37 Days Remain: What am I up to these days?

My last post focused on my feet.  Today, or rather two days ago I intended to shift my attention just north to my legs.  That intention was met with reality.  Several things at work and some tough days of training kept me from taking pictures of my gear.  I promise to return to the gear posts on Thursday (6 days from now).  Yeah, I know I am out of sync with these posts.  Just trying to fit in as much as possible in the little time I have left at home.

What am I up to these days?

1.  Working (Having Fun).  I have four graduate students who are steadily progressing through their doctoral work.  Along with guiding them, I have several projects that occupy my days - perhaps too many projects that occupy too much time but I love the daily challenge.  Leaving for Nepal (and Tibet) in early April requires me to get caught up on all of these work projects well before I depart.  These projects also provide me with endless ideas about what to post on my Psychology Today Blog.  Work is fun.  Actually, I often say I never worked a day in my life.  With the exception of those days filled with meetings, I can honestly say I rarely work; I have fun.

Hard at work....in my own sloppy way.

2.  Training.  I train most days for 3 hours except for rest days when I only train for about 1.5 hours.  The indoor training routine is starting to drag me down a bit.  I know I need to press through but I just cannot get enthused about training.  Perhaps this is a good sign that I am ready?  I don't know, but mentally I am ready to go.  Based upon my schedule, I have 17 more "hard" days of training before I begin my recovery period.  Those days will be difficult but I enjoy the challenge; I just wish I could get more pumped up for the sessions now.  Each day begins with some light warm-up exercises, core work, lifting, running, and then more cardio with my pack.  I wish I could just put on my pack and go climb.  Soon.....oh so soon.

My home gym - ready to be used for 3 hours

3.  Sleeping (barely).  Hypoxic sleep training starts off really fun/exciting and then progresses toward work - yes, work and I mean work.  Today, I woke up at 8.7% oxygen in my head tent.  What does that percentage mean?  I had about 42% of the oxygen that most of you had this morning.  That oxygen level is roughly equivalent to the summit of Aconcagua (23,000 feet or 7000 m).  Even typing that gives me chills.  I had tons of fun climbing Aconcagua with my friend Brendan.  He and I will be your tour guides this spring on Everest so stay tuned for an introduction.  For now, I struggle to sleep through the night.  I wake up almost every night at 2am after going to sleep at roughly 9pm.  From 2am until about 4am, I think about things to do.  After 4am, I may drift back to sleep but more often I just get up and grab a cup of tea.  For those of you more interested in my acclimatization, my spO2 ranges from about 65% to 78% on most mornings.  All in all, I feel great in the morning (perhaps less so this morning) and feel great while training.  Getting started with my training routine early is likely affected by my hypoxic sleeping (if you want to call it sleeping). 

The night-time arrangements where I may sleep (or not)

4.  Preparing.  The last few weeks before departing on any expedition tend to be the most hectic.  Everyone wants things from me and I only have about 15 hours each day to devote to these life activities.  Part of the preparation is packing, sorting through gear, checking each piece for integrity, and organizing lists upon lists to reduce the cognitive burden while I am climbing.  These preparations take time.  I am also ordering last-second consumables (e.g., sunscreen, body wipes, and such).  Taking stock of what I have and what I need is a full-time job that needs to fit into what remains of my day after I sleep, work, and train.  To add a little intrigue into the mix, I also have to prepare to collect data while on Everest.  I didn't mention this before but will explain the rationale in a future post.  So climbing and working preparations occupy my "spare" time when I am not working, training, or sleeping.

You might ask yourself, when do I eat?  I eat on the run.  I eat when I can.  I eat when I need to eat.  More on that later - I promise.  This morning, I woke up at 176 lbs (80 kg) down from 198 lbs (90 kg).  I am eating...again, I promise.  Between training, working, and sleeping, I can only eat so many calories to offset the weight loss.  Heck, I had a few pounds to spare anyway.  My weight is no concern right now.  Finally, I am able to run without feeling the pounding through my knees. 

My next post - probably on Thursday (March 8th, 2018 - 31 days remaining) - focuses on my leg gear.  After that post, I should be in the clear to post more regularly on both gear and last-second preparations/announcements.

Thanks for following. 

59 days left: Listening to my HRV and resting when necessary

Well, the Super Bowl ended with great fanfare.  We enjoyed both the game and the outcome.  Sorry to you Patriot fans but those Eagles fans needed the taste of victory - for once.  I sit here on Tuesday evening nursing my weary body after another unplanned rest day.  Why unplanned?  I decided to stick closely to the recommendations my body makes as I continue to prepare for this climb.  The training routine I planned to implement was both ambitious and flexible.  Thus, I continually strive to push myself with built-in regular rest time every 4th day.  Throughout the entire training cycle, I monitor my recovery by checking my heart rate variability (HRV) every morning.  

How do I measure HRV?

Every morning, before I do anything, I don a chest strap heart rate monitor (transmitter) and record my heart rate via two apps.  Why two?  I use two to corroborate this important measure to ensure that no oddity in either the software or in the algorithm interferes with my recovery or training.  These days I use hrv4training and EliteHRV.  Both produce fairly dependable results but there are some slight differences.  For one, the EliteHRV app provides guidance on breathing rate and alerts me when there are too many artifacts for the reading to be useful - something I wish the hrv4training app provided.  Despite these differences, I found the ratings to correlate highly (r > .95) and most mornings they offer me similar suggestions with respect to training (to train, to go hard, to cut back, or to rest).  So, once I take these recordings, what do I make of the numbers?  Well....read on!

