Places

Surf’s Up, Amigos

Posted on by Aerin Bowers

I haven’t had much swimmin’ stuff to write about this month, since March has really been a whirlwind.

I went to Mexico to celebrate my Dad’s 70th birthday (or Biff-day, as we prefer to call it). We stayed in a resort in San Jose Del Cabo, which wasn’t really my cup of horchata, so I rented a car and did some rather rad exploring. This led to a beautiful Baja swim in the Sea of Cortez with friends in La Ventana and surfing lessons in Los Cerritos Beach near Todos Santos on the Pacific side of the peninsula.

It was so brilliant to be back in the open water after several months staring at the black line at the bottom of the pool.

And it was brilliant to swim with the Stevens again (and to swill tequila with them), and to visit their chilled little kiteboarding mecca. We started early, which was quite amazing given the shenanigans of the previous evening, and managed a 4 km out and back along the bay that hugs the village of La Ventana. I was honestly a little disappointed that I didn’t get stung by a jellyfish and that nobody had to pee on me. Maybe next time. I can’t wait for summer swimming adventures with these fine folks.

I also fulfilled a bucket list dream by taking some surfing lessons. My new amigo Edgar of Baja Surfing had me up on the board within a few waves and before long I was hanging ten with my toes off the front of the board. Then I was donning a Dead Presidents mask and robbing a bank, and then skydiving out of a plane into the Nevada desert at gunpoint with Patrick Swayze. Ok, not all of these things are true, but I did have a blast trying something completely new, and something that I would definitely do again.

I returned to the Kootenays just in time to hang with The Schnitzel and catch my last few sparkly, sunshiny days of spring skiing at Red Mountain, do some light touring to the Mosquito and Viewpoint Cabins in the Rossland Range, and enjoy the classic cross-country at Paulson Summit. Work travel has me on the road a lot this month, but unfortunately without a surfboard strapped to the roof of my Suzuki Sidekick.

I will, however, have my trusty cap ‘n goggles, Finis Duo, and Q Swimwear training suits in pursuit of reaching an audacious April training goal of 40,000 metres.

March – you were both a salty sea lion and a lamb with fleece as white as snow (especially during my first few days on the beach).

May April’s inevitable showers bring you lots of flowers and wash out your crevices, because I’m still finding sand in mine.

Swim Apps, Travel, and a Big Homestretch Goal

Posted on by Aerin Bowers

Hello, lovely and valued readers (and Glen).

It’s the homestretch of 2018!

Without another BIG SWIM happening this calendar year, I’ve been thinking a lot about goals and possibilities…even daydreaming a little. I feel happiest when I have a plan, a framework, or an endpoint (yo, Virgo), so it was time to concoct a new one.

In my quest to spend only positive time online, I’ve been analyzing the training data in my Swimio app. Each time I swim, I faithfully record my training kilometres in the app. I wouldn’t call myself a super user, since I don’t

  • Update the local pool if i’m swimming somewhere other than the Trail Aquatic Centre
  • Log the sets in my workouts (just the distance)
  • Log my events/races
  • Connect with the “community” or connect with “friends” (I’m still getting the hang of Tinder) (Airport Tinder…who knew? Only works if you have access to a frequent traveller lounge. TMI.)
  • Just kidding. 😬

BUT – I do

  • Religiously log all of my training swims, so I have a handy month by month or week by week comparison of kilometres complete
  • Sign up for distance goals, so I’ve virtually completed the Capetown Freedom Swim without even visiting South Africa!

There are a lot of swimming apps out there, and I’ve only really ever used this one. I like that I can use limited features and still get a lot out of it. If there’s an app you use and like, I’d love to know about it. My tech-y nature is always giving me another reason to be on my phone. 

As of today, October 26, I have swam 170,480 training metres in 2018.

So – since I do love even numbers and big round ones especially – I decided to commit to 200,000 training metres before the end of the year. That means another 29,250 to go! That might mean that on New Year’s Eve, I’ll be drinking Amaretto Sours and eating prawns on the deck. That also might mean that I race through the metres in the next 6 weeks and have a relaxing holiday break and hang out under the mistletoe not smelling of chlorine for a change.

