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Diana Nyad's epic swim
MvG
MauritiusCharter Member
With all due respect for my fellow forum members, there's a little too much acid in the other thread ('Here we go again...') on Diana's swim to my taste, so I'd like to start a real cheering thread for this incredible attempt and this amazing lady.
Last update on her website said she can see the lights of Key West, and she has been swimming for an incredible 43 hours already. If anybody has a more privileged access to information, please post it here.
Go Diana!
Last update on her website said she can see the lights of Key West, and she has been swimming for an incredible 43 hours already. If anybody has a more privileged access to information, please post it here.
Go Diana!
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Milko
https://db.marathonswimmers.org/p/milko-van-gool/
I, too, would like some suspicions about the speed to be laid to rest, but having swum with and against strong currents, I know they can make a big difference in speed.
I have no problem with a little skepticism, and would like to see some clarifications as well. But I was simply getting tired with the less than respectful tone of some of the contributions on what I consider a great and very inspiring marathon swimmer.
Fine to mention the clarifications we all want, but can we please focus now on the surreal achievement of this 64-year old and generously give her the credit that she deserves?
Milko
https://db.marathonswimmers.org/p/milko-van-gool/
Whilst there are many things that could have been done better/differrently, the bottomline for me is that it was simply a great achievement, also taking her previous attempts into account. Steve Muntanes wrote two good articles about it today in the DN of OWS and I'm very much with him on both.
If 107m or 52h+ of swimming isn't good enough for giving her credit I don't know what could be.
-LBJ
“Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” - Oscar Wilde
I will add that already 3 people from work have asked me what I thought of the swim. Also, on the radio this morning, the DJ was talking about her swim. He mentioned that last time she failed due to jellyfish but "she didn't have to worry about jellyfish this time" with no explanation what he meant by that.
Again, and seriously, incredible. I hope to have the perseverance that she has when I'm 64.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
http://www.marathonswimmers.org/forum/discussion/606/110-miles-53-hours-questions-for-diana-nyad
As a definite OW debutante and a former language major, I tend to read things in an overly literal fashion. Therefore I wonder: Why would English Channel rules apply beyond the English Channel? Doesn't the environment dictate the rules for swimming a given competition? I am thinking from a pure realistic viewpoint but also maybe some kind of basic safety--whatever that means in an extreme-type sport competition
Having said that, there needs to be more clarity than there has been on other rules that might help speed and/or endurance such as touching the boat, and getting on and off the boat in case of (thunder) storms, and a number of other questions raised on this forum, which are legitimate and are asked by somebody with a big heart for the sport and its practitioners. I just hope that DN and her PR team are smart and will soon come forward and make sure these boxes are ticked too.
The one thing I, and I think almost anybody else, would consider outright cheating is being towed by the boat. (Which is also why we don't like shark cages, which were ot meant to cheat but which do have a big impact on speed.) But I cannot imagine she would do that, or that an entire team of 35 people would acquiesce and remain silent on that. Anybody claiming such a thing will have to come with evidence, not insinuations.
Milko
https://db.marathonswimmers.org/p/milko-van-gool/
So, does it mean that Diana's swim was indeed sanctioned by a recognized worldwide organization with set rules? Or was this (as I assumed it was) a pioneering expedition, an "adventure" enterprise of some sort, with no precedent that could serve as a reference for rules to follow? If it's the latter, I can see where it can create disagreements because it's left to anyone's interpretation. And it seems no one would be wrong or right, really.
Anyway, I am totally "psyched" by anyone swimming 100+ miles, with or w/o major help. This makes me srsly want to up my game when I hear that! No excuse
http://www.diananyad.com/blog/first-feeding
Feeds during marathon swim that I have observed take in the 10-30 second range. She must have set some kind of record for that?
Milko
https://db.marathonswimmers.org/p/milko-van-gool/
The concern is whether she actually did the swim as claimed - nonstop and unassisted. Did she get on the boat, or was she towed by it? How is it biologically possible to go 7.5 hours without feeding or drinking, after she's already been "swimming" for more than 35 hours, and reported to be "throwing up everything she eats" ?
<blockquote>At 38 hours into the swim, 11 p.m. at night, winds rose suddenly reaching 23 knots twenty minutes later. At that time, the Nyad team went into squall protocol to bring the kayakers out of the water...</blockquote>
So, Force 6 winds. After 38 hours of swimming. And she then proceeded to go without feeds for 7.5 hours.
Admittedly, the frustrating part is really that all we can do is speculate about what happened and hope that light will be shed on some Qs from DN or her team.
As for the long "fast" (again, we don't know if she didn't eat/drink in between)...in the ultra-scene (runnning or tri) you will find many people that have gone thru countless hours of "fasting" b/c of upset stomach and/or exhaustion. Running a marathon on no drink or food is no problem if you are well-trained. Doing a double, can be done, certainly it's tough. We all know that the body can take a lot.
http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2021747534_nyadfeatxml.html##Static
- Swimming 53 hours (assuming she did so the whole time) is impressive, regardless of who you are
- While I understand that the use of the full body suit and silicone mask is not traditional, I don't think I have a huge problem with that, especially after her previous attempts were abandoned because of the jellyfish
- There is a lot of data that is suspicious, and needs to be explained be explained by her team. It's possible that she got a favorable current, but I am suspicions of that. I also have an incredibly hard time believing that she didn't take any feeds for 7+ hours.
