I’ve always thought that Antarctica will be the most physically difficult expedition of all our 7 10DL expeditions. Until now I never had a structured way of thinking about how to measure “difficulty”. From a energy expenditure perspective, Antarctica will be the hardest. Here’s how I performed my calculations. 

1. The first step is to breakdown the activities of 10DL. The 10 Degrees Latitude is an expedition series that consists of 5 sports. Those being:

• Cycling 
• Open water swimming
• Kite assisted skiing cross country
• Hiking cross country
• Kayaking

2. The second step is to assume that calorie count is a proxy for “effort”. It’s possible to make a caloric estimate for each expedition assuming the athlete is 190 pounds and that each activity consumes a predictable amount of calories per hour at high exertion. Using this method we can figure out which of the 10DL expeditions is “hardest”, by virtue of the caloric expenditure required to complete it. The source for the calorie count information is here.

3. The third and last step is to type all this into Excel. The results show that the caloric expenditure ranges from the lowest of 57,500 calories in 10DL Australia to 138,000 calories in 10DL Antarctica. It’s not surprising that Antarctica is one of the hardest, and that calorie estimate doesn’t even take into the account the cold temperature, which will consume even more calories as our bodies try to keep warm. Below is the model I used.

The mental side of the “difficulty” equation is much more difficult to measure. I don’t have a measure for that.

5 Reasons To Train in the San Francisco Bay

1. The Bay is clean and has less chemicals than the pool.
2. Swimming allows me the feel the strength of my body.
3. Time with the people at the Dolphin Club makes me a better person.
4. Being among the ocean creatures puts me in touch with nature.
5. The colder the water the better the sauna feels at the end.

Typically I’m a swimmer, and pilot boats protect me. Today I had the opportunity to switch roles. I piloted a swim with 25 swimmers. There were 5 other pilot boats including me.

Role of the pilot boat during an open water swim:

• Protect swimmer from boaters and wildlife
• Guide the swim path
• Feed and motivate the swimmer during swims lasting more than 1 hour

What I learned. First of all I learned what a pilot boat does (see above). I also learned what a powerful affect the tidal current has on a swimmer. From the vantage point of our pilot boat Reuben and I saw several swimmers get swept by a swift tidal current. The current was faster than they were and caused them to literally swim in place. A good pilot can help a swimmers navigate currents and win the race!

Pilots from the Dolphin Club use plastic kayaks, motorized zodiacs, fiberglass paddle boards, and wooden Whitehall rowboats. The Whitehall rowboats at the Dolphin Club are pretty awesome, and most of over 100 years old. During the swim walkie-talkies are used to coordinate maneuvers. Two or more pilot boats lead the front swimmer and sweep the rear swimmer. Other pilot boats serve as course markers and guide points for the swimmers along the course.

Some stats about today’s swim.

• 52F … water temp
• 1:3 … ratio of swimmers to pilot boats
• 1.5 miles … course distance
• 1897 … year that my wooden rowboat was built
• 3 … donuts/bagels consumed pre & post (yummy!)

And of course, photography from today.

Some stats about our swim:

• Dover, UK to Calais, France
• 14 hours 23 minutes
• 21 miles
• Water temp 60F
• In terms of nutrition… We each fed once every 30 minutes in the water on GU Roctane and GU20 using the Gu-Bot bottle. The bottle held 2 GU packets in a separate chamber from the warmed GU hydration. We ate 2 packets and 12 ounces of warm water during each feeding.
  
• Seas were pretty rough at times
• Our pilot on channel day was David Whyte. Seriously folks, he’s the best in the business and has piloted over 350 successful channel swims. 350!!! His support was phenomenal. His thoughts we only on the swimmers — and his hand-picked crew helped our crew huge. His boat is one of the largest in the fleet. I remember late during the swim when he turned around and shouted encouragement to me in the water at the top of his lungs, flinging his arms in celebration. He was wonderful. It’s a pity he’s retiring this year — but we hear he’s trained an awesome successor in Chris Osmond.

Check out these videos and photographs:

A shout-out to Skyline Goggles, especially our friend Rick Runckel, President. Neal used the Predator goggles (pictured) during his crossing. These goggles are built for open water swimming — they have a huge viewing angle and don’t hurt eye sockets during swims, whether those swims are 1 hour or 14 hours.