Are you with me? Come on 200,000! That’s 200 kilometers! That’s like swimming from Saskatoon to Moose Jaw (almost)

Pro Tip: Never compare your swimming distance accomplishments with your running, cycling and loppeting friends.

My busy conference season is here, so I’m spending a lot of time on the road and in the air, and trying to squeeze in pool sessions whenever I can. In order to hit my 200,000 m goal by year end, I’ll have to forego the hotel fitness centres for laps in local pools. And that’s ok, because hotel gyms are mostly either lonely or awkward places, and it’s good to get out of the room and into the city. I’ve also never seen anyone wipe down a weight bench in the hotel gym. 

I try to travel light (try being the operative word), and with minimal business attire required to do my job, I always pack my gym gear and my swim gear. My stripped down travel swimming kit includes nothing more than a bathing suit, goggles, cap, Finis Duo, and a little stack of workouts in a Ziplock bag. This little bag has been with me for a few years and it’s like having a small, see-through coach with me at all times. The best kind of coach! I use whatever mod cons, like buoys and kickboards, that are available at any given pool I visit, but I avoid the hand paddles because I’d just be tempted to steal them. Sometimes it can be a challenge to gather accurate information about lane swimming times, but doing this research has given me a near-encyclopedic knowledge of schedules across the country.  If you’re looking for morning lane swim times in Winnipeg, I’m your gal!

This week I’ve been in Edmonton and Calgary, so I’ve been spoiled for choice as both cities have a ton of facilities.

I also managed a quick hike up Sulphur Mountain in Banff – what fun!

In Edmonton I managed to sneak in a quick swim at the Kinsmen Sports Centre, and in Calgary I visited the Repsol Sports Centre to get my kms in. Both facilities are vast and crowded and buzzing with good energy. As much as I love the frequent solitude of my local Trail pool, it’s nice to be in the heart of the action sometimes, and it’s way easier to get naked in the changeroom when you definitely won’t run into your daughter’s teacher or local bank teller.

29,520 metres to go. Are you with me?

Adventures Across the Pond Part 2: Swim Serpentine

Posted on by Aerin Bowers

Time flies, innit. Last weekend I was milling around in Hyde Park at the Swim Serpentine Festival. It was a grey and rainy Saturday, and I probably didn’t have enough warm layers.  I picked up my package from the registration tent and spent some time exploring the sponsor booths and food trucks. Several waves were already swimming, and the announcers kept the crowds (yes, there were crowds!) entertained with music and anecdotes about several of the swimmers.

Swim Serpentine is a one day open water swimming festival in Hyde Park, right in the heart of London.  The site was the location for the open water events in the London 2012 Olympics. Hugely popular, 6000 swimmers descend on Hyde Park for a day of distance events, talks, films and chilly cameraderie with fellow wet-suited open water lovers. The beautiful, colourful centerpiece of the lake was the London Mastaba, designed by famed architect Christo.

Swimmers can register for the half mile, one mile, 2 mile, or Super Six events. I signed up for the 2 mile and was put in Wave 11, which meant I wouldn’t swim until 2:45. I arrived around 10 so that I could catch the talks and films and drink as much hot tea as possible.

I decided to include the Swim Serpentine event as the culmination of my 2018 open water season. I wanted a destination swim, so that I could celebrate my birthday and the summer that was. I chose London because I love it there, and I was eager to go back and visit my friend Sadie. The open water swimming community in the UK is huge, and I wanted to soak up some of that energy.

Festival-goers and swimmers congregated in a tent to escape the chilly drizzle and watch the speakers and films. We sat on cozy, blanketed hay bales and enjoyed programming specifically geared to swimming. I sipped my tea and nibbled my cheese toastie and wished I had worn more than a t-shirt under my light jacket.

