Swimming long

The meaning of success?

 

Yesterday Arlene asked me if I needed something else.

I said yes, a boat and to be Wednesday August 11 evening, when I will be recovering with a smile because of the achievement.

Yes, I am anxious now. I want to swim across the lake and get it done.

I want to know for real what it is to be there, and all this just made me think that the trip has been already an incredible journey where I've learn about different limits, I've had the chance to meet very interesting and neat people, I've got to feel the incredible amount of support of many friends in Mexico and Canada and even people that I get to see not very often. I've been working in overcoming fears, in new ways to juggle life priorities, in new ways to re-invent myself in order to keep my mind positive.

Not always works though, but I think I can be happy with myself.

There are many donations already at the Canadian Tire Jumpstart foundation website.

Some kids will be able to learn how to swim because those generous donations. The attempt has already a huge value because of it.

To those who visited the site: thank you very much for your support to this ... preventive, educative cause.

If you have been thinking about it, I encourage you to visit the site and make a donation. (Click on the "Donations" tab at the top of this blog) Does not matter how much, somehow you will be part of making someone's life more enjoyable and safe around water.

Regardless the outcome on August 10-11, thanks to all for the support.This project is already a success.

Thank you very much for being here, there... but always close.

Very little swimming lots of wondering around and no success yet

No photo on this post.

We are waiting to find the big boat that will go with us to show it here!

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After the night swim, there has been very little swimming and has been short every time I got into the water.

Instead I have invested time looking for someone with a large boat willing to go with us in this adventure.

No success yet on that. There are a few people that said they will do their best and we are doing it but no one has said yes firmly.

So, seems like the date of the swim may change to accommodate as many crew members as possible but also to have a boat  to make the swim happen.

Why all this?

Well let me explain again for those new readers and a reminder for those that already know:

Everything started many years ago but really I made the decision to swim across the lake over a year ago.

What does a swim across lake Ontario means?

Swimming across lake Ontario means a 52 km swim across one of the most unpredictable and formidable bodies of water on the planet.
The traditional course follows the route used by Marilyn Bell on the first successful crossing of the lake in 1954.
The route starts in the south at Niagara-on-the-Lake in the mouth of the Niagara River.
The finishing point, is 52 km away at Marilyn Bell Park in Toronto.

On top of being a personal challenge, I was motivated last summer after reading and hearing stories about children drowning in the Greater Toronto area.
Those drownings, inspired the Toronto Star’s 2009 Take the Plunge program, which saw the paper pay for swimming and water safety lessons for 100 children, ages 6 to 12, in partnership with the YMCA of Greater Toronto.

This summer we have had more of the same sad stories, so swimming across Lake Ontario will help organizations like the Jumpstart Foundation, to help children learn how to swim in organized programs and to provide young people with positive life-changing experiences.

I am trying this on August 10th 2010

A swim like this is regulated by a provincial authority, Solo Swims of Ontario Inc., (SSO) a government-sponsored volunteer organization, and their mandate is to look for the safety of the swimmers and their crews.

That is why we need this large boat.

WE ARE LOOKING DESPERATELY FOR A 30 Ft. SAIL OR POWER BOAT to full fill the SSO requirements to be able to do the swim.

If you know someone or you have a boat we will greatly appreciate if you can join the team August 10th.

Contact us at malvaok@yahoo.com.mx

On Facebook: search MalvaSwimAcrossLakeOntario

or you can phone:

519 833 9449

519 265 3869

519 829 0662

If you would like to donate to the Jumpstart foudation program you can click on

http://j.mp/a4WBtp

(This is case sensitive caps should be caps!)

Thank you for reading up to here.