HRV in a nutshell

The basic idea behind HRV is that our hearts beat from two mechanisms - the sympathetic (when you exercise, your heart rate increases due to stress load) and the parasympathetic (when you rest, your heart beats in the background to supply your body with needed oxygen).  These two mechanisms often indicate some level of continued stress your body must accommodate before it recovers.  Let's look at heart rate to give you a better idea of what I am talking about.  Thanks to the internet, we have tons of images that display the effect.  The image below came from the ithlete website (one of many HRV programs available for download and used on phones and tablets).  Each heart beat takes place at a certain time:

The heart rate "trace" above shows the different electrocardiogram or ECG signal patterns represented by the P, Q, R, S, and T signals in the overall heart beat wave.  We are interested in the R or peak waves and more specifically in the time between each R signal.  A beating heart that is stressed will have a consistent R-R interval or a low variability for the time between R signals.  That low variability is a sign that either 1) you are under stress and your sympathetic nervous system control of your heart is high or 2) you are in a state of active recovery and your parasympathetic nervous system is not contributing much to your overall heart rhythm.  Either of these two outcomes is not good.  Low HRV predicts mortality - among other things - and often is an early warning sign for overtraining.  "Cardiovascular autonomic balance as measured by HRV may be considered as a valid sign of short-term but not long-term fatigue."  Thus, we want our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems to be in balance while we recover and, as a result, our HRV should be relatively high.  

How high do we want HRV?

HRV is a relative measure that must be "calibrated" to every person.  One person's values do not relate at all to another person's values.  Each of us needs to record several days to get an idea of trends between days and over time.  High values or rather relatively high values are what we wish to see to ensure that we have that balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity - all indicative of proper recovery.  So high is a relative term.  Over the past month, my HRV average was 75 (a standardized value obtained from the natural log of the Root Mean Square of Successive Differences in R-R intervals - yes, very technical but the numbers range from 0 to 100 with higher being "better").  Today, my HRV was 78 and both apps indicated that I was "good to go" even though today is my planned rest day.  Below is a graph of my R-R intervals this morning:

And the figure below shows my weekly "Readiness" trend.  As you can see, the bars tell me that I needed to rest and I did.  I'm being a good boy.

Not all days are great.  Yesterday, my HRV was 84 and was strongly influenced by more parasympathetic activity than sympathetic activity - an imbalance.  Both apps told me to rest yesterday and I did rest to a degree.  I worked out "lightly" compared to the 5 hour day I had planned.  Thus, high is not always the best.  Balance is what we aim for and often that balance results in higher HRV scores.

Does HRV work when sleeping at simulated altitude?

We don't know.  I certainly don't know.  There are no systematic studies on the use of HRV with hypoxic sleep training.  I found to date that HRV corresponds well to my overall fatigue (perceived level of fatigue in the morning) and often my HRV scores are affected by two things - my rate of respiration and any abrupt changes in simulated sleep altitude.  Let me address each in turn.

Respiration rate greatly influences HRV scores.  If I pant heavily when I wake up, I will have abnormally altered HRV scores - sometimes elevated but often suppressed.  Calm, regulated breathing at about 6-8 breaths per minute result in optimal HRV scores.  Thus, if I have a huge change in my simulated sleep altitude, I often wake up breathing in more rapid, shallower breaths that result in lower HRV scores.  Breathing rate is extremely important to optimal HRV recordings.

Simulated altitude via the Hypoxico unit appears to alter my HRV moderately but not to the point where I can no longer use HRV to monitor my recovery.  If I have a huge increase in simulated altitude, I find that it is difficult for me to disentangle recovery from hypoxic stress.  One way around that conundrum is that I often increase my altitude on rest days where I know my body will not be stressed that day due to training and almost all the HRV changes would be attributable to oxygen changes.  I also need to take into consideration the combination of training stress (as measured by both intensity and duration) and hypoxic stress (as measured by relative oxygen saturation in the tent and morning spO2 levels upon waking) to fully appreciate the HRV changes on days when I do train and do sleep at very high altitudes (low oxygen levels).  

To give you a better idea of the complexity, consider today.  I woke up at 10.3% O2 or a simulated level of 18,500 feet or 5750m and I have been sleeping at this altitude setting for 5 days.  Usually, 5 days is enough for me to get "used" to the hypoxia and I increase the setting.  Since I had to take a few days off this week to fully recover, I decided to keep the level consistent and measure my HRV today after a relatively restful day - not complete rest mind you.  Once I post this material to my blog, I have about an hour of light training and then I'm off for rest of the day where I will sit in meetings, rest, and recover.  Tomorrow, I intend to wake up at about 9.7% or roughly 20,000 feet or 6200m (by increasing the Hypoxico unit from 6.5 to 7 with the high altitude adapter on full) and workout for about 4.5 hours.  That increase in simulated altitude alone will push my HRV lower but hopefully not enough to warrant a rest day after today's recovery day.  We shall see....

