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One
of the most common questions that people ask me is "did you wear a
wetsuit?" Hopefully this will answer exactly what I needed to get
across the Channel.
What I wore
What I ingested
What did the boat cost?
What is a swimming window?
What's required?
What I wore
- My trusty speedo (No wetsuits allowed)
- Dolphin Club swim cap - white, a trinket from the Crissy Field
swim. This is not an insulated cap because they're not allowed
either, just a regular thin swimcap.
- Silicon earplugs: they help protect your inner ear from some
serious problems associated with extensive long distance cold
water swimming.
- Aquasphere Seal XP goggles, smoke color
- Albolene: to reduce chaffing. It's a lot like Vaseline, but
without a petroleum base.
- One green 12-hour glowing night stick that was safety pinned
to the back of my speedo so my crew could see me in the dark for
the first four hours.
- Bullfrog Supergel sunscreen. SPF 35.
What I Ingested
- Before: a couple of fried eggs over easy on toast. 20 oz of
Cytomax Preformance. Two Advil gelcaps.
- During: Every half hour: 8-10 oz of warmed Cytomax Apple Berry
flavor. Angie expertly mixed warm water with regular water and
then created a 20 oz. brew of Cytomax. She then put this into
a Nalgene bottle that was for 2 feedings over the half hour. I
preferred the big-mouthed Nalgene bottle to bike water bottles
because I could chug the fluids. However, as you're in waves,
some goes down your chin and cheeks. Hence I had her put in more
than the 8 oz I usually have so that I could waste a couple of
ounces. The Nalgene bottle was on a string so she could lower
it from the boat without touching me. Any touching of the swimmer
or of the swimmer to the boat is illegal and results in immediate
disqualification. Had we done this a little better, we would have
had a thin rope that wouldn't get as tangled as the string did.
- Also, starting at hour three, I had one pack of Power Gel by
Powerbar every hour. Fortunately, I finished when I did as I used
all these up and should have had enough for many more hours. Angie
tore the top off these and screwed them into the bottle cap. Being
an advocate of clean waterways, I dumped them back into the empty
bottles when I was done drinking, hence leaving no litter in the
channel.
- Lastly, I had two more rounds of Advil that were lowered to
me in a Styrofoam cup that they had on board. This was not the
best method as I almost accidentally touched Angie's hand when
the boat lurched as she was handing them to me.
- What I maybe should have ingested: an antihistimine for the
jellyfish sting, but it wasn't super painful.
- After: 32 oz Cytomax Recovery, Advil, Advil and Advil. Lots
of water. Boiron Homeopathic Sports and Trauma pack of goodies
such as Arnica Montana. I should have had this right away but
didn't for 14 hours and those were the 14 most painful hours of
my life, much worse than the swim. I also had Nature's Kiss Anti-Flamme
that I rubbed into my sore shoulders and body.
- Guinness: a few pints at the White Horse Tavern in celebration.
You might even meet Peter, a solicitor who is a fixture at the
bar and who bought me a pint!
What did the boat cost?
- A lot!!!! Though the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation
(CS&PF) I made a deposit about a year and a half in advance for
an August swimming window. Literally on the day of the swim, I
made the final payment and along with their membership application
it cost around $3000.
What is a swimming window?
- When you sign up for these swims with the CS&PF you pick a
time to go during a "window" of neap tides (smaller tides, weaker
currents). These windows generally last anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks.
The CS&PF currently has three boats. Mine was the "Sea Satin"
and I had the fourth slot to go with that boat. In theory that
means that once the window starts the person with slot #1 one
goes, then #2 and so on. However, everyone has to wait first for
good weather, a rarity on the Channel and you can sometimes wait
for weeks. Next, you go at a certain time to correspond with ideal
tides. Also, each slot has an allotted time so if a relay or a
double crossing or a really slow swimmer is expected before you,
you may have to wait longer.
- Get it yet? Just when you think you do… the human factor works
in. One must make calls and be readily available by phone to make
sure you don't accidentally get passed over for your slot.
- Just when you think you get it… you can also go before or after
your window during the Spring tides. Seeing as I was unlikely
to go during my window I arrived a few days early after downing
"No Jet Lag" pills on my plane ride and left before my window.
I bought a mobile phone and told them I was ready to go shortly
after my plane landed. Go I did, all over the Dover Straits on
some wild strong currents, but the weather was delightful. I recommend
this, but warn that you always need to be prepared to take a few
hours longer than you anticipated. Nothing sucks more than waiting
to go and I had the added bonus that I had a longer vacation for
me and my crew. However, I actually went before my full crew arrived
and I was really bummed that Dane was only eight hours from getting
into port when I started my swim.
What's required?
- A basic physical signed off by a doctor saying you can swim
the channel and a witnessed six hour swim in 60 degree water.
- I did swims of six, eight and ten hours in San Francisco Bay
which made me very confident. I of course did many other shorter
bay swims, interval pool training, weight training, cold water
immersion, physical therapy, and massage in preparation. I was
very lucky to train with fellow channel swimmers Tom Keller and
Brian Herrick who made it across during the week after me. Ali
Hall also trained with us the whole way only to be sidelined by
serious emergency surgery and Nigel Killeen trained alongside
in preparation for his Trans-Tahoe swimming adventure. Training
buddies make it much more enjoyable!!!!
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