English Channel Trial Swim
Adaptability. I think more than anything else my trial swim was a lesson and an exercise in adaptability.
The morning of my trial swim I was up probably too early, but it gave me a chance to eat my oatmeal, finish my coffee and enjoy some of my favourite pre-event music ( this is how I prepare morning of for almost all of my big swims!) My mother, my sister and I strapped the kayak to the roof and head off to Burlington as soon as we could. We drove to Burlington because I needed to complete a swim in 60 degree water or 15.5. Both water buoys in Niagara were reading 63 and I couldn’t take the chance that the water would be warmer than 60, so off to Burlington we went.
When we arrived in Burlington at the base of the Skyway, the water was not 60 as it was reporting on the buoy, it was 53 or 11.6 degrees. My mom didn’t think we would finish it and would have to go north to find colder water, but said, “use this as a training swim and we’ll see how it goes”. On top of this when I went to grab my feed for the day that we had prepared the night before I couldn’t find it anywhere in the car! It turns out the jugs of Vitargo had been left on the front steps of our home. We were about an hour and fifteen minutes from home which meant there was no time to go and come back. After a quick Google search we found a bike shop near the beach that carried the product I use. A few shaker bottles later we had re-made my feed and were ready to get started.
I am an athlete who loves to have a plan, not only this but I also enjoy a specific routine that I follow on a daily basis. The day of my trial was no different. I walked to the beach with my musical anthems fresh in my mind ready to jump into Lake Ontario and not leave until I had qualified to swim the English Channel. All of this considered, I was quite caught off guard with all of the changes and challenges that were thrown my way. However, open water swimming never goes exactly to plan and I’m happy I was given the opportunity to adapt to new challenges and figure out a way to still be successful the day of my trial.
As soon as I got in, I wanted to get out. I had no desire to be in this cold water for any length of time. However, as it turns out, I lasted a full 6 hours. My mom thought I would swim for at least an hour and half and then hop out, after two hours, I knew what I had to do and I did it.
Solo Swims of Ontario provided my mom use of their core temp pill and she was able to monitor my core temperature throughout the entire 6 hours. Apparently my core doesn’t mind 11 degree water!
I swam 16 km faster in 11 degrees than I did during my Lake Erie swim 2 years ago. I averaged 3.3 km throughout my swim, even in a head wind. My sister said, “Every time”, when my mom/coach turned me around into the wind. My sister has been on SEVERAL, if not all, of my big training swims with my mom. She knew I would push against the wind and I did. I held my pace and felt really strong.
It was relatively flat the first hour and then, due to the 10 knot north winds, the waves picked up to ½ meter by mid-afternoon. It was not a super fun swim, but I was really happy to see the data when I got out.
I am ready for the English Channel. I am ready.
Marilyn Bell, Vicki Keith and Marilyn Korzekwa are Canadian women who have swam this channel. I am excited to follow in their footsteps and complete it this September 2016. I don’t know if these women swam for a charity, but I am swimming for Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. When I’m tired, when I’m cold, I am going to be thinking of the reason I am able to be tired and cold- that reason is because I have had the ability to participate in sport. I have had the ability to train and reach for something unique. Jumpstart gives that ability to other kids right across Canada.
You can find my donation button on the bottom of every page on this website.
You can donate DIRECTLY to Jumpstart and support kids’ participation in sport across Canada.
When I’m tired, when I’m cold, I am going to be thinking of the reason I am able to be tired and cold- that reason is because I have had the ability to participate in sport. I have had the ability to train and reach for something unique. Jumpstart gives that ability to other kids right across Canada.
You can find my donation button on the bottom of every page on this website. You can donate DIRECTLY to Jumpstart and support kids’ participation in sport across Canada.
