Kayaking for a swimmer

The kingdom games not only have their winter swim, they also have a summer one. I went last year with a couple friends, and then we signed up again for this year - I didn't actually swim either time. I mean, who wants to swim in this kind of weather? :) Last year I kayaked for a friend, and then I was signed up to kayak for her again this year, but she wasn't feeling well and decided not to go. So, I asked if anyone else needed a kayaker, and there was a woman who was swimming 10 miles who did!  So, I signed up to do that. And it was pretty awesome.

This woman is training to swim across the english channel - she's planning for next summer and has a boat booked and everything. This was her longest swim so far. She wasn't the fastest swimmer and it was kind of funny because she initially reached out and apologized about that, and said she didn't want to ruin my day. Ha! She didn't know what kind of swimmer I am - but I was like "I love that you are doing this for the sport and not to win." We met the day before just to chat and she told me about all the "feeds" that we were to do. After one hour, and then every half hour, we stopped and she had some sports drink and a little snack - sometimes a goo packet, sometimes a bite of a sandwich or some applesauce, or fig newtons. She also took advil and some anti-nausea meds which I had to put in her mouth. I dropped one of the advil down her swimsuit. Oops. Other than that it was just leading her around the route in as straight a line as possible and staying next to her so she could sight off me. 

The race started at 8, with kayakers going out on the water at 7:45. You kind of hang out by the first bouy, and the swimmer finds the kayaker (the wand finds the wizard, the wizard does not find the wand). Once she reached me, we were off. Because I was going at her speed, it was pretty chill in the kayak, I just paddled every now an then, kept on the correct course, and organized her food. I had a lot of time to look at the scenery, watch the birds, look at her swim technique, say hello to folks who were passing me, and think about life. I got a new she-wee so that I could pee while out there, and I used it twice, quite successfully. By the time I needed to use it the sun was pretty hot and I had dipped a towel in the water and put it over my lap, which had the added benefit of being a privacy screen. I sort of scootched up in the kayak so I was sitting on my knees, figured out the right place to put the funnel, and went for it. I brought a bottle to pee into, and then dumped it into the lake (really large lake, so not a problem, I swear). Then I washed out the shewee and put it back in its case. Super simple, and I was pretty pleased with myself. 

At some point I got hungry, and I had packed a sandwich - cheese and avocado on a delicious bread, so I had a snack, with some pretzels I brought. Then I ate some gummies for the sugar because it was getting pretty warm out and I wanted to make sure I didn't get sick (not the fun gummies, these were from trader joes). I found a few different ways to sit so my legs and butt weren't killing me - at first I was sitting correctly with my feet on the pegs, but we were moving slow for a kayak, so I realized I could sit with my legs crossed and be just fine. For a while I had my legs up on top of the food bag and was lounging. When we got to the furthest point away and started on our way home there was this older couple sitting outside with cow bells cheering, which was so fun!

In the end it took her 7.5 hours to do the swim. All the time I was snacking and checking the timer on my phone and organizing feeds and looking at birds and admiring the lake and reapplying sunscreen and dipping my hat in the water and putting it on my head, etc, she was just swimming and swimming. It looked really hard. We were third to last to finish and there was a crowd at the beach because it was awards time, so everyone applauded her as she came in. I was a little stiff and scrunched up, but I thought I would be fine, and I was. All and all, a nice way to spend the day out on the water.

We camped out up in VT because it's summer and we could. The weather was really good for camping. We did a fire and smores one day and went to a swimmers gathering the next. I brought my hammock and hung it up and sat in it and read, which was my favorite part. Once again, something bit or stung me and my ankles swelled up and itched like crazy. This time I was prepared with benedryl, which worked amazingly well - no idea what the cause was, but it was so itchy!

We were having breakfast Sunday morning and it started to rain. I took down my tent so it wouldn't get wet and soon we headed home. I had been thinking about stopping for a short hike on the way home, but with the rain and benedryl I didn't really want to, so I just came straight back. Two thumbs up, would definitely do again.

First Regatta!

Today was the pineapple regatta at the rowing club, and I participated in women's 8 and mixed 8. Spoiler alert, both the boats I was in came in fourth. Out of four. So, we lost. But not badly, just by a bit. And we did much better than the boat that capsized, had to be rescued, and then finished. So, there's that.

I was completely unsure what to expect from the day. The email said to get there at 6:30 am to help set up and that the races would start at 8. I just couldn't bring myself to get up that early, and since I'm a newbie I figured no one would be at all upset if I didn't. So, I left home at about 7:40, picked up some blueberry muffins, and got there at 8. And quickly realized that there was no need for me to be there since I wasn't racing until 2:45. 

So, I went to parkour (which was very fun - we're at a new park with all sorts of new places to play). After I went for coffee with a friend and had a really delicious pastry. When I returned a little after noon all of the muffins were gone, and it was lunch time. After lunch I chatted with the two people I knew and watched some races. It was pretty hot out - like mid 80's, and I got tired of sitting in the sun baking, so I went and sat under a tree and watched for a little over an hour.

When my race was called I got up and joined my group (I could call them my crew, huh?) and we had a strategy session with the cox, who was really great. About half of the other rowers were folks I knew, and the other half must have been morning rowers. Everyone was high 5ing me because it was my first race - it was a pretty chill group. We got in our boat (I rowed 5 seat), and headed to the start line. It took a while to line up and hit the right position, but we finally got it. 

When the horn went off, we were off! When you start a race you row from knees half bent for two, then three quarters, then full, then you do like 10 fast rows, and then you row at your race pace. Which is something we had practiced before, fortunately, or I would have been totally lost. The first few rows were a little tricky, but fine, and then when we got going I tried my hardest to be in sync with the person in front of me. Most of the other technique stuff went out the window. 

My main goal was to not catch a crab and slow the boat down, which I didn't. There was a woman in the boat who didn't have enough fluids all day, and was on the edge of heat exhaustion. And, one of the other boats had two guys in it (which is a little off on a women's boat race). I didn't realize the woman behind me (in the 3 seat) wasn't ok until the cox asked her to row, and people were yelling for me to row - and I was like "huh?" After, I looked back and was like "ohhh." (I saw her later and she was better hydrated and looked fine.) So, I didn't feel bad about us being last in that heat. 

Our mixed boat race was the last race of the day. Again, I knew about half of our boat, and people were super chill about if we won. Which was good, because we didn't. We had this really funny high school student who was coxing, and she was so excited because she already had two wins and a second place and she wanted another (but then she was fine with our 4th place). This race was a lot closer - they blow a horn when you finish, and it was four honks in pretty quick succession. The wife of one of the rowers took a video of it, and we looked pretty good, actually! In the video, because of the angle, it looks like we overtake and pass other boats, and are ahead (which actually never happened.) Since we were the last race, we had to put the boat away. After they gave out the prizes - fresh pineapple for first place, canned for second and dried for third. Since I wasn't winning anything and had been outside in the heat all day I snuck out early, went home, and took a nice long cool bath.

I would definitely do this regatta again. Not sure that I'm ready for less chill races, but maybe in a future year... I'm enjoying rowing a lot, and will definitely continue - it's such great exercise and nice people. 

5 seat!

Today I actually got to be in the front of the boat! I was the 5 seat, which is the last of the front, but definitively in the engine room. And, the coach and cox kept telling the bow to change things - not me this time. It was a really nice row, and fun to be in the wider part of the boat. I'm sure I will return to my usual 3 seat on Wednesday.

This weekend I'm participating in my first race - it's super casual and everyone says it's really fun. It's on the Mystic, from where we row - Blessing of the Bay. It's called the Pineapple Regatta because pineapples used to be a symbol of friendship and welcome :) Today someone told me that she caught a crab in her first race, so that's my kind of race. Still a little nervous. But they have promised super cute t-shirts, so I decided to try it.  

