72 hours !!

72 hours from now ill have just stepped off Catalina Island and started the longest , wildest swim of my life! I swam a mile or so in the dark tonight and had an hour massage that did my back some major good. i m in the final taper. mellow swims to stay loose and plan all the details of what to bring and how to prepare my crew with what they need and need to know. the donations for the Club Dust families have continued to flow in. Generousity that stokes me and makes me smile gil to gil! i will be thinking allot about friends family and club dust during those unpteen hours sunday to monday . I am both grateful and at tension with what to do with my life to make others' lives better. something i chew on daily as I think of how precious the days are that we are able to walk (or swim ) this earth!
I love to try new things but have never tried something so utterly over my head as this. Yet i realize again that with the help of friends I can do much more than I can alone.  The crew will be cheering me on, paddling alongside and throwing me bottles of pure calories as i have to consume some 1000 calories PER HOUR!! that is like pure marzipan and dreyers ice cream heaven but i think i wouldnt do to well on that diet so ill have to adjust a bit to stay healthy and full of useful energy for that long.
Friends will be able to track my progress as we go along, Ill send that link out sat eve as we get it set up.
for now a bit of sleep and one last day of work before it goes all focus to the sea! thanks again for being part of this all!

2 weeks to go!

Swam 8.5 miles yesterday all along the beautiful laguna beach coastline finishing up at the Ritz Carlton hotel with its waiting hottub and food ! My three volunteer ( paid only in a good adventure and free gatorade) paddlers all came along as we learned how they will best guide me across from the island to Palos Verdes in the obsolute straightest line. I swam with a new stroke that i should have learned about years ago. It is a big easy stroke, much less complicated and stressful than how I'd been swimming these past years. Luckily I took the coaching just a week ago and was able to understand what i could improve and practiced it for the 4 hours it took to go the 8.5 miles. i felt great at the finish, downed a hamburger and a redbull and was off to a friend's bday party .
I think it was the support crew that helped so much. having folks around to share adventures with seems to be the magic for me and has been the hardest part of working up big miles in ocean swimming. It is inherently a lonely sport with beautiful but quiet water to stare down at mile after mile.
It might also have been a good swim Sunday because i spent the day with friends and our three girls in Mexico building homes and working alongside the very families that this funding will go to help. Thus I had lots to think through and about and lots to dream up as we figure how best to enable the most kids possible to go to school full time.
This evening I swam 2 + miles at sunset , super choppy cold water which felt great and will better prepare me for whatever nature will give me on the 26th!