English Channel Recap - Part 1

Avram Iancu and me - at the beach

Greetings from Dover.  We spent the day recuperating, drinking, eating, and relaxing yesterday after a long previous day.  I was sore - a bit from the swim and a bit from a restless night sleep.  Kat went for a dip in the harbor while I chatted with a few swimmers on the beach.  We had a total role reversal.  She swam while I watched, socialized (see picture to the left), and tended to her.  It was a good swap and one well-deserved.  The weather was perfect for both of us.  Relatively warm, calm waters allowed Kat to get in and swim solo around the harbor while I met new friends.  See Kat below in her seal suit?

Rough entry on those stones.  Good thing she had her trusty sidekick to hold her flip-flops.

Like I said, I stood on the beach, meeting new friends and talking about swimming (of course).  Above, you can see a picture of my new friend - Avram - who plans to be the first Romanian to swim solo across the Channel.  We got on very well and I feared our chat would ruin his opportunity to hop into a peaceful Dover harbor.  No need to worry, it was a spectacular day; too hot for me though.

My Swim Recap (Part 1 of 2 or more)

Enough about the post-swim relaxation, I want to recap the swim from start to finish.  Here is how it unfolded on Thursday, July 21st, 2016.

Morning (pre swim):  We woke up at our usual times; I got up to eat breakfast with the Churchill Guest House guests and hosts, Kat got up about an hour later, and Patrick slept until the last possible second (10am local time).  See picture below for photo proof of his position right before our scheduled departure.  I don't blame him, I would do the same - especially at his age.

Our plan was to meet Neil and the crew at the boat by 11am, assess the situation, and make a decision about whether to go then or wait until midnight.  We packed up our things, got a taxi to the Dover Marina, and hauled our stuff to the locked gate.  I knew we were early because I am habitually early and don't like to stress about time.  So, being early, we waited (see picture of Patrick...waiting but very patient).  Along comes a guy who kinda looks like Neil Streeter but way too clean shaven and tightly manicured to be him - at least not from my year-long recall.  It was him indeed.  We stared at each other as he walked down the gangway and then we connected.  It was a strange sensation just standing around looking out of place at a marina.  I almost felt like a displaced tourist.  After we confirmed our presence, Neil came back up and helped us with our bags.  It was nice to not have to haul our load down alone.

Deciding Factors:  Once on the boat, we made a quick decision to go.  The weather looked fine.  You need to understand what the word "fine" means for the English Channel.  For most waterways, fine would probably represent calm, warm waters.  Not so for the EC.  Instead, the word fine meant that the swell was about 2-4 feel (1m or so) and water temperatures hovering in the low to mid-60's F (15-17 C).  It was a fine day indeed and one that would shape up to be even finer as we progressed - at least that is what Neil predicted.  The forecast called for decreasing winds and a swell to subside throughout the day.  Neil asked me if I wanted to check it out and I said..."sure."  I really wanted to swim and I didn't care much about my time.  Donating another hour or so to the EC would be a small cost to just getting out there.  Seize the opportunity!

So we headed out.  The going was pretty rough at first - not in the harbor but as soon as we got outside the breakwater.  Things started getting a bit lumpy.  See Kat below not looking too keen on the idea of a whole day of lumpy seas.

The boat pitched back and forth due to our westerly heading and the seas and wind come from the SSE (hitting us in our port forward quarter).  That wind and wave combination - along with our heading made for some strange rocking and rolling for the first hour.  I grew up on boats so I those motions don't affect me at all but I know Kat and Patrick don't like the pitching motion.  

THE START:  We arrived at the beach roughly 40 minutes after our marina departure to a nice swell.  The waves were not breaking on the beach but it was pretty lumpy.  Between the wind, waves, and current (spring tide so lots of water flowing through the channel), I knew I was in for a good struggle.  The conditions didn't let me down.  Once we decided to go, I greased up quickly, had my final pictures, a quick kiss for good luck (from Kat, of course), and off I jumped into the churned up sea.  I swam to the beach where the beachgoers watched some crazy walrus-looking creature emerge from the ocean.  They may be accustomed to the sight but I got a chuckle as they all backed away when I approached.  Who would mess with a live walrus?  Just as Dover Harbor's beach offers an excellent foot massage with those large rocks, so too did Shakespeare beach  the west end of Samphire Hoe (see below aerial photo courtesy of Google maps).  

