I'm just not recognized by the IISA org as a 1 mile ice swimmer.. which is fine I'm not saying I am an IISA 1 mile ice swimmer and won't until I do an official Ice swim as per their rule. But!!
I have been getting some back feed/ flack from the IISA about my Ice swim saying I was irresponsible in my swim for not having proper supervision and support! And I should apologies for doing so? and amend my blog title as I posted on May 25 2014 about my story of my ice swim, which I won't, I wrote about what I did as it is my story of my event stating the truth.
So in that, I will apologize to IISA as they take their Ice swimming seriously as do I, but I will not apologizing for what I did, as stupid as it was!!
At this time I should mention to other swimmers out there Please! do not do this without proper support and training! I did the training, cold water training for years! This wasn't a fly by night attempt at ice swimming for me! Keep this in mind You can die out there!
I know I didn't write in detail leading up to this ice swim, but I had medicals done before hand, I had ECG done and saw my cardiologist who gave me a green light to do my swim, telling me I have less than 1% chance of having a cardiac event! and that I am very heart healthy!! And I also knew with the beach festival going on there were paramedics by the beach and many people along the beach should I get in trouble which was a factor in my decision to keep swimming...And I also know my limits, which I felt at this time I was within which I was.
Although IISA won't recognize me as an official 1 mile ice swimmer? (As I said before it doesn't matter to me!) I did a 1 mile swim in 5C water and am satisfied with that! Was I reckless? Probably!! But I succeeded and am proud of it!
But if you want to be a 1 mile ice swimmer officially with IISA check out the IISA web site for details of rules etc...Do not, I repeat do not attempt Ice swimming without seeing your doctor getting full physical and do your training.
As for me I will continue on what I do with always thinking safety first!
Friday, May 30, 2014
Monday, May 26, 2014
I won't be reconized as a Ice mile Swimmer
Ok, so I got word that IISA won't be recognizing my ice swim as I don't have the proper documentation as per their rules. That's OK with me, I did it for myself to see if I could do it! I know I swam in 5C water for 33+ min and traveled 1 mile swimming, that's good enough for me! I may not be an official Ice mile swimmer? but I did swim an ice mile! Maybe I'll try again as per rules of IISA in the future knowing I can do it now.
:)
:)
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Official ICE MILE Swim
I did it! I swam 1 mile today in 5C water without a wetsuit, just speedo, cap and goggles here in Barrie Ont Canada. I went down to the Centennial beach in kempenfelt bay Lake Simcoe to see how long I could stay in the water originally, there is a waterfront festival going on at the beach this weekend so lots of people around. The weather was perfect being sunny and around 28c our hottest day of the year. I went into the water with my thermometer to check the water temp! it read 5C so I got excited and said to myself I will try it out. I went in the water and sat for about 2-3 min to get used to the water and decide if I will swim. I controlled my pain of the freezing water with my mind as I waded in.. I then decided after wading in the water a few min that I'll give it a go an maybe try to swim for 5 min. people on the beach were looking at me like I was strange as when they attempted to go in they ran right back out yelling and saying how figging cold it is.
Well I kept close to shore swimming in no deeper than 4-5 feet of water, so as I could stand when needed. then I my hands and feet started to hurt as I swam but my core felt fine. I swam with my head above the water to help keep control of my body temp with the air temp around 27-28C.
I made it to the end of the beach ruffly 350m checking the time and distance on my garmin. I was still feeling fine so I pushed on!
To make a long story short I just kept going back and forth along the beachfront as people looked on and a few asking how the water was! I just yelled back saying COLD!
The last few meters I kept looking at my watch saying to myself I can do this! Come on!! I reach 1600m or 1 mile and stopped my watch and walk out of the water and walked back to the end of the beach where I start, totally focusing in tunnel vision hoping I could make it back to warm up! It took me about 5 min to walk back to my start and as I'm walking I kept looking down at my feet and thinking to myself they look like Hobbit feet all swollen.
I was hoping by the time I got back to my gear I would have warmed up with the warm sun and sand, Boy was I wrong!!
When I got to my gear I threw on my housecoat and just stood around in the sun waiting to get warm listening to the band which was playing in the band shell for the beach festival. Then I started tingling and my head was ringing and started shaking at which time I was getting worried and started thinking I don't want to sit down on the ground and maybe pass out, so I stayed standing then grabbed the fence barrier they had up for the band stand and started shaking more violently and some people around me came to my aid asking if I needed help. I said the best I could mumbling out Yes I'm hypothermic! Then one man asked if he could help as another went for the paramedics. I had my housecoat on and the man started rubbing my back as I shaked violently and a woman came with another blanket to throw around me as well as a folding chair that I sat on.
With the help of the man rubbing my back I focused and did some deep breathing in through my nose and slowly out my mouth a few times.