5 hours of Darkness. Part 2

 

We're on the boat. Don, Kendra, Katie, Russel, Hailey and me. My dad's swimming in lake Rosseau. We've been on the boat for 16 minutes. I'm already bored and sea sick. I move around the boat looking for something to do. I look over at my dad and then i remember. We had bought a whiteboard for me to write messages to my dad as he was swimming. So i pick it up and grabbed the marker. "Wassup Pikachuu?" I saw a grin come up on my dad's face when he saw my message. I wrote to him pretty much until it got dark. When it got dark i took my phone out and started texting people. Can you imagne? it's 12:51 at night and people are texting me back? I actually laughed. At around 1:15 I was cold, tired and bored. I fell asleep and didn't come to until the last 20 minutes of the night swim. I heard Don talking to my dad and telling him to follow the light. You see I was told later on that my dad kept swimming farther away from the boat and he didn't realize it. It was pitch black outside. I didn't blame him. I looked around the boat and saw Hailey and Russel passed out sleeping on the floor. I looked around and couldn't see anything! Until I looked at the sky... For the first time in my life I saw our Galaxy. The sky was so clear I could see The Milky Way! Billions of stars stained the black sky. And the moon was giving very little light enough for me to see shore! I stood up my legs were numb and it hurt to stand up. I sat back down and drifted off to sleep in a few seconds. I heard the motor stop and I felt a water drop on my nose. Malva was sitting next to me looking over me smiling. I smiled back and got ready to climb off the boat. We've done it! He'd done it! He had swam 5:37 hours in the darkness! I can't describe how tiered I was. And I think my fellow crew members agree. I think Crossing a Great Lake is not only an effort the swimmer has to put in. ( even though the swimmer goes out everyday and swims for hours and hours which i find very admirable) but there is a huge effort the crew has to put in as well. This is a team project.

And I would like to thank everyone who has helped or is helping my father full fill his dream. But I want to thank the crew. Maybe it's because I'm a growing teenager and I need my sleep but I was done after the 5 hours on the boat. And I think every single crew member has to be thanked greatly for putting up with Malva's stubborness and helping out with everything.  Thank you so much crew members. Have a nice day :-)

-Santiago and Malva

5 hours of Darkness. Part 1

This is Santiago writting.

The drive to Lake Rosseau was long and boring. We jumped in the car and drove off to the highway. Once we got to the highway I placed my headphones in my ears turned my music up and took a nice relaxing nap. I soon woke up to the sound of passing cars, and i realized we'd stopped. Had we arrived yet? No, we had stopped on the side of the road. My dad and Katie were walking around the car, my dad opened my door and i asked,

"What happened?"

"The Kayak come loose so we wanted to tighten it before it fell" he said. I got out of the car and looked around, the sun's light blinded me and it took a second to readjust my eyes. After a few more minutes we got back in the car and drove off. I tried falling asleep again but it was no use. I grabbed my father's laptop out of it's case, popped a DVD in, sat back and enjoyed the hour long movie "Clash Of The Titans" (which i recommend to you readers) when it was finished i turned the laptop off and waited. Finally I heard the sound of waves. I peaked out the window and saw the Lake my dad was going to swim in for 5 hours. I was overwhelmed.

We got out of the car and met Don Burton and his family at the docks. Don and Kendra (his wife) are my dad's coaches and lent us a small motor boat for the 5 hour swim. We unloaded the car and got on the boat. Russell and Hailey (Don's and Kendra's kids) got on a tube and were dragged behind the boat for a little while. When we got back to shore we got ready and went back to the boat. My dad got ready to jump in and start the swim. I hugged him, I wished him luck. He said goodbye to Katie and the other crew members and dove in.

The 5 hours of Darkness had begun.

16 Km. swim trial: checked...

 

After Sunday I really didn't rest.

Every time I went to bed I kept dreaming about this trial that didn't go on Sunday because of the cold.

Every day I went to the temperatures website to check on the Lake Ontario waters.

Wednesday I went rushing to Hamilton and swam for 10 minutes to take the temp there:14 C. Then took off to Toronto on my way to work and stopped at he Sunny side park and ... just got into the water but didn't want to swim in there as I had to go to work right after. Was awfully full of algae and was quite disgusting to be honest ... but much warmer.