That beach looks nice and sandy from above but don't be fooled;  those rocks are tough on the feet.  I crawled out, looked like a baby giraffe as I finally stood, turned around, and then waited for the horn to sound.  The crew blew the horn and I was off!

EARLY SWIM:  I struggled to find my stroke for the first 2 hours.   The waves, wind, and chop interfered with my breathing - at least initially.  I am typically a bilateral breather but my fast side is breathing to the left.  The favored side for the boat and the conditions, of course, was to breath to the right.  OK, off I went to settle my stroke down and get into a rhythm.  That rhythm finally came but at about 2 hours - perhaps 3.  I was excited to be swimming across the English Channel.  How cool was that?  I thought it was pretty neat.

FEEDING:  My feed plan was to swim uninterrupted for 2 hours and then feed every 45 minutes.  It was a well-thought out plan given my experience during the Catalina Channel swim.  During that previous swim, I fed every 20 minutes and found that the frequency was too high and the feeds were not necessary most of the time.  So, I opted for 45 minute feeds during the EC and I think I chose correctly.  Also, I had fed for the entire swim in Catalina and, after consulting with many swimmers and judging from my own prior swim, I knew I could go for at least 2-3 hours without feeding since I almost always swam at home without feeding.  Many of those workouts lasted at least 2 hours if not up to 5 hours and I trained myself to conserve energy.  Again, I think that was a good call.  I swam consistently for the first few hours without any worry at all.  

SHIFTING OVER:  About 6 hours into the swim, I decided it was time for me to shift over to the other side of the boat.  I had enough of the waves hitting me in the face and my neck was getting a little sore.  Once I made up my mind, I asked Sam (the crew aboard SUVA) if Neil would mind me moving to the starboard (right) side of the boat to continue.  She said "yeah, OK with us."  I was really looking forward to getting back to my comfortable side and reducing the amount of sea water hitting me in the face.  The move was perfectly timed.  When I shifted over, I fortuitously hit the point of my swim where the tide changed and I started going out to sea - the Atlantic instead of the North Sea - and I could concentrate more on my stroke and less on my breathing.  That shift came at about the apex of my initial trajectory.  You can see it below:

 You can also see from the figure above that the dots got closer during that period - simply because I was no longer being pushed by a strong tide.  The slack tide happened right as I passed through the "separation zone" or part of the channel where the traffic shifts from one direction to another.  I now felt comfortable both with my stroke and my breathing.  Life was good.  

FEEDING ON THE GO:  Kat and Patrick mastered my feeding routine and I had all the faith in the world that they were looking out for my best interests.  Only one mishap occurred and it was so minor.  A bottle (water only) flew away after they tossed my feed toward me.  No worry but I did feel bad that we added more plastic to an already polluted sea of plastic.  Sorry ocean; I promise to pick out more than I put into you.  The combination of CarboPro, CarboPro supplements, plain water, and mouthwash (not mixed together mind you) sustained my energy and interest throughout.  My feeds were less frequent but perhaps not terribly quick.  The bottles we used - ones I posted about in a previous blog entry - had relatively small mouths so the fluid took a while to exit.  That delay created a much slower feed than I expected.  I would recommend a wider opening for anyone looking for tips on what to use for their swims.  More on those tips later.  

So at this point, I was about half-way through my swim, I was breathing on my "good" side, and I felt fantastic.  The wind and waves didn't really calm down and I still felt the push from my front right side.  Regardless, I felt fine and knew I was making reasonably good progress.  

END OF PART 1

We need to pack up now.  Our plan is to catch a train to London and tour the city.  I intend to post another entry either later tonight or tomorrow.  We have 5 days of non-swimming adventures ahead.  I'll post more soon.  Thanks for following.