By now the paramedics came and ask me question which I answered with no problem mentally, just I could pronounce my words as I was shaking violently and mumbling. They took my pulse which was difficult because I couldn't keep my arm from shaking, then they took my pulse from my neck and said to the other medic who was writing the info down 72bpm, she looked very surprised. then he took my BP and said it was 110 over 70 again she looked surprised and said everything looks normal and that I'm pretty fit. Then she asked if I wanted an ambulance and I said no I expected this shaking and will warm up in no time, I just didn't expect this hypothermia to be so severe as I was shaking as hard as someone with sever Parkinson's! I just told them I'll stay on the beach to warm up and when I feel ok I will go. They asked me to sign off there report that I didn't want to go to the hospital and told me they were about 50m down the beach if I need them.
So by the time they left the violent shivering subsided , but I was still shaking uncontrollable and layed out covered in the sun on the warm sand until I felt ok which was about another half hour.
When I felt good enough to go I went over to the man who was sitting near by with his family and thanked him for his help and went on to the medics ambulance to let them know I'm good and thanked them for their help.
So I'm an Ice mile swimmer now!....As I didn't meet with all the requirement of documenting my swim (except for my garmin and the medics report on my recovery.) I can't submit my ice swim to the IISA for ratification. That doesn't really matter to me as I know I'm a ice mile swimmer.
My only regret is that I didn't bring my camera to the beach with me to film, as I didn't think I was going to do this at this time! But I had to seize the moment as you never know when you can have another opportunity with all the stars aligning. This 1 mile ice swim in 5C or less water temp makes me one of a very few people to ever attempt this..... Thanks
Here is my garmin link....
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/506958081
Ps....I have been getting some back feed/ flack from the IISA about my Ice swim saying I was irresponsible in my swim for not having proper supervision and support! And I should apologies for doing so? and amend my blog title as I posted on May 25 2014 about my story of my ice swim.
So in that, I will apologize to IISA as they take their Ice swimming seriously as do I, but I will not apologizing for what I did, as stupid as it was!!
At this time I should mention to other swimmers out there Please! do not do this without proper support and training! I did the training, cold water training for years! This wasn't a fly by night attempt at ice swimming for me! Keep this in mind You can die out there!
I know I didn't write in detail leading up to this ice swim, but I had medicals done before hand, I had ECG done and saw my cardiologist who gave me a green light to do my swim, telling me I have less than 1% chance of having a cardiac event! and that I am very heart healthy!! And I also knew with the beach festival going on there were paramedics by the beach and many people along the beach should I get in trouble which was a factor in my decision to keep swimming...And I also know my limits, which I felt at this time I was within which I was.
Although IISA won't recognize me as an official 1 mile ice swimmer? (As I said before it doesn't matter to me!) I did a 1 mile swim in 5C water and am satisfied with that! Was I reckless? Probably!! But I succeeded and am proud of it!
But if you want to be a 1 mile ice swimmer officially with IISA check out the IISA web site for details of rules etc...Do not, I repeat do not attempt Ice swimming without seeing your doctor getting full physical and do your training.
As for me I will continue on what I do with always thinking safety first!
Well I kept close to shore swimming in no deeper than 4-5 feet of water, so as I could stand when needed. then I my hands and feet started to hurt as I swam but my core felt fine. I swam with my head above the water to help keep control of my body temp with the air temp around 27-28C.
I made it to the end of the beach ruffly 350m checking the time and distance on my garmin. I was still feeling fine so I pushed on!
To make a long story short I just kept going back and forth along the beachfront as people looked on and a few asking how the water was! I just yelled back saying COLD!
The last few meters I kept looking at my watch saying to myself I can do this! Come on!! I reach 1600m or 1 mile and stopped my watch and walk out of the water and walked back to the end of the beach where I start, totally focusing in tunnel vision hoping I could make it back to warm up! It took me about 5 min to walk back to my start and as I'm walking I kept looking down at my feet and thinking to myself they look like Hobbit feet all swollen.
I was hoping by the time I got back to my gear I would have warmed up with the warm sun and sand, Boy was I wrong!!
When I got to my gear I threw on my housecoat and just stood around in the sun waiting to get warm listening to the band which was playing in the band shell for the beach festival. Then I started tingling and my head was ringing and started shaking at which time I was getting worried and started thinking I don't want to sit down on the ground and maybe pass out, so I stayed standing then grabbed the fence barrier they had up for the band stand and started shaking more violently and some people around me came to my aid asking if I needed help. I said the best I could mumbling out Yes I'm hypothermic! Then one man asked if he could help as another went for the paramedics. I had my housecoat on and the man started rubbing my back as I shaked violently and a woman came with another blanket to throw around me as well as a folding chair that I sat on.
With the help of the man rubbing my back I focused and did some deep breathing in through my nose and slowly out my mouth a few times.
By now the paramedics came and ask me question which I answered with no problem mentally, just I could pronounce my words as I was shaking violently and mumbling. They took my pulse which was difficult because I couldn't keep my arm from shaking, then they took my pulse from my neck and said to the other medic who was writing the info down 72bpm, she looked very surprised. then he took my BP and said it was 110 over 70 again she looked surprised and said everything looks normal and that I'm pretty fit. Then she asked if I wanted an ambulance and I said no I expected this shaking and will warm up in no time, I just didn't expect this hypothermia to be so severe as I was shaking as hard as someone with sever Parkinson's! I just told them I'll stay on the beach to warm up and when I feel ok I will go. They asked me to sign off there report that I didn't want to go to the hospital and told me they were about 50m down the beach if I need them.