Up first was Beth French– who is a force – and her power comes through on the stage. She spoke of her attempt to swim the Oceans Seven Challenge, and covered everything from training, her recovery from being wheelchair-bound with ME, to mental strategies, to her experiences with man-eating creatures. She left me inspired and honestly wondering if I would have the fortitude to take on such a daunting challenge. I challenge you to watch the trailer for her documentary Against the Tides, and not feel the feels.

Jenny Landreth is just as funny and entertaining in person as she is as the narrator of Swell, her “waterbiography” of swimming’s suffragettes. She told some inspiring stories about the pioneering women of this sport, peppered with her own experience discovering cold water swimming. She is hilarious and brims with interesting information. I loved her book and it was very cool to see her live on stage.

Libby Page read from her best-selling book The Lido, which I really want to read, especially after my lido-full week of swimming around London.

The series of short films was also awesome and inspiring. I need to make friends with someone who has a drone so that I can make my own epic swimming movie. Know anyone? It can wait til next summer. 😉

Around an hour before my wave time, I headed to the change tent to begin the laborious process of shimmying my cold, goose-bumpy body into my wetsuit, lubing my neck and stretching. The change rooms were al-fresco with a few changing tents for the shy among us, myself included. I’ve just never been able to get down with being naked in a room with 200 other naked people.

The start area was crowded with excited swimmers (and one weird guy in a gorilla suit), some warming up and others milling around, jumping off nerves etc. We had a quick, large group dryland warm up and then it was our turn to jump from the deck into the cold, brown Serpentine. Many more than seven swans were also swimming, and pooping.

The course was a one mile loop, and for the 2 mile we would swim 2 laps.

From the start, I noticed that there was way more traffic than any race I’ve ever been in. There was plenty of foot touching, head smashing, and elbow pokes. The straightaways between each end of the course provided a chance to break away and find some space.

The water was cold and not very “fresh”, but I soon warmed up and settled into my pace for the first mile. Swimming past the vivid red and blue Mandaba was really cool.

At the end of my second lap, I was quite fogged up and wasn’t exactly sure where to swim through the orange buoys to the finish. I overshot it by about 100 metres and had to turn back (after saying a big loud FUCK – in my head of course) and round the corner again to make it to the ramp. I climbed out of the water, posed for a photo, collected my very nice medal, and made my way down the runway to an area where several hot tubs were set up. I spent a few minutes in warm human soup (shudder) and made my way to change back into my cold and damp clothes, and pretty much bee-lined for a kiosk to buy the biggest hot chocolate I could find. No Venti sizes here – this is England. So I bought 3.

When I reflect on the event, I feel good about my swim and I really enjoyed being part of something at that level of scale – 6000 swimmers! If I did it again I’d sign up for the 6 mile option, where you swim in several waves to make up the distance, just to try something new. Although, I can’t imagine being in a wetsuit for that long, or changing in and out of cold rubber all day long. Future me would bring a cozy parka and maybe a lackey to fetch me hot toddies.

I made my way back to the Green Park underground station and headed to meet friends and eat carbs. I was tired, cold, and not feeling great, but I was so happy to have swam well and participated in something so different.

Today I am drinking some nice, hot Kicking Horse Coffee in my kitchen, still dealing with the horrid cold virus that has lodged in my chest, and thinking warmly about my week in London. It was both liberating and refreshing to indulge in a holiday that centered around swimming. It gave me the structure I like to have as well as the freedom to change plans as needed and desired, and I liked that it built up to a big event that helped to keep me focused and motivated through the week.

I am learning a lot about myself and what my motivations and values are. Now that my official “event” season is over, I’ve started to think about what I need to do this fall in order to maintain my fitness level and distance goals.

This year I really enjoyed the chance to swim long events. I think I’m made for it. While all distances are fun, I like the idea of pushing my body and my mind to places I never  thought I could go. I’m building a list of events that I’d like to try. There’s this lake in Italy….

Strength of mind has been important for me, especially going through the end of a relationship and all of the ugly challenges and energy that extrication from an abusive deadbeat involves. I’m now a single parent exclusively, which means heightened responsibilities in terms of my time, my finances, and my mental energy.

