Facing the Fears

The past few days have been busy. The Lynn Swim is now in the media (see: Christian Science Monitor and Chilkat Valley News) and I find my time being spent promoting the swim, doing interviews and of course – training. As the date for the swim approaches, now nearly 30 days away, fears are starting to bloom.

The most troubling at times, at least in terms of training, is my fear of the ocean. It’s a large place, to say the least. As I started swimming in open water, I realized I wasn’t trying to see what was below me. I could see about 5 feet below my body, but I really wasn’t looking hard - afraid of what might show up. And beyond that 5 feet is another 1,995 feet of ocean below me. To me that’s just freaky. But, I am getting more comfortable with it.

The other day as I entered Viking Cove, there were several porpoise out there feeding. But instead of being nervous as we neared them, I actually peered deep into the water to see if they were coming to investigate me. They never did come over, but the fact I tried to look for them was a bit of a break through for me.

So, I am slowly getting comfortable with the ocean. Lynne Cox (author of “Swimming to Antarctica”) said the fear shows a healthy respect for ocean. That was reassuring in some ways.

So, another fear that arises at times is one that seems quite naturally, namely - the fear of failure. All athletes go through it, as do many expeditioner’s. But for me, I am not just worried about failing myself; I am also worried about failing all those who support me. There are many people who are excited to see me swim. They support the cause and contact me just to say good luck and thanks. It’s a pressure that I try not to worry about but as support builds and the time to swim draws near, I wonder if the pressure will ease; or at least, if I will get use to it.

The other fear I have is simply based on the fact that I am not one who seeks the spotlight. I am swimming to draw attention to the cause, but I am coming to realize that I am as much the attraction as the swim. And although I know I have the majority behind me, there are many who disagree with what I am doing. And when they disagree, they sometimes are not very quite (or peaceful) about it.

This has challenged me to evaluate my beliefs and in the end only strengthens my resolve to push the issue. I represent a silent majority that is being strong armed by a powerful, vocal and sometimes aggressive minority. The people on the street who wave and give me the thumbs up are supporting me because I am helping stregthen their voice.

Earnest Training

Well, it’s been a week of training and trying wetsuits. I want to thank Alain and Tania for paddling along with me while I tried on different wetsuits and got use the cold Lynn Canal water. I am sure paddling next to a swimmer is not an ideal pace for a kayaker, but your support and patience is greatly appreciated.

The Training
At this point, I am still doing most of my training in the pool. I get up at 6am, 4 days per week. And go to the pool 5 days in the afternoon. Each workout is around 5,000 yards with increasing intensity as the week goes by.

The Ocean
I have been in the ocean 3 times, trying wetsuits and just getting use to the water. The first time I went was for 20 minutes (see below entry).

Then I went out with Alain for thirty minutes. This was with a new ProMotion triathlon wetsuit. And boy what a difference - the shoulder movement is 10 times better than the surf suit I first used. I also tried to swim without gloves. This was difficult at first. I couldn’t keep my hands in for more than 20 seconds before I had to pull them out of the water and hold them to the sun. But after 10 minutes, I was swimming right along. Turns out, we put-in right by some creek run off from the mountains - the water must have been 38F. Soon as we were 500 feet from the put-in area the water was significantly warmer. No wonder my hands we hurting.

This will be something to keep in mind as I swim to Juneau. There are plenty of places where runoff from the mountains will be flowing into Lynn Canal. So temperature variation will need to be considered at all times.

I also just went for a swim with Tania. I swam for 40 minutes without any problems. I didn’t use gloves again and as I got use to the water I even took of my neoprene socks. It’s nice to be able to feel the water.

The wetsuit is still working good, keeps me warm and allows good movement. Though I am getting a rash on the back of my neck for the collar. I have a rash guard coming soon. I hope it covers the rubbing area. I also have several more wetsuits coming.

Next week I hope to get in the ocean at least 4 times for an hour each time. Eventually, my ocean workouts will replace my pool training. The more I am in the ocean the better.