Early Roll-ups

Rowing is such a technical sport - one of the things you are meant to do is unfeather your oar as you are recovering from the stroke so that you are ready to drop it in the water and row as soon as you get to the catch. But, I have a hard time doing that. I swear today both the coach and the cox told me at least 10 times to focus on my early roll up. And the thing was, I was. I swear!!  And then they would compound it by telling me my timing was off, or that I should recover slower. Which, I definitely can't try to do two things better, my brain just explodes. A few times, though, I did get it correct I think and it felt good.

The raised garden beds at the school across the street from me were empty for so long this summer that I decided to buy a few plants and put in a little bandit garden. I did 4 tomatoes, a cucumber, and some herbs - basil, sage and rosemary. Today I went out and someone had staked my tomatoes! It was kind of cool of them, but also I hope they don't think they get to eat everything I grow. It's a risk with the bandit garden. I really mostly wanted the herbs because it's so easy to just go pick something when it's right across the street, as opposed to having to go a mile an a half through city traffic.

I got a FB notification that I started in my new field of work 12 years ago - crazy how time flies! I remember how nervous I was when I first started, but it seems to be going well now....

Charles Fourth again

Last year on the Charles was so fun, we went back and did it again, this time with a couple more people! And again, fireworks were amazing. It was easier this year because we had the whole scene sussed out, and knew what to expect from traffic and parking, etc. We wound up going all together in one car, and the woman who drove reserved a spot in a hotel parking garage. It looked like there was a wide open parking lot right across the street from the put it, though. 

Fireworks were earlier this year by 50 minutes, but also we knew that we could drop our stuff off and park, saving lugging time. So, the plan was to arrive at 7:30 and head up river. Well, they picked me up (last stop on pickups) at a little after 7:30 and we got to the river at about 8 ish. It was super easy to drop the stuff off, though, and one person went to park while three of us moved everything down to the water. We actually had 4 people and 4 oru kayaks, though two were already unfolded and went there on roof racks. It took me about 2 minutes to unfold and set up my kayak and another 2 minutes to put my stuff in it. And then I helped my other friend unfold hers. And then I watched as everyone took another half hour to putz around and do heaven knows what until I was about ready to scream. I finally just took my kayak to the river, got in and paddled around in a circle for a bit. That was the not fun part of the night.

Once everyone got into the water, though, it was a lot more fun! We paddled upstream to where we had been last year - it took about a half hour. It seemed like it was less crowded on the water - maybe more people when through earlier and went under the Mass Ave bridge? Anyhow, the spot before the bridge was pretty open. Two people had anchors that they dropped, we tied up together and hung out for a short bit listening to the music before the fireworks started. 

As always, it was an amazing show, and from our spot it felt like it was just for us. There were a ton of people lined up on the bridges and a few yachts, but from our spot we had a perfect view. They went on for about half hour at least, and we so good. Because of the two anchors we didn't turn in circles so much this year, which was nice. The water was so still and smooth, and it was really peaceful (except for the fireworks of course).

Once the fireworks finished we pulled up anchor (unlike the cinderblock last year the anchors came up without issue). There were so many people paddling back that the water got all choppy. Again, it was all kinds of traffic - canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, yachts - with all kinds of configurations of people. It took about a half hour to get back to the pull out. I was completely soaked because I was paddling so hard trying to keep up with one of my friends. We got out and I dried off my boat and folded it up while my friends did all their things in reverse (though I'm pretty sure it took less time than getting set up). 

While the woman who drove went and got her car and we waited with the stuff and watched some folks shoot off illegal fireworks. I have to confess I was a little nervous that they would blow off a finger, or hit someone with them - they seemed a little drunk and overexcited, so I was kind of relieved to see a police officer come over and tell them to cut it out. Once again, getting home was easy - all the traffic must have been to the east. 

Two thumbs up, definitely recommend. Next year I will be prepared with something to do while everyone putzes around... Or, maybe work on patience??? 

Short Row

All day today it was hazy, hot and humid, with the chance of thunderstorms in the evening. I was curious if we would even have rowing because obviously thunder + metal boat = bad. When the time came, we were on! It was actually a little cooler than its been some of the days, and with the clouds the sun wasn't as horrible. Coach kept saying that it was going to be fine and we should go to the smaller river because boats and jet skis would be out and heading to the Charles (boats to the Charles I assume). So, we rowed over to the furthest place away from the dock, over two miles away, and then he was like, yeah, there's a thunder storm coming, we are going to row back. Sigh. It actually wound up being a pretty good workout because we just rowed, took a short break, saw some lightening, and then rowed faster. We were going at a 26 for much of the row, which is a pretty big aerobic suck, but also I think easier than rowing at a 22. We got back to the dock, put the boats away, and then it didn't rain or really thunder. Ha!

I officially signed up to row in the pineapple regatta, which will be in a little over 2 weeks. I was kind of nervous about it because obviously I have no idea what I'm doing and don't want to get everyone in my boat all upset by messing up. But I asked a few people and they said it's super fun and chill and not competitive - I should just come and have fun. Also, there are supposedly super cute tshirts. It might be my last row of the season - I can't do the next session because of my vaca, and I don't see any sessions posted after that. So, a good way to end. 

I keep meaning to write about the sights on the river - it can be a little gritty on the Mystic, there are a few places that smell a little, and there can be trash in the water. But there are also a ton of birds, especially geese, ducks, swans and herons. There's one park that often has kids smoking weed :)  Sometimes on the bridges people take pics of us. There's a guy who rides around on his bike playing the saxophone, which has to require a lot of coordination. Sometimes there are jetskiers, and the coaches get really mad at them if they go too fast near us. There are three yacht clubs that we row past, and sometimes there are people on boats (though surprisingly not that often) - they are usually pretty good about going slow around us. Sometimes rowing back we can watch the sun set and it's so nice being out on the water watching the sky change color. 

Surprisingly I really like rowing in an eight and don't picture myself switching to a single ever. Every now and then I think that someone else is getting us off balance, but actually it's often me. So I am actively trying to let it go. It's such an amazing feeling when we all get into a rhythm together and the boat is moving fast. Also, when we are far from the dock it doesn't bother me, because I know I don't have to get back there by myself!

Rowing in a four

There were a lot of rowers today, so many that we had three 8's, but then three people got stuck in traffic/on the T and we wound up with only 5 for our boat so one person sculled and the rest of us were in a 4. I was back on starboard and was in the bow. 

The four is a little harder to set on the water and apparently I was making it wobble by lifting my oar too high - it turns out you can't just tap down to the same level every time, you need to pay attention to your oar hight? Well, I did sort of get it figured out and we did a lot better on the way back. 

We did some pretty long drills because we were all new to the four, and then after we did a long row which was pretty killer because it's still so hot out. Not 97, but still in the 90's. I had two streams of sweat running down my face, and had to keep trying to dry off my left hand because it was slipping as I tried to feather the oar. I felt like it was a little more manageable to carry the four and it was definitely easier to turn.  

It's supposed to cool off tomorrow finally! Yay! And then of course it will rain all weekend. 

Out of the 3 seat

Well, today I made it out of the three seat for rowing, but sadly I was moved to the four. I was just getting the hang of starboard and then I had to row port! I hadn't rowed port since the learn to row program and it felt so awkward. I kept getting my oar caught on my thighs or in the water and it was hard to feather with my right hand. Also, it was over 90 with a feels like of 97, which isn't really the best outdoor exercise weather, especially for me. Fortunately there was a little bit of a breeze on the water so it didn't feel quite so hot. Also, there was a group that rowed right before us, and they left the boat set up, so we didn't have to carry it down to the water.