It’s a challenge, but one I’m definitely up for.  Swimming gives me solace and structure. It gives me hundreds of deep breaths, strong shoulders, and best of all, buoyancy.

Adventures Across the Pond Part 1: London Lidos

Posted on by Aerin Bowers

I arrived in London half a day later than expected due to some typical local flight cancellation shenanigans that required me to book another flight to Vancouver and take a later flight to London. But better late than never, because I had big swimming plans!

When I arrived, I felt a lot worse than the typical jet lag/breathing in airplane farts for 9 hours/travel ickiness with a sore throat and congested head. I could hardly keep my eyes open on the Tube on the way in. Nobody noticed because everyone else had their eyes closed too.

I met up with my pal Sadie in Hoxton and started planning my week of swimming.

I knew I wanted to swim in as many London lidos as possible. But I also know that I’m happiest with a flexible plan that allows for some spontaneous decision making. I’d done a little research and learned about the London Royal Docks Open Water Swimming Society, who run a daily swim in the eastern docklands right in the Thames. It sounded like my cup of tea (when in London, right?) so I added it to my itinerary.

After an early first night, I set off  early Wednesday morning southbound on the Northern Line for the Tooting Bec Lido. You’re darn tooting!

I’d learned a lot about this lido from Jenny Landreth’s book Swell, and I was eager to soak in the history and significance of this London landmark. The Tooting Bec Lido opened in 1906. It’s the U.K.’s largest fresh water outdoor pool – 91 meters long, non-heated, rustic, and oozes charm. The boxing scene from “Snatch” was filmed here, but nobody was fighting, not even Brad Pitt, during my visit. The only thing I fought was the fear of my nipples falling off in the cold cold cold water.

I changed in one of the colourful cabana lockers and prepared for the chilly rush. At 15 degrees, my first few minutes were rather “exhilarating” and I wondered why I wasn’t cozied up in a nice pub with a hot toddy and and a good book like a normal person. But as soon as I started swimming, my happiness meter rose and I did a kilometre feeling strong and rejuvenated.

After my swim, I grabbed a hot tea from the on-site cafe and started making my way to Brixton to the Brockwell Lido for swim #2. The Brockwell Lido opened in 1937 and did not disappoint aesthetically with charming brick buildings, cabana lockers, and a poolside sauna. This pool was a tad bit warmer at 19 degrees, but I noticed that there were several wet-suited swimmers and I kind of wished I’d also brought mine. Read More

Another Spin Around the Sun…In Slocan Lake

Posted on by Aerin Bowers

I had a birthday this weekend. You just can’t stop them from happening every year. I’m fortunate in that mid-September is often still warm enough for lake swimming in BC, and this weekend was no exception.

I have always enjoyed canoeing and camping on Slocan Lake. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world, with gorgeous beaches, clean water, and plenty of variety in terms of campsites, canoe routes, whitewater rafting, and places to explore. I’d never swam across it before though, and the occasion of turning 44 seemed to be the perfect opportunity with the water holding a balmy and refreshing 15 degrees C and the rain holding off (because of my special birthday rights). The lake is approximately 2.7 km across from Silverton to Sandpoint Beach.

I was also very keen to try night swimming. And it did not disappoint.

I set off from the boat launch in Silverton around 7 pm, wearing my thickest, warmest wetsuit – a Blue Seventy Sprint – 2 swim caps, and positive thoughts of warm fleece, hot tub time machines, steaming mugs of Earl Grey tea, and Swedish saunas.  Scarlet had both dogs and all of our camping gear in my big old blue canoe, as well as a bright light to guide her crossing. She’s an experienced, skilled, and capable paddler, and I had no concerns with her ability to guide me safely.  The sun set quickly while I was in the water, and soon I was making my way across in darkness next to the canoe. One word sums up this experience – exhilarating! The combination of the cold, the eerie play of the light on the surface of the water, and the feeling of swimming weightlessly into navy blue nothingness was just awesome. I definitely want to do it again. And again! Read More

