Sat. April 29

Swam 5300 yd today: 1100 wu, 3 x 1000, 400, 300, 200, 100, 100 kick, 200 kick.
Just got to get through the next 2 weeks of increasing yards. 2 weeks from today is the last continuous swim, then I taper. I keep longing for the taper......

The Girls

Becky, Julie, Martha


Here we are! the foxy Caribbean babes. In the second picture, Debbie is on the left. She is staying in the States this summer with her new hubby since they just went to St. John last summer on their honeymoon. We were having our "Spring Fling", drinking Bellinis and wine.

Caribbean music

Ok so like I am so far behind, no telling what they are listening to now there. I read that Bob Marley's son Damien had a big record, Jam Rock. Very rap. When I was there it was all Exodus and Natty Dread and Rasta man, stay off the swine. Plus Jimmy Cliff, Ram Goat Liver, How you jammin so, I come out to play, Sparrow, Bass Man, Flag Woman, Shift Your Carcass. I went to carnival in St. Thomas 73 or 74, a cop shoved me off the street and I shoved him back and he about hit me. Carnival on St John was milder, I rode on the park service float and we threw genips at people. My prom was at the big hotel Frenchmans Reef at the harbor in Charlotte Amalie, we had some calypso band and got down. I went with Chris O'Dea, such a sweetie, who went off to MIT and I never knew what happened to him. My big crush was on Denis, the brother of my friend Benedicte. They were French, from Martinique, their parents worked in perfumes at AH Riise. Then there was Francis. So much for my love life.

Thurs. April 27

Dear diary-
I went to the Y today to finish up what I began yesterday and got stormed out. I did about 2500 yd. ( like my old self before distance training). Included 10 x 100 rather fast, came in under 1:30, heart rate kind of high. Felt great. I want to swim everyday. I'm psyched.

Have been remembering life on St. John. It had to be hard for my parents, their teenage children going wild in the tropics. We'd all have blender drinks before dinner, daiquiris or pina coladas, then I'd try to study for school. I went to St. Peter and Paul HS on St. Thomas. Mom, Bill and I would have to get on the ferry at 7 am, arrive Red Hook in 30 min, then ride a taxi (often with Eddie- "okay, okay") into Charlotte Amalie. What a place, with us all coming from middle Tennessee in the early 70's, what a consciousness raising. I'd ride the public bus from town to Red Hook and be the only white girl on the bus. I became a fan of the beautiful Caribbean people and their music, food, language, even literature.

More to do on St. John

Another thing that Becky, Martha and I may want to do is stroll around at Caneel Bay Plantation to see the beautiful plantings. They used to have lots of exotic tropical plants and trees with signs labeling them.
We might wander out to Turtle Bay, have tea or planter's punch at one of the bars, lie in a hammock for a while. I guess security could have changed since 30 years ago. I used to babysit for the managers kids, go with my folks to parties there for national park families, hear steel drum music in the bars, steal cookies and strawberry frappe from the afternoon tea tables, use their sunfishes to sail in the bay. Once the wind was down and I could not move and the ferry was coming in... very embarrassing.

Wed. April 26

Found some distance workouts on the USA Swimming site. Did 400 k + 1200, 100 back, 300 fr, 100 back, 200 free, 100 back, 100 fr, then 600 reverse IM kick, 200 kick drill; 400,--
then there was a storm with lightning and they made me get out. So it was a short day. only 3700.
Probably I should have some short days mixed in but with only swimming 3 days a week I have to get a lot of yards in then.

Monday April 24

Swam 5000 yd today: 2000 warmup, some kicking, pulling, 5 X 100 quickly, drills. Then did 2 X 1000, then 500 plus 500 kick. I'm taking a day of leave one hour at a time so I can leave work at 4:00 several days to get the yardage in. Worked great today, got home by 6:45.

I'd have thought with all this swimming I'd be skinnier by now, but there is this pesky 5 lbs or so that isn't going anywhere. I still have thunder thighs and a big booty and tummy. Helpful for flotation.......

Am breaking in my new Speedo poly endurance suit which I hope will stand up to the salt water and the chlorine for a long time. Those lycra suits don't last long.

Sat. April 22

I did 5000 yd Sat. (500 wu, 1750 in 28 min, 700, 600, 500, 400, 300, 200, 100) When I got to the pool the guard said that there was going to be a pool party and he'd have to put in a rope across the middle. I said, I must have a lane I've got to do 5000 yd today. He did give me a lane, and another lap swimmer came in too. I was on the gutter. But I got it done, and it looked like only 17 screaming idiot kids, so they had plenty of room. I resent the Y renting out the pool to parties when people need to do laps.
I heard from Watergrrl that there was a training swim from Maho to Cinnamon today in St John! Can't wait to hear about that. Sure wish I was in those beautiful bays. She lives down there, I'm jealous.

St. John Archaeology

These students are writing about their internship doing archaeology on St. John, working for Ken Wild, the National Park Service archaeologist. There have been some excavations going on at Cinnamon Bay in recent years. More info at Friends web site.
http://friendsvinparch.blogspot.com/

Snap out of it!

All right- attitude adjustment. Got to get my motivation back up. I'm feeling up again this morning. I'm happy to be in good health and have this chance to train and prepare for such a distance event. I've been looking for such a challenge for years. There isn't a lot of time left and I'm going to enjoy it, concentrate on my stroke, think up interesting workouts, do some timing and heart rate checking. Remember 2 summers ago when the pool was closed for 5 or 6 months for repairs, I was miserable. I've got 3 rough weeks coming up, but I want to be prepared and feel confident flying down there that I've done the training and can do the event.
Here's Grant Hackett for moral support. He says Julie you wimp, 5000 yd. is nothing.