As we were waiting to get started I realized that I forgot my socks. I was so bummed. But then our cox gave me his! They were a little gnarly, but it was so nice of him, and I'm sure I would have been miserable without socks (and on port in the 97 degree weather). I'm going to put some socks in the trunk of my car so that I'm ready next time.

Our workout was pretty chill because of the heat. Still, we went 8.8 km. When I left to go row I really questioned my life choices, but I'm glad I went! Tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter, though. I may not leave home.

Jim Doty Swim

After the Charles swim I swore I was done with swim races, but some of my friends were doing this 1 mile swim at Carson Beach. I just didn't want to pay more $ to torture myself, but when one friend bailed I asked if I could be her for the swim. And immediately regretted it when she said "of course!" But, it is good for me to exercise, and it's early in the day so I knew I would at least be all exercised up by 10, so I did it.

We are at the start of a heat wave, but you wouldn't have know that this morning. When I left home a little before 7 am it was rainy and cold. The water in the ocean was 61, which is also not warm. This race goes in a square, with 4 turn buoys, which means each length is .25 miles ish - a good distance to talk yourself through. I started swimming pretty well, but also just wanting to quit, which I didn't. After the first buoy things got a little wavier, it was a pretty quiet day in the water, and the area is pretty well protected, but still I could feel the ocean. The middle half I really questioned my life choices and thought about avocado toast. I got to the last buoy and was feeling pretty tired, I really wanted to stop. But I didn't. I did get pretty far off course, which was a bummer. Fortunately a kayaker pointed me in the right direction. The last quarter mile was definitely the hardest because I really really wanted to be done, but about half way I saw one of my friends, and a little competitive streak came out as I wanted to beat her :). I was so glad when I hit the last buoy and was able to walk to the shore. After all the waves there was definitely a little staggering involved.

I feel like I swallowed a bunch of salt and a little part of me wanted to vomit. But instead I took a shower and swished some water in my mouth. After I got changed I saw there was a snack table that had some coffee, bananas, and other treats. I had a little coffee just to get the salt out of my mouth and a banana and felt a lot better. 

We went to shy bird for brunch, but when I got the menu there was no avocado toast! It was tragic. We had the nicest waiter and I explained how the thought of avocado toast sustained me through the swim. I realized that they did have a traditional breakfast with toast, eggs, bacon and potatoes, so I just subbed avocado for the bacon and put together a thing ad hoc. And it was delicious! Now I'm home on the couch, the weather is heating up, and I have no intention of going anywhere else today. It wasn't really that fun when I was swimming, but the brunch and couch time do make up for it.

Hours later: Just saw the results posted and I was #6 of 10 in my division. I'm pretty OK with that.

Smarts Mountain Redux

Today was supposed to be a beautiful day, and then there is a heat wave coming, so I decided it was perfect for a hike. I thought about a bunch of different mountains, but in the end settled on Smarts because of my incomplete hike last fall - I really wanted to get back to it, and climb the mountain. Because it's the summer solstice today I knew I had a ton of time for the hike, and so I woke up at 7, drank my coffee, thought about if I really wanted to go, and decided that yes, I did. I had to pack all my stuff, but was out the door before 8. It's a 2 hour and 20 minute drive up there which actually wasn't that bad today, except there were a ton of motorcycles, some of them going really fast, must have been about 100, and without a helmet. It was so stressful with them riding around me. 

I got to the mountain around 11, put on some sunscreen, and headed out. I sort of remembered the start of the hike from fall, though it looked different with leaves on the trees instead of the trail. It's pretty steep at the start, 879 feet elevation gain in the first mile, which was a little brutal. I saw the place that I stopped the last time, which was most of the way up the first hard pitch. There was a little more of a climb after, but then there was a ridgeline which of course I enjoyed. The trail goes over some little peak and then it goes down again, so there's actually a lot of downhill on the uphill - stressful for the way back, except this was a loop hike. There was about a mile and a half that was pretty flat and not too strenuous. Then the last half mile or so things got real and it was pretty uphill for the last bit. 

I was expecting it to be much cooler today today, but it was actually pretty muggy and warm. There was definitely a lot of suffering. I got to the top and could tell I was running low on water. So, I went to the hiker campsite to see if there was any there (spoiler alert, there wasn't). Shortly after that I reached the top. This hike is on the 52 with a view list, but it turns out that the view is from the top of this somewhat sketchy tower with a heavy door in the platform floor that does not prop open. I started up the tower for the view, got sketched out half way up, and went back down. At the bottom I went to a little cabin that was up there, and a guy there told me there was a spring close by - of course it was down hill. Sigh. But I went and filled my smart water bottle to filter and then went back to the tower, determined to climb it, which I did. I did leave my hiking poles at the bottom and held both rails as I went up. There was a guy up top who opened the heavy door for me, which I was really grateful for. I walked around up top holding onto the sides like the chicken that I am, but I did stay up there for like a full 5 minutes - the tower is covered and it was actually pretty warm. 

I came down and there wasn't anywhere with a view to sit and eat, which was a bummer because it's supposed to be one of the 52 with a view! Also, I bought an egg salad sandwich on the drive up, but with the heat I wasn't sure that it would be such a good idea to eat it  - I was starving so I had about a quarter of it, but then I was just too nervous about salmonella, and didn't finish it. Fortunately I had a nut bar with dark chocolate, so I ate that and filtered some water. But, it was so buggy by this time that I didn't stay for long. 

The hike up actually wasn't too buggy - I guess because there wasn't much water, it was a little more open, and there was a little breeze. But, the way down was just swarming with bugs. The big descent is at the start, and then it gets more gradual and eventually pretty flat. There was a really pretty brook that I crossed several times, so I would have been fine waiting to get water, but you never know, and it's good to get some when you can. Anyhow, I was hot, covered in bugs and my feet hurt, so I booked it down as fast as I could. Some of the rocks were covered in moss and at one point my feet slipped out from under me and I fell on my hip and arm (good news, I was completely fine, just covered in muck. I haven't hit the age where falling is a thing). 

The last mile or so was just miserable, and I was so happy when I saw the parking lot. I got into my car as fast as possible, took off my boots and grabbed some water I had left in the car - it was so hot, I bet I could have made tea with it, and I spilled it all over the place. I was so glad to turn on the AC and head out. I stopped on the way back and got a gatoraid and some raspberry sorbet before heading home. I'm glad I finished the mountain, but I think it's a one and done. Also, reminder to myself for next year, June is buggy and not the best time for hiking!

Charles River Swim #3

Yesterday was my third time swimming the Charles, sadly it didn't go as I hoped. I blue biked there again, which is definitely the way to go - I took an ebike because it was 6:45 in the morning and I was already running a little late. But, I got there in plenty of time to check in and get my tshirt (black this year, boo, but I still got one because I guess I can own one black tshirt, and it is super cute). I met up with the merfolk + group, which was 6 of us, all gals. I even saw one of my students there!

The weather wasn't great and I think there were a lot of people from the "orange cap" group (the group that goes second) who didn't show up. The "yellow caps" are the faster, more competitive group, and there was a huge lineup of them - our group was much shorter. I got in the water early with my group and wound up treading water for a bit, but I was like "I belong here as much as anyone else, and I'm not going to wait until everyone leaves to get away from the hunger game scrum at the beginning." And I didn't. There was one woman who was smushed up against me at first, and I just kept swimming until eventually we parted. I got a tiny bit off track on the way to the first bouy, but nothing serious, and I was doing really well for me, going at a 2'43" per 100 yard ish pace until the turn around. Unfortunately my goggles were really uncomfortable and I knew if I messed with them I would regret it, but at the bouy I couldn't help myself and I tried to fix them. That was where things went bad. I could not get them on right for the way back and had to keep stopping so that my pace slowed down to as slow as a 3'29" per 100 yard pace at my slowest. At one point my goggles were on so tight I could feel them sucking my eyeball! My eyes were red and puffy for the rest of the day, and today I have a bruise around my right eye.

