Fairy Pools
Here are a few of the world’s swimming spots that have mythical reputations. Just click on an image for a larger shot!
OWC Podcast 2 – Swimming the English Channel: An Interview with Todd Paul and Craig Strong
Have you ever wondered what it’s really like to swim the English Channel? In this podcast, we speak with Todd Paul and his trainer Craig Strong who spent the better part of 2009 preparing for what’s considered by many to be the ultimate long distance swimming challenge.
Join us in this fascinating story where we talk about the entire experience, and give you an in-depth look at what it takes to actually train for and complete the 21 mile swim from the cliffs of Dover to the coast of France.
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Swimming the English Channel: An Interview with Todd Paul and Craig Strong
Key highlights:
(1:00) Why swim the English Channel?
(3:35) Planning and preparing for a Channel crossing
(7:25) Swim schedules and workouts leading up to the event
(13:05) Nutrition, cross training, and managing the “inner game” of long distance swimming
(21:55) The swim start – from arriving in England to beginning the journey
(26:20) Todd’s first few hours – marine wildlife encounters and sensory deprivation
(31:40) Craig’s perspective from the boat – from a strong start to an uncertain several hours with the coastline just in the distance
(49:35) The beach landing – the last and most difficult mile, an unexpected jellyfish encounter, the thrill of touching the ground, and a brief but euphoric celebration
(1:00:50) The accomplishment finally sinks in
Event Alert: Alliance for the Great Lakes Volunteer Appreciation Night
Frances Canonizado over at the Alliance for the Great Lakes is coordinating this year’s volunteer appreciation night. It’s a great event for a great cause, and I’m planning on attending. Here’s the announcement, but be sure to check out the organization’s web site as well:
Join us for our annual Illinois-Indiana Volunteer Appreciation Night at the Goose Island Brewpub on Clybourn Avenue in Chicago. Guests will be treated to tasty treats and beverages while mingling with other volunteers and celebrating the fabulous work accomplished this past year.
When: Thursday Oct. 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: 1800 North Clybourn Ave., Chicago, IL 60614 (map it)
Fee: FREE!Come celebrate if you’ve volunteered with us before or if you’re thinking about coming aboard to join others that care about the Great Lakes. To RSVP or for more information contact Frances Canonizado at 312-939-0838 ext. 228 or fcanonizado@greatlakes.org.
Swim Report – October 24, 2009 – Unplanned Drama
I hit the hay early last night (around 9:00pm) because I knew that the extra sleep would really help take the edge off of today’s expected chilly temperatures. Surprisingly, the lake came in at 54F with the outside air temperature hovering in the 42F range at 7:00am.
The great news is that OWC is now a national phenomenon. Fred came out last week from North Carolina. And this morning, Owen (a.k.a. Lake Monster #34) showed up at Ladder #1 during a visit to Chicago. He hails from the Bay Area and had contacted me a few weeks ago about joining us for a swim. We definitely gave him a good story to take home…
Owen and I suited up rather quickly since the air was quite crisp and the sun was conspicuously absent given the heavily overcast skies. I wore a full wetsuit, neoprene booties, and a thicker latex swim cap. The water was completely calm and a surprising 54F. We did a full mile to Oak Street Beach and back at a fairly brisk pace. During the return leg, I typically sight on three white squares that are painted on the retaining wall. But Ladder #1 was clearly visible from the beach thanks to all of Dave’s efforts.
The “adventure” took place during the last 1/4 mile of our swim. Apparently, one of the high rise dwellers saw my bicycle and all my stuff at Ladder #1 and speculated that some poor distressed soul had decided to say goodbye to the cruel world by jumping into the lake for a final plunge. So Owen and I got a police boat escort and were monitored by the scuba team until we got out of the water. The ironic thing is that no one was concerned about us swimming – it was the messy pile of all my clothes on my bike that raised a red flag. I truly need to work on my housekeeping skills…
Flinty skyline
Owen, Lake Monster #34
Join Open Water Chicago’s Facebook Page – Win Free Stuff!
Just a quick announcement. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to become a fan of Open Water Chicago’s supercool Facebook Page. Just click on the highlighted link or on the Facebook button on the right-hand sidebar of the site.
I typically cross-post a lot of the same information that’s on this site, but I also add some exclusive content to our Facebook page such as interactive stuff as well as contests and special promotions. In fact, we’ve just launched our weekly “FITNESS FRIDAY” session where you can comment on various fitness-related questions, surveys, or interactive phrases and win free stuff! This weeks FF challenge:
Complete the following phrase, “I love the smell of ________________ on race day mornings. It smells like…victory.”
