Article 033e (Page 5) c.1988
 
 
    Jason is getting a cramp in his left leg! He's stopping and rubbing it out. Fortunately, the sea has dropped to a Force 2 1/2 and is relatively calm. My turn is coming up in about 15 minutes. Tim has gone below to sleep, bundled up in heavy clothes, including ear warmers!
I had been told by Dr. James Counsilman, the head swimming coach at Indiana University (until recently he was the oldest person to swim the channel), that I should start my training in England with two 15 minute workouts the first day. When Jason and I went down to the water that first time, I measured the water temperature at 61 degrees inside Dover Harbor. 
When I finally worked up enough courage to wade out and start swimming, I thought I was going to die. A hot flash passed all over me, then a shortness of breath, and finally, dizziness. I felt as if I couldn't move my arms and legs and I was afraid to put my head underwater. (In a marathon swimming a third of your body heat loss is through your head.) Once I was able to get moving, I felt a little better and actually trained for 30 minutes that first day.
    1:30 p.m. Fourth swimmer: Harry Sr. 

    I've just relieved Jason and am treading water, watching to make sure he can get up the ladder by himself (this is part of the rules). Ray Brickell is now helping him on board. The boat is starting to move. I can just barely see the shore of England now. Here in the water, I can hear Capt. Reggie changing the rpms of the boat's engines. He has done a great job of regulating the boat's speed with that of each individual swimmer. He keeps us amidship at all times.
During the four weeks that I trained in Dover Harbor, I was able to average three hours a day. But, the adaptation to the cold never got any easier. I was cold and shaking all the time that I swam, and for hours afterward. The other international swimmers we met in training sessions did not seem to have the problems that Jason and I had adapting to the chill of the channel. Some U.S. swimmers from Minnesota said the Dover water was actually warmer than the lake where they had been training. They subsequently failed in their channel attempts.
    2:30 p.m. Fifth swimmer: Harry Jr.

    I'm on board now, watching Harry swim backstroke. I did my first turn without any complications, although I got a little nauseous from the motor exhaust. My stroke rate was about 54 per minute, which is good for me. I wore my watch and kept looking at it while I was swimming. I won't do that the next time, it seems to make time pass too slowly. Harry Jr., relieved me on time. We're almost in mid-channel now, still swimming straight across. We can see France clearly now and England is dropping far behind. On either side of us are other boats accompanying their swimmers. A slight cloud cover has come up. Captain Reggie has just taken the water temperature out here. It is 59 degrees.
When the final plans were made for our adventure, it was determined that Harry Jr., would meet us in England, since he had to be in Holland on business near the end of August. Hurricane Charlie hit England and left him stranded on the European side of the channel for a few days before he could join us. He was one of my main concerns when considering the completion of the relay, because no substitutes or changes in order are allowed. In 1979, he was in a near-fatal car accident, sustaining a head injury, which still bothers him in cold water. He is a former All-American water polo player and his ability to swim the distance was never a doubt, but I was worried about him in 60 degree water.
    Harry is hollering up to us that he is having an asthma attack and is having trouble breathing-probably the shock of the cold water. He has slowed down considerably and is swimming breastroke now. He's nearing the end of his turn. Tim, Krista and Jason are moving around, still trying to warm up. Once you get chilled out here, it's tough to recover. Caroll ("Mum," as Reggie and Ray call her) is still in her sweatsuit and head scarf. She doesn't look too happy about her forthcoming hour's swim. (Page 6)

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