My schedule coming up: Sat. Apr. 22 swim 5000 yd. (or 2.8 mi.)
Week of Apr. 24: up to 5300 yd (or 3 mi)
Week of May 1: up to 5600 yd (or 3.2 mi)
Week of May 8: up to 6200 yd (or 3.5 mi)
Week of May 15: Taper! 4000 yd
Week of May 22: 3000 yd
May 26: Fly to the VI
May 28: The Beach to Beach Power Swim

Wed. April 19

I swam 4000 yd today: 500 wu then the Evans 3500 workout. I feel energetic physically,and I don't get tired, but my mind is straying. I am impatient and want to go on and do this event so I don't have to train so long anymore. Is it spring fever, just wanting to be outside with the flowers and warm breeze? I am getting bored with the chlorine and the black line and the squalling kids and the splashers and the lazy guards. Would be nice to have more lap swimmers around for moral support.
I'll come back Sat. and do the 5000. It will be earlier in the day, I can take my time. I see why this distance swimming is more mental than physical.

Mon. Apr 17

Swam 4000 yd- Need to get up to 5000 this week. I am getting antsy, don't want to spend this much time in the water.
Did 1000 warm up, then 2X500 then 2X1000. Felt pretty strong and fluid. I feel pretty confident that I'll have the endurance if not great speed. Stephen calculates 1:42 for 6200 yd. based on my 4700 time.
My good pals came to dinner Sat. and we are getting excited about our trip- Debbie is advising us on restaurants. Delta don't go on strike.....

Thurs. April 13

I did it- I swam 4700 yards non stop, took 1 hr. 18 min. Counted MahoCinnamonTrunkCay 4 times, then HawksnestBeach once. Felt quite strong, in fact around 3000 or so I wondered if I was having the "runner's high", and was able to finish quite strong. Mr. Red Trunks ( an unfriendly much slower guy) and I were sort of racing around 4500 yd but he never stands a chance. Not bad for being on my period and recovering from a Tues. pm happy hour. I'll go in Sat. and do a short swim to get my 3rd swim in for the week. My girls are coming to dinner that night tho so must keep it short in favor of cleaning and cooking.

One month from today is my final straight swim of 6200 yd. I'll have to do that on graduation day probably. Then I have 2 weeks of taper, then the big day on St. John. The end is in sight.

Mon. April 10

Swam 4700 yds. today: 200 wu, 900, 800, 700, 600, 500, 400, 300, 200, 100. Whew. Took 1 1/2 hr. Noted heart rate- mine stays around 144-156 on long sets, about right for cruising. The next month will see increasing time commitments for each Y visit. Looking forward to May 14 when taper begins....

Boat trip scheduled

We have scheduled our May 29 outing! It is a motor boat trip to Virgin Gorda, Marina Cay, Guana Cay, and Jost Van Dyke on Breakaway http://www.visitbreakaway.com/
That will be M. Lou's big day so we will have a big blowout. Hope there's plenty of shade under that roof. I'll be exhausted- that is the day after the swim; so what better than to lime on the boat and eat and drink!

Goals

I looked up my goals written back in January:
My first and main goal is just to complete the 3 1/2 mi. swim alive. My inside goal is to complete it in 1 hour 45 min. which realistically allows for 30 min. per mile. My outside goal is to complete it in 1:30.
They don't really need revising, these are pretty realistic.

Ch ch ch changes

This training is bound to have some effect on my head and my body, I think for the positive. I'm able to slip into a few items of clothing that were too snug before. I'm less likely to skip a workout and don't bargain with myself any more, like, should I swim today? I know that I have to, so I "just do it". I'm finding that I have reserves of stamina that I didn't know I had. I am even watching it when consuming wine or beer- limiting to just one so that I can swim the next day. And my goal is to feel triumphant that I can finish this swim May 28 feeling not too exhausted. And then I will prove to myself and the world that 50 (which happens in Oct. 06) is not all that bad.

Sat. Apr. 8

Today I swam 4500 yds: 5X900 (900 wu, 9X100, 3X300, 2X450, 1X900).

Wed. Apr. 5

Feeling much better- did 4500 yd. Went easy on the warm up, stretched first, did lots of kicking, 1000 yd. Then did the mile, took 29 min. I was trying to modify my stretch and not reach so far, seemed to help. At first it hurt a little when right arm did recovery, but that went away. After a mile, I did 500, 400, 300, 200, 100, then 300 kick.

I'd advertised the swim event for the Friends of the VI NP on the USMS discussion forums, and got one response from someone known as "Swimgrrl" who says she plans to come to do the swim! Glad to get a recruit. I wish I were raising money somehow to donate to the Friends, because they do good work in conservation on St. John. I'm not much of a money collector, and I'd just hit friends up for the Worldwide Swim for Malaria. At least they'll have my entry fee.

Mon. Apr. 3

I swam 4000 yd. Felt tired and am sort of low motivation now. I should be getting psyched, finally May is in sight, and I need to increase to 4500 yd this week. By May 13, I should be at 6200, the max. Then- the taper. Guess I need to keep my goals in sight and not get discouraged now. I have to spend so long in the water. Today I walked Sadie and it was such a revelation to be above ground and seeing things. I'm not complaining- I chose to do this. I'm a little worried about some feeling of overextension in my back like right under my shoulder blades. Could be I'm not rotating enough and reaching too far. Also must watch the over reach when pushing off at each flip turn.