Chewing the Scenery in Lake Chelan

Posted on by Aerin Bowers

The Lake Chelan Swim is an annual community event in Manson, Washington, held on the first Saturday after Labour Day.  It’s a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) shoreline race from Willow Point to Manson Bay Park. I’ve been looking forward to this weekend all summer. It’s the second last of my planned 2018 races (although – never say never!) and awesome because it’s a) a road trip, and who doesn’t love a road trip weekend and b) it’s one I hadn’t done since 2014 and I was eager to see how I’d fare with a few years of training under my belt. I should add a c) here – I’ve done such long swims recently (28 k and 12 k in the last month), that I knew a 2.4 k would feel very different!

The lake is one of Washington’s cleanest and most pristine, which is another reason I’ve been craving a return to this race.  The water temperature, at around 18 degrees Celsius is also perfect. Perfect for a bracing wake up if one is a wee bit hungover, which you will be if you really make the most of your Chelan weekend. With dozens of wineries and bars in the region, a visit (even for a sporting event) must include a good sampling of the nightlife and fun stuff. The Shore to Shore Marathon is held the same weekend, just in case you’re particularly hardcore or maybe training for swim run. (Insane. How do you swim with shoes??)

The drive from Rossland to Lake Chelan is spectacular. Washington is a beautiful state, with winding roads that take you alongside the mighty Columbia River and through to the more arid and badlands-esque Okanogan County.

Having secured an amazing VRBO, I was eager to arrive and relax lakeside (and bar-side) before Saturday’s swim. I’m accustomed to events that begin at the crack of dawn, so it was nice to know that a restorative lie-in would be possible. The morning sunrise over the south side of the lake was beautiful and inspiring and the situation of the property was almost like an infinity pool – I could look down and across the water from the deck. If you’re planning to visit the area, you’d be treating yourself with a stay here. Treat yo self! But book early – places fill up fast!

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Sunshine Bay to Nelson: Day 3 (Six Mile to The Prestige)

Posted on by Aerin Bowers

If you want to indulge in a lush, boozy brunch, you’ve gotta earn it!

And earn it we did – with a grand finale swim of 10.6 km from the Six Mile sand bar all the way into Nelson. The original plan had us wading ashore at Lakeside Park, but cooler and hungrier heads and hearts prevailed and we climbed out at the marina just below the patio at the Prestige Hotel. Brunch never tasted better. More than just an extra mile, the additional distance added another 3.17 km to our grand total taking us to 27.17 km swam over 3 epic days. Read More

Sunshine Bay to Nelson: Day 2 (Kokanee Park to Six Mile sand bar)

Posted on by Aerin Bowers

You might have thought that your intrepid swimming subjects would have faced the darkness of the new day and the prospect of another 8 km with dread and apprehension.

You might have thought that there would be tears, self-doubt, and…chafing.

YOU WOULD BE (mostly) WRONG! (There was some chafing.)

Another 4:45 wake up call, coffee, poops, pep talks, vehicle drop off and a short portage, and we were off! Our team was one less today, since our triathlete decided to save his shoulders for an upcoming event.

Today’s 8.03 km stretch went from the beach at Kokanee Park to the sand bar at Six Mile. The lake was calm and peaceful for our first half, with mild currents for the second.

Without the challenge of yesterday’s chop, everything felt a lot smoother. I had worried about my shoulders, but the only discomfort I felt was in my lower back. This is usually because of the altered position of my body in my wetsuit.

The Steven Boys took an early lead and reported that they both felt amazing. Mark stated that he could have gone all the way into Nelson. Wanker!

Deanne and I gave Barney, our kayaker and food dispenser, a good morning workout as he paddled between us doling out Shock Bloks and encouragement. Read More

Sunshine Bay to Nelson: Day 1

Posted on by Aerin Bowers

At 4:45 am, I grabbed my phone in the darkness to check the time. From my cozy Boler bed, I could see a light on in the cabin and I knew that indeed, my hosts were up early as promised and YES – we would be meeting on the beach at 5:30 to take on the first leg of our 3 day, 24 km swim from Sunshine Bay to Nelson.

