Mobile Bay 2022

I'll have a longer write-up soon, but in the short term, a bit of a TL;DR version:

It went pretty well, overall.
For NONE of us having done something to this magnitude before, it went great.

I got a nail in my car tire the morning of the start. That threw sand in the machinery. I lost two hours of organization time waiting for it to be repaired. BUT, the repair was free because the Nissan people in Foley, Alabama are angels in disquise.

I was truly frightened only once, but quickly got over that.
There was one bout of repetitive vomiting, but that made me feel better.

Apparently, there were some crew issues, solved by some camping out at the front of the boat.
Pilot, crew chief, and medical advisor advised on how to resolve these issue in future.

I had some cramping on and off throughout the swim. Am consulting with coaches (who also will consult with other coach friends), fellow master's swimmers, and this group (once I have a longer write-up) regarding cause and treatment. They aren't predictable, and never occur in training.

I got several dolphin escorts. I was the only one who couldn't see them, though. Several photos and videos of them were obtained. I think they were close enough that had I been in water more clear, such as in Hawaii, I could have seen them. As it was, I was content knowing they were there.

My core never felt cold. Extremities and hamstrings/thighs as well as biceps/triceps noticed that the water was cool. I was never uncomfortable. Crew noticed loss of color in hands and feet after the sun came up. No loss of dexterity nor cognition.

Landing spot NOT a good launching spot if I ever want to do a 2-way. The bottom has a bunch of junk on it that wouldn't be good to encounter in the dark. Could possibly launch from there in daylight. Landing was ok, because I could see the tires, rocks, and submerged branches and pipes.

Felt the worst about 3 or 4 hours after getting out. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes solved it. And, phone calls to friends.

Passed out asleep on couch in front of movie. Friend with me sent me to bed. Then, couldn't get to sleep again. Watched more netflix, then slept through the night. Next morning woke with hangover symptoms, and treated as such.

Slowly began moving, and ended up getting on the road around 3:00 pm for home.

Easiest drive home from the beach ever, for some reason. Perhaps because of fast food double cheeseburger and peppermint frosty. Perhaps because several good phone conversations and plentiful coke zero.

Unloaded car right away. Will unpack later.

evmoOpenh2oismuqattashKatieBunjendutkejoycecurlyMLambyLakeBagger

Comments

  • kejoycekejoyce New EnglandSenior Member

    @Sara_Wolf said:
    Passed out asleep on couch in front of movie. Friend with me sent me to bed. Then, couldn't get to sleep again. Watched more netflix, then slept through the night. Next morning woke with hangover symptoms, and treated as such.

    The best kind of hangover! Congrats again :)

  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member
    edited December 2022

    @Sara_Wolf said:
    ...Meatloaf and mashed potatoes solved it....

    That is actually my favorite solution to many problems. Well done on your swim. It sounds like quite an adventure.

  • @curly said:

    @Sara_Wolf said:
    ...Meatloaf and mashed potatoes solved it....

    That is actually my favorite solution to many problems. Well done on your swim. It sounds like quite an adventure.

    This is the third time that meatloaf and mashed potatoes "saved the day". The first was the first and only time I've ever hiked in the Grand Canyon. The dude I was dating at the time was a camper/hiker enthusiast, and he convinced me to do it one Memorial Day weekend. I did fine on the way down the trail, but was at the end of my rope as we neared the top. He was a great hiking teacher.... "You can complain all you want as long as one foot keeps getting put in front of the other." And.... "meatloaf and mashed potatoes are at the top!"

    We found a place to get them once we crested back over the rim.

    The second time was on one of my century cycling training rides. I managed to plan for everything except rain that I got, and it introduced me to hypothermia for the first time as well. I kept saying to myself, "meatloaf and mashed potatoes are at the car" as I pedaled back to the start.

    Then, this time.

    Interestingly enough, I don't EVER crave them any other time. So, I guess it's a good thing to know when planning events. Ensure that meatloaf and mashed potatoes will be available upon finish.

  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    I just read an article about the Betty Crocker Cookbook. It's now in its 13th edition. It was the first basic cookbook I ever owned and it was given to me by my mom. The article was talking about how they've updated recipes and made it more relevant to modern families. It went on to say that there are certain expectations as to how something should taste, so there are recipes they agreed they would never alter. Of course, one of those sacred recipes was the meatloaf.

    And that is how it should be.

    Sara_WolfLakeBagger
  • I never knew this! How cool.

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