Progress! Not in hours, but in quality. An international gathering of our Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in Kreuzlingen on Lake Constance offered a great training opportunity: 4 hours on Saturday and 5 on Sunday (approx. 25-27 km) in the pure, quite cold waters of the largest lake in Germany, bordering on Austria and Switzerland.
I had not been sure how many hours I would be able to last. A few days ago the lake was still below 17“ C – so far the coldest for me was 19°C. Right now, distance training is still more important than really cold water, but best a good combination of both. Again, someone „upstairs“ seemed to support my efforts benevolently: the weekend turned out to be almost pure sunshine with air temperatures up to 30°C plus. The lake had warmed quite a bit in the last few days, but near Kreuzlingen and Konstanz, where the Rhine river passes from the mountains through the lake into the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen, the temperature is much colder than in Lindau and Bregenz, where the data are taken, as can be seen on thermic satellite maps. So in spite of some warmer patches, I suppose the water was between 17-19°C with some really cold spots in certain places. Since my tide is between August 7-17, the Channel should be around 17°C by then.
The youth hostel in Kreuzlingen has a canoe station where we rented a bright red kayak which was very visible for motor and sailing boats. By the time we had carried the kayak down to the lake it was around 1:30 p.m.
The water was heaven - clear, turquoise, with the sun glittering on the waves, and the lake really felt alive: moving, breathing, with swells even when the surface looked calm – great training for arms, shoulders, the whole body, all the muscles were needed to stabilize. Especially on Sunday, the frequent tail waves from motor and passenger boats gave some extra training, reminding me of the waves at Jones Beach, New York, minus the seewead and the jellyfish, or the „washing machine“ in the Channel.
Valishta on her mobile - "Sorry, we are in the middle of the lake - could you please find a replacement for the cooking crew?"
The water felt quite cold and I had goose bumps when I clung to the boat for feedings, but I was amazed how fast the body adapted.
Feedings were not exactly according to Channel rules (where you are not supposed to touch the boat or even a helper) – but I was grateful for the opportunity to cling to the warm kayak briefly every hour while grabbig my drinks and food from the back seat, shivering when I stopped in the water, but fine when I started moving again.
It was great to have a friend as company for a change and to swim at a good distance to the shore and still be protected. Sometimes sailing boats would come really close – only later we discoverd we had been swimming right through a regatta!
Like always, it took me 1-2 hours to get into the flow of the swim, to experience these peaceful and often deeply joyful states of „no-mind“ or calm mind, of just being, just swimming, swimming into infinity. And looking forward to more of it with increasing endurance and power. The goal is actually not just to be able to make it across the Channel, but to prepare in a way that I can have the confident feeling I had in 1985, when I was sitting on top of the White Cliffs, the French coast visible in the distance: to be ready and eager to go, looking forward to giving it my all. My attitude is not to try "to conquer" it – like in the title of a book by Tom Hetzel that inspired me a lot back in 1985. For me the Channel feels like a friend – I love to feel one with the water, the waves, the vastness, but the Channel is powerful, so it demands to bring your own power to the fore - physical as well as inner ("mental" is not my term, there is much more to inner power than just the mental aspect).
Saturday my helper had to stop at 6 p.m. So I got out to help bring the kayak back and after some consideration called it a day to participate in our evening meeting. I could really feel my muscles and shoulders, and the effect of the cold and heat combined on my metabolism and the whole system. Before going to bed I was treated to a great sports massage by my next day's helper Kastura, a judo champion from Russia, who was visiting Zurich.
After a sound but short sleep, usual morning meditation and some good Swiss breakfast including some müesli, we headed off back to the lake. By the time we had the kayak water-borne, it was past 9 a.m. The sun was already warming. Kastura had to be back at the meeting place by 2 p.m., which again left only about 4 hours time. So we went out for over 2 hours up the lake and less than 2 hours back, „downhill“ with the current. This time I noticed that I was longing for something salty and firm for the third feeding in the cold water – and enjoyed a bit of Kastura's bread and cheese.
We returned the kayak but then I went back to the lake for a last 1 hour swim by myself closer to the shore before catching the train back to Heidelberg. I really enjoyed this last hour again, and became determind to come back for more training, possibly next weekend if the weather allows. (Kastura must have sensed it and already offered her help again.) Towards the end I had to think of a German actress, Ruth-Maria Kubitscheck, living near Kreuzlingen on the lake, and her book about angels and spirits of the earth (similar to the devas of the Findhorn-community), which she had signed for me with a beautiful poem many years ago, where she describes with love and insight how each part of the earth has benevolent „protecting spirits“. Suddenly, when I looked up at the sky, a peculiar cloud formation caught my attention. It was like a curved feathery soft angel wing with a second cloud next to it that looked like an abstract Japanese or Chinese brush painting of a human figure rising upwards (reminding a bit of the Olympic logo). It gave me so much joy! But my camera was already back at the Youth hostel and by the time a got there the "angel" had dissolved.
(Painting by Ruth Maria Kubitschek)
On the train back I felt exhausted and chilly (air condition). Arms and shoulders hurt, and I was only looking forward to get home, stretch my back and lie down. I felt no inner joy, my whole system was just trying to cope. 17 hours in the Channel? Not quite yet! Plus biking and running?
But then, next morning, after some rest: Great feeling, happiness, gratitude, looking forward to the next long training session and the first Dover-weekend, and confidence to be able to get ready in time for the Big Day.
Many thanks to my helpers – and those who committed themselves to be part of the August adventure!
June 25th: Just booked my train tickets and b&b for the first Dover training weekend July 4th to 8th!
Training during the week
Training during the week can be difficult: pools are quite hot and mostly crowded. Today (25th) I felt like in a certain Tokyo pool mentioned on the Channel chat group, especially when all the "Pink Jumpers" left the small pool and continued their aquajogging the the main pool. So my only goal under these conditions is: don't touch! And stay positive. Things could always be worse. Here is the proof:
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