Talked to Alan, our swim master for the trial and we agreed to go ahead on Thursday at 7:00 a.m. as many of you know.

I slept for just a few hours, got up, prepared all the food bottles and got everything into the car.

Picked up Santiago, picked up the kayak, picked up Arlene, picked up Shirley... and off we went to Toronto.

We arrived 5 to 7 and Alan and Kendra were already there. We all in good spirits started chatting and getting ready. John Eddols arrived then and we all  listened to Alan who explained the where and how this would work.

 Meanwhile Santiago started to put the "boobs oil" that in reality is 100% lanolin but in pharmacies they market that product for breast feeding women and I can't get Santiago to stop laughing and making fun of that.

Once everyone was ready we set the kayaks in the water and I got in. Where we started was actually warm. later got colder but because the route was four times a 4 km. leg fwd and back twice we got warm and cold water.

The first 4 km,  swam alone and I felt good. Kendra and Santiago were on the kayaks and everything worked out to the plan. The only not so good was all the algae in my face It was stinky and was really bothering me but there was not much for me to do so I sucked up.

Santiago switched with Shirley on the kayak and walked back the 4km. with Alan and John. Arlene dove in and as soon as I saw her face I knew that she was disgusted as I was and I just started laughing.

On the feeding stops I took much longer than planned because quite frankly I really like the chance to talk and exchange some information about what was going on ... on what I can call now "the outside world"

While I was swimming I was just paying atention to Arlene on my right side, Kendra on my left side and Shirley that was a bit ahead of os on Arlene's right but really nothing else. It is kind of a sensory privation while swimming and you get a rest on the feeding time so I used to enjoy as much as possible.

Arlene is an incredible fast open water swimmer so she really made me work hard for those 4 km. 

At 8Km John took over Arlene's place and Santiago replaced Shirley on the kayak. Alan walked all the time.

John started fast as well but just for a few minutes; later we found a very comfortable pace. Santiago got behind... probably distracted with the many things to watch while paddling along that course in a city like Toronto. 

At 12 Km. I felt tired but happy knowing that was the last leg. Coming into Ontario Place the stupid Hippo-bus and some other big boats passed by making waves that were uncomfortable ... but hey! nothing compared with the real ones that I have dealt with or I will the day of the big swim so again, ignored the fact of the traffic on that channel.

I was making numbers ... as slow as I was, would not be more than 75 minutes more so started the last 4 Km. with good spirits. 

John decided to swim back as well so he catched up a few 100's of meters later and we got into a nice rithm. He said that I sped up ... I wasn't concious of it. At this point Arlene was on the other kayak (Kendra was always beside me). and about 2km of the finish John started to get behind and I waited a few minutes at a slower pace. On porpouse I made the last feeding time longer and tried him to eat something. We resumed and finally Kendra said just keep going and Arlene stayed with John. 

Made my numbers again ... It was possible to break the 5 hours for the16 Km. but it will be tight so I picked up the pace. 

One minute before the 5 hours I asked Kendra "how much longer?" ... just between those big trees that you can see there she said... I took a look... under the 5 hours mark was gone then so I just kept swimming the same speed happy to be done in just a few minutes more and that was it. I did the 10 miles swim trial for Solo Swim Ontario in one hour less than the limit time for the trial and I was very happy. Tired but not exhausted and afterwards we kept talking while cleaning my body from the lanolin and getting back to the cars.

The crew went back to Guelph and I got to the showers at the Star, went to eat with Santiago and went back to work. As much as I wanted to have an easy day at work ... it was a bit longer day there than my ideal in the conditions but hey, I am lucky to still have a job there so no complains. 

Thank you very much to my wonderful crew! without you guys nothing of what I do could be possible.

Thank you very much Alan for being such a great swim master for us.

