Coach Dave Cameron will keep everyone up to date right here with his Coach's Blog.
Check back often for updates
on Otters and Masters team progress, as well as
Dave's training for his own double Channel crossing!
I'm still up at 11:30 pm. I couldn't nap today because of the tension in the air, but I'm hoping a few Advil will help.
I need as much rest as possible, but there is so much to do. My food and my stuff is pretty much all ready. Paul and Andy need to get food for a day or more, which shouldn't take long. I have to help out Jason Davis in getting some training footage tomorrow and maybe an interview. I also need to lay out all the stuff for my crew to be ready- the feeding schedule, the signals, etc. I'll post the document up here tomorrow. I need to eat and drink a LOT.
It's reassuring that Daniel has missed me as much as I missed him. I can hear him outside the door before they come over going "dadadadada". I open the door and he looks up with a big "hiiiiiiiii" for me. Tina is still recovering from the travel, but I think having my mom here will help- Daniel still remembers grandma from her last visit, so Tina can probably get a break. I've asked them NOT to come watch the boat take off at 3am.
I'm feeling very different this time. Last time, I had confidence and a bit of excitement for taking on the unknown. This time, I definitely know what I'm getting into. Don't get me wrong- I still want to do it- but I know what I'm going to be doing to myself. This body will be trashed for days afterwards, and I won't be taking solid food for a little while either. My shoulders will probably be done swimming for a week or month or so, and I may lose 5-15 pounds during the course of the journey not including water weight. Sunburn, throat swelling, cramps, indigestion, seasickness...it's not exactly a cup of tea.
I have loved the training, and I'm still quite motivated on top of knowing what's ahead, but I have promised to myself (and to Tina) that this is it. If the weather changes or the boat takes on water or the Great White of Cornwall shows up, I won't hold on to this for years to come. If I break a record, I'm not going back for a triple. It's all or nothing on Tuesday, and then it is time to move on. I think a few triathlons and maybe Grandma's marathon might be fun.
I've spent the last week recovering from the relays- not just the baot ride, but the constant chaperoning and managing of schedules. It wasn't easy. Many swimmers go through a pretty dark period before their swims. They doubt themselves and their ability. The question their preparedness and their willpower going into the event. They might even look to years like 1999 and 2001 when swimmers were lost in the Channel. I went through a lot of that.
I kept my training up, and as always, it was what puleld me through. If I couldn't do that on my own, I wouldn't be taking something like this on by myself. I can already hear the kneejerk response from many- "but you're not alone- you've got us supporting you". I know, and in the back of my mind I'm aware of how many people have done so much to help me get ready and to support this campaign. But when the left arm follows the right, and then back to left, 75,000 times, I can't do it solely on the support of others. That's why I needed a few days alone and why even Tina and Daniel are staying in a room down the hall right now.
I've gotten a good 2-4 hours of swimming in every day. The harbor is calm, but the distances and paces are my challenges now. I've lost some weight, but that's OK- the body is ready and the mind just pulled up to go too.
I was ready before my crew got here, and now I simply have more to back me up. Andy and Paul arrived two trains behind Tina and Daniel. As a two-person crew, they will have a lot on their hands, but I'm sure they can handle it. If they're looking for sympathy, they won't get it from the person swimming for 24 hours.
Jason Davis is here also to be on the boat. He doesn't seem thrilled about the potential nighttime starts, since they don't look so good on camera, and a 3-4am finish wouldn't be the best either. But I thnk he's mainly here to film the journey, and the rest is just bonus footage.
So, all the pieces are in place, except one. When to swim. It turns out that that has been decided too. Remember that if you're in the US Central time zone, take 6 hours off.
Wowzers. What a day yesterday was. Now, I'm all alone here.
I've got a lot to say about the swims, the swimmers, the supporters. I also have 153 e-mails, a sleep deficit, and a 50-mile swim ahead of me. I'll catch up tomorrow as much as possible.
I've been tracking Marcy today in her big swim attempt. Last time I was here, Marcy was was here with her training partner, Dave Parcells, getting ready for both of their triple-crossing attempts. The weather did not hold that time. Many of you know Dave was the friend and mentor who had helped me figure a few things out in getting ready this time before we lost him in April. Marcy entered the water this morning for another shot on the triple. The same thing stopped her this time as last- some shoulder problems hit her on her way in to her first leg (last time she was midway on her third leg) so she ended up finishing a solo with ONE ARM FREESTYLE. That's the definition of tough. Some of the kdis got to meet Marcy and seemed to appreciate the magnitude of her accomplishments.
If I'm still awake in an hour I might go meet her as her baot comes in. Otherwise, I've got 5 hours of swimming tomorrow and had better get some rest.
Coach Dave's Blog