]]>

I moved from Philadelphia to San Francisco. I’m new here, and one of the big parts of moving for me is finding a new place to workout. I know about the Dolphin Swim Club in San Francisco, so I went there to check on their latest activities. While I was at the Dolphin Club I heard about two upcoming open water swims.

Both swims are open water swims. Both are relatively short (1-2 miles). And I’ll be doing both with my friend Paul who works at Facebook. I’m super stoked about both! It will be a fun way for us to mix-up workouts, and a good way for me to get in the race mindset prior to the English Channel, which is coming up SOON!

	Wind Direction (WDIR):	SSW ( 210 deg true )
	Wind Speed (WSPD):	15.9 kts
	Wave Height (WVHT):	3.3 ft
	Air Temperature (ATMP):	50.2 °F
	Water Temperature (WTMP):	50.2 °F
	Wind Chill (CHILL):	44.2 °F

[UPDATE] Another online service provides a color map of sea temperatures.

Special thanks for Mark Robson (fellow blogger and Channel aspirant) for clueing us in on the NOAA website and the color map.

As part of my acclimitization I swam in the 45-degree Atlantic Ocean this weekend. You see, my two good friends Rick and Carla live smack-dab on the ocean, so my training was a great excuse to visit and spend some time with them in their home. I was the only swimmer on the beach and the fisherman thought I was bonkers. Truth be told, with the wetsuit it wasn’t all that bad. My core stayed warm and my cognition was clear (cold water sometimes prevents us humans from thinking straight). Here are some pictures of me and my good friends.

Next weekend I will try the same swims without the wetsuit — such swims have been done by our friend (Mark Robson) for several weeks. He is also training for the English Channel swim.

Sure ’nuff. He’s in Alaska for 9 days heli skiing! He’d better be taking advantage of the open water swimming up there. If he can do the 38F water temps in the Prince William Sound in February, then he can certainly handle the 55F water temps in Dover in July.

He was looking at because we’re looking for some nearby open water swims. Trouble is there aren’t any organized events until summer. The water temperatures in the East are sub-50F until April, which is chilly. It looks like we might plan a trip down to Florida in March. If you have suggestions please let us know.

Here is one particular email that stood out to us from a well-seasoned open-water swimmer. It was so good we had to post it for every one to benefit. It’s well worth your time to read it to the end.

Email Excerpt.

***********************************************************************
ADAM & NEAL –
Fascinating project! I’m sure you’re having a blast coordinating your efforts and travel plans. You’ve certainly captured my imagination with all the possibilities….

Here’s one swimmer’s thought about escort pilots in the English Channel: IT BARELY MATTERS WHO YOU CHOOSE.

ANY of the certified English Channel pilots will steer you across. You could swim it a dozen times, under each one of them, and discover the
success of your crossing relies… upon you.

It’s up to you to be the successful swimmer. If you’ve trained properly, acclimated to cold water, learned to consume enough fuel while treading water, learned how to keep that fuel in your stomach while floating in a horizontal position, and built your open water endurance, you’ll be able to swim the English Channel. No matter which certified pilot you select. In fact, they’ll be thrilled to have 2 swimmers who’ve done the arduous — but necessary — training. Their job becomes relatively simple: Pick the right day and guide the swimmer from point A to B.

Therefore a “successful swim” relies 100% on the swimmer’s shoulders. Literally and figuratively. Likewise, a swimmer who doesn’t make it must take a look in the mirror. There is NO ONE else to blame.

Your pilot’s fee goes toward their knowledge of negotiating the currents and choosing the proper day to make an attempt. The tidal currents are strong, but your pilot will account for this as s/he guides you. Again, any of the dozen English Channel pilots are fully capable. They are well-trained and experienced in handling swimmers in the open water. With negotiating the shipping lanes. And knowing when to “pull” a swimmer.

Swimmers don’t make it across for 5 reasons. Illness (nausea), Injury (shoulder – cramps), Hypothermia (core body temp drops leading to
confusion), Exhaustion, and a collapse of mental fortitute. In other words, THEY QUIT.

***
I encourage you to pursue your dreams. I think they’re magnificent. So place that deposit with one of the Dover pilots – NOW. Actually you’ll need two pilots for two swimmers. Or one pilot escorting you on separate days. Then, for the next 6 months, don’t think about your pilot(s) — not even once.