Suit Test Goes Swimmingly

The wetsuit test went well. I went to Paradise Cove with my girlfriend and met Burl there, who was ready with his kayak. Nancy from LCC was also there to watch. As I put on the wetsuit (4/3 mil), I went over some basic hand signals that Burl could give me if he needed to talk to me, direct me or stop me.

As it turns out, the water is not nearly as cold as we expected. The cove is rather sheltered and it was a sunny calm day, I reckon the water temp was around 50F. So the suit performed really well. I was nearly hot.

I talked with some fishermen to see what the latest temps in the Lynn Canal were like. I was told that the water is a couple degrees warmer than normal – they put it at around 47-48F. This is good news. It may be possible for me to use a thinner wetsuit! Boy, that would be great.

So, I contacted Brad at NEOsport. They are sending our a couple wetsuits, some gloves, a hood and an insulated cap. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have them helping us out. They’ve been sharing their expertise with us and have really helped us with the technical aspects of this swim. They are sending surf suits so it will remain to see how well I can swim in them. I’ll let you know when they arrive.

I also order a triathlon suit from ProMotion. Their suits were used by Christopher Swain; he swam the Columbia River. So they should be good for swimming, I will have to test it for fit, comfort and warmth once it arrives. There is a lot going in to getting the right suit. But if I am going to swim 100 miles, I want to be in what fits best and works best.

On Tuesday, Burl and I will also be contact HotLine to see if they have any suggestions for this swim. I am told they make some great suits. We plan to talk with their designer. He should be able to recommend what is best for swimming in.

Talk to you again soon.

One Step Closer to a Wetsuit

We’ve had some exciting prospects with wetsuits. Burl got in touch with representatives from Hotline wetsuits and NEOsport. Both companies were excited about the swim… but most encouraging, they were very supportive of our cause.


We talked with Brad from NEOsport about different suit options. He walked us through many scenarios to try to determine what combination of gear would work best. He had lots of ideas. It sounds like, once we determine the thickness we need, NEOsport will be sending us some gear :)

Hotline was equally as helpful. We have to call them back next week to talk to their designer.

Most likely we will be getting gear from a variety of sources. The conditions and needs aren’t the typical demands for a wetsuit. So, it’s going to be a matter of which combination of gear works best. Everyone we’ve talked to has been very understanding to this… they just want to see a system that works. They want to see the swim work. It's been a very encouraging experience.

Tomorrow we test a 4/3 surf suit. Not for actual swimming, but to test how warm it will keep me in the 40F water. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Early Odd and Ends

Yesterday I visited with Nancy at Lynn Canal Conservation. It was a quick visit, just going over some of the latest updates. We mostly talked about getting the team organized and whom we thought would be available to help. The positions we need are:

• Pilot - to lead us down the channel
• Zodiac - for quick access and transportation
• Kayakers - to paddle next to me and keep me on course (and offer moral support)
• EMT/Physician - to monitor my vitals throughout the swim watching for signs of hypothermia.

We plan to have a meeting with potential crew members on June 23rd at 7pm at the library. Anyone is welcome to come to the meeting, whether you are a potential crew member or just want to give moral support.

In other news, thanks goes to James Alborough, who is letting me use his surfing wetsuit for my training. It's a little snug, but should do until I get a new one.

I sent out a few emails yesterday asking for sponsorship from wetsuit companies. The two I am really impressed with are: ProMotions Power Glide and the Quintana Roo Hydrofull.

I am hoping one of these companies will sponsor us. It certainly would be a great help.

Speaking of wetsuits, Burl Sheldon is doing some fantastic research on the issue. Being a surfer, he is concerned about the "swim-ability" of the suits. Though, from what I am reading about triathlon wetsuits, this shouldn't be too big a problem. Burl has also offered to help be a safety boater during my training. (I don't want to risk freezing up in 42F water without someone paddling along beside me.) So extra thanks to him for the support.

In any case, lot's of training ahead. I must be off now. More later...

A Quote to Get Us Started

Four steps to achievement: Plan purposefully. Prepare prayerfully. Proceed positively. Pursue persistently.
William A. Ward