In the end I didn't pick up my time ticket because I think I was second to last again, around 53 minutes, which means the goggles costed me about 5 minutes. I was doing OK swimming wise, and a few times I actually picked up in speed on the way back, when the goggles were leaking a bit, but I kept my eyes closed. Anyhow, I have thrown away the goggles, and will be using a different pair in the future.

After the swim we went for brunch and I had the most delicious and pretty avocado toast. Then we went to the pride parade (aka no kings, yaas queens), which was super fun! It lasted about 2.5 hours, which I think is the longest parade I've ever been to. Four of the swim crew stayed for the first hour, and then after they left another friend came and met me there. When the parade finished we walked up to the common and then to the over 21 party, which we thought was a no kings thing, but when we got there was clearly a pride thing, because there was pole dancing and dudes wearing almost nothing twirking.  I had a delicious mozzarella pesto crepe and then we headed out. 

Walking to the blue bikes I was reminded of haymarket and the Saturday sale there. Sadly I had no cash, so I couldn't buy anything, but that might be a thing to do on a Saturday morning. It's so easy to bike there now. Anyhow, I was pooped by that time so I got an ebike for the ride home as well and enjoyed a quick ride back before sitting on my couch for pretty much the rest of the day.

Will I do the swim again? Probably, just for the redemption. But with different goggles for sure.

Dock to the Point

I've been completely slacking on swimming since the February race, and now I have the Charles River swim coming up in a little over a week. To get a little practice I met up with a friend at the dock, and we went for my longest swim of the year!

We were supposed to be a big group at the beach, but unfortunately they now have this silly system where they open parking every half hour or so, even if there are spaces available. Unfortunately I got there at the wrong time, and I didn't want to wait for 20 minutes to get a spot, so I went to the dock with another friend who got there at the same time. It was the first really hot day of the year (hence all the people at the beach) and it was so nice to get into the water. I wasn't sure that I wanted to swim that far, and neither was my friend, but of course we egged each other on and kept going a little further and a little further until we were so close to the point that we just went there. 

The swim was fine. A little hard at first, but then I got in the groove and did reasonably well. My goggles were pretty foggy, and my swim cap kept sliding up my head, so I had to stop a few times. And we stopped at all the bouys and such. According to my watch I went .82 miles in 55 minutes, but there were definitely a lot of pauses. I'm curious to see how I will do in the big race - wonder if it will be faster then last year?

After swimming I went to rowing. They said it would be a lighter workout because of the heat. It turns out that when they say it will be a lighter workout, what they don't mean is that you will go a shorter distance - it was my longest row ever at over 10K. Also, they don't mean that it will be shorter duration, because we were on the water for over an hour and 15 minutes. And, it doesn't mean that you will go slower. Basically, it's "lighter" not lighter. By the end my legs felt like lead and I was regretting my life choices. Nevertheless, I feel like I'm getting the hang of it a little more. It doesn't feel as stressful and I can kind of pick apart the pieces that I need to work on, and work on them a bit. 

By the end I was so tired. I went home, had some bread and cheese because I was too tired for anything else, and went to bed. 

First Row with the Big Kids

Today was my first day of rowing with the experienced rowers. It was both stressful and (type 2) fun. I did catch one big crab, and many small ones, but I also had a few perfect rows where I felt the boat moving beneath me as I slid perfectly up on my seat. 

We started with a circle of introductions. Most of the rowers had been rowing for years, but some had been rowing for a shorter amount of time. All of them were pretty chill and reasonable. Our boat was all women, who were very nice. Our cox was Lizzie, and she was like "like in Lizzie Bordon." I actually remembered her name after that.

We started by rowing to the Tufts dock, which I thought was far until we got our drill for the way back - 20 minutes, with 4 sets of 4 minutes at 20 and 1 minute at 24 (I have no idea what the numbers mean, but also it doesn't really matter. I know something will change, and I just follow the person in front of me). I was pretty sure that we did 5 sets instead of 4, and someone else said the same thing, so I think I'm correct about that. It was definitely the hardest rowing workout yet. I really wanted to stop rowing, but I couldn't because there were all the other people in the boat counting on me. 

According to my watch, we went 9.8 km and my heart rate was in zone 3, and even up to zone 4. It's such a good workout! After we finished the boat was feeling pretty heavy, and then this guy came over to help, and suddenly it got a lot lighter :) There was a really pretty sunset, and then I came home and ate popsicles to rehydrate. We row again tomorrow, so we will see if it's any less stressful.

Osceola

As is my habit, I used the middle day of the long weekend for a hike. I went back and forth about where to go - back to Smarts to try again, to Meader and Eagle Crag which I've been thinking about since last summer or a 4000 footer - Osceola or Moosilauke. I couldn't decide, and downloaded all the maps. This morning, though, I overslept a bit and decided that with the shortened time Osceola made the most sense. Also, they just opened the gate at Oscoela this week, so I thought there might be less traffic on the mountain. It was a good day and a good hike! It was in the clouds at the top, so no view, and it was freezing up there, so I only stayed for like 15 minutes, but the hike made up for it.

When I say I overslept, I mean I woke up at about 9 and got out the door at like 945 ish. The sun is setting pretty late now, and Osceola is a shorter hike, so I wasn't worried. I got to the mountain right around noon and actually got a spot in the parking lot. I got myself organized and headed off.

I think all this rowing has really helped with my fitness level. I felt good pretty much the whole way up the mountain. The last 30 or so minutes I was definitely ready for a break and a sandwich, but otherwise I didn't even really have any Dark Trail Thoughts. It's been super rainy and cold out, so the trail was pretty wet, but it wasn't muddy until the top. One thing that was awesome was no bugs - I guess the rain and cold drove them off... I enjoyed my hiking, and all the great switchbacks, and it took me just a little over 2 hours to get up. When I was close to the top I ran into this woman who was in my swim class at MIT, which was kind of fun! Of course I didn't recognize her without a bathing suit and cap on, but some people have better face recognition software, so she recognized me.

I got to the top and there was absolutely no view and it was so cold. I was wearing my ninja hoodie, a patagonia long sleeve shirt and then I added a smartwool shirt and little puff, plus gloves and a hat. I was still too cold to peel an orange, so I wound up carrying it back down. I did enjoy my avocado and cheese sandwich!

On the way down I was in the zone and was moving pretty fast (for me). All the switchbacks really help, as does the fact that it's a pretty steady climb, but none of it is killer. And, my knees weren't really bothering me. I've been trying to do some of the PT exercises that I learned, and I think it's helping. I finished the hike and enjoyed using the bathrooms for changing. On the drive home I got so hungry that I stopped at The Common Man for a veggie burger, and it was delicious! I'd been feeling a little bit in a funk, and I feel so much better after my hike. There's nothing like getting out in the woods, maybe suffering just a little, to help clear the head.

Team Sports

It's such an effort to do team sports. Today this woman sitting behind me in the boat kept trying to tell me what to do, and it was really annoying. We only had seven in the boat today, so we were riding a little lopsided. Apparently when your side is down you are meant to life your oar handle to bring it up, but that's so counterintuitive, especially when you are already dragging on the water. We worked on that a lot today, but it was still hard. Anyhow, way too many people were telling me what to do, and I got a little flustered. On the bright side, I just tried to do better, I didn't snap at anyone. Go me.