Thank you to all the people that has supported this project in one way or another 

Thank you for reading and being interested.

Now just 4 weeks and a half to go. Time for adjustments, time for more tests, time to tight up loose ends and to get as much help as possible as there are still many things missing.          

 

Stubborn but good experience

Stubborn as I am Yesterday I went with Katie, Shirley and  Santiago to Lake Ontario to try and swim for a while knowing how cold would be.

We got there, got changed and slowly I went into the water.

Katie surprisingly just dove in to get this shocking reaction of the cold taking your breath away... a few seconds and she was out.

Santiago tried as well while Shirley from shore was looking. Also just a few seconds.

Meanwhile I attached a thermometer to my swimsuit and kept getting into the water slowly. Trying to get adapted. As soon as my chest got into the water I knew this was the coldest water I've ever been in for that amount of time.

It was painful but kept going until I got my face in. Then started swimming. Santiago followed me for a while very worried asking me very often how I was doing. Surprisingly I was fine. Every stroke hurt but I was determined to keep going. After 15 minutes Santiago switch with Katie on the kayak and I kept swimming.

At 18 minutes I stopped feeling my hands and feet but kept swimming. It is a weird feeling to to have control over your limbs in the water because you can't feel them! However I was all the time thinking about how I was doing and aware of everything.

At 20 minutes Katie asked me how I was doing because I started to get choppy... I was dizzy. One minute more she asked me something else and I couldn't answer properly because I couldn't move my tongue as usual... then I knew I wast starting to get hypothermia. 

I swam to shore then and the 22 minutes at 8 to 9 degrees Celsius  adventure was finish.

Even with the 30 degrees temperature outside I was shivering ... not for long but the experience was good enough to know that the decision to postpone the swim trial was right. I am sure I could keep swimming longer but would not be safe at all; and at the end probably someone would have to make the call of pulling me out.

We are just hoping and waiting for the water to get warmer. And this time change all the plans ahead. Many things will have to be adjusted.

Postponed

After the advise of two swim masters I have decided to postpone the swim trial.

The water is too cold to be there for 6 hours and the winds seem that are not willing to cooperate tonight.

After a chat with my swim master Alan Fairweather we decided to try again this Thursday July 8 2010 in hopes that the water will be less shockingly cold.

Congratulations to the L.O.S.T swimmers in Oakville that despite the cold water got a nice swim.

After reading the L.O.S.T. blog I felt kind of proud of myself knowing that I swam for 26 minutes at no more than 12 degrees celsius without a wetsuit!

This is pretty similar to what happen to Enrique while trying to cross the English Channel. Days of waiting until the wind finally on the 13th day of waiting did let him succesfully make it from England to France.

Nice memories and great positive thoughts now to be able to do my swim trial on Thursday.

The nervs, the wait and the indecision.

Here I am. Saturday night after a little test at Lake Ontario.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a big day.

Tomorrow the whole crew supposed to be at Lake Ontario for the swim Trial.

16 Km. or 6 hours whatever happens first.

I was very confident until the wind started to blow a few days ago and took away the warmer water.

Two days ago the water temp. at the lake was 8 Celsius. Yesterday went up a few degrees anything close to something comfortable.

A few hours ago I went down to Hamilton where this swim supposed to happen tomorrow.

The water was not above 13 degrees.

Again, I had this burning from inside out feeling that lasted for at least 15 minutes. I couldn't pee even when I really wanted and I got alarmed. Finally I stopped, change my breathing rhythm then peed and kept going.

Wasn't pretty but came back home mentally prepared for tomorrow.

However in this conditions you do not need much to hesitate. An experienced Swim Master Marilyn Korzekwa (two succesful crossings under her belt) said that she would be seriously considering next week because the winds tonight only are going to get worst and take the bit of warm water away...

looks like less than 12 hours to the start I still do not know what is going to happen... but I'll keep you posted