In short....

I use HRV now to monitor my rest and recovery.  The research to date shows some promise but I realize that the application of this tool cannot be done in isolation of other factors.  Hydration, nutrition, stress, breathing, and sleep affect HRV readings and often in ways that I cannot understand - at least not yet.  HRV helped me to rest when I normally would push through the fatigue.  Work + Rest = Success.  I have no problem with the "Work" part of the equation but the "Rest" part eluded me for some time; HRV seems to help so far.  

Expect more updates regarding my progress, recovery, and overall preparation.  Thanks for following.  Hope you found this material thought-provoking.

75 days to go and my feet are killing me

Sexy, huh?  Working out with me boots.

In 75 days, I will be in Kathmandu.  Between now and then, I need to figure out how to get my feet comfortable for long days in my mountaineering boots.  They are not happy.  My feet logged roughly 200 hours in my mountaineering boots already and I forecast at least another 200+ hours before they feel like bedroom slippers.  The problem is that my feet just don't like to be constrained.  I wear Olukai flip-flops daily - rain, shine, snow, sleet, hail...you name it, I wear 'em.  Mountaineering boots ain't flip-flops by any stretch of the imagination.  Moreover, as I get older, my feet get more sensitive to being bound by closed-toed shoes/boots.  

Fancy "vapor barrier socks"

After photo of my feet.

One method I used recently with great success is vapor barrier socks.  What are vapor barrier socks you ask?  Well, they are simply plastic shopping bags.  I put the bag on my bare skin foot like this (see image above to the right) and my sock over the bag.  What does this crazy method accomplish?  One thing is does is it makes my feet sweat like there is no tomorrow (see image above to the left).  I collect about 200-300ml of sweat in each foot bag.  Pretty disgusting I tell you.  Also, the bags eliminate friction so I protect my feet from blisters.  All of these outcomes are good. 

Sock over bag.

What it doesn't do is protect my feet from the odd pressures that come from wearing a form fitting boot.  My feet ache after about 2 hours - no matter what activity I perform.  Walking, hiking, elliptical, sitting, standing....all of these activities eventually end up killing my feet.  They just rebel after 2 hours.  So, I am trying a few things to fix the ache.  
Oh, just in case you wanted to see what my feet look like after 2 to 3 hours in the boots with bags and socks....feast your eyes on that sexy foot photo above.  My feet are soaked and they are not happy.  Yes, I could be a foot model.

My plans are to break in my boots completely before I head out.  I want to have all my gear fitted, comfortable, and ready to be used without any attention.  If I am ready, I should be able to put on my boots without seeing my feet - essentially by feel.  I want my lacing system to be pre-set so I don't need to think when I lace them.  The lacing needs to be flexible depending upon my foot swell and comfort - laced loose when climbing in the morning to allow blood circulation and then tighter upon descent.  These are typical lacing changes for all types of mountain adventures.  All of these changes, however, require me to have well-fitted boots that don't hurt my feet.  My current pair are the "best" for my feet but still my feet ache.  I wish I could climb in my Olukai's.  

 Today is my day off.  I have until February 12th to build up more of a load and then I start a little higher intensity training routine (nothing terribly intense though).  Feeling great....ready to go.  Wish my feet didn't ache.

More in about a week.  Thanks for following along.

20 Bridges Recap #2

Hello again - 3 weeks after I promised to wrap up this tale.  I had a few things on my plate to finish up and more than enough work to keep me from posting.  Without further adieu ado (thanks Shelley)...here goes part 2.  Expect a long read with plenty of pictures.  Pour yourself a nice beverage, sit back, and read!

I left off where I boarded the float pulled by a jet ski pulled and prepared myself to drop into the East River.

The East and Harlem Rivers

The swim began unlike any other marathon swim - from the water.  I was just dropped off the float, a horn sounded, and I was off!  For the first time, I felt a little unprepared.  Yes, even after two consecutive long marathon swims, anyone can feel unprepared.  I wasn't in my normal frame of mind.  The swim started abruptly and I never had the chance to get my mind focused nor my gear sorted out.  It was a bit chaotic - all due to my own poor planning and preparation.  Fortunately, I knew I had a first-rate crew and they would sort things out.

So I swam up the East River for a few strokes, peering to my right and then my left to see where I was in relation to where I grew up (89th & Madison).  It was a rather odd feeling starting right next to the Asphalt Green - a place I knew pretty well during my degenerate youthful days.  The East River quickly veered off to my right while I stayed left to begin my northward push through the Harlem River.  Neither body of water was terribly clean but they both struck me as cleaner than I remembered.  Of course, that thought was a necessary cognitive distortion to keep me from throwing up at the mere thought of dead things and such thrown into this water.  So, I swam and swam hard to get through it.

I had several thoughts during this section.  First, I wanted to really keep my stroke strong and my kicking pace high.  Why?  I learned from both the Catalina and English Channels that I had the stamina to kick for at least 8-10 hours.  Knowing that or at least believing that helped me feel confident that kicking would really speed up this leg of the swim.  Also, I was constantly aware - perhaps too much so - of the importance of making the landmarks at the appropriate times.  There was no room for delays.  Missing these landmarks or at least missing the times estimated for being around them might result in an abandoned swim due to the strong currents.