We wound up rowing further then we have before today - according to my watch we went over 6.5 km in total. We went up a different part of the river, and when we went around a bend there was a college team there which made everything more complicated because it was a narrow part of the river. And they were really good, and we didn't want to look awful in front of them. Which was the cause of going further than normal. On the way back, we went without stopping for quite a while. We had a little bit where we were pretty balanced on the water, and it felt nice. Most of the time I was fighting to get the oar off the top of the water by pushing up on the handle. I really really wanted to stop, but you can't just stop when you are rowing in an 8, so I kept going. Good for exercise. After I was so tired I went home and took a nap.

I registered for the next session - it's MWTh evenings, so no more morning rowing. I'm a little nervous about it because it's the "experienced rowers" group, and I wouldn't really call myself experienced. 

I got the power

We've been rowing in the eight all week, which is a lot of fun and also much tippier than I expected.  I've sat in a bunch of places in the boat but don't have a preference yet, except not stroke seat because that's so much pressure. Anyhow, after rowing today, the woman who was coxing said that I had a lot of power - she actually gave me a high five!! It was really cool to get that complement, I was so happy to know I was doing something right. And the best thing is that I wasn't even putting all my power into it because I was trying to get all the other stuff right. I think I have crossfit to thank for this :)

There are a lot of different things to focus on when rowing and I feel like when I think about one of them then another gets out of sync. In particular I seem to have a hard time keeping my oar from wacking the water on the recovery and my timing on putting the oar into the water (too fast, believe it or not. I'm never too fast!) So, that's something to work on. 

One thing that I like about being new at an activity is you improve so much each time, and also there's no ego involved. I have no idea what I'm doing, and that's OK.

It is really nice being out on the water in the boat - I'm doing the PM session so I don't have to get up at 5 am and exercise, but we have lots of birds and we have some sunset, it's pretty. 

I'm working hard at my teamwork skills. Always a challenge for me, so I thought being in a tippy boat with 8 other people would help. I think it will be good. Today I had a kind of uncomfortable convo with my boss about our annual end of the year celebration. We do all these affirmations and that kind of woo wooo kumbaya stuff, which of course I was trying to get out of. She wanted me to zoom in because it's so important and bonding for us, and finally I was honest and was like "it's not my jam." It was just all awkward because she is very relationally focused, and was all "are things OK? Do you need my help with stuff?" Barf face. 

Anyhow, I registered for next month's rowing as well - I will be in the "experienced" rowing group. But really I won't be that experienced. I hope I don't drive everyone else in the boat crazy.

Mt Shaw and Black Snout

The weather for today looked so perfect, especially since we've been having a ton of rain recently, that I decided it was time for a hike! I've been sort of pursuing the 52 with a view list - seems like they will all be nice mountains, with good views. Which I like. I thought about a bunch of different hikes, including a couple 4000 footers - Moosilauke and Osceola, and a couple other from the 52 list. I decided on Shaw because it looked like it was a good distance/elevation for early in the season, and the drive was 2 hours, with about 30 minutes each way not on the highway. I added Black Snout to the hike because how could I not hike a mountain with a name like Black Snout??

The hike was supposed to be a bit over 7 miles, with about 1776 of elevation gain. The path I chose was up an old carriage road, which I figured would be a little easier - more level and not just a pile of rocks. Estimated hike time was about 4 hours, so I also figured I could sleep in a little more. I set my alarm for 7 am, but didn't wind up getting up until 8. I packed everything the night before, so I was out at 8:15. I had a banana and three hard boiled eggs on the drive up, and was so glad I'd had all that protein. I listened to a book on the drive up, and was there in no time. 

The hike actually starts on a bit of paved road, which I don't love - it's not really naturey. It then goes to the carriage paths - really nice if you are hiking with someone else because you can be two across. Of course, I was by myself, so not really a benefit. It was perfect weather - couldn't ask for better - mid 60's, sun and a slight breeze. Despite that there weren't really that many people out hiking. I saw about a half dozen on the trail. Not only was the trail graded and not too rocky, it has switchbacks. The way up I was kind of sucking wind for a while, I'm not super in hiking shape. Happily it leveled out after a bit and there was actually a long traverse near the top. I got up there around 1 and sat to eat my avocado and cheese sandwich - so good! Of course, then this guy was also at the top, and a woman with a really wet looking dog. They seemed friendly, though, and we sat around mostly in silence, eating and admiring the view, with the dog checking us out to see who would give him snacks :) From the top you could see the white mountains - I could make out Washington, which still has pretty visible snow, Lafayette, and then a bunch of others in that pemi area. There were just a few bugs, but I guess there will be more by next week.

I then went over to Black Snout, which has a really nice view of Lake Winnipesaukee. I had the top to myself, and I sat on a rock in the sun and ate an apple and some pistachios. I spent another 15 minutes or so there before heading down. There's quite a network of trails up there - I guess now snowmobilers use them in the winter, and there were a bunch of turns on the way down. I had to check all trails several times (pretending that I wasn't just looking at where I was). One time, near the top, I almost went the wrong way, so that made me even more vigilant. 

It's been raining so much, parts of the trail were just slush. I had on my gore tex boots, but they did leak a little. I also had my new smartwool hiking socks, and I was so pleased with them. A few times I could feel water coming into my boots, but soon my feet felt warm and not uncomfortable. I got down and there were no blisters, but the socks were definitely wetter than I expected them to be. So that was a win. 

I thought about going back via the kittery outlets. They close at 6 on Sunday. I finished my hike at 4 and could have had about 45 minutes of shopping, but then I decided I was hungry and would just rather go home. There was a lot more traffic on the way back, so I was glad I wasn't hangry. In the end, the hike wound up being over 9 miles with the trip to Black Snout. Very doable, though, and the hardest uphill at the beginning. When I look at my splits, I was actually moving quite fast for me. Weirdly I kind of missed the suffer fest of typical NH hiking, so this might be a one and done, but quite an enjoyable day overall!

Ran a mile

I dragged myself to the gym today and made myself run a mile. I started at a 12 minute mile, but I forgot my phone and was so bored I sped up to an 11 minute mile to finish sooner. It was totally fine, though I was glad to stop. I've been doing some of the PT exercises that I got for my knees, and it seems to be helping a little. After running I lifted a few things up and put them down for 15 minutes and then decided to call it a day.

I stopped at the garden before going to the gym, and I have a little bird's nest in my raspberries, with three little eggs in it <3

Feathering oars

Today we learned how to feather our oars while rowing crew. It's complicated because there are so many things to remember, they all have to go in the right order, and when you don't get them right you can trip everyone else up. But, for the most part I sort of got it. I'm really enjoying rowing so far. We haven't gotten into a real scull yet, but apparently we will on Saturday - super excited for that!  

My apple watch GPS captured our rowing course :)

crew

Spur of the moment I signed up for a learn to row program on the mystic river. I've always thought rowing was so iconic boston, and the rowing machine is my least hated machine at the gym, so I figured I would give it a try. It's 3 x a week for a month, which is kind of a lot. So far I've done week one and it's been really fun, and kind of painful (to prepare I read the boys in the boat, which told me that it would be painful, and they weren't kidding!)

The first class we just "erged" which is what we rowers call using the rowing machine. So, from now on I guess I erg. Then for the second two classes we went out on this barge that they have that seats 8, but in two rows of four so it's a little easier as you learn what you are doing. What I am doing is banging oars and catching crabs, so it's a good thing that we aren't in a regular boat yet :)

The first day we just practiced trying to sync up our rowing with the person in front of us, and tried to break our row into three phases - legs, torso and arms, with the legs being the most powerful. Today we tried a bunch of drills to improve our strokes, and get a feel for what is supposed to happen. Like any new sport, I can only focus on one thing at a time, so when I tried to pull with legs, torso and then arms, I would drag my oar on the way back, for example. But, it's only the second day out on the boat, so it's all good.