I drove out to the fabulous Steven Family cabin late evening yesterday, and even at that point I wasn’t exactly sure that what we’d planned would actually happen. I wasn’t sure that I’d swim all 3 days. I wasn’t sure my shoulders would hold up, or that my nutrition and energy levels would be well prepared enough.

My friends Mark, Deanne, and Bruce Steven dreamed up the crazy idea to swim from their cabin on Kootenay Lake all the way to the City of Nelson, BC. They plotted out a 3 day route that would average around 8.5 km each day, followed by a big breakfast and sweet recovery time at the cabin. And “cabin” doesn’t do the place justice – it’s a gorgeous property with a spacious deck, 2 gazebos, a private beach and an outdoor shower.

I slurped back a cup of coffee, having stuffed my face the night before with my favourite pre-swim feast: peanut butter, bagels, apple slices, and more peanut butter.

After a thorough neck slathering, I slipped into my Orca Alpha suit and headed down to the beach. We were joined by Stephen, a triathlete from Nelson, and our 3 support paddlers who would help to guide us and also carry our all-important hydration and nutrition. I chose a variety of Clif Shock Bloks as they are easy to eat in the water and the caffeine works as an effective analgesic when the joints begin to ache.

We set off just as the sun was starting to rise. The water was beautiful and calm and I started feeling awake and alive. After 2 km though, the wind and chop picked up and for a while I felt like I wasn’t making any progress, just flailing my arms and legs. We swam through the ferry crossing and I had visions of being sawn in half by the underwater cables. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. Read More

Getting LOST (and found)

Posted on by Aerin Bowers

I just spent a holiday week in Toronto with my daughter Scarlet. We lived there before making the move to the Kootenays in 2018. I’ve been back to the Big Smoke several times for work, but I’ve rarely had any time to explore past haunts and do fun things. The best part of this week was seeing the city anew through Scarlet’s eyes as she was 8 was when we left. We stayed at an AirBnB in our old Danforth neighbourhood and it was really cool to retrace our steps 6 years later. We hung out with good friends, took in the Vans Warped Tour, smuggled Scarlet into Choir!Choir!Choir!, saw 2 movies, went to the beach and travelled a lot of kilometres on foot, baking in the hot sun. I am not eating or sleeping well right now so it was nice to have a plethora of distractions and good to be very tired at the end of each day.

My training plan was set as a recovery week, so I went on the holiday intending to swim but with all pressure off in terms of meeting my weekly km goal. I had a lovely 2 km swim between buoys at Bluffer’s Beach in Scarborough – which is a beautiful place and one I would highly recommend if you’re doing open water training in Toronto. The buoy distances are long enough that you can get a good workout, the water is clean and clear, and it’s very cool to look up and see the looming red cliffs. The lifeguards are also constantly present in row boats, so I didn’t worry that a dink on a jet ski would run me over and ruin my day. The speedos are also plentiful. Maybe it’s just me??

Before heading to Toronto, I’d done a bit of research to see if there was an open water community to swim with. As much as I like training alone, I’ve been thinking about how nice it would be to introduce a bit of social interaction to the summer outdoor season. My tendency in difficult times is to isolate myself, but I’m finding that it isn’t really working for me lately. Sure enough I discovered the Lake Ontario Swim Team (LOST) and was excited to learn that they meet every Saturday at Lakeshore Park in Oakville for a group swim.

Scanning through the LOST website was also a treat, because I learned about upcoming Ontario events, the history of the club, and was also able to register and pay as an International Guest, a bargain at $10.

Not a bargain was the money it cost me to Uber out to Oakville from the Danforth. I could have spent 2 hours in public transit, but I only fell asleep at 5 am on Friday and I needed those extra 2 hours. And damn it, I work hard for the money, honey! Read More