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Training News
March - April 2008 |
March 8, 2008:
Running with Marce
This past weekend Brian, Scott, and I ran miles 16-26 of the L.A. marathon along side of the beautiful and high spirited Marce Pasternak. It was an incredible experience for me and I feel blessed to have met Marce. She was the hero of the day. I have attached her story.
Download the story HERE
March 23, 2008:
Colder Water, Bigger Sharks
Over the past 2 weeks there has been 3 great white shark sightings in Southern California. With the most recent being a Huntington Beach surfer's board bit and taken right from under him. The Shark Researcher's Committee estimated the from the bite mark for the fish to linger around 15 feet. The bad news is that I swim around this area often and it places yet another feeling of restlessness while I swim.
http://www.sharkresearchcommittee.com/pacific_coast_shark_news.htm
I've decided that once I jump in the ocean and get out past the break, my life is out of my hands. I've had some great help from my dolphin friends in the past and on Friday as Chris and I swam 3 miles around the Huntington Pier we were once again joined with about a dozen of our friendly aquatic counterparts. As the water sat right at 55 degrees, people gawked from the pier while we swam by and surfers in full wet suits and hoods laughed as we cruised by bare chested.
With less than 5 months before the swim, I cannot even begin to explain the mentally, physically, and spiritually taxing sport of ocean swimming. But I couldn't make it through the training without the people like you, who are reading this. So Thank You.
One swim at a time,
Davey G
April 12, 2008:
My Guide, My Leader, My Coach
Browsing the internet roughly 10 months ago, when I first came to California, I came upon the NOVA master's swim team website. With further investigation I discovered Ahelee Sue Osborn, a coach for NOVA who in 2002, swam across the English Channel. "That's my coach" I said with no hesitation.
Needless to say, she has been without a doubt, a tremendous influence on my training, my attitude, and my life. Positivity is the underlying foundation of this woman's life and it rubs off on everyone around her. But don't mistake kindness for weakness because Ahelee is the top tier of physical and mental strength.
She's an inspiration, a mentor, an incredible athlete and human being.
Picture below: Ahelee, Ed Reynolds, and myself post practice.
April 25, 2008:
The Sum of My Fears
Two years ago when I started this adventure a lot of people asked me "Why are you swimming across that?" and my usual smart ass reply consisted of "because it's there."
Okay, so I lied.
20 months later, 30 pounds heavier, and with salt and chlorine infested hair, I finally figured out why I chose this swim. The best way I can explain is by listing these reasons:
1.) When I become tired while running, I will walk, or sit down. I can't exactly hop out of the water when training in the ocean. If I'm super tired and a mile from shore, I just have to bite my lip and tell myself not to freak out.
2.) I Know I've talked about this before but, 50 degree water is painful. And I never get used to the "pins and needles" feeling.
3.) Today, Friday the 25th of April, Dr. David Martin was attacked and killed by a 17 foot great white shark in Solana Beach, roughly 40 miles south of where I train. My deepest condolences to his family and the other swimmers that accompanied him this morning. I have the utmost respect for the ocean, sharks, currents, and other vulnerability issues. But it hits close to home when a triathlete nicknamed "Dr. Dave" is attacked by a shark.
4.) Loneliness. Humans are social creatures, especially yours truly (most of the time too much). For over 10 hours I will be staring straight down at the ocean floor, with almost no conversation, not by choice of course.
5.) Darkness. It scares me. And now I have to get used to swimming in the pitch black before August. May glow sticks guide the way.
It is safe to say that this swim combines the "sum of all my fears." However, I have the antidote, the cure. Take a combination of bravery and courage from the persons with ALS, mix generously with the love and support from friends and family, blend in heaping scoopfuls of drive and motivation from others. And just when you thought it was perfect, sprinkle some HOPE on top.
"Fear is an unbelievable motivator, but it also makes people freeze in their tracks. Once you start to understand it, fear becomes something you can tap into. Fear comes from the understanding that you can die. It usually makes me make really good decisions and gives me power."
-Laird Hamilton
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