The funniest part of the rowing was on the first day - this woman thought we were doing great, but then realized that we were just rowing around in circles. She was so funny about it.

Anyhow, I'm really looking forward to getting into an actual boat, and rowing up the river - I think it will be fun, and it's definitely great exercise!

I haven't been outdoor swimming much - I lost my mojo after the outdoor swim comp. But I did rejoin the Y, so I've been lifting and of course doing yoga. I did the fells walk once over the weekend, and parkour is across the street from me on Sundays, so I've done that some too.

First swim to the point

I hadn't been swimming all week and it was so nice out today that I suggested a swim from the beach. In my head I thought I wanted to go to the point, but also I thought that would be pretty cold. It was. It was so nice out that I was warm in my sweatshirt heading to swim, and I felt a little silly bringing my uggs and dryrobe, plus winter hat, etc. But I knew I was going to be glad I had them after swimming.

There were eight of us there, and we talked about how far we were going to swim. My one friend was like "I don't think I'm going to go all the way to the point" and I was like "huh, because in my head I was going to say that, and then you were going to be all, 'let's go to the point,' and I would be like 'OK.' But I see we have to reverse that. 

We got into the water and it was cold, but not that bad especially because I was wearing booties and gloves. According to my watch it was about 51. We swam over to the point with our heads out of the water, chatting about life, etc. On the way back we decided to swim swim, and I got my face in and started feeling warm, but then my goggles leaked and I tried to fix them several times, but it's hard while wearing gloves. In the end I just swam breast stroke back, with my head out of the water. In the end it was almost 30 minutes in the water, and I was chilly but not too cold after. 

Tomorrow is the women's parkour gathering - I convinced my brother's partner to go with me for the afternoon. Hopefully it will be fun!

Monadnock

First hike of the year, and it was really nice! I was thinking about the Mt Major/Kittery thing, but I'm trying to not spend so much money, and anyhow Monadnock is closer. I worked last Saturday so I took a comp day today, and I thought that a Friday in March might not be crowded, which it wasn't. So I did white dot/white cross, which I usually never do because it's like a super highway. I saw about a dozen or so people today, so it was a good choice! 

I was reminded of why everyone does that hike - it's really nice, there are stairs in a lot of spots, there's a loop so you can go up and down different ways, there's rock scrambling and some pretty wooded glades to walk through. It is 1775 feet of elevation gain, but in just 1.9 miles, so it's pretty much all uphill, with only a few more chill spots. 

Because it's not the longest hike, I was able to sleep in a little and enjoy my coffee before making a decision to go - I got there a little before noon, use the bathrooms (with flush toilets!) and headed out. There were some soggy bits and still a little ice, but for the most part the rock was dry and I felt good. I did have to stop and breathe a few times, but it wasn't bad. It was sunny and beautiful out, and I hiked in my patagonia tights and one of my smart wool tops, but at the top it was so windy that I had to put on another smart wool top and my big puff + hood, and that was with sitting next to a rock that blocked the worst of the wind! It's always so windy up there. I didn't have any bread so I brought a piece of quiche with sweet potato crust (so good - you grate the sweet potato, add egg and flour and cook it for 20 minutes before adding the filling. The only thing is that with the price of eggs right now, I feel like I should cover them in gold instead of eating them). I sat for a few minutes and admired the view, and thought about how ephemeral hiking is.

The way down was definitely faster - I was feeling pretty good on the slabby parts of the mountain. On the more steppy parts my knees and toes were really sore, so I relied on my hiking poles, focused on bending my knees and took my time. When I got down I was so hungry, I stopped at a gas station and bought ice cream and these really delicious, highly processed chips.

After I got back I met a friend at the lake for a dip. My legs and feet were so sore, I stayed in for 16 minutes to give my body a good chilling soak. Water is now 45, which is chilly but feels warm compared to where it was. 

Ran a mile!

I've pretty much done nothing today except work (stupid work) and I was feeling like a bum, but still didn't want to get up off my butt and go to a dance class, so I decided that I would run a mile. I mapped it out in google so that I could go in a triangle using the bike path and avoiding too many hills. It's so easy to measure pace with my apple watch! I did have to stop for about 10 seconds or so to wait to cross the street, but otherwise I just ran straight through - so I was glad to know that I still could. It took me 11 minutes and 9 seconds to run a mile, but that includes the wait to cross the street. So, not at all fast, but not so unreasonable for a time. I'll see if my knees are killing me tomorrow, if not maybe I'll try to incorporate a little running into my life again. It wasn't bad. 

Varying Water Temps

I went for a dip yesterday and the water was 50, today it was 45. It's pretty crazy that the temperature can fluctuate that much in less than 24 hours. It was different ends of the lake, but still! Before we know it we will be swimming to the point and enjoying a little time where the lake feels like it's still ours, but we can really get a swim in.

Yesterday was so nice out that I decided to go for a kayak before our swim. I took my folding kayak to the beach. Once I got there I realized how windy it was out. There were some waves in the water. I decided that the smart thing to do was to go into the wind, which meant going to the dock. It was pretty intense getting there! When I got to the point the wind was so strong that I was paddling and paddling and not moving at all! I finally got going, but it was a struggle. When I made it to the dock and turned around I was a little bummed because I had to paddle to get back - I thought I was just going to be lazy and sit in the boat as the wind carried me back. Once I got to the center of the lake, though, the wind picked up and pretty much carried me back :)

Dance classes

Last year some friends of mine went to the international gathering in Denmark and really enjoyed it - it's a creative movement, parkour, dance and beach volleyball training at this sports academy outside of Copenhagen. I thought it was just parkour, and didn't really want to spend a week doing all day, every day, but when I learned that there was also a dance track I started to feel interested in it. And, then I signed up for it  I've never been to Denmark, and it sounded so fun!

Now I feel like I need to get some practice with dance again (which I haven't really done since high school, about 40 years and 40 pounds ago). So, in addition to the honk dance, I went last Thursday and this Thursday to a class at the dance complex in Central Square. Last week I did a modern dance class and this week I did a house dance. They were really fun! I'm definitely going to try to keep going until the trip.

Before the modern class last week I was so nervous. I got to the building and was even more nervous because there were a ton of people and a lot of energy - in a fun city way. But I had no idea where I was supposed to go for class and no idea how class would go. It all turned out fine, I asked at the desk, found the right studio, and there were a few other people who were new to the class. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, we introduced ourselves at the start of the class, and it was actually pretty easy to keep up with and physically not that demanding. I enjoyed it, but felt a little bit like it could be more of a workout.

This week I decided to try the house dancing instead - I'd never heard of house dance before. It's a freestyle club dancing. This was a little more of a workout, though I was able to keep up fine. The instructor (who used to go to my tae kwon do school) led us through a warm up and then taught us some steps and then choreographed a little dance that we did several times. I was mostly able to keep up with the choreography, but kind of felt like more practice was in order. It was really nice moving through the routine and getting the steps down. 

Yesterday I stopped at Walden after work. The water was 41 degrees - perfect for an ice mile. But I just dipped for 5 minutes. 

Honk

A double blog day - have I had one of those before? Today I went to a session with the school of honk, and it was so fun! SOH is an open group that plays honk music and has dancers - I joined with the dancers. The dances are super easy, they are designed so anyone can pick them up pretty quickly, but they also look pretty cool with the music. I was a little nervous to go, even though I knew a couple of my swim friends were coming (one has been doing the dance for years, and another played the trumpet). I didn't need to be nervous, though, because everyone was so friendly and welcoming.

