Rescue me

When I signed up for the Bronze Medallion course, I felt a little like Rocky - Rockette? It was going to take an awful lot of training to make up for the twenty years since the last time I passed Bronze Medallion and to compensate for my weakened back. There would be no running up hundreds of stairs though, since slipping down icy steps is what caused the problem in the first place.

In 4 weeks of training, including 3 actually working out in and in-between the course, I was in the pool every day but one, when I did a little cross-training and canine care with a 3-hour hike with Owl and Wolf on the Chadburn Lake trails. Time out can be just as important as the training.

I was starting to feel a real improvement in my overall energy, core strength and flexibility. Muscles that hadn't stretched for awhile were feeling less rigid, and I had a voracious appetite both for food and to get back into the water every day. Let's face it, I was having fun even while I pushed my body past its limits.

Last weekend I passed the endurance test I had missed the first go-round, doing 20 lengths in 13:50, a minute-ten under the maximum 15. But I still had to make my 6 x 25 metre head up swim, ace the CPR and be able to respond in any rescue scenario the instructors threw at us.

I figured that this week before the exam I would amp it up to twice a day in the pool. I went early mornings and then Tuesday afternoon to practice my head up swim. That night I felt a twinge in my back. Not good. I skipped aquafit class and confined myself to bed rest with the body pillow for support. Propped up in bed, I read the Bronze instruction booklet and studied, memorizing signs and symptoms of various potential problems and all the acronyms for treatment: W-A-R-T-S- warmth, ABCs (airway, breathing, circulation/CPR), rest and reassure the victim, treatment and put them in a semi-prone or semi-sit position.

By Wednesday night I was back in the water. I met a classmate, Sonja at the pool to run through rescue scenarios and then we both joined in on the aquajogging. The belt around my waist felt like a great support but I was good and tired by the end. The next day I was down with a cold and it only got worse heading towards the weekend.

By Friday night I had a case of performance anxiety and a hacking cough, compromising my breathing.
CPR seemed tough despite the fact that I'd had training through St. John's Ambulance less than 2 years ago. It was the little things I missed, so there were some do-overs. But I was determined and kept going back in to try until I got it right. By the time I got in the pool my anxiety level was pretty jacked up. I went straight for my head up swim and made it with five seconds to spare.

I should have felt better with the fitness challenges all taken care of but Friday night, despite drinking only blueberry ginseng tea with no caffeine, I could not sleep. My body was toast but my mind kept racing through the rescuers checklist and the ladder approach until it all swirled around in mind like a bad graphic from a sixties movie.

Saturday I slept in, going back to bed after I got the dogs out and squeezing one last frantic study session in before 3:30 when it was time to leave. Still full from the double veggie burger meant to boost my energy, I picked up a big jug of orange juice and some dried fruit to keep me going through the four and half hours of testing.

Today I didn't shy away from the test, volunteering to be the rescuer as soon as possible and playing my victim roles with relish. I have never had so much fun during an exam and it was hard to sustain the nervousness with some of the rescues they cooked up for us. We had some crazy stuff - harpoon victims, shark attacks, legs ripped off ... it was more gore than Vincent Price used to deliver.

And yes, I passed. The first thing I did after slapping some high fives with my classmates was sign up for Bronze Cross. That's right, it all begins again next week. I can sleep tonight knowing I'm one step closer to being surf-ready for summer.

But tomorrow I'm giving myself the day off.

surfergrrrrrl, signing off

Why Blue Crush inspired thousands to take up the sport

The night before my first class to requalify my Bronze Medallion, I stayed up watching the ultimate surfer girl movie, Blue Crush. I had decided that I could sleep in the next morning and skip my early morning routine in order to conserve strength for the class and any initial testing. It was a good call.

In Blue Crush, our heroine, Anne Marie Chadwick (Kate Bosworth) is battling her personal demons to get back out and compete in the Pipemasters competition in Hawaii, where she lives. I go green with envy every time I see her wake up in her modest beach cottage and head down the sand for a run or pile in the car with her friends to go for an early morning surf.

Let's face it, I am a beach girl at heart. I grew up two houses up from the sand in the Beaches neighbourhood in Toronto and many of my childhood summers were spent on the beach and in the water either there or at a summer camp in Huntsville, in northern Ontario.

Back to Anne Marie, she is facing the memory of a near drowning incident at a previous competition, an incident no one in the media seems to let her forget. Throughout the movie we are reminded that this is the "heaviest pipe in the world and people die out there." Getting back out there after what she sees as a personal failure is going to take what they used to call "gumption." Our heroine has it in spades - tough, independent and willing to stand up for her own dignity.

