Bill Welzien Update - October 2006 Goal:  To swim around the island of Key West each month for 12 consecutive months.   Date: Thursday, October 5th, 2006 Start time: 7:12AM (High Tide in Key West Harbor at 9:09AM -2.27ft.) As I swam this circuit around the island, I began to think of titles to describe this swim.  One of the first to enter my mind was: “Summer Is Over!.”  There is definitely a change in the air.  It may be slight but it is there.  Other titles I came up with were: “Tossed About!” and “Bucking Bronco!”  You can tell by those monikers that it was pretty wild voyage.  Christiana Claire kayaked for me for a second consecutive time.  She had to work very hard for the first 7.5 miles. This was the shortest rest between swims thus far.  It was just 15 days.  Did it affect me negatively? Actually, I kind of liked it.   What did I do in between the last swim and this one?  Well looking back in my workout journal, I see that after my 12.5 mile swim on September 20th, I ran 5 miles the next morning and 3 miles that evening.  On Friday, September 22nd, I ran 4 miles and on Saturday another 4 miles. On Monday, September 25th, I ran 16 miles (I had planned to run 19 or 20 but bonked in the heat and humidity- a miserable failure!!!)  On Tuesday, the 26th I got back into swimming.  I swam 2 miles nice and easy, one half-mile crawl and the next breast, one half-mile crawl and the next back.  My surgeon suggested I mix it up.  Don’t just swim crawl work the other muscle groups.  After my swim I ran 4.5 miles.  On Wednesday I swam the same workout as the day but skipped the run.  On Thursday the 28th, I ran 4 miles in the morning and a 5k in the evening.  Thursday is my day off and the reason you read of these evening runs is because we have Family Night every Thursday evening.  My Son-in law Terence came up with the concept.  All of us participate in the Family 5K Handicap Race.  Terence sends us off based on our previous times, so everyone has a chance to win.  It is a hoot!   On Friday, I swam 4 miles. This time I swam 3.5 miles crawl and the last half a combo of breast and back.  Saturday I took part in a sprint triathlon with a few riends here in the neighborhood.  That brings me to the week of Swim #4.  On Monday I ran 20 miles and capped that off with a 1-mile swim in the canal (half-mile crawl and the last half a breast/back combo.  Tuesday found me running a 10K.  Wednesday was a day off from exercise and Thursday was the day for #4.  To summarize all I just laid out, in the 2 weeks between Swim #3 and Swim#4, I ran 76 miles and swam 9 miles.  The reason for all this running is that I am training for the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, Alabama on December 9th. I felt ready, even excited about Swim #4.  My body feels strong and the time it takes me to get ready the day before the swim is lessening with each swim.  I feel less anxiety the day, especially the night before.  I sleep better the night before and get up with no difficulty.  The concerns I had about electrical showers is all but gone. My original starting time was 6:54AM but after swimming into the current on the last 7 hour plus swim I decided to wait some.  I launched this swim at 7:12AM As I alluded to earlier it was very choppy but I am happy to report I was never swimming against the current.  The choppiness kept me from seeing the bottom for the first 7 miles.  I never saw one fish until I was in front of the Sunset Lounge at mile 7 on Sigsby Island.  My observation of sea life was minimal.   Christy, suggested after the swim, that in the future swims, with the possibility of stronger wings with approach of winter I may want to use a two-person kayak.  There were times that it was tough for us to connect when I needed some nourishment.  She struggled to keep the kayak near me as she handed me my drink or food.  When she put the paddle down she was blown away from me.  As I headed for mile 2 I could see a Massive Royal Caribbean Cruise ship heading for Key West Harbor.  I hope it would be docked by the time I got there.  It was.  It was the Majesty of the Seas.  It was docked at the Hilton Dock, next to Mallory Square.  We encountered no Coast Guard vessel as we made our way through The Key West Harbor.  I was really being tossed about. As I look at my splits I note as I compare them to Swim #1 (my fastest to date) I find that I was just slightly faster until I headed into the Fleming Cut.  This is where I was swimming directly into the wind.  As I continued on that side of the Island my times were slower and I continued against the wind.  After we made it around Sigsby, at mile 7.5, there was a very noticeable reduction in wind resistance.  