Catalina Channel August 7-8, 2023

Fundraiser

  • Swim Across America - An organization focused on child cancer research
  • You can do swims all around the US including in Open Oceans, Lakes and Pools
  • Raised $1500
  • Website: https://www.swimacrossamerica.org

Beginning of training

  • https://swimcatalina.org/ - Website for all the information needed for Catalina Channel.
  • Get enough funding for the channel as this swim costs over $7,000. Scholarship available on website.
  • First thing that I did was became an observer to know what it's like and how the swim goes.
  • Join a relay group, highly recommend and do another channel like Anacapa or Santa Barbara. Also a year beforehand see if you can do a 10 mile swim just to see how it goes like swim around Coronado or 10 mile relay at La Jolla Cove but do it solo. There are other 10+ mile swims along the California coast and worldwide as well.
  • Pick a coach, pick a boat, and a swim date. Get your kayakers together as well.
  • Started off slow 2000 yards, 1-2 miles a day
  • Start by swimming at least an hour a day get used to the waves the ocean and currents and start to really love the ocean as this will basically be your home for the next year.
  • Do other training activities including biking, hiking, weightlifting, boxing to increase your cardio levels and start cross training.
  • Yoga is also really important, also stretching and hydrating!
  • Meditation: Chopra's really good
  • Get enough vasaline as you will want it later for longer swims
  • Write down your swim start taking swim logs.

Middle of Training

  • Begin swimming longer swims up to 4 hour swims and practice feeding (GUs, Protein Powder, Bananas, Electrolyte Drinks, Apple Sauce, Marshmellows, Chocolate, Cliff Bars, etc.). Try different things and how they affect your body is really important also keep track of it (food) and how much you eat/drink. Write it in your swim log and at what times you ate/drank.
  • Work closely with your coach. Talk about mental training what to do if you get stuck during training or how to not get scared in the middle of the ocean. What helped me was really thinking about all of my positive memories in the ocean and being with the creatures I love so dearly.
  • Stretching and hyrdation are really important. Start doing longer bike rides.
  • This is where training is going to become really difficult your going to want to give up.
Train for jellyfish

End of Training and Tapper Time

  • This is where you will start doing more back to back longer swims like 4-6 hours and a whole bunch of 4 hour swims and a few 8 hour swims.
  • This is really where you start training your body for the fatigue and fighting through that.
  • Hydration is key.
  • The moment you've all been waiting for is taper. Rest, take it easy, do nothing, lay down, drink water.

Your Swim Time and Date

  • Use https://track.rs
  • This time and date is one that you will remember forever and will stay with you forever and you will be remembered by friends and family.
  • The beginning of the swim your excited your adenalines moving and you start off fast no worries do not panic you've trained for this! You start to glow your boat is glowing, everything is glowing.
  • The middle of the swim, you have a long ways to go it can be scary looking at the horizon. This is when it starts getting physically and mentally draining you've been swimming for 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 hours... Things start to get scary but look you see some gelatinous creatures and start to hear some whales. You are almost there. You want to give up.
  • The end of the swim for me I thought that I was halfway but I only had an hour and half left. My arms were so sore, my shoulders were hurting I had to take an aleve to aleviate the pain. But I was fine, I could continue. You feel so much joy and excitement but also fear that you made it you actually made it! All of your traiing has come true all your dreams have come true!
  • The beach and making the landing you start crying you made it. It doesn't even seem real! It's an amazing feeling.