This is a Rocky story for girls, where the girl who works as a maid and single parent to her younger sister, is set to match waves with professional surfer girls from around the world, all sponsored by the big name surf brands like Billabong. If Anne Marie can catch even one good ride, she might just join them and become the surfer girl she was always meant to be.

Complicating the story, as always, is a man. A handsome football player on vacation who asks for surf lessons and more, distracting her from her training regime less than a week before the contest. The question of the film, for me, is, can Anne Marie keep her head on straight and focus on what she wants and still get the love and affection she deserves for being herself, and not some kind of "surf barbie" who has to ask a guy what to do.

Playing a strong character in this movie, is the ocean - seductive, dangerous, graceful and spectacularly beautiful. The cinematography is absolutely mesmerizing and you can easily spend hours looking with longing at these aqua waves virtually as you might if you were actually riding them. If Anne Marie can get in harmony with herself, it seems, she can be in harmony with the ocean. Isn't that what we're all looking for?

Pumped by the movie, I set out for my 4 and 1/2 hour class at the pool yesterday, the aqua waters taunting me to meet an acceptable standard for being in the course. We were given that first lesson to decide whether we should be in the game and offered a graceful, penalty free way to exit if we weren't ready. As our instructor pointed out, in 3 weeks, she didn't to have time to teach us how to swim. We needed to be already there.

Our friendly instructors Cat and Matt, assessed our abilities against a long list of tasks from swim lengths to rescue techniques. Having worked as a lifeguard and instructor during university, I wasn't as worried about getting up to speed on lifesaving basics. We even got into some great exercises learning about water conditions and currents and how to self-rescue. All this was broken up by some funny icebreakers meant to bond us as team. The first two hours were spent dry in a classroom, but then we had to get in the pool.

That meant facing my personal demons, more than a month of not being able to move immediately after the back injury, followed by a slow recovery, and only three mornings of swim training with the help of flippers. Did I mention it was almost twenty years since I last took the course?!

So how did I do with the flippers off? I got a thumbs up on the rescue requirements, recovering and towing a victim to shore in a couple of scenarios, and met the standard on related skills like the head up front crawl and surface dives. Then I ran into some trouble picking up the brick from the bottom of the pool. I was on my way down when I felt the air go out of my lungs and had to resurface to catch my breath. I made it on the second try but it earned me a "needs improvement" on my assessment. 

They saved the lengths for near the end of the class, and I wondered how I would cope, now tired and shivering from standing in the pool for hours, and with only my arms and legs for power. But we were given a break on this first test - we could use any stroke. Next time we'll have to stick to front crawl, back crawl, breast stroke. This time, I could use side stroke, my strongest as an an alternate between front and back crawl.

Every time I passed the deep end, Cat yelled out encouragement, "Good job Erin," and towards the end, told me how many lengths I had left to go. Our goal was 16 lengths in 12 minutes. (The final exam will require 20 in 15). My back crawl got more purposeful, and my sidestroke eased my pain but my breathing was tough at this rapid pace and with the anxiety of whether I could make the grade.

Collapsing at the deep end,  I managed to croak out, "How did I do?" Only 7 seconds over. I got a "needs improvement" next to that checkbox but I was ecstatic. I have three weeks to improve my strokes and my time, my strength and endurance. I'm going to be in that pool every day working it.

And I'll be in that classroom again today at 4 p.m. where I belong.



surfergrrrrrl,
signing off

Why is the third day of training more of a scramble?

I need to get myself a more reliable alarm clock for a start, and not to read until 10 p.m. the night before, in order to get out for the earliest available lanes. I bolted down my breakfast and skipped my shower. Scrubbing the sleep off my face and smoothing my bed-mussed hair into a ponytail, I shoved it under a toque. I discovered it was much less crowded at the pool by 7:40 a.m. but because I felt like I was running late, I felt the need to put on some speed in my workout.

By length 42, I was already impatient to be done. I wavered about whether to stop at 50, but kept pushing. By length 60, my eyes were blurry from the chlorine and my arms and legs pleasantly tired. Up until then I'd had the slow lane to myself but now had to manouver around some newcomers. Should I? Could I keep going?  With one eye on the hot tub, its jets fixed and running again, as my reward, I kept on moving until length #70.

As I soaked in the hot water, letting the jets pummel against my tired muscles, I wondered, why is it so hard to stick to a routine when the results are so satisfying? The first day I jumped in the pool, guns blazing, ready to start tackling this big hurdle of regaining my swim fitness. Signing up for that bronze medallion course was a way to keep me in line, and a first babystep towards my larger fitness goal of completing all 3 lifesaving courses, and surfing next summer. Was it easier that first day because I didn't have any expectation except showing up, no number of lengths in my head to push to and past?

One of the guards was hanging by the hot tub, one eye on the pool, so I asked him about the course. It starts tomorrow. The class runs from 4-8:30 p.m. "It's not all in the pool?" I asked hopefully. "No, it's about half and half, classroom and pool." He said he was volunteering and bubbled enthusiastically about how much he enjoys the chance to teach lifesaving techniques.

I told him I'd worked as a lifeguard and swimming instructor in university and I had enough work experience and more recent first aid training through St. John's ambulance to feel confident about the classroom part. Rusty on swimming and recovering from an injury, I confessed, "It's the lengths I'm worried about - it's a really short time to get in shape."

He pointed out that the current requirements with this pool length is about 24 lengths in 14 minutes (sans flippers, of course) and that I'll have three opportunities, a week apart to make that time. "But you'll need to practice on your own time."

I smiled at that and said I'd already started. "See you tomorrow," I said, anxious to start the rest of my day and with less trepidation about the course than I had felt on waking late this morning.

While it was harder to get started this morning, I'm now radiating with energy, and none of the need to crash like after yesterday's workout. Maybe I can do this after all.

surfergrrrrrl,
signing off

Morning Meditation

I was back at the pool this morning. I had some work to do at home but still made it in by 6:50 a.m. There is something surreal about driving through pitch black darkness at -24 when the snowbanked streets are still semi-deserted, hair wet from the shower and stuffed under a toque, sipping my first cup of coffee in a travel mug, all to go strip down into a bathing suit and launch my half-awake body into not quite warm enough water. 

Having set the bar at 50 lengths yesterday, I settled in to my routine pretty quickly. I only did a couple of legs-only lengths before my arms got into the action. My shoulders tight from sitting at my desk yesterday, I felt the need to move them. I laid back and listened to my breathing and to the upbeat music pumped through underwater speakers, counting lengths like a meditative chant. I quickly reached the halfway mark.

Setting a goal and testing yourself against it whether it's a fitness benchmark, a skill or a carpentry test is an important part of growth. If you apply yourself to something daily, you're bound to get better, as I'm sure my friend Catherine Gillespie at almost daily paintings would attest: http://catherinegillespie.blogspot.com/

All around me in the other pool lanes were people working on their own set goals, each at different levels, some holding onto floats, others equipped with goggles and bathing caps in full out race mode.  All of us working alone, but somehow in solidarity. It reveled in being a part of this early morning club of individualists.

Then I noticed something funny happen around length 46. I got impatient to reach my number 50 and had to actively slow myself down to just enjoy the feel of the water against my body,  relax into the rhythm of steady movement and breathe. At 48, I wanted to slow down even further, not ready to be done for the day. So instead I met my goal at 50 and pushed myself that little bit further to reach 60 lengths.

That might not sound like much to some, especially since I'm still using flippers as support to get me there. But remember, in November I could not move at all without extreme back pain and I had to force myself to stay still for almost a month and a half. My muscles lost all those benefits of summer hiking in the Yukon, long beach walks in Ucluelet and Tofino, city walks around Vancouver streets. A simple feat like walking the dogs on leash was beyond me.

Now I'm coming back full bore. Nothing can stop me.

surfergrrrrrl, signing off

Surfwatch - maverick waves expected to hit the coast

Check it out: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/sports/Surfs-Up-So-Mavericks-Watch-Is-On-81149867.html

Sometimes your personal best is just showing up

It's true - I made it to the pool this a.m. Not at 5:30 but I was in the water by 6:40. All this is part of an effort to rev up towards the bronze medallion course that starts this Friday. Long-term goal - surfing this summer, and back on the board with a strong back.

When I walked in this morning the place was packed, apparently with the Glacier Bears swim team practicing their strokes. Nothing like intimidating competition. But it was also a good reminder, in swimming, you compete first with yourself.


"What's the absolute slowest lane?" I asked the coach. He pointed to the far end of the pool, appropriately marked "slow lane."  

I decided the first step is to rebuild my endurance and regain my flexibility. To help with the recovery from my back injury, (my muscles slightly tightened up again yesterday by digging out from a massive snow dump in Whitehorse), I put on flippers. This is a very lo-o-o-o-ng pool.

For many of my lengths I warmed up exercising just legs or just arms, then combined the two, and mixed it up a little using the sidestroke. On my last length, I went full out with the front crawl at top speed for a satisfying finish. End result = 50 lengths in 45 minutes. Reward - five minutes in the hot tub and a smile on my face. Oh yeah, and tomorrow I get to do it again.

surfergrrrrrl, signing off

Taking the plunge

Everyone knows how I feel about the ocean - it's the place where I rediscover myself and what I'm capable of. Where I am my most elemental. Thinking ahead to the next time I get up and surf, I decided I need more of a push than even aquajogging or occasional lane swims can give me. So I've committed.
I signed up for the first in a series of swim courses that will put me through my paces and incidentally, requalify me as a lifeguard. It starts Friday. The first one is bronze medallion - six classes packed into three short weeks. Each session is 4 and a half hours long! I'm assuming not all of that is in the pool itself - some of it is likely classroom time to refresh my knowledge of lifesaving techniques.
No matter - three weeks is not a lot of time to meet the speed and endurance required to pass the test.
As a comparison, the last time I did this it was at least a 6 week course - one session a week. That was so much more time to get my body into shape, and now I'm twenty years older with a recent back injury.
That means I'm going to have to practice in-between. No more letting the Yukon's morning darkness fool me into going back to sleep. I'll need to be at the pool EVERY morning. The Canada Games Centre offers a public swim from 5:30 to 8 - a.m. I'll be there, yawning and craving coffee, but there.
So cheer me on - post a comment and help keep me going!
surfergrrl, signing off

How can you sweat in water? Aquajogging for core stability

In my quest to regain my fitness, last night I cinched a lifebelt around my waist, hooked a bungee cord through it and hung myself from the buoyline in the deep end. Then I jogged on the spot in water for an hour and a half with a few resting exercises thrown in between. It's called Aquajogging.

I wasn't alone. There were 20 others all listening to our instructor as she advised us to pace ourselves while pushing us up through the "pyramid" from working at 50% to 85%. We focused alternately on putting that energy into on our arms and legs, posture and abs. She encouraged us to raise our knees higher, keep our elbows tight to our sides and keep our hands formed like a paddle for a better workout. "This is good for your core stability," she called from the deck, while sipping from a water flask. Easy for you to say.

Will I do this crazy thing again? Absolutely. I babied my sore leg, the last remnant of my back injury, only for the first few sets. Pretty soon I was so absorbed in what I was doing (she was yelling out changes to our movements like it was a game of Twister) and trying to remember to breathe, that I got a really good workout.

Improving core stability is also the number one thing Mark at Inner Rhythm Surf Co: http://www.innerrhythm.net/ told me I should work on to improve my surfing.

Nearing the end of our session, the music switched cues from a disco version of Evanescence's My Immortal to smooth classical and she moved us down into the shallow end, sans belts, for warm-down stretches.

On my way to the sauna afterwards, I thanked her for the great workout and she said, "You did great!"

This is just one of the great programs offered by Whitehorse's Canada Games Centre, included in your membership, punch card or day pass. All you need is a wrist band from the front desk to jump in: http://www.canadagamescentre.whitehorse.ca/swim.php

I consider this centre my number one survival tool for winter, to beat cabin fever and keep me in shape until I can hit the ocean.

surfergrrrrrl, signing off

Detoxing

In an effort to regain my health and get surf-ready for this summer, I've been taking a serious assessment of its current state and how I can improve it. A great way to flush out all the toxins of the old year is to go on a detox in January. I've just been reading about the detox diet that Kate Moss, Gwynneth Paltrow and Cate Blanchett swear by:
http://www.canadianliving.com/health/nutrition/the_detox_diet_21_days_to_health.php

I already don't do a lot of processed foods but can confess to having a cookie or two over the Christmas holidays and at least a slice of that first-from-scratch pie I baked in a completely retro moment, under the influence of a friend who not only bakes but actually cooks. I have had several friends involved in the raw foods movement and I tend to eat a lot of fresh salads and fish. I cut out salt years ago. So what needs detoxing you might ask?

In a word: coffee. The detox recommends tapering down on coffee ahead of time, and when my friends stop rolling on the floor (I love coffee - a lot!) I am already ahead on that score. I've stocked the house with herbal tea and only had 3 coffees this week, including one at our fabulous local coffee house put on by the Folk Society here in Whitehorse this past Saturday night. (It's a great night out btw with one featured act and a sign up sheet that included such Yukon greats as Joe Bishop and Kevin Barr - watch Artsnet for details of the next one on Feb. 6, 2010).

I'm already sleeping better at night even with the afternoon catch-up naps, the ones making up for all that sleep deprivation in my former over-caffeinated state. So as I take a sip of my blueberry ginseng tea, I'll sign off for now. I'll see if I can scare up that detox book or a similar one at Whitehorse Public Library this week and report back on my progress.

surfergrrrrrl