The best answer wins an ultracool OWC coffee mug. So become a fan right away so you don’t miss out on anything. And be sure to tell all your friends, too!
Primal Eating Enhances Nerve Growth
Neuroscience 2009 has been going on here in Chicago since last week, and one particular announcement caught my attention. Researchers at the University of British Columbia recently published the results of a study indicating that a ketogenic diet initiated after spinal cord injury improves functional recovery in rats. Or, in layperson’s terms, a high-fat, very low carbohydrate diet significantly accelerated the healing process from spinal cord damage in these animals.
For the record, here was the breakdown of the diets involved with this study:
KETOGENIC DIET:
Fat – 66%
Carbohydrates – 2.6%
Protein – 18%
STANDARD DIET:
Fat – 5.7%
Carbohydrates – 48%
Protein – 24%
While these results are preliminary, there is plenty of prior evidence that fat – especially the animal source variety – is essential for optimal functioning of the human brain and nervous system. In fact, it’s well known that ketones are neuroprotective and that a ketogenic (read primal) diet can help prevent seizures in people with epilepsy.
Bottom line, carbohydrates – especially the junky grain-based and sugar-based ones – are not beneficial to you when it comes to enhancing nerve growth or regeneration. Remember, steak makes you stronger…
Swim Report – October 22, 2009 – Calm Waters
I met Fred out at Ladder #1 for an early swim this morning (6:30am). It was still pretty dark out, but the air temperature was a very tolerable 53F. The lake was calm, clear, and still with the water temperature also coming in at 53F.
We started the swim in the dark, but the city lights along Lake Shore Drive kept things fairly visible. Despite the overcast skies, the sun rose during our 3/4 mile out-and-back making the return leg a lot easier to navigate. I was quite comfortable in my wetsuit and foot covers, but my hands got a bit chilly towards the tail end of the swim.
But even with the colder water, it was a great morning for a swim. I hammered it home on the bike since I had to get into the office by 8:00am, and I was fortunate to catch the 143 bus right away. And one thing is for certain – you don’t need coffee to wake up after spending 30 minutes in 53F water.
Still waters
Autumn leaves
The OWC Prescription for Post-Endurance Sports Season Blues
For many of you, the Chicago Triathlon or Chicago Marathon was the culmination of an endurance sports season that began back in March or April. And while you’re probably still doing “semi-regular” runs, rides, and/or swims, I’ll bet you’ve noticed your motivation levels plummeting over the past couple of weeks. I can’t blame you, either. After all, it’s hard to muster the energy to stay active when:
- It’s cold outside
- There is far less sunlight in the mornings and early evenings
- There are fewer groups doing organized practices (or they’ve disbanded for the season)
- There are fewer events being held altogether
- You’re exhausted from grinding your body down for the better part of the last six months
Bottom line, you’re in a funk. And while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, you’re in a very vulnerable state at the moment that could easily transition (pun intended) into an unhealthy lifestyle. So here’s my take on what you need to do to stave off the “black dog” of the off-season:
1) Optimize your sleep cycles
Get to bed before 10:00pm and try to get a full 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. During the deeper stages of sleep, your body releases growth hormones and repairs damaged tissues. And the REM stage is essential for bolstering your learning, memory, and cognition.
What many people don’t realize is that these stages repeat during the night and increase in duration each time. So if you deprive yourself of a full night’s sleep or interrupt your sleep in any way, you will be depriving yourself of these essential restorative functions. Also, don’t stay out too late or sleep in too much on the weekends. This disrupts your circadian rhythms, and you end up in an unhealthy scenario where your body is constantly trying to re-adjust to an interrupted sleep pattern.
2) Get the right light exposure
If you are a typical urban dweller, your current environment actually “miscalibrates” your brain. You spend your work day being exposed to artificial florescent lighting only to flood your senses with the more natural incandescent lighting during the evenings. This directly contradicts how nature has wired you. You should instead be exposing yourself to more natural, full-spectrum light sources during the day and killing all the lights just past sundown.
I recommend you get outside during the day as much as possible to take advantage of the limited sunlight. If you work in a windowless office with only florescent lighting, invest in some full-spectrum light bulbs or a natural spectrum light therapy lamp. You should also have one at home that you can switch on right after you wake up. This will really take the edge off of a cold, dark morning!
3) Eat primal
Stay away from the game day spreads and as well as most of the holiday fare. All those chips, dips, crackers, cookies, cakes, pastas, and “finger foods” are hands down some of the worst foods you can eat.