We started with a circle up, and everyone said their name, then there were a couple songs and we just followed the dance leader. Next we broke up into groups based on instrument, with the dancers going separately as well, and we reviewed the dances. One that was really fun was called "track suit" and we put on a pretend track suit and did a lot of fake zippering. After we joined back together there was a huddle, and then snacks! I love snacks :)

Next we did a parade around the park and played/danced for the folks who were hanging out there. It's one of the first warm days of spring, so there were a ton of people, and it was such a spring in the city moment, dancing around in front of a band that was randomly marching through a park. Everyone who was there seemed pretty into it, and we danced for about 45 minutes. Apparently the musicians meet once a week, dancers less - like once a month. Maybe at some point I would have the guts to try the music (though I'mm not really sure about that.) I will definitely go back, though, it was super fun!  

47 degrees

Things are warming up fast! I went for a dip on Friday and it was 39 at the docks at sunset, which felt pretty nice and warm. Today I went to the beach and it was so much warmer, my watch said 48! My watch tends to be a degree over what other readings get, so I count it as 47, but still that's a huge warm-up. We stayed in for 10 minutes, just bobbing around without swimming and I was totally fine when I got out. I didn't need my heated gloves or vest. Crazy!

Yesterday it was in the mid 60's outside, and sunny. A beautiful day. I decided that I would take a spring walk around the fells, but sadly when I got to the parking lot I discovered I had a flat tire. For the last few days the "tire pressure" light has been going off, and I actually put air in the tires on Thursday, but it turns out that it must have been something more than that - my car was making a horrible noise as I turned into the parking lot. I parked and was looking under the car for the sound, thinking "you aren't going to figure it out, you don't know anything about cars." But then I saw the tire was flat as a pancake, and I knew. Fortunately when I redid my car insurance last month I added roadside service, so I was able to contact them and get someone to come fix it. At first I was thinking I would need a tow, but then I remembered the whole spare tire thing. This guy from the towing company came in his prius, fixed my tire, put some air in the spare, and then I went off to the garage where they fixed it, changed my oil and sent me on my way. I was pretty lucky with that - I thought I was going to have to leave it until Monday. I had been planning to bring it in on Tuesday, so at least I got it out of the way, but a bummer to have to spend my beautiful day at the shop. Moral of the story is, when the tire pressure light is going off, believe it! 

Walden

Now that the ice is breaking up, it's time to get back to Walden! I stopped on the way home from work today for a dip, and wound up also doing a walk around the lake. Wednesdays at work are always so stressful because everyone is there and it's so people-e, I just feel tired at the end of the day. Fortunately we sprang forward over the weekend and sunset is now around 7 - I just love when this time of year comes! 

They are doing construction on the beach bath houses right now, and it's kind of a mess. The regular beach is closed so I had to go to red cross beach - I hope they get everything finished soon because it's a kind of small spot. Anyhow, the pond is still covered with ice, but there's some breaks in it, and there was a big swim area by the beach. I decided that I would keep my hands out of the water because I'm finally getting feeling back in my fingers, and I don't want to hurt them again just as the are healing. Plus, it's just so much easier.

I took my time getting my stuff together and ready, and then waded in. It was pretty chilly, probably around 38 I would guess. Since I didn't put my hands in all the way my watch didn't pick up the temperature. I walked around in the water for about 5-6 minutes and it felt amazing. As I was getting out this guy came swimming through the ice in a wet suit. I was being friendly-ish and asking him about his swim when this other dude arrived with a little dog. Wetsuit guy just got all up in arms about it because dogs aren't allowed at Walden, and he started yelling and swearing at dog guy, who was like "chill dude," and then ignored him, got undressed and went in the water. He left the dog tied to a fence and, to be honest, it wasn't bothering anyone. But wetsuit guy was making things tense - he was all "you think you are so special, you don't have to follow the rules. I'm going to go tell the rangers, there's a $250 fine." Apparently this other guy who was dipping called the police because of the yelling and swearing, which was a bit of an over reaction to the over reaction. 

Anyhow, I decided to get some movement in and walk to Thoreau's cabin site, just to warm up. And once I got there I decided to just walk around the rest of the pond because it was so nice. But I could see the sirens up on the street. Not sure what the outcome was there. I'm excited that I can stop at the pond on the way home from work again - it's a nice way to end my Wednesdays.

Over the weekend I went up to Gloucester and went for a dip in this quarry up there with one of my friends. The water there was just breaking up as well, and we were able to get in and float around a little. That quarry is awesome, hope to get in a few more dips before it gets warm.

 

Ice Shelf Breakup

Spring is coming - exciting news. We just sprang forward so it will be light until about 7, which will be so nice. This week is supposed to be in the 50's and lots of sun. It's always nice this time of year when we've gotten through the worst of the winter months and the dark. But, of course, it does mean that the lake is warming up again.

I took this week off of swimming/dipping because it was a busy work week - I had to work until 7-8 three nights, which was a pain. (and next week I have to work late twice. Boo) Also, though, I wanted to let my fingers recover a little more - they are still numb at the tips from the Big Swim in VT, though sometimes I can feel like they are starting to get feeling back. Anyhow, I was excited to to get to the lake for a Saturday swim since it's been so long.

When I got there it was sooo windy - 30-40 mph gusts, and I seriously questioned my life choices. The ice is all broken up and starting to melt, but walking down the dock I could see that the individual chunks are still thick. So, I decided that I wanted to get in one last shot at climbing on the ice - I mean, who knows when it will be back?

Because of the wind there was ice all the way to shore. I could either get in between the docks where the agitators are or further down the dock on the other side, where it was a little risky in terms of getting out. Climbing on the ice over the agitator seemed like a really bad idea, because what if you fell off in the wrong direction? So, I slipped off the edge of the dock into the water in a hole in the ice, hoping that I could use it to get out later (spoiler, it was pretty easy to get out with the ice around). 

The water felt so good! It was chilly at first, sure, but then I felt really amazing. I wore my thick gloves and my booties, so my hands and feet were fine. The first minute was, of course, a little brisk, but once I got used to it I was like "why haven't I been dipping more?" It's funny how you get that calm/adrenalin rush at the same time, and feel just amazing. I tried to climb on some of the ice chunks - one just cracked, a second moved around a lot, but I was able to get on top of it, but not to stand up. It was really fun and for the first time I didn't cut myself! Anyhow, the water was about 36 and I stayed in for about 5 minutes, warmed up and headed home. 

I feel like the water is going to be getting warmer and warmer, and swimming will feel easier and more refreshing as it does :)

Success!

I just returned from the winter swim festival, and this year was awesome! Especially because I completed the 200 and felt great doing it. I thoroughly expected to be last, but I actually was third to last, and beat the woman who I swam against!! Not that time is everything, but I was so happy with how I did.

We stayed at a new airbnb, which we all really liked and will try to book again. It was right on the water and had lovely views, a nice kitchen, and enough space for all of us to have space...  The only flaw was that we could have used one more bedroom. Every morning I cooked breakfast - pancakes Friday, french toast Saturday and cinnamon rolls Sunday. We also had a big group for Saturday dinner, where we had Thai food. And, I was able to get my laundry done :)

The big event, of course, was the swimming. The first event was the hat race - I went a little political with an anti-ICE sort of thing out of paper mache. It took a while to make, and I had a lot of fun with it. It's only a 25 meter swim, but it's good to get into the icy pool and see what it will be like. 

The big race, of course, was the 200 on Friday. It was 17 degrees out, with 20 mph winds and a "feels like" temp of 1. The water is 31 degrees and on Friday you could see it freeze over between swimmers. The 200 was after lunch, and I was so nervous about it, but I reminded myself that I'd done it so many times in practice and been fine, it was just like any other swim, and I just had to pace myself and go for it. When they said to go I took off a little too fast, and by the end of the first length was feeling a little breathless. You are required to have a spotter for the swim, and my friend who was spotting me told me to slow down a little after the first length, which was really good advice. I felt a little puffy, and could feel the strain in my body in the second length, but by the time I was 1/4 of the way done I could tell I was solid and I started to feel more confident. By the end of the second lap I was feeling strong and started to try to focus on my stroke and swimming more efficiently. And by the fifth length I knew I was going to make it and I started feeling good. I was so psyched when I finished and actually beat the person who I was swimming against. It felt like real redemption from last year.

