I worked hard for this in 2019, and now I know my capabilities. Thank you to BlueSeventy for sponsoring this series of open water competitions. You made me work for it!
When my friend Michaela moved to Minnesota, I thought I'd never see her again. I had no plans that called for a midwest visit, until of course she told me about this swim! I cashed in my air miles, booked the swim and a room in Bayfield, and soon enough August arrived. I am so used to West Coast topography. The FLATNESS of the land was disorienting to me. After my airport pickup, Michaela introduced me to Lindsay and the three of us road-tripped to Bayfield with an overnight in Duluth. Walleye is a thing in these parts. A peek of the finish part of the course, from a bluff. Successful finishes for all of us. 1 hr 8 mins is not nearly my best but it's fine for a new course. This was a 2.1 mile crossing. People in Bayfield are very nice. My favorite part of the trip, after the swim, was a kayak night tour chartered with Rustic Makwa Den. These are the Red Cliff Band of the Chippewa, and they are casual and funny guys who really love their lands. Troy was...
We have a family curse not unfamiliar to millions of Americans: alcoholism. Especially for the males on both sides of my family, the drink has really challenged the men. My maternal uncles came through it using the 12-step program. My father quit at age 76, cold turkey, after a cascade of serious health problems delivered the final ultimatum: quit or die soon. One aunt by marriage somewhat recently had and survived a liver transplant—which is fantastic. But my brother, Brion, is on a different and heartbreaking journey. As I write this, I’m at home in the PNW while my mom is at Brion’s bedside in a San Diego hospital based (inpatient) hospice. Things are so fragile. Time is short. I’m still processing what I’ve witnessed in the last few months and the progression to this present-day byproduct of alcoholism: hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) at end-stage liver disease from alcohol-related cirrhosis. Our family members got a crash course in all the processes, medications, terminology, trea...
For about 12 years I have dealt with odd pains, spasms, headaches and horrible leg cramps that have their on and off seasons. Sometimes these require visits to neurology. At this moment it's so bad that I'm "beached" and getting all the care with conservative treatments such as nerve pain meds, acupuncture, massage, warm neck wraps, PT/stretching, strict upright posture, and I'm continuing a no-arms version of personal dryland training at Vashon Strong. Last week I did make a quick bikini jaunt into Puget Sound, because the cold actually feels really good on this pain. Doctors encourage warmth, or a combo of hot/ice changeups. I miss long swims like I've been doing each weekend--and my swim buddies most of all. What's happened (the Dr. believes) is that one of my neck disc herniations has imposed upon my nerve root, likely C6--where I have known damage anyway. I am not sleeping through the night (for weeks), the pain is intense from neck to wrist day and ...
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