Michael and me...moving up the Harlem River (Photo by Brendan Cooperkawa)

The currents around New York City are notoriously treacherous.  At the start, I knew I would be pushed up the East River by almost 4 knots of current and that push would ease off as I approached the Hudson River.  By my own calculations, I had to stay on track and keep my pace up if I were to have a good chance of finishing the swim with all favorable currents.  So that thought stuck with me for the entire Harlem River.

I was in a good mood and felt extremely confident about the swim.  Despite the weather forecast of a hot and windless day, I focused on the positives.  My kick felt strong, my body recovered from the previous swims, and my pace was spot on for a strong swim.  I was flying up the river.  As I passed by certain places I noted on our boat trip to the start, I felt more confident that I was really moving quickly around the island.  Things were just progressing perfectly.

I swam by Tracy here but never got a chance to say hello (Photo by Fred Zamon)

About 30 minutes before we hit the confluence of the Harlem and Hudson Rivers (just past Sputen Duyvill Creek), I passed by my friend Tracy Clark.  We didn't get a chance to say hi but I did wave to her crew - Roger Finch and Jim Clifford (two extremely accomplished marathon swimmers).  They were incredibly supportive as I know Tracy would have been had we had the opportunity to chat.  I was bummed to see her before the finish because I really looked forward to crossing the finish line together.  We both were completing our Triple Crowns and I figured it would have been a wonderful way to cap off the summer.  Also, Tracy is a phenomenal person who supports tons of swimmers by crewing, teaching, and cajoling them to do extraordinary feats.  She was one of the first people I met when I went to Dover last year and we immediately connected on Facebook and exchanged congratulations for each and every accomplishment.  Tracy is a dear and I really wished we had the chance to finish together.  Alas, it didn't seem possible at the moment - forge on ahead is where my mind was after that brief bit.

Hey look!  Yankee Stadium (Photo by Brendan Cooperkawa)

Before I mention much about the Hudson River leg, I feel compelled to talk a bit about my swim during up the Harlem in a wee more detail.  For every stroke up the river, I felt like I was able to get closer and closer to escaping the horrendous portion of the swim.  The Harlem River was dirty for sure - as evidenced by the occasional "NY Whitefish" (aka a used condom) and random bits of toilet paper here and there - and I wanted out as soon as possible.  It seemed as if this leg lasted forever.  I didn't take much notice of the sights around me like Yankee Stadium (to my right) or the Columbia crew house (to my left) while swimming.  Instead, I took the opportunity at every bridge to flip over on my back and float under.  It just seemed fitting for this swim.  My last marathon swim for the summer, the capstone to my Triple Crown, and the first (and most likely last) time I saw these bridges from this perspective.  I wanted to soak it all in.  So, I did.  My way of soaking it in was to literally soak in the water and let the current take me past each bridge.  I relished these moments.

The Hudson River

As I passed Spuyten Duyvill Creek and crossed below the railroad bridge (unnamed by Google Maps), I felt the currents tossing me from side to side and the extreme warmth of the water.  I swear this water was not a degree cooler than our hot tub at GMU.  The water seemed cleaner but far warmer than the Harlem River.  I was not happy about the changes in water temperature but I figured the Hudson would cool off as I swam toward the center and took advantage of the strong, favorable currents.  Well, that "cooler" water never happened.  The water stayed hot and unrefreshing the entire swim down the Hudson.

The "railroad bridge" and odd currents (Photo by Fred Zamon)

The Hudson leg was the foggiest part of the swim for me.  I could feel myself overheating and my legs began cramping after I floated under the George Washington Bridge.  All that kicking up the Harlem River paid off in speed but I think it really cost me physically.  I could no longer kick without causing a cramp in my calf or in my quads.  Those cramps also shifted my focus from my stroke to my deteriorating condition.  I was not happy and tried to busy myself with all sorts of thoughts - none really helped.  All I could do was watch the landscape go by and try to recall the times I was in that part of the city.  In some instances, the memories were a nice distraction but mostly the effort resulted in me feeling like I wasn't making very good progress.

One thought I had was enjoying a cold beer right after the finish.  In fact, I could not extinguish this thought and then started worrying (yes, worrying) that the beer might be gone or warm when I finished.  I yelled to Brendan to make sure we had a few beers at the finish and that they were "on ice."  He said he was on it and I knew he understood the gravity of that request.  I still didn't think I was making good progress but the anticipation of a cold Peroni at the finish made my current, miserable state more tolerable.

In truth, I was flying down the Hudson with a huge current pushing me past the entire city.  In no time - well, actually in about a few hours - I found myself around the Empire State Building and recognized a ton of other buildings - many I had been in over the past few decades.  It was about this time that things started to slow down.  I was able to make out the new Freedom Tower to my left and a bit ahead.  

My nemesis (aka the Freedom Tower) - photo courtesy of the WSJ and Google Images

That building view stayed with me for what seemed like an eternity.  I kept reassuring myself that the view of the ever-present building was a visual artifact of me simply changing the viewing angle with my head or eyes.  Unfortunately, no self-soothing or self-assuring helped me as I continued to battle the leg cramps that now crept up to my lower back.