The routine of feeding while swimming the English Channel

As promised, I intend to provide all the details I learned over the past few months about how to eat while swimming...in the EC.  There are many subtleties that require a bit elaboration.  I begin with what to eat and then venture toward how to eat it, and then when to eat.  Here goes....

What to eat

Everyone has different tastes.  I learned that fact while climbing over the years.  Also, many years ago when I competed in triathlons, I learned that I could eat almost anything at any time without having too many stomach problems.  As I grew older, I learned that my tastes changed and I could bear to eat certain things but I didn't like them too much.  So taste preference and tolerance play a role in what to eat.  There are some physiological demands, however, that trump taste and tolerance.  They are....

1.  Carbohydrates are needed to replenish burned energy
2.  Electrolytes are NOT needed in salt water because with every breath comes a little bit of salt - enough to satisfy any electrolyte replacement
3.  Proteins can help with short-term endurance and long-term recovery but few people can tolerate them while exercising - I tolerate them just fine.
4.  Fluid replacement is an essential part of refueling and must be combined with the fuel (i.e., Carbs and Protein) to sustain the physical effort over the long haul.

These four points lead me to try different concoctions.  The most promising one to date is Generate UCAN plain Superstarch.  Here is the can I purchased:

My fuel of choice.

This stuff tastes like cornstarch and flour kinda loosely suspended in water.  At first, I hated it.  I couldn't imagine drinking this sludge for hours at a time.  It almost looked like talc when I first opened it up.  Yeesh!  I was not ready for it nor did I find it terribly appetizing.  But just as I mentioned earlier, I tolerate just about anything and soon imagined the drink as an ear of corn that just tasted a little off - not bad off, just off.  Here, take a peek inside the container to see for yourself.  Talc....

Superstarch...from inside the container.  Looks like talc.  Blech...

My first experiment with the Superstarch was in the pool at GMU.  I tolerated the strange consistency and taste well enough to get me through the 3-hour practice.  The only downside was that I had some really bad heartburn.  I can take care of that with my little friend "the purple pill."  More on that point in subsequent posts.  

What I will eat consists largely of this talcum powder stuff mixed with plain water.  I might have a little whey protein mixed in with the Superstarch but I have yet to experiment with that combination.  Perhaps after a few swims, I will have a better idea of how well plain whey protein mixes with this stuff.  For now, I'm 100% focused on carbs.  Superstarch addresses the four points above and meets my taste and tolerance just fine.

How to eat

There is a wealth of knowledge across the internet concerning how to eat.  The one common factor is time and the easiest way to rapidly ingest calories is through a fluid and not a food that requires chewing.  I will drink my calories.  How will I get these drinks?  From a feeding stick, how else?  Several folks posted "HOW TO's" for making your own feeding sticks.  I found this one the most informative and by far the most practical.  

By placing my drinks in the cup and extending the arm toward me, I can grab the bottle, drink as quickly as possible, and then chuck it back into the boat.  Bottle?  I didn't say anything previously about a bottle.  What bottle you ask?  Well, that has yet to be determined.  Right now, I think a simple, small squeeze bottle may work best.  I experimented with Hydrapak SoftFlask 250 during my 6-hour qualifying swim.  

The SF250 squeeze bottle - very easy to use but a little flimsy.

That container worked well for that swim but they are expensive and may not stand up to repeated tosses back into the boat.  In retrospect, I think that the effort to get the fluids out of the SF 250 bottle often reduced my interest in taking the entire portion.  A standard squeeze water bottle might be easier to use and more durable.  I was thinking that a Gatorade squeeze bottle might suffice - plus they are much cheaper than these fancy bottles.  An even cheaper option if the water conditions permit is a standard 8-ounce plastic cup (200 ml).  Trent Grimsey set his record crossing the EC by feeding with cups.  I thought his routine was very effective and required the least sophisticated equipment.  Once I try some more options out, I will update the "how to eat" section with my choice.

