Rottnest Channel Swim Suits

Chaffing from San Fran 5 Mile Swim

My new wetsuit that I love but did this!  I usually go w/ baby oil for a mile or 2, after that I usually go with Vaseline or another slippery concoction for anti-chaffing!  :( 

Glad I had neosporene!  Had to do a company presentation with this ta boot!  Did not look good!

Coming down to the wire - 30 days till rotto

I got 30 days till the big Rotto swim.  Have two support boats, 2 jet ski's and one and a half paddlers on the 'yak.  Got some great tips this morning on navigation, just did not anticipate a massive current!

Training is going well!  Running 3 days a week, weights 3 days, and swimming 6 days a week.  The masters at the Sharks is getting pretty intense on the long distance.  Coming home shattered almost every time with them.  It is a little under 4k but at crazy fast paces in the endurance sets.  Tonight, I wanted to quit to get a couple of breaths but thought about the sharks chasing me at old Rotto!

Can't even think about the channel or the Lake Zurich training.  Both are going to be grueling as well.  EC will be cold water training as well as getting over sea sickness!  Zurich is going to be getting thru a lake w/o salt water buoyancy!

Yards Vs Meters

So glad to be back in metric land.  I was just getting dizzy swimming in yard pools.  I usually swim in either 25m or 33m pools which are really great for a good work out.  Here is something I lifted from another site.

Totally Agree with this:
1. Much more continuous swimming. Half as many walls to turn at, simulating open water swimming better than a shorter pool.
2. More time to focus on your technique while you swim without interruptions.
3. Training is slightly more challenging, resulting in better preparation for an open water race (or any swim race).

Stats:
25 Meters = 27.34 Yards
25 Yards = 22.86 Meters
25 Meters = 75 Feet
25 Yards = 82.02 Feet

The difference is not much looking at numbers but when your down in it you will notice you lost about 2 or 3 strokes.  Which makes a bit of difference in my book when doing long distance swimming.

Birthday Swim

Yesterday was my birthday and I spent it riding around San Fran with a bicycle.  Hills are a bitch but was a pretty good work out and saw quite a bit of the city. 

Afterwards, I was able to get a 5 mile swim at the Dolphin Club Swim Club in the San Francisco Bay Aquatic Center.  I got in with a wetsuit so I can get mileage instead of coldwater training.  The water was not bad 50F, I could have done a swim without the WS but I def would not make it 2 hours that I was in there.  I used baby oil and should have used vaseline bc my neck is so f-in chaffed!  Pics will follow...

Well, I have to get 7 more miles added on to that in 5 weeks for the Rotto Swim!  Going to have to start double dipping starting tomorrow in San Jose and continue on for the next 4 weeks.

Good week of training!

Had an excellent week of training! Got a lot of runs in despite the
wintery weather we have been having. Also been hitting the gym for
the next couple weeks for added strength. So we have 6 weeks til the
big rotto swim. The next couple of weeks are going to be tough
travelling and all but in the end I should be all set for 20k and
dodging sharks.

Egypt swimming

Christmas week was brutal! Lots of travel and seeing the sights. Had
no swimming even though was on the Nile at one point for a couple of
days. Asked to swim out in the Nile but was told about the crocs put
there. So that did not go over well!
However got over to the Red Sea in a resort town called Hurgadha.
Have a 55m at it's longest part freezing cold pool all to myself! It
is 17c and always training ground! Go out twice a day in the pool and
usually once in the red sea at blistering 20c for salt training for
Perth. The best part about the training here is about a 300m lazy
river! I swim against it for kicks and it is a great trainer wish I
ha one back home! Some points it must kick up to about 4kph!
Will post pics when I get back to home base!
Happy New Year!