Going around Sigsby left me a full 11 minutes behind my Swim #1 time. I was 1 minute behind my 7.5 to mile 9 (Cow Key Channel Bridge) time.  I gained some time over my Swim #1 time going through the Cow Key Channel.  I had a nice current working for me and I am happy to report that I had water a bit deeper that what I have been accustomed coming out and around the Channel into the Atlantic.  I also am happy to report that my final two miles on the Atlantic side gave me deeper water than previous swims.  The final two miles also found a stiff tail wind pushing me to the finish line. Weather:  We arrived in good time to the Bertha Street Boat Ramp.  I didn’t feel rushed at all.  We unloaded the kayak, I parked the car, used the rest room, we prayed and I entered the water and Christy launched out.  At 7:12 exactly I started my watch.  I swam without pain.  As I look back over my left should I could see the sun rising I was a beautiful sight.  I asked Christy if she took any pictures.  Unfortunately, I left the camera in the car.  It was a good crisp day.  There were blue skies with beautiful clouds all around and a good stiff wind out of the northeast.        Periodically, I would look back checking on Christy to see how she was weathering the waves.  Most of the time I was ahead of her.   Water Conditions: Rough the first 7.5 miles.  No problem with the currents.  The water temperature was about 81-82 degrees, very comfortable. It was little warmer through the Key West Harbor where the water is very deep and a tad cooler in the shallower water.   Nutrition/ Performance:  I drank my Perpetuum prior to my start and ate a Cliff Bar and swallowed 4 ibuprofen and 3 electrolyte capsules.  After I started I did not stop until I swam under the Fleming Cut Bridge (Mile 5).  I drank 3 full quarts during the swim and ate only one quarter of a Cliff Bar.  I took some electrolyte capsules and ate a full Cliff Bar.  As I came around Sigsby I had Christy drop 3 more electrolyte capsule into my mouth.   After the swim I drank a protein drink and a Cliff Protein bar.  Felt good.  I examined my mind and body as I swam the last half to see if I was feeling fatigued I reminded myself that if I was going to swim Tampa Bay that this was just a warm up.    My time for this swim was 6:06:10. This was a vast improvement over last months swim.  I have now swum around Key West 23 times.  This was the fourth time in four consecutive months.  Next scheduled swim is Saturday, November 4th, at 7:02AM.  That means I have a full month between this past swim and the next. Problems: None to speak of.  No seaweed or stingy things in the face or any other body pasts.  I experienced no suckerfish trying to attach themselves to me.  Shoulders felt good.  My recovery time after the swim was pretty quick Goal:  I have now completed four of my 12 consecutive monthly swims.  I know the cold-water swims are ahead; I pray that the next swim’s water temperature will be comfortable.  I will take each swim as it comes. Next Swim: Swim #5: Saturday, November 4th beginning at 7:02AM.  High tide is at 9:02AM (1:85 ft.) in the Key West Harbor.   Sunrise at 6:35AM 1) Tuesday, July 11th, 2006  Start time 7:53AM Splits: Start to Mile 2 - 57:17 Mile 2 to Mile 4 - 51:25 (1:48) Mile 4 to Mile 5 – 16:59 (2:05) Mile 5 to Mile 6 – 40:50 (2:46) Mile 6 to Mile 7.5 – 41:05 (3:27) Mile 7.5-Mile 9 – 48:42 (4:16) Mile 9 to First piling at Smathers Beach _ 1:16 (5:32) First piling to Finish  - 20:52 (Finish time 5:53:31) 2) Wednesday, August 9th, 2006 Start time 8:01AM Splits: Start to Mile 2 – 61:14 Mile 2 to Mile 4 - 55:15 (2:09) Mile 4 to Mile 5 – 21:09 (2:21) Mile 5 to Mile 6 – 42:10 (3:03) Mile 6 to Mile 7.5 – 41:20 (3:44) Mile 7.5-Mile 9 – 48:37 (4:32) Mile 9 to First piling at Smathers Beach - 1:17 (5:39) First piling to Finish  - 21:16 (Finish time 6:08) 3) Wednesday, September 20th, 2006 Start time 7:00AM Splits Start to Mile 2 – 1:12:28 Mile 2 to Mile 4 – 1:01:25 (2:13:53) Mile 4 to Mile 5 – 29:25 (2:43:19) Mile 5 to Mile 6 – 49:19:19 (4:16:19) Mile 6 to Mile 7.5 – 41:20 (3:44) Mile 7.5-Mile 9 – 47:54 (5:04:14) Mile 9 to First piling at Smathers’ Beach - 1:32:53 (6:37:09) First piling to Finish - 26:53 (Finish time 7:04) 3) Thursday, October 5th, 2006 Start time 7:12AM Splits Start to Mile 2 – 57:02:98   Mile 2 to Mile 4 – 49:58:87  (1:47:01) Mile 4 to Mile 5 – 23:37:27 (2:10:39) Mile 5 to Mile 6 – 44:51:32 (2:55:30) Mile 6 to Mile 7.5 – 53:11:37 (3:48:41) Mile 7.5-Mile 9 – 49:51:57 (5:50:04) Mile 9 to First piling at Smathers’ Beach - 1:11:30 (5:50:04) First piling to Finish – 20:06:41 (Finish time 6:10:10)