Instead, focus on these 5 marathon swim training essentials. I trust you know how to train for a multi-day 1200-mile cycle… I am clueless
there. But I know a few things about how to prepare for a long swim:

PACE– It’s imperative you swim your first mile at the same speed as your final mile. Your pilot steers based upon a steady pace. If it deteriorates, so does your chance at success. Like a triathlon, your goal is to conserve your energy! The currents near France are the worst. You’ll need to muster even more effort to succeed in those final miles. MANY swimmers don’t and fail.

COLD– Hypothermia is a very serious issue in the English Channel and official crossings are without a wetsuit. It is REQUIRED you swim non-stop for at least 6 hours in 60-degree water well in advance of your attempt. There is no skipping this “test swim”. It is for your safety!
Some marathon swimmers “grow” additional layers of insulation by over-eating. This could become a challenge, considering you’re training
for a long-distance cycle and marathon swim. Still, try to carry as much excess weight as you can tolerate. Skinny swimmers usually don’t make it, unless they’re super-fast. To avoid hypothermia, you’ll need to train months in frigid waters. Eventually, your body acclimates and protects against painful & potentially deadly drops in core body temperatures. The warmest the Channel becomes is 64 degrees (Late August). The cold days are 58 degrees (early July & October).

FUEL– Marathon swimming brings a unique challenge for fueling. Not only are you tossed on the waves but a swimmer’s body position causes your stomach & mouth to be on the same horizontal plane. It’s very simple for the fuels you pour “down” your mouth to travel back the WRONG direction. Vomiting is commonplace. Therefore, your fuel must taste decent both directions. Find an endurance fuel drink. Train on it as if your life depended upon it. Like a triathlon, an English Channel swim is as much an eating competition as an athletic event.

FEED– Different category of the same problem. Swimmers can’t touch the boat and supporters can’t touch the swimmers. So FEEDING becomes a unique problem to marathon swimming. How will your support team deliver your fuel from the boat to water level? Some use rope tied around a bottle. Others use a basket attached to a pole. I have used a fishing pole. My liter bottle, half-filled with fuel, is lowered to water level. As I chug and drift with the currents, the fishing line is free to unfurl. As soon as I finish, I drop my Nalgene bottle in the water and my support member reels her in. Like any endurance event, quickly feeding is essential. The currents are not working in your favor in the English Channel. Every minute wasted while feeding is another 100+ meters of swimming. Over the course of a dozen hours, this becomes a serious disadvantage.

TRAIN– Nearly 1000 swimmers have crossed the English Channel. I suspect they’ve done it 1000 different ways. Find your path. Tailor your days, weeks, months to your school schedule and lifestyle. Make and KEEP your priorities. I am a proponent of swimming the “Channel distance” every single week. I suggest 40,000 meters. In addition, once a month, you’ll want to choose one day to swim non-stop an increasing distance. Starting this month, until a few weeks before your scheduled crossing. Make that final training swim at least 16-miles
straight. Ideally, under similar conditions: cold, open water, escort boat with fuel and feeding device. We’re in November, and I’m guessing you’ll swim July 2008. That requires 4-miles non-stop this month, 6 miles in Dec, 8 in January, 10 Feb, 12 March, 14 April, 16 miles in May. June you’ve started your cycling challenge. July cross the Channel!

Does your February 10-mile training swim become your REQUIRED “test swim”? That’s a brilliant way to double-dip. IF you spend at least 6 hours in 60-degree water. I cannot stress enough: This REQUIRED test swim is for your safety. Hypothermia is likely in the English Channel. Do not discount its effect. It is potentially deadly.

I hope this helps. You’re asking the right questions. You’re obviously smart enough and strong enough to surmount the challenge you’ve laid before you.
**********************************************************************************

Like I said in my previous post about open water swimming, most of our training these days is swimming. I prefer open water swimming. Long distances are easier in lakes than in the pools, and more beautiful. Here are some nice pictures of Mauch Chunk Lake in Jim Thorpe, PA. It’s about 90 minutes north of Philadelphia and in the Pocono foothills. The swimming is getting brisk now that’s it’s almost November. For some reason I can bare it as long as I have an insulated swim cap on. Here are some pictures of our latest swim trip

And my favorite picture. A picture of Jonathan Taqqu using me as a ladder to tie the rope for our leanto shelter.