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Thursday, June 20, 2013

Getting back, maybe...  Just did two miles last night for the first time in probably 3 months.  Got sucked into pacing someone at 45 second laps for a while - that hurt, especially with the shoulder,. But it feels like I can stroke around it.  Starting to get psyched about doing this yet one more time.  Have been picking up new swimmers for several weeks - we may be around a dozen folks now.  Probably need another boat or a couple of Seadoos if anyone is interested...  Still love the story about the guy swimming east to west across the entire lake (20+ miles) through the shipping channels around August 6th? Wish him luck.  And hope he gets medical attention after the race. Seriously, there's something wrong with all of us to want to go 14 miles into the wind, but to go 20+ miles across the lake dragging a boat with 2,000 pounds of bricks?  Wow.  There's really something wrong with that guy.  I mean, you can't ever piss a guy like that off.  Because if you do - I don't think he'd ever get over it...  In fact, I may just stop right here, and wish him luck, crazy or not.

Another trend we are facing is a continual dropping of the average age of our participants, which is neither surprising nor comforting to us old guys...  We will now have probably 4 or 5 20 year old machines keeping pace for us.  Last year, Fares was doing 20 minute miles in the middle of the course.  I can barely sprint that fast.  But then, I am probably 30 years older than he is...

For me, the perfect day would be clear skies, 80 degree air and 70 degree water, a gentle NE wind, and a dozen massage therapists waiting at the finish line... Seriously, we will make arrangements for any massage therapists that want to come down to the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club and help out around 4pm or so on the 19th...

Last year was the year of the flies, hopefully we will find a better theme as we proceed through this year's crossing.

All the best,
Ric

Thursday, June 6, 2013

I had almost forgotten...

Got back in the water today for the first time in 2 months.  Swam 1/2 mile - part of that was kicking.  Both my shoulders are  little sore, but it was so much fun to be able to do even a half mile.  Yes, I did race a guy - what is up with that?  I felt pretty good and didn't push it, but it is clear that I still have my speed (what little I had). Looks like we're going to go in August - we took a vote and August 19/20 seems to be the day...

More later...

Sunday, June 2, 2013

#6 is on the horizon...

#6 is shaping up to be the most interesting swim of all.  First, we have some eager new talent waiting to get into the water, which is good.  Next we have a few repaired swimmers who are ready to go.  And finally, my own shoulder, after several thousand miles, has apparently decided to tear (or something...). It is the old rotator cuff internal impingement, arthritic degeneration diagnoses.  I think I'm just a little tired.  If it wasn't for the pain, I'd be sure of it...  I am in rehab, and seem to swim OK, but haven't put on a lot of mileage in the last 2 months (OK, like nearly zero...). 

Besides feeling like a lump, I am also painfully aware of the lack of endorphins that kick in every time I'm in the pool chasing down swimmers on other lanes (or being chased).  There is something magical about what happens to you as you bear down and decide to catch someone in the pool. First, you mentally calculate how many laps it would take to catch them, then you calculate if your body will hold out for that many laps.  If the math works (although it is questionable because of the oxygen starvation that is already occurring) you crank it up and go. The problem is - what do you do when you've caught them.  Do you quit?  Hardly - that is unquestionably in poor taste. You need to put on a few extra laps to confirm the pace you were able to sustain.  Of course, you didn't calculate that in the beginning and as you continue, various parts of your body seem to begin shutting down.  And understand - there is a good chance that the people I'm racing aren't even aware we're actually racing, but whatever...  At my age, it's still a race...

So, because I am missing those endorphin rushes, I feel as if I am missing a major portion of my life...  I tried to take up running - only to remember why I quit in the first place.  My back can't take it...  Bicycling may help - did 21 miles last weekend.  Any other ideas are welcome...

Oh, and it appears we have someone else taking on Lake St Clair.  In early August, someone is planning to swim 22 miles dragging a rowboat filled with 2,000 lbs of bricks.  This from a guy who has swum each of the great lakes, and is expecting to take 30 hours to get across Lake St Clair.  Curious to see which direction he'll go, and how he expects to bisect the shipping channel.  Freighters cut through those waters at 20+ knots - I'd hate to be in the channel when one of them comes through.  At any rate, we wish him the best.  That is a heck of an accomplishment.  And way stupider than what we're doing...

We'll continue updating this site as we  approach our date - which is expected to be late July.  Anyone want to volunteer, or even join us in the swim?  Let us know - we can use a Seadoo or two.  I think we'll have 10 swimmers and 2 boats this year.  And nobody has to drag any rowboats with bricks - I swear...  And if Jenny, our English Channel, record setting swimmer shows up again, we'll all just try to keep as close to her as we can.  Which for most of us.will only occur in the boat on the way over to Harsen's Island...

All the best - hope to see you out on the water...