#ultramarathon

Training Gratitude and Surprises

Its not possible to do an ultra marathon swim without the help and support of others.  A runner could train for a marathon without ever running with another person.  Marathon swimming is different mostly because of safety considerations.  Its not really advisable to swim alone unless you are a very experienced swimmer and can creatively adapt to changing water and weather conditions.

I’m a bit of an introvert so I don’t necessarily always seek out others to do stuff.  But with training, it makes a difference when I can swim with others. A couple of laughs before getting in the water or exchanging a mermaid hug at a buoy make the training go faster and its more fun. I’m always grateful for a friendly exchange before, during or after a training swim.  

The 42 weeks to train for Loch Ness have gone by fast although there were some weeks when it felt like a slog.  But, some of my training workouts have been full of surprises like swimming into someone in San Francisco's Aquatic Park that I haven’t seen in 6 months (it’s a big cove).  Or the conversation I had in the sauna in San Francisco with someone who swam in Loch Ness. 

My favorite surprise was during my 10K Donner Lake swim a few weeks ago.  Donner is at 6,000 ft elevation and I was feeling the lack of oxygen.  Despite the gorgeous setting, it didn't start out as my most fun swim.  But, at the end of my first sweep along the shore, I swam over a message left by some romantic .  J♡M was spelled out in rocks on the bottom.  It completely stopped me mid stroke.  I was so surprised that someone took the time and effort gather rocks and lay out this message for some mermaid or merman.  I totally shifted how I felt about the rest of that training swim. I swam over that message 10 times and smiled every time.

 

My journey to swim Loch Ness has been about the physical training as its been about digging deep and expressing what is in my heart .  I love the challenge of the swim but I’m even more passionate about helping the kids and this is totally true to my heart.

Eat Like a 5 Year Old

“What do you eat?” is a question that I get asked a lot. After years of fine tuning my feeds, I finally have an answer that doesn’t require explaining the recipe for a homemade concoction - - ‘I eat peanut butter and jelly’.   Not really but its pretty close.

Every open water marathon swimmer has his or her own journey to find the right fuel for their metabolism and taste.  Mine started with the standard approach, Gu and a sports drink that I tried during training swims but I quickly learned that this really didn’t work well for me.  I explored what other endurance athletes ate and came to the conclusion that I needed:

-       A lot of calories from protein and fat

-       some % of carbs

-       Food that was closer to what I eat all the time so I don’t stress out my GI system (for a cold water swimmer stomach issues are huge since we need to keep in calories and throwing up in the water is not good –you can aspirate water and then you have a whole new set of issues).

Based upon my weight, the need to generate body heat and the pace that I swim (~ 72 strokes per minute), I estimate that I burn about 1,000 calories an hour in cold water.  Its well established that the average amount of calories that a person can process is between 300 – 350 per hour.  So, its not possible to take in all the calories that I’m burning.  After practicing during long training swims, I know that I can process 350 calories and sustain my pace and body heat.

The final variable for feeding during marathon swims is that a feed has to be quick.  Wasting time fiddling with a package means you lose body heat and you could go backwards if you are in the middle of a current.

The food, frequency and feeding method that works for me is:

1.     eat every 30 minutes

2.     take in 8 oz of Perpetuem at the bottom of the hour

3.     eat 1 packet of Justin’s Nut Butter and 1 sachet of blueberry toddler food + 8 oz of Perpetuem

4.     chocolate treat every once in a while spontaneously given by my crew

I might even add a Coke just for the caffeine and sugar boost when I'm a couple of miles from the end for good measure :-)

Finding Courage By Swimming with Heart

I get asked a lot “what has been your hardest swim?”  Its really hard to answer that question since each swim is different and has its own unique challenge (s).

What I do know is that Loch Ness will be the coldest swim 22 mile swim I’ll do and that makes it a top contender for the hardest swim.  Every once in awhile during a quiet moment, I feel angst about the swim. What works for me to lessen the fear is to think about who I’m trying to help and how grateful I am for everyone who has, in any way, helped and supported me.

These eloquent words from John O’Donohue are a poetic version of finding courage for my swim across Loch Ness.  

Maybe this will resonate with others no matter the challenge.

“When the light around you lessens, and your thoughts darken until your body feels fear, turn cold as a stone inside, when you find yourself bereft of any belief in yourself, and all you unknowingly learned has fallen, when one voice commands your whole heart, it is a raven dark.

Steady yourself and see that it's your own thinking that darkens your world. Search and you will find a diamond thought of light. Know that you are not alone and that this darkness has purpose. Gradually it will school your eyes to find the one gift your life requires hidden within this night corner. Invoke learning of every suffering you have suffered. Close your eyes. Gather all the kindling about your heart to create one spark.”

My kindling is a school full of Afghan kids.  

 

From: To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings

Swimming Loch Ness by Way of Alcatraz

It all started with the 2006 SERC International Alcatraz swim. My compulsion to swim in open water progressed to a full fledged addiction in which I am unable to look at a body of water and not wonder what it would be like to swim in it or to swim across it.  My mother told me that she used to do this too when she was younger...it's generic :-)

Even though I haven’t seen Loch Ness in person, it captured my imagination and I signed up to swim the length in August, 2017. The photos of Loch Ness show glassy, dark water nestled in the beautiful Scottish highlands with an ancient castle on its banks.  The thought of a friendly creature added to the mystique.  It sank into my psyche the way Monterey Bay did in 2011 when I decided to swim across that bay. 

I love the challenge open water swimming and completing marathon swims.  Loch Ness will be about 54 degrees (if I’m lucky) and I’ll be swimming in black water.  No dancing light like you find in Tahoe, Donner or Monterey Bay. This will pose a bit of a mental challenge on top of swimming 22 miles without a tidal push. My crew is already acquiring hats and costumes to keep us all laughing across the loch.  There is no shortage of Nessie wear for them to choose from.

Everyone has their own passion and drive to do a major swim.  My drive is to help others while I complete the swim adventure. Swimming the length of Loch Ness is an opportunity to raise funds for Trust in Education, an organization that I’m passionate about.  

Trust in Education has made education a high priority in war torn Afghanistan by developing schools, building community learning centers, sponsoring street children to attend school, and providing after school classes.  My goal is to raise $100,000 for Trust in Education.   I have tutored refugee kids in the bay area and know of the dire circumstances kids face in Afghanistan.

Education is the best course for these kids and the best chance for stability and peace.  Nothing I experience during a swim compares to difficulty they face. The thought of helping them and providing hope gets me through the dark moments on my swims.  There is always a dark moment or two, so I think about them a lot.

I’ve had the good fortune of being born into a family that emphasized and invested in my education and I feel compelled to play that forward.  100% of donations goes to Trust in Education.

Afghan+Street+Kids+Receive+Education+LEonXPIdP08l.jpg

Swimming with Sharks: Marathon Swimming & Salesforce

This is a presentation that I given a few times at work.  It reflects the culture and work envirnment there but maybe there are some themes that resonate with others.