Instead, zero in on more natural state foods such as lean source proteins – especially fish, poultry, and meat – as well as more “wet carbs” like fresh fruits and vegetables. And watch out for foods and beverages that contain high fructose corn syrup like soda and most sweetened items.
4) Do power law workouts
Step up your strength training – especially if you have been forgoing that in favor of more cardio. All that heavy endurance training has just made you one big lump of inflammation. Do your body and mind a big favor and engage in exercise routines or sports that involve omni-directional short burst, higher intensity movements.
5) Take a fish oil supplement
Most of the fish and practically all of the meat and poultry that you consume is derived from farms or hatcheries that predominately use grains as a way of “fattening up” their livestock. In other words, these animal protein sources are no longer directly or indirectly deriving their nutrients from leafy plants or algae – something which is necessary for the formation of the essential Omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).
Chronically low EPA levels can cause sleep dysfunctions and have been linked to bipolar and depressive mood disorders. So get yourself a quality fish oil supplement and make it a habit to take it every day. Besides improving your mood, these supplements will reduce your triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels as well as your overall systemic inflammation. Not bad for single supplement.
6) Step up your play time in group settings
Human beings are social animals, and interacting with others in a “game” environment mimics the types of interactions that early humans would engage in on a continual basis. When you do mostly “solo” workouts, you tend to ruminate on things a lot more, and you can ironically put yourself in a worse state of mind than not exercising at all.
Now is the time to explore indoor physical and recreational activities that are healthy, social, and positive. Join a fitness-related group such as a sports league or a swimming club. Or take a class that forces you to be social and interactive such as a dance class or a foreign language class. But stay away from holiday or sports events that involve loud and smoky environments accompanied by booze, soda, and greasy appetizers. That’s about as toxic as it gets.
7) Get out in the cold
The human body is designed to be in the elements and to interact with nature all year round. And colder temperatures appear to be neuroprotective – i.e. they activate specific areas of the brain that appear to be involved with the regulation of positive mood in humans.
And this makes sense. If human beings evolved by constantly adapting to various temperature ranges, any unnaturally ambient (read artificial) environments could create a sense of restlessness since we are accustomed to a dynamic versus a static environment.
So there you have it. The key to taking the edge off of the post-season blues is to get back to the basic things that optimize human health to begin with – namely, engaging in consumption and activity patterns that result in positive gene expression.
And did I mention cold water swimming?
Swim Report – October 17, 2009 – Rough Seas!
Brief but intense would be a good way to describe this morning’s swim. I was expecting water temps in the 53F range, but the mercury came in at 48F – still much higher than the 40F air temp. Carol came out as well as Fred, a new Lake Monster and now part of the sub-50F club.
We had choppy water conditions with fairly large swells. Because of this, we chose to do 1/4 mile laps back and forth from Ladder #1. I wore my thermo shirt under my wetsuit which proved to be too much insulation. I did, though, greatly appreciate the neoprene foot covers.
Overall a great swim workout as far as physical exertion. We didn’t worry too much about technique or finesse. In these conditions, it’s all about managing the elements and powering through the chops. It’s never pretty, but it sure is fun!
Sunrise
Fred, Lake Monster #33
Treading water
In the arena
Today’s Ladder #1 footage
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afD8RgPrIKc&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_profilepage&fs=1]
Lake Michigan’s Fall Turnover
Lake Michigan has held fairly steady in the 55F+ range. But we’ve noticed a recent downward trend in the water temperatures that most likely indicates the beginning of the fall turnover.
To give you a quick overview, during the summer the warmer air temperatures and longer periods of sunlight heat up the lake causing it to form three separate layers:
Candidly, I don’t think we every really got a very deep epilimnion layer this summer. And with a colder thermocline lurking not too far below the surface, it’s easy to see how we had that goofy 55F cold spell in August that sent everyone shrieking out of the water.
But the fall turnover is something far more enduring. This takes place when the weather cools down during autumn and the sunlight diminishes on both ends of the day. As the surface temperature drops and the increased winds churn up the lake, the thermocline gradually deepens until the colder bottom layer starts to mix with the upper layers. This phenomenon is known as the fall turnover.
Once the fall turnover takes place, we are at the “point of no return” as far as water temperatures are concerned. The lake will eventually form another surface layer during the winter months, but this will be much colder – and will eventually freeze over. The rest of the lake will be a uniform 39F until the spring winds, air temperatures, and sunshine mix up Lake Michigan for the spring turnover.
The key is, there’s no such thing as an “Indian Summer” when it comes to deep lakes like Lake Michigan. Once the fall turnover arrives, say goodbye to 50F+ water temperatures.
At least until spring…