After the swim I went into the lovely warming hut and got to dunk my hands and feet in hot water. They had these socks filled with rice that they microwave for you that feel so good. It was such a good feeling to sit there and warm up, knowing I had done what I set out to do, and feeling like a bit of a bad ass, because it was HARD! I was so happy with it. It took me about 5 minutes and 15 seconds, so for next year I'm going to try to be a little faster.

The second day of the festival I volunteered as an escort, walking swimmers down to the pool and then back up to the warming room after. I really enjoyed it, though I was a bit exhausted by the end of the day. The weather on Saturday was beautiful, sunny and no wind, and warmer - about 20-25 degrees. I went there with three layers on, and immediately had to take 2 of them off because I was sweating. After they have a dinner and awards and such, and then we all chilled at the house. It was so nice out that I thought I would swim the 100 on Sunday, but by the time Sunday morning came along it was windy again, snowing and cold. I had done what I came to do, and decided that I didn't need to go all crazy, so I just did the race I was registered for which was a 4 person relay where we each swam a 50. We had a team of folks from my swim group, and I offered to go first because you stay and cheer your teammates at the end, and that's really cold when you are wet. Two of the other swimmers did the 100, so I though it would be better for them to go later. Anyhow, when I got in the woman in the other lane was so fast that she was almost finished by the time I turned around. Now that's the type of swim race I'm used to :)  I think I built it up in my head as not being a big deal because it was so short, but it was still really cold in the water. After I went into the warming hut and really enjoyed holding one of the hot socks.

I was bummed about the snow because I had to drive home, and I was worried the roads would be bad. I left after lunch and it was totally fine - a little slippery at first, but no real concerns. I got home and plan to sit on my couch for the rest of the evening. All and all a good weekend, and I'm so glad it's over :)

Six Days

Six days from now the big race will be over - I hope it goes better than last year. I've been doing some practice swims, one or two a week, and they seem to be improving. Today I actually felt like I was able to swim with a little technique! I really didn't want to go for a swim today, in fact I was really close to bailing on the whole thing and not going to the lake. I finally talked myself into going by telling myself that I could just dip around and maybe climb on the ice shelf, I didn't need to swim. When I got there, in my head I was not going, but then I just put in my ear plugs and goggles, just in case. And when I got in the water I just did it. And it was fine.

There is still a lot of ice - I went last night for what really was just a dip, and the dock we usually go in from was clear of ice on both sides. Today, though, it was iced all the way up to one side and we couldn't go in that way. On the other side was a flock of geese, and I didn't want to bother them, so I went in the far side of the dock. I got in the water, breathed for a few breaths, and then just went for it. I counted 160 strokes with each arm, which should be about 200 meters, and then got out. 

Of course when I started swimming I was focused on breathing and how cold my face was. Once I got used to it, though, I really worked on reaching with my arm, getting a good catch and pulling strong. I noticed I was moving my arms more slowly, but I think I swam faster. It felt good, and I was glad that I could pay attention to my swim stroke while in the cold water (according to my watch it was 35). After, I warmed up a little, chatted with the two other people who went for a couple minutes, but we quickly decided to get in our nice warm cars and go home.

I got a little shivery on the drive and came home and decided that a shower was in order. The shower felt so nice, especially on my feet - I flipped the thing so that the tub didn't drain and got to stand in a pool of hot water. It was an excellent idea which I will continue in the future.

There is a big storm coming today, it just started snowing and is supposed to snow all night, then turn to freezing rain, then just rain. It sounds like it will be a full day thing, so I have plans to spend tomorrow on the couch with a book :). Monday is a holiday, and hopefully things will clear up to allow a final dip before the event. 

Mock 200's

The big festival is less than three weeks away. Time to get training again, even though the ice shelf is still there and calls to me a bit. I went to the lake both Saturday and Sunday and swam a 200 each day. It was hard!! Especially on Saturday because it was windy (like 20 out with windchill) and the water was a little choppy.

The water is around 36 now - I wore booties and gloves, though in fact my feet were fine and I think I could have done it without them. Both times, getting in and getting started was the hardest. The first 10-15 strokes are OK, then the next 30-40 strokes are so hard, and then it's fine. Yesterday I pushed through it, today I had to take a short break in my swimming to catch my breath, but just for a few seconds. After about 40-50 strokes I could feel myself acclimatizing and swimming felt hard but fine. When I got out after the first day I was actually not even that cold, except for my hands. Today was a little harder. But, both times I was there with some guys who were shivering and looked pretty after droppy. So, I felt good about the cold prep.

My swim technique does still need a lot of work. Every now and then when I'm swimming at MIT I can feel that I'm getting the stroke right, and I find myself catching up to the person in front of me. But it's not consistent. At the lake with the cold it's really not that consistent, but once I get through the really cold part I'm getting a little better at trying to use good form. I have one more swim lesson this week, and then a couple weeks of practice. I could try swimming at work when I'm on campus - I've never been to the pool there, but I hear that there is open swim. But probably I'm just going to keep going to the lake...

Back to the Ice Shelf

It was pretty warm last night and today, so the ice shelf was a little thinner, but still we swam out and enjoyed it. It was fun to be out there with two other people, though I was a little nervous about the thinness of the ice and our weights together. We did a little dancing around and photos, and then went to get off - as I got down on my stomach the ice I was on broke off and I just sank into the water. 

When I got back to shore I realized that I'd cut my knees up - they were dripping blood. I didn't really have anything to wrap them up in, so I just stopped the bleeding and got dressed. When I got home, they were pretty gnarly, but honestly didn't hurt much.

It's supposed to snow tonight and then we are having a polar vortex, so lots more time to play on the ice shelf I hope!

Ice Shelf!!

I finally stood on the ice shelf!!!! It took almost 3 years from my first swims when I saw others climb on it to today when the conditions were right and I was able to, but I did it! Yay! I have to say, it was a little scary and a little awesome, and I'm hoping to do it again tomorrow.

We've been having a lot of cold weather this month, but for a while it was so windy that the lake didn't freeze over. Yesterday I went swimming after dark and the part of the shelf that was close to me was too thin to stand on, and I didn't feel super comfortable swimming out to the further part. But today, in the daylight, it seemed very doable. I got into the water between the docks, swam out to the ice, and kind of tested it. It felt super thick, and didn't crack at all, so I thought it would hold me. I did a shimmy from the water, going onto the ice on my stomach, and then got my legs up on the ice. There were no cracks or other noises, so I got my feet under me and stood. I'm not going to lie, it was pretty scary. I hadn't worn my swim bubble, and felt like if I fell through and got stuck under the ice it would be a thing. But, fortunately nothing even cracked as I got my legs under me, and so I slowly went for it and stood up. It was awesome. I stood on it for only a few seconds, just enough time to do a little dance, and then I got back down and did a backwards slide off, back into the water. Achievement unlocked!

The water's been about 34 for the last couple of weeks, and I'm sort of starting to get used to it. I was in for 7 minutes today and it didn't feel that bad. I had on booties and gloves, and my hands were cold, but otherwise I felt fine. Even after getting out, I had to do a little jogging around to warm up, but it wasn't that bad. Hopefully this is a good sign for the swim festival - I haven't been swim swimming for a couple weeks because of the cold and looking for an ice shelf. I'm going to have to get back into practice runs once I get over the ice shelf excitement.

This other video is just fun: