English Channel Swim

Candlestick Park to Club 2/24/07 - nice and choppy - great practice for the English Channel

Felt great to do my first longer swim of the year, even in 51degree chop, and fun to do it with Michelle Deasy, who is also training for the Channel this summer.

~10.3miles - 2:35:01 - another downhill swim on a strong ebb (4 knots max)

courtesy of motionbased and joel's garmin gps

Joel and Bobby took us down to Candlestick Point in the zodiac, and it was grey, windy, and 2-3 foot chop.  Given the strong tide and the waves, we didn't go all the way round to the Stick, and jumped out at the point.  We were worried about being washed onto the pier.  It was a relief to get in the water, since the boat ride down had been bumpy and wet.  Poor Bobby and Joel stayed in the boat, and had to keep doing doughnuts around us, since they couldn't maintain a position next to us with the waves.  My feeding plan of every 20 minutes went out the window, as Bobby pointed out that feeding next to the zodiac would be tricky in the chop, so we went to every 30 minutes.

Trying to work out how to breathe to minimize the amount of times waves went into my open mouth kept me amused, as did having to roll over to do a backstroke stroke and push my earplug back in every 10 minutes.  I got paranoid that we were going to bash into the big green bouy off Hunter's Point, because I couldn't see it, but we missed it somehow.  Michelle was attacking the swim with her usual quiet ferocity.  Sometimes my stroke frequency coincided with the waves, and I would get a surfing push that put me out in front, but other than that we were evenly matched.

Bobby tapped us on the heads with the zodiac to point out that we were going to run into the big grey car transporter moored South of the ball park, and we took an ungraceful hard right turn to get out around it.  It's always strange to pass so close to ships that big.  The current was strong enough that I had the sensation of down-hill skiing as we came towards obstructions.

Michelle was too cold to stop for feeding, and I was bloated with Gatorade from before jumping, so we just pushed on with minimal feeding.  I will have to be more disciplined on longer swims.  We were making excellent progress with the current, and backstroked under the Bay Bridge, along the piers towards Alcatraz, left towards home.

Felt good to go gingerly vertical and reflect on the 10 fastest miles I've swum.  One or two were faster than Olympic pace, but I guess they could probably go faster on a 4knot current too.....

Breakfast at Capurro's, and then up to Tahoe with my brother to catch some powder.  He wasn't surprised when I napped in the car.

Thanks Michelle, Bobby and Joel

The DREADED 9th of February SERC swim - Bay Bridge to Club

[MAX 3.0knot ebb tide @ 08.56am]

~3miles - 50:30 - another downhill swim

map http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=697117

Various stories exist for why it's the Dreaded 9th of February.  Apparently a few years ago everything went wrong, the water was freezing, the weather was horrible, and it entered club mythology as a Dreaded day.  It also serves symbolically as the day of the coldest water, but it would be surprising if the coldest day didn't vary.  Nonetheless, psychologically it only gets warmer from here.  Bring it on.

[thankyou Declan McCullagh]

Jon and I caught a ride in a new Dolphin Club zodiac with Barry from Napa, and the semi-rigid hull and the newness of the boat made it easy to remember we were in a Dolphin Club boat.  23 swimmers in and that many out I believe.  Took the usual outside route on the Alcatraz line and then cut to the Jeremiah.  A few ferries made it exciting, but the excellent SERC pilots circled attentively.

John and Darren were doing breastroke/sidestroke/doggy paddle/floating - the only explanation for them sauntering in a few minutes after me.  I got a shout from the Roper as I swung in the opening.  Arms/shoulders/back were sore from yesterday's swim.  Something funny going on with forearms - I may be flicking my hands on the recovery, and getting soreness in my dart-throwing muscle.  Still favoring breathing to the right if I am going at speed.  Have to work on breathing more bilaterally to even out the stress on the neck, and to be able to breathe in waves, or with fumes from a boat from one side or the other.  Lower back didn't hurt which is a testament to the strange torture exercises Lori is putting me through to strengthen/locate my core muscles.

9th of February - no longer dreaded.

Pier 7

[MAX 3.0knot ebb tide @ 08.04am]

~2-2.3miles - 40:32 - a downhill swim

map http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=695962

Michelle was waiting for me at 6am at the door of the club when I rolled in at 6.06am-6.10am, depending on which clock you look at.  Apparently she wanted to go back to bed, because she was about to leave.  I will get more punctual...

It was a beautiful morning, flat and clear, and with the collected motley crew of Sunrisers looking enthusiastic (or too asleep to argue), Bob Roper suggested a Pier 7.  We piled in the zodiac, and plied our way against the strong ebb to a few piers shy of the Bay Bridge.  We were entertained by Dustin the geologist, who regaled us with the first four verses of The Shooting of Dan McGrew.  Pretty soon a bunch of the boys were whooping it up in Roper's SERC zodiac.

Bob loosed swimmers in a handicapped scatter like playing pooh sticks, as they each floated fast towards Alcatraz.  Michelle and I popped in last and tried to catch each of the bobbing yellow hats.  A few piers down, Bob subtly nudged me with the zodiac to point out the most beautiful sunrise behind us under the Bay Bridge.

 (thanks Capt. Nemo http://captnemo.smugmug.com/gallery/1930716/6/97781277)

I knew we where about the right distance out when Bob ran me over with the zodiac and pointed out that we were headed to Alcatraz, and the Jeremiah and Aquatic Park were 45degrees to port.  I realized that I had been sighting on Fort Point as if it were Fort Mason.  A schoolboy error, but easy to do with your head in the drink in the early morning.  Secretly, I was listing to starboard to stay out in the downhill flow of the ebb tide, but no need to make boat pilots nervous by sharing their shipping channels.

Psychologically more of a slog once we hugged the shore a bit more, until the familiar struts of the breakwater starting flying by, and Michelle and I cut in through the opening to the club, and to a most welcome shower and sauna.

Tales of manhole covers being blown up into the air by a gas leak in Chinatown yesterday kept the sauna amusing, until Sam arrived with one cold golden retriever, and I relinquished my spot.

A beautiful way to start the day.  Bay Bridge tomorrow.

South End Rowing Club - world's best open water training facility

I am lucky enough to swim with the members of San Francisco's South End Rowing Club, in the balmy waters of the San Francisco Bay.

http://www.south-end.org/index.shtml

Coghlan Beach - the annual SERC swim in memory of Frank

Technorati tags: Francis "Frank" Coghlan

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=694205

[probably a little less than 1.4miles, 19mins36seconds]

We got a lot of help from the flood tide. Went straight out towards Alcatraz from Coghlan beach to avoid the back-eddy from the flood hitting the beach and curling out and back around towards the bridge outside the yacht harbor. I knew I was far enough out when Diesel started shouting at me that I was too far out. Darren and John were behind me, and not catching up, which made me happy.

After I got somewhat used to the choppy swell, I rationalized that this was good Channel training, so it didn't make me too unhappy. Wasn't pretty - technique gave way to brute force, but felt strong enough for the relatively short swim. Tried to slap the too-far-out buoy, but the flood was pushing to hard, I just patted the seaweed trailing from it. Diesel blew the hooter anyway. Cut in pretty hard to shave the corner from Fort Mason to the opening of Aquatic Park. Didn't see anyone in front of me on the inside line, so that made me happy too. Didn't hit either pier, and didn't cramp up standing up in the shallows, which is a first. My new - lie on your back, hit the stop button, roll over slowly, wait for a wave to lift you to your knees, and then slowly stand up technique - seems to be the trick. Quick half-way back along the flags to "cool down" in the 50degree water, and then helped pull the boats out before a long shower and sauna.

The boys were a little boisterous in the sauna so Sharko cooled them off with a little cold water from the hose. Met another South End character. It was Rudi's birthday, and he was warming up his 83-year old joints by standing in the sauna in his handball gear. We sang him happy birthday, and when pressed, he regaled us with modest tales of his handball national championships in his 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. He is giving his artificial hip time to settle in before going for a national championship in his 80s. He explained that he couldn't trust himself in competition to stay within the limits that the articial limb could handle.

Diesel did his usual entertaining job as MC over breakfast, thanking all the volunteers, pilots, cooks and organizers, and hanging signs round everyone's necks ("Feed me - I'm a rocket" :) ). Bob Roper paid tribute to Frank Coghlan (may he rest in peace) who gave his name to the beach we swam from today, by missing aquatic park on a swim back from Alcatraz, and ending up on the beach next to the St Francis Yacht Club. Frank was quite a swimmer and character, being one of the first to swim across Lake Tahoe, and swimming the Verrazano Narrows in New York and the Golden Gate Bridge on the same day. Bob was perhaps embellishing when he described "Double Dip" Frank sitting on the flight in his speedos, but I wouldn't bet money on it.

Here's to the open water swimming pioneers who were just stupid enough to set marks that the rest of us can enjoy trying to meet. As any swimmer knows, it's easy drafting behind someone else's feat.

Frank Coghlan obituary http://www.legacy.com/SFGate/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=85909121

Aquatic Park - 1 cove and an outside-in

A cove and an outside-in breakwater with John. Saw a sea-lion before we went in, which made for an exciting trip, and a lot of sighting. One of the booze-cruise boats halloeed us as we rounded the jacuzzi after a shloshy battle against the ebb, and then we floated home, with a quick pirate-paddle along the dock side of the Baclutha, winding our way around ropes, pipes and chains, and enjoying the view of starfish and barnacles. Happy to get out of the sub-50degree water when John and I both decided we were done.