So by the time they left the violent shivering subsided , but I was still shaking uncontrollable and layed out covered in the sun on the warm sand until I felt ok which was about another half hour.
When I felt good enough to go I went over to the man who was sitting near by with his family and thanked him for his help and went on to the medics ambulance to let them know I'm good and thanked them for their help.
So I'm an Ice mile swimmer now!....As I didn't meet with all the requirement of documenting my swim (except for my garmin and the medics report on my recovery.) I can't submit my ice swim to the IISA for ratification. That doesn't really matter to me as I know I'm a ice mile swimmer.
My only regret is that I didn't bring my camera to the beach with me to film, as I didn't think I was going to do this at this time! But I had to seize the moment as you never know when you can have another opportunity with all the stars aligning. This 1 mile ice swim in 5C or less water temp makes me one of a very few people to ever attempt this..... Thanks
Here is my garmin link....
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/506958081
Ps....I have been getting some back feed/ flack from the IISA about my Ice swim saying I was irresponsible in my swim for not having proper supervision and support! And I should apologies for doing so? and amend my blog title as I posted on May 25 2014 about my story of my ice swim.
So in that, I will apologize to IISA as they take their Ice swimming seriously as do I, but I will not apologizing for what I did, as stupid as it was!!
At this time I should mention to other swimmers out there Please! do not do this without proper support and training! I did the training, cold water training for years! This wasn't a fly by night attempt at ice swimming for me! Keep this in mind You can die out there!
I know I didn't write in detail leading up to this ice swim, but I had medicals done before hand, I had ECG done and saw my cardiologist who gave me a green light to do my swim, telling me I have less than 1% chance of having a cardiac event! and that I am very heart healthy!! And I also knew with the beach festival going on there were paramedics by the beach and many people along the beach should I get in trouble which was a factor in my decision to keep swimming...And I also know my limits, which I felt at this time I was within which I was.
Although IISA won't recognize me as an official 1 mile ice swimmer? (As I said before it doesn't matter to me!) I did a 1 mile swim in 5C water and am satisfied with that! Was I reckless? Probably!! But I succeeded and am proud of it!
But if you want to be a 1 mile ice swimmer officially with IISA check out the IISA web site for details of rules etc...Do not, I repeat do not attempt Ice swimming without seeing your doctor getting full physical and do your training.
As for me I will continue on what I do with always thinking safety first!
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Monday, February 3, 2014
Winterfest Polar bear 2014
Another Polar bear dip in the books! Here is my video of this years dip.
I also made the Local Barrie news article again with a great pic of me doing the bellyflop as well as some more pic's check out the link.
Diving into winter Winterfest Barrie Examiner
I also made the Local Barrie news article again with a great pic of me doing the bellyflop as well as some more pic's check out the link.
Diving into winter Winterfest Barrie Examiner
Thursday, January 2, 2014
The tradition continues!
Well I went down to the lake (Centennial beach) anyway after cancelling my polar bear event to keep my New Years polar bear swim tradition going for the 5th year straight. here is the link to the Barrie Examiner news paper picture and article.
http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/2014/01/02/barrie-polar-bear-dipper-manages-to-keep-tradition-alive
And here is the short video I made, unfortunately my camera shut off from being so cold out -16C as I was getting ready to go in, I was lucky the new photographer was there to capture me in the water which he used for the paper.
:)
http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/2014/01/02/barrie-polar-bear-dipper-manages-to-keep-tradition-alive
And here is the short video I made, unfortunately my camera shut off from being so cold out -16C as I was getting ready to go in, I was lucky the new photographer was there to capture me in the water which he used for the paper.
:)
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
2013 Triumphs, dissapointments and heartaches
What is my 2014 resolution? ...Well I don't make resolutions! But i have to say 2013 was a year of disappointment, triumphs and heartaches for me.
I am grateful for the support I had for my lake O swim attempt, without the support I got I couldn't do what I achieved! but I am sad and disappointment I couldn't achieve my goal though lack of support I didn't get which helped in postponing my swim.
2013 was full of triumphs with my swimming, achieving a solid 6.5 hour 16km swim in Lake Ontario swim for life, yet failing to meet requirements by some silly rules that say's you have to swim 16km in 6 hours? Something I think is very odd as doing a self challenge should not be timed for the sake of speeding up a challenge? specially when the training done was on course for my predicted challenge time based on my training and goals of finishing, knowing I could finish my challenge in what ever time it would take? I wasn't racing!! ...
Anyway on top of the stress of doing all the work to achieve my goal for my challenge and with other matters in my personal life that gave me and are giving me challenges, not to go in details, I simple state I hope things get back to normal and hope for a better 2014 and hope to come back to challenge Lake Ontario in 2015.
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
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