okanagan sun beating down on my back. As a result, I was a little more hypothermic than usual. I woke up 6 hrs later to go to work, all the while asking myself.....'Did I really swim by the moonlight last night or was that a dream?" Oh, and that halo of mine?.....It was my kids' glow stick from the Dollar Store. It lasts up to 12 hrs....all for the price of a Loonie. Thank you Anne and Sheree! This was their 3rd escort duty in honour of my quest--and in the middle of the night to boot. It is precisely this support that will enable me to achieve my dream.

San Francisco Bridge to Bridge Swim

Channel swimmers recommend training in San Francisco Bay. This is fine by me as SFO is one of my favorite cities. SFO is cold--even on a mid-summer's day. You wouldn't think that the ocean temperature is colder in SFO than Vancouver. Think again. the South/Central California coast is fed by a cold ocean current. BC, on the other hand, is fed by the relatively warm Japanese current. At this time, Vancouver waters are 14-15'C. In SFO, Bay temperatures are currently 12-13'C. In addition to colder water, SFO offers rough conditions--wind waves and strong currents. This all makes for good English Channel training. SFO also has a strong open water swimming fraternity--quite a few Channel swimmers live and train here all year round. In my four days of swimming here, I was never alone in the harbour. There are two long established open water swim clubs located in downtown SFO--the Dolphin and South End Rowing Clubs (circa 1873). Both are situated in Aquatic Park near Fisherman's wharf. Aquatic Park is a protected enclosure where swimmers can train without the boat traffic. These clubs are also equipped with warm showers and a sauna! Everyone was very friendly and keen to share their training tips for the Channel.

On day two in SFO, I competed in the 2nd Annual Golden Gate Bridge to Bay Bridge 10 KM Swim. I am happy to report that all 40 swimmers made it safely to their destination. About 50% competed without the aid of a wetsuit--including several intrepid youth between the ages of 14-16. Now that is inspiring! One of these swimmers (Delia) is also attempting to swim the Channel this summer. She is only 16! I had an excellent race--mostly because I followed a current line that did not carry me towards the Oakland side of the Bay Bridge. Others were not so lucky. Thanks to the folks at Aquatic Park for the inside information. The key was swimming in a line closer to the City than to Alcatraz Island.

My third day was spent pool training with the Stanford University Masters Club in Palo Alto. I competed at this facility in 2006 at the World Masters Swimming Championships. This is where I rekindled an old friendship from my age group swimming days (enter Yen Lee). Although we hadn't seen each other in over 20 years, it was as if time hadn't passed....here we were battling it out in the pool like we 13-14 year olds all over again! Coming to SFO was an opportunity to meet up with Yen and his family. We had a great time and the workout at Stanford was fast and challenging.
All long course meters
* 500 m warm up
* 20 x 50 m (odd 25 fly/25 free; even 25 back/25 free) descending in groups of 4 with diminshing rest between each set
* main 2000m set
- 400 m free pull on 5 sec. rest (5:15)
- 400 m free pull on 10 sec. rest (5:10)
- 300 m free pull on 15 sec. rest (3:55)
- 300 m free swim on 20 sec. rest (3:53)
- 200 m free swim on 25 sec. rest (2:34)
- 200 m free swim on 30 sec. rest (2:30)
- 100 m free swim on 35 sec. rest (1:12)
- 100 m free swim (1:11)
* 12 x 50 (odd dolphin kick on back; even choice stroke)

A delicious Sunday morning brunch with Yen's family followed.
Picture above: One of the two 50 m outdoor pools that the Stanford Master's Team fills for its workouts (about 200 members)! No wonder the Americans are a dominant swimming force. There were at least two former Olympic medalists swimming in our lane. From left to right (Yen Lee, Yours Truly, and Coach Tim).