When to eat

Just like what to eat, when to eat garners a great deal of attention in the marathon swimming world.  I tried several plans including once every 30 minutes, once every 20, and then once every 15 minutes.  The real problem is that longer times between feeds means that each feeding session is dear and needs to be large enough to hold me over until the next feed.  The 30-minute option requires me to consume about 300 calories per feed to maintain the expected 600 kcal/hour caloric expenditures during the swim.  Contrast that with every 15 minutes where I can consume just 150 calories to maintain that rate.  The more feeds per hour, the more my swim gets interrupted and the longer the swim takes.  It seems like a delicate balance but here are the factors that influence my feeding schedule.

1.  Total calories needed (more feeds might be better to ensure full refueling)
2.  Breaks in the monotony (more feeds break up the swim more often and may keep me focused between feeds - also something to look forward to while swimming)
3.  Stomach emptying (more feeds decrease the total volume in my stomach at any single point)
4.  Time demands (fewer feeds means less time stopping and more time swimming toward France)
5.  Thermoregulation (fewer feeds means less time stopping - see above - and less time to get cold from not expending energy)
6.  Fluctuating caloric demands (adjusting the feed timing allows me to refuel based upon needs rather than merely by time)

The last point is the one I think makes the most sense.  When I start my swim, I intend to have a full stomach - or at least I intend to be sate with at least 500 kcal consumed before I head off.  That initial caloric boost means that the demands on my body will be lower earlier in the swim compared to later.  If I refuel according to my needs (i.e., eat more when the pace quickens or the tides, waves, winds adversely affect my pacing and stroke), I will be able to refuel when necessary.  Eating only when necessary, however, places a huge burden on my team.  I will only do that if they are willing to adapt the feeding to the conditions.  Perhaps a bit more experimenting with them might be a good plan.  

My initial plan is to refuel every 30 minutes because I know I can tolerate that for at least 3 hours.  As I continue on my swim, I would prefer to have more frequent feeds - perhaps every 20 minutes but no more frequent.  I am cognizant of the time demands while feeding and figure I can eat to my heart's content when I finish.  Consuming what I need when I need it matters more for now; any excessive feeding will only lengthen my swim and keep me exposed to the cold waters of the EC longer.  

Some of that excess is under my control.  How?  By practicing eating quickly.  Many EC swimmers aim to have their feed times as short as 10 seconds but certainly under 20 seconds.  Consider this point carefully....if I feed every 30 minutes and each feed takes 20 second then every 1.5 hours adds a minute to my swim time.  That doesn't seem like much time but those minutes can mean the difference between catching a favorable tide/current and missing it.  I heard from more than one EC veteran about the horrors of sitting in one place for hours as the tide shifted against the swimmer.  Fewer feeds and more efficient feeding routines minimize those horrors.  I continue to sort out these details and will update the blog as I get a more refined method.

Additional thoughts

My friend Madhu (read his blog to see what a real marathon swimmer does for fun) keeps reminding me that a flexible plan that changes throughout the swim is more common than the inflexible plan.  I need to keep that in mind and stay relaxed...perhaps focused on my swimming technique and leave the feeding details to my all-star crew.  Madhu also told me about his routine where he washed his mouth out with plain water, consumed his refueling concoction, and then rinsed again with diluted mouthwash.  He reasoned that the residual starch left in his mouth created an involuntary action of casually drinking some salt water.  I can attest to that involuntary action.  In many instances after I eat a little in the pool, lake, or ocean, I often find myself consuming just a tad bit of the water as I breath.  Once my mouth is rinsed of the residual, however, I go back to my usual habit of expelling most of the pool, lake, or ocean water.  I hope to try Madhu's 3-bottle approach soon.

Up next...

Thanks for following along with my adventure.  Planning for the outing is just as exciting as doing it.  As promised, my next post covers my cold water acclimatization device.  I have pictures and diagrams for those who wish to recreate my invention so stay tuned for some engineering marvels.  Following that post, I intend to introduce you to my crew.  Yep, my family gets full exposure in a week.  Stay tuned for more adventure news.  Thanks again for following.