- I don't understand how one can get cold in 86 degree water. I know she was out there a long time, but I still have a hard time believing that.
- Any time the media and the public collectively rush to a universal opinion on something or someone, I grow skeptical. There are plenty of examples of this, one of which has been cited by one of our admins in one of these threads. I understand that the story of a 64 year old woman undertaking such an intense physical feat is very inspirational, but given what her team unintentionally revealed about previous unsuccessful attempts, I have a hard time accepting this claim at face value. Even moreso when the suspicious data is uncovered.
Any devisive figure like Diana Nyad, Lance Armstrong, the President, whoever, is going to stir up heated emotional debate. That, to me, is what we are seeing here. I'll cop to the accusation of me being cynical, but I'd like to see a more thorough set of information before we start lauding this as potentially one of the greatest swims ever, or potentially one of the larger frauds of the year.
That said, there's another way to read the article. What I read are the words of a fallible, flawed human, admitting to having a shadow self and being obsessed with this swim even as she knows and acknowledges her sentiments are unreasonable and "no one owns the ocean." Admitting that weakness is exposing a great deal of vulnerability, and I didn't read a word of disparagement or disrespect for others. Granted, Penny's way of handling this was more graceful.
But there's something about that comment that exposes the degree to which this swim mattered to Diana. You know, we all care a lot about our swims, put a lot of thought and planning and training (including long hours in the pool) to succeed, and lean on family members and friends to make these things happen. And it's something we really, really love to do. I love my sport a great deal. But I am not my sport, in the same way that I am not my job, or my education, or my other accomplishments. It's almost heartwrenching to read her admission that, to her, this swim was almost part of her core identity to the point that it exposed her shadow self. I'm glad she got what she wanted, and I hope she will find satisfaction and acceptance in the achievement and in other people and things.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
Fact: about a month ago I contacted the administrators of this forum about what I myself perceived to be personal attacks on Diana. Evan can confirm this. While I had never met Diana, I would say that she was someone who I found to be an amazing athlete and person. She was an inspiration for me personally as an older woman entering the sport of open water. I followed her on Facebook, signed up for her 7 Day Reboot program and even was considering travelling up to NYC to have the opportunity to swim with this living legend. I was so excited to cheer her on in last attempt at her extreme dream. I say this to let you know that Diana has fans here on this forum. So trust me, there are many people not commenting who want to hear what you have to say.
As you all probably saw, I am now one of the ones who question certain aspects of her swim. There are simply things that do not make sense to me. Woodkayaker- We realize you can only respond to questions related to your responsibilities as a member of Diana’s team. Is there anyone reading this who has access to others who were present during Diana’s crossing? FB friend? Relative? Friend of a friend? We are a small community and somebody must know someone. And should we get others on here who can speak to what they saw, please we need to let them talk. We have a pretty comprehensive list of questions to be addressed. Follow-up questions and comments should be respectful. Listen. Process what you hear. More info---better. When the talk turns ugly, people shut down, and really, can you blame them?
So here is my question: Diana seemed to be taking unusually long feeds according to posted updates and was wearing gear that slowed her down and caused her to swallow a lot of salt water which exacerbated her vomiting. With that and rough seas at 38 hours, Diana said she was pretty much sick the whole way. With circumstances such as those, how was she able to maintain a pace far in excess of her typical speed in what I saw on maps and a video of her pilot referring to how they navigated through a cross current, not a south to north push?
loneswimmer.com
@loneswimmer: don't bother trying to square that circle as far as I am concerned... I started the Epic swim thread just to get away from some in my view too person-focused reactions. But the debate on both threads has evolved ( as have my own views on things, I must admit...) and has become much more factual, with a number of truly excellent analytical contributions. It has mostly become the debate I hoped we would be having. I am moving over and back to the Questions thread.
Milko
https://db.marathonswimmers.org/p/milko-van-gool/
Keep moving forward.
I guess that perhaps most swimmers would think swimming 48 hours would be of little value to their training because most don't have 100 mile swims to train for. I suppose what I am saying is that, even if I take 24 hours for my Channel swim next week, I won't naturally think of it as a springboard for longer swims. So I won't normally be looking for 48 hour sessions in the coming months. 48 hour swims are rare because most of us have no use for them, not because we 'ordinary' swimmers can't pull it off.
Having said that, I might not complete my Channel swim. But you cannot compare even 10 hours in the Channel with 24 in the pool. 24 in the pool is easier. If Diana can swim 100 miles in the ocean, her 48 hour pool swim will feel like a swim down.
Oh, nearly forgot........I'm gonna be a grandad.......
Keep moving forward.
Keep moving forward.
b^_^d! I can't help visualizing, Squirt, the cool "surfer dude" turtle who rides the East Australian current with Nemo. lol
@Haydn, all the best for your channel crossing. Hope you brushed up on your French so you can order your "p'tit café" and croissant when you reach the other side.
.. Oh, and congrats on the upcoming new addition to your family. A grandpa who crosses the channel? How cool will this baby think that is, when he grows up!
*caveat: this fact is totally unverified