Just as the buildings gave way to the park greens of the Battery, I started to feel some relief.  That relief didn't come from my cramps easing up - quite the contrary.  I felt relieved that I was approaching the last milestone to ensure favorable currents.  The Battery was that last milestone before the finish.  I made it!  I figured the rounding would be quick and I would re-enter the East River and get pushed up to the finish.  I wasn't wrong about that last bit but the process unfolded way slower than I anticipated.

The welcomed greenery (Photo by Brendan Cooperkawa)

The Battery and East River

Rounding the Battery was way more frenetic than I ever imagined.  Ferry traffic, standing waves, and commotion distracted me from ever thinking about my stroke.  Combine all those distractions with the now pretty severe leg cramps made the celebration of the rounding much less...well...celebratory.  I could barely muster the enthusiasm to enjoy the rounding and sneak a peek at the Statue of Liberty.  In fact, I never saw it.  I was too preoccupied with my current state and the frenzy that seemed to unfold around the ferries to even look.  Rounding The Battery was less memorable than I would have liked but I got through that part.  The waves were strange and the water finally tasted salty - a welcomed change from the hot Hudson River.  Those memories were about all I had of that part; shame I couldn't enjoy it more.  

My kayaker (Michael) guided me around, through, about, and the ferries without a hitch.  He just told me to follow him and follow him I did.  I had no clue what was really unfolding; I just knew that there was a ton of chatter among my pilot boat, him, and the race directors.  I tried to the best of my ability to focus on my stroke but it was not really working to my advantage.  Every time I focused on my stroke, I started to kick just a little and then all the muscles in my legs started tightening up.  I was in a sorry state but quite pleased to be out of the Hudson and onto the final leg of this swim.

Michael and I approaching the Brooklyn Bridge (Photo by Brendan Cooperkawa)

Entering into the East River proper, I expected to fly up to the United Nations Building in no time.  Well, that didn't happen as expected.  First the Brooklyn Bridge went by and I thought about my cousin Ed and his wife Maureen.  They would have loved the view - especially Maureen.  I would not recommend hopping in the water just for the view but it was quite remarkable to see that bridge from below.  

Great and unusual view of the Brookly Bridge (Photo by Brendan Cooperkawa)

Once past that bridge, the Manhattan Bridge came in what seemed like an hour.  Boy was it slow going up the river.  I don't know if I had a favorable current but as far as progress up the island, I was not feeling that positive.  I couldn't help notice that the same buildings were in view for what seemed like an hour.

Just as I started getting down about the ordeal and thinking about the end (or rather how long I could hold on), I remembered that this area of Manhattan pointed more East than North so I should not expect to move that quickly to the North.  That little mental note made the going much more relaxing.  Well, relaxing may not be the right word but more relaxed works.  

The East River and the eastern swing of the river before heading North again.

I then started thinking about the upcoming bridges.  In fact, the pilot or someone asked me which bridge I was under and I could barely recall any bridge that I had just swum under in the past hour.  I was cooked or perhaps boiled at this point and my brain was not doing too well.  He, of course, was referring to the Williamsburg Bridge - one that I had been over many times but somehow couldn't even make out from my angle.  It was time to finish this swim and I was bound and determined to get it over.

In what seemed like an eternity, I swam up the East River and soon noticed I had company.  A few other swimmers converged with me and we were all moving at about the same rate.  Well, the truth of the matter was that I felt like I was sitting still and they were catching me and about to pass me as if I were a beer can floating up the river.  I have no stake in time nor do I care much about competition in these events.  What motivates me is the adventure.  I did not think for a second about place or time; I just wanted to finish and the sooner I finished the better.  So, I started to kick again and this time my legs were not cramping up like they did in the Hudson.  I guess the cooler waters in the East River helped my legs recover a bit and I was able to kick gently without them fully seizing up.

Just as I started to kick, I finally saw the United Nations Building and realized I only needed to pass by Roosevelt Island (a place I worked for several summers when in high school) and then finish at 92nd street.  I knew I could make it and I pushed hard to get this swim over so I could enjoy that cold beer that Brendan assured me would be waiting at the finish.  Michael told me some plan to stay to one side and I told him that I didn't need to know the rationale - I would follow him wherever he wanted me to swim.  I complied and he set me up for an awesome ride past Roosevelt Island and under the 59th Street Bridge or Queensboro Bridge (now named after Ed Koch - go figure).  

Just as I approached Roosevelt Island, my legs started to cramp again and now the cramps radiated all the way up my back.  I was desperate for something but what that "something" was I had no clue.  Finally, I ask Michael if he had any Coke or Gatorade.  I knew my electrolyte balance was shot and I really needed a final boost to carry me the next mile and a half to the finish (20 NYC blocks North-South make up a mile and I had 30 to go from the bridge).  Michael didn't have anything but the skipper of my pilot boat gave me his own Gatorade.  It tasted like pure heaven.  I could not believe how refreshing it was and how quickly my leg cramps went away after just that cold 12-18 ounces of fluid.  Clearly, I was dehydrated and in need of some salts.  The fresh water and heat changed the swim entirely for me and I was not prepared well for those conditions.

At this point though, I was flying and I knew it.  The currents were so strong under the bridge that as I laid on my back in spread-eagle fashion, I couldn't help but notice the land whipping by me at about 10 miles per hour.  Yes, the currents had to be about 8 knots.  I wasn't swimming and I was cruising toward the finish.  It was great.  Later, Kat told me that Michael was not even paddling and he was going about 8 knots up the river - further confirmation of the water's speed.  All the swimmers converged at this point and we all drifted toward Mill Rock (aka the finish).  I saw Gracie Mansion and the park around it and knew the end was near.  The thought occurred to me that I was about to complete the Triple Crown but I shifted my focus on getting to the finish.  There would be plenty of time to celebrate but not now.  Just a few hours earlier, I was wondering if I would even be able to finish given my sorry physical state.  As I passed that last landmark and could make out the Asphalt Green, my only thought was....BEER.  I was so thirsty.  The Gatorade was refreshing but it made me thirst for more.

The Finish!  (Photo by Brendan Cooperkawa)

The finish was rather uneventful but glorious at the same time.  I took a few strokes after thinking about the beer I would have in the boat back to the Marina and then, all of a sudden, an air horn signaled the end.  I was done.  I was literally done.  Cooked, wasted, overheated, hyperthermic, dehydrated, and yet elated.  All of the hard work I put in throughout the previous year paid off.  I had an awesome team who supported me for this swim and for all the previous swims.  Despite my reservations about swimming around Manhattan, I did it.  All was good.  Now, it was time for a beer.

A HUGE THANKS TO MY CREW!!!

From L to R:  Brendan "da Coopstah" Cooperkawa, me (aka the Walrus), Kat (no nicknames...just Kat), Cheryl Ward (the best coach ever), and Fred Zamon - the toughest dude I know.  My crew.  Simply the best.  Words of appreciation do little to express how honored I was to accomplish this even with them.  A special thanks goes to my lovely wife Kat who endured rocking boats, heat, cold, sleep deprivation, and marginal food to support me during these events.  We did it Kat!  I love you so.

Just how hot was it out there?  Well, the heat was so intense that the skipper of the pilot boat doused my crew repeatedly with the same water I swam in.  Great commentary from my wonderful wife in the video below:

You can see, they had a nice "refreshing" break from the sun beating down on them (Cheryl and Kat below)...

Cheryl and Kat (Photo by Fred Zamon)

and Brendan chilling out in the heat:

The "Coopstah" aka Brendan Cooperkawa (Photo By Fred Zamon)

The crew managed to stay cool enough to support me throughout the entire day.  I thank them for their sacrifice and plan to make it up to them in some form or another.  

A quick wrap-up

So what did I learn from this event?  A ton.  Here are a few big take-home points:

Every swim is different.  Just because I was able to endure the colder waters in the Catalina and English Channels, I was barely able to endure the hotter waters around NYC.  My feeding schedule and feeds themselves were not tailored to these new conditions and because of that little oversight, I was ill-prepared for the swim.  Next time, I will prepare for each swim more carefully and never overlook any potential differences.

Ignorance is bliss.  I prefer not to know where I am during a swim.  Well, I like to know and be fully aware that I am in a body of water that I can name and where I am approximately on earth but I don't want to know how far I am along the route.  That information distracts me from what makes these swims so enjoyable - focusing on my stroke.  I can focus for hours but as soon as I get outside information such as progress (or lack thereof), I no longer focus on what matters most and the time moves by at a slower pace.  By focusing and staying focused on the task at hand, time no longer becomes relevant and the task seems easier.

Marathon swimming is a team event.  Nothing I did during this Triple Crown would have been possible without a dedicated crew.  My wife, Kat, set aside her own athletic goals (she is an extremely competitive triathlete) to help me achieve mine.  She helped me think through the process and refine it as we progressed through each swim.  Kat was the only person to accompany me on all three swims and I realize she was instrumental if not imperative to our success.  

The 20 Bridges Swim was a team effort that was bolstered by additional help.  Despite the fact that my son Patrick was not available for this swim, he helped in other ways.  Patrick came along for the Catalina and English Channel swims and he sacrificed a few weeks to help me.  He was training for football, swimming and running all summer.  Those trips to California and Dover sidelined him from any organized practices and I realize his sacrifice may affect all his sports.  I plan to support him in other ways to ensure he gets back on track.  

During this swim, I had my good pal Brendan who I knew would be game for the ride and who I had all the faith in the world to keep me motivated, positive, and focused.  He never let me down.  Brendan also left his family to hang out with us for several days.  I realize he would sacrifice most anything for me if I were in need and I appreciate it.  Our post-swim celebration made the sacrifice even more worthwhile.  Right Coop?  

Next, Cheryl Ward sacrificed her weekend to come to NYC and lend a hand.  She is my coach and more than anything else, she is a tireless cheerleader who offers me whatever she thinks I need at the time she thinks I need it.  Thanks Cheryl for putting up with me and my antics.  

Last but hardly least, Fred Zamon made equal sacrifices to the rest by coming up to New York right before the US Masters Swimming Long Course Championship meet in Portland, OR.  He was on a boat for an entire day, braving the heat with the rest of the crew, and observing my swim to make it "official."  Fred was a trooper who thought about every little detail and kept us all in check.  Thanks to these folks, the 20 Bridges Marathon swim was a success.  I hope it was a memorable experience for them.

Thanks for staying interested and reading my blog.  I really enjoy writing about these adventures for you and reliving them via words and pictures.  If you have any questions about the experiences, please feel free to comment on the blog or send me a direct note via Facebook. 

Many people asked me afterwards..."so, what is next?"  Well, I have an answer to that question but I will post in about a week what my plans are for 2016-2018.  I have a few adventures in the works right now.  My immediate focus, however, is to lose weight.  As of today (September 13th, 2016), I weigh 191 lbs or 86.6 kg (down 8 lbs or 3.6 kg from when I returned from NYC).  Yes, I almost eclipsed 200 lbs or 91 kg during this Triple Crown.  My aim....170 lbs or 77 kg  by November 1st.  Wish me luck.  Hope to see you all soon.

Swim just a few days away...more updates on my Dad's Camino trek

Sorry for the radio silence.  It was a busy week of work and errands before we push off for the last leg of the Triple Crown.  So, what have I been doing and what is my Dad up to?  Pour yourself a nice refreshing beverage and start reading....

The 20 Bridges Swim

I have more information about the swim.  The event organizers sent out a flurry of email updates and I will dutifully relay them to you readers here.

First, I will be one of the 9 swimmers participating in the event this year.  The other swimmers hail from as far away as New Zealand - via the Netherlands - and a few are as local as I am.  The list of swimmers, crew, boat assignments, and observers can be seen on the NYOW website.

Second, the schedule for Monday, August 15th is now set.   Here is the schedule as of today (August 13th):

6:30 AM:  Meet at La Marina Restaurant/DockAddress: 348 Dyckman St. Manhattan, NY 10034 (on the Hudson)
6:45 AM: Mandatory pre-swim briefing (all must attend)
7:00 AM: Boat Loading
* Crew on Midnight Sun load Amphibian
* Crew on Thirsty Whaler load Grey RHIB
7:30 AM: Depart La Marina for East 96th Street, East River
8:15 AM: Meet at East 96th Street, East River
* Transfer crews to boats (Midnight Sun, Thirsty Whaler) coming from Staten Island
8:30 AM: Start Tracy Clark, Marty Munson, Martin Filipowski, Kristy McIntyre
9:00 AM: Start Jim Chiudioni, Patrick McKnight <--- b="" me="" s="" that="">
9:15 AM: Start Colum Lavelle
9:30 AM: Start Shane Moraghan, Serbo Simeoni
11:00-11:30 AM: Swimmers  enter Hudson at Spuyten Duyvil
2:15-2:30 PM: Swimmers  enter East River
4:30 PM: Swimmers  Finish at East 96th Street, East River
5:30 PM: Exit at La Marina Dock
6:00 PM: Group dinner at La Marina Restaurant (pay as you go)

You'll notice that we leave the boat landing at 7am but don't start the swim for another hour or two.  The start is staggered based upon the expected pace.  I put down an average 1:40 pace per 100m - my forever pace.  I can't swim a ton faster but I can keep that pace for probably 24 hours.  So, based upon that pace, I get to start at 9am (see above).

Third, the organizers sent us some expected times for specific landmarks along the swim.  Here are the expected times based upon my pace, the current, and probable weather/wind conditions.

1.  Start @ Mill Rock:  9:00am (EDT)

2.  Henry Hudson Bridge:  11:02am

3.  George Washington Bridge: 11:43am

4.  The Battery: 2:15pm

Finish @ Mill Rock: 4:29pm

Total Expected Time:  7:44

The numbers above indicate the location on the map below with one exception.  The finish is the same as the start so I placed that at the red bold #1 below.

Finally, I did a little research to find out about the tides and conditions I am likely to face during the day.  Here are a few snapshots of the currents in and around Manhattan.

Start @ 9am (high tide is at 8:31am) You can see that the tidal flow from the figure below is a mighty 3+ knot push up north.

The left most figure above should be the conditions I see at the start.  

Henry Hudson Bridge @ 11:02am (2.5 hours after high tide) Roughly 2 hours later, I round the northernmost tip of Manhattan with a 1.2-1.7 knot current pushing me around but then get hit with a slight current against me for a little bit. 

George Washington Bridge @ 11:43am (3 hours after high tide) I should get a slight current against me for this bit between the bridges.  At most, the current will be at about .3 knots - not terrible but still against me.

The Battery @ 2:15pm (low tide starts at 2:24pm) The figures below show the currents for low tide.  At low tide (the leftmost figure), I see a 2.6 knot current in my favor.  The trouble starts when I round the Battery and start heading up the East River.

Finish @ 4:29pm (2 hours past low tide - third figure from the left)  The current appears to be about 2 knots pushing me toward the finish at this point.  One thing to note, however, is that I will have a slight current against me from 2:30pm until 3:30pm. During the last leg to Mill Rock, I will have an increasingly strong push from the current where it should be roughly 2 knots to my favor.

My Dad's Camino trek update

I chatted with my Dad many times over the past few days.  He is doing fine after a slight setback.  A few days ago, he fell - nothing serious but he was really concerned about his hip.  He was trekking along with some young teenager, chatting up a storm with the 60+ year younger friend when he slipped and fell trying to cross some water.  As usual, he refused help and managed to make his way into a small town 8 miles from where he fell.  Once there, he checked into a hotel where he soaked his wounds and then later took a cab into Pamplona to get checked out by a physician.  All is well with him now after getting an anti-inflammatory shot and some other pain meds.  He recovered over the next few days and resumed his trek on Thursday (2 days ago).  I intend to chat with him before I swim so I'll have more to report.

Also, I have tons more to post about his trek but need to head out to a party and then catch a train up to NYC.  More later.

Thanks for following.

What is next?

Glad you asked.  It appears I am headed to New York City to complete the 20 Bridges Swim (formerly known as MIMS or Manhattan Island Marathon Swim).  Yes, I intend to swim around my home town in mid-August (August 15th for now).  If I am successful, I will beat the record for the shortest period to complete the Triple Crown of marathon swimming.  The current record stands at 35 days and if I am able to successfully finish the swim on August 15th, I will have done the three swims in 34 days.  Should be fun trying to beat that record.  One thing at a time though...gotta finish the swim.  So, I guess taking a few months off from swimming will just have to wait.  I'm already fit and fully recovered from my two channel swims, so why not tackle another marathon swim?

Back to training:  Today, Kat and I swam in this outdoor pool in London.  It was spectacular.  Here are a few photos of the Parliament Hill Lido:

Neither Kat nor I could figure out how long it was but it was longer than a 50 meter pool.  How much bigger I haven't a guess.  I loved the water temperature and the morning weather couldn't be beat.  

So, I'm back to swimming again.  I think I will lose a few pounds too since the rivers surrounding Manhattan are a bit warmer (mid-70's F or mid 20's C) than either the Catalina or English channels.  Time to lose this extra warmth.  No better time than the present.  Expect a leaner Patrick soon....perhaps not by my next swim but I do intend to eliminate all excesses.  Well, maybe I keep a few beers in there for safe measure.

More later.  I have some planning to do.  Thanks for following.

English Channel Crossing - A simple thanks for all your support (pints to follow)

Family and friends,

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank each and every one of you who supported my swim(s).  The English Channel was a long haul and one made slightly harder by the sea conditions and jellyfish.  Otherwise, it was an unremarkable day.  I felt the love and support from all of you before, during and after the swim and that made me very happy.   When we returned at 4am from the boat, I was overcome with emotions from the outpouring of support via Facebook, Twitter, Email, and even voicemail.  Thanks to you all.  I am heading over to the White Horse right now with my crew (Kat and Patrick) to sign the wall, enjoy a pint, and take some pictures.  See you in a few hours when I begin recounting the swim.  After a pint, I may not make much sense so I apologize in advance for the word salad I may spread before you.

With Love,

Patrick

P.S.  Despite my objections, I may try for the Triple Crown in August and go for the record of shortest time to complete all 3 swims.  More (much more) on that later; for now, the siren call of a pint at the White Horse keeps yelling at me to visit.  

P.P.S.  Kat wants to swim.  Needless to say, I don't.  I am going down to the beach with her first so she can swim and then we hit the pub.  How's that for teamwork?

Bucket list? Mid-life crisis? Nope, a reverse mortgage on my body....

Greetings,

Sorry for the silence.  I was busy losing weight.  Yep.  Got back from the UK after some nice swims in Dover harbor followed by an outstanding wedding in France.  Very happy to have such great friends.  Now that I am back, I wanted to post a few ideas over the next few weeks - ideas that remain stuck in my head and need to come out lest I forget them and move onto other ideas.  So here goes....Idea #1 for this series....Reverse Mortgaging my Body.

Reverse Mortgage:  Huh?

In the US, we have this (relatively) new way of keeping your head financially above water when you retire.  The banks encourage seniors to reverse mortgage their homes.  Instead of paying for your house, the bank pays you monthly installments to eventually own your house.  The trick is to start your reverse mortgage in time so that by the time you expire, you no longer need your house and you have collected every payment from the bank.  Timing becomes a key determinant for the payoff.

Reverse mortgaging my body

I realize I have only so many years to be vital.  Between sickness, accidents, and such, I figure I can remain active until I am in my early 70's.  Some of my friends are very active well beyond their 70's.  My dad, for instance, ran a 5K this past weekend at youthful age of 79 even though he battles pancreatic cancer and just underwent another round of chemotherapy a few months ago.  There are many exceptions but a conservative estimate of early 70's at least gives me some idea of my time left to wear this body out.

Every year and perhaps even more frequent than yearly, I plan to pay myself in installments of adventure.  Those adventures - both big and small - help me live my life as much as possible.  I enjoy the outdoors and aim to do whatever I can to enjoy life to the fullest.  So, when asked if I am checking off my bucket list, my new reply is...."no, I am taking advantage of my body's reverse mortgage."  Every adventure is a great payment.  Come join me.

If I spend my energy now enduring all sorts of fun adventures, I can retire from adventure in my mid-70's and take up a musical instrument, learn a foreign language, or read even more books than I already consume.  Heck, I might even enjoy golf.  Nah.....

Thanks for following.  Will post something else shortly.  I have some exciting news about next summer.  Should be a huge withdrawal from my body's reverse mortgage.  Stay tuned.....