Marathon Swim Project

 My favorite movie of all time is You've Got Mail.  I saw it at least 5 times in the theater.  Obviously if I had spent more time studying and less time at the movies I probably would have graduated with higher marks.  And the movie doesn't have anything to do with anything, other than when I sat down to write I was reminded of Kathleen Kelly's monologue... because it's exactly what I'm going to do... right now....

I like to start my notes to you as if we're already in the middle of a conversation.  I pretend that we're oldest and dearest friends as opposed to what we actually are...

It's been a minute.  

Not quite as long as I thought... but long enough.  I've been writing all along.  But in an actual journal.  With paper and a pen.  And much more private thoughts and musings.  I love to write.  Even when it's in digital format, it's still just me putting thoughts on paper.  A diary more or less.  

Last time we spoke I was in the middle of my trail running season last fall.  I was trying to reconcile my  desire to WANT to be a trail runner with the fact that I wasn't enjoying any of it.  I had a miserable 50k.  I dropped out of my 100k.  And as a last ditch effort I signed up for (and finished) a 50 miler-- just not in a fast enough time to enter the 100 miler that I desperately didn't want to do anymore anyway but I said I wanted to so I had to try, right?  If ever there was a case for self-sabotage.  

I think I just lost steam after SCAR and TransRockies Run (TRR).  I think I just wasn't excited about the goal.  I realize now I never even wrote about TRR.  I think I came off of that week and was just in a different place in my life.  Happy.  For the first time in a long time I could look at where I was at and what I was doing and know that it was exactly the life that I wanted.  I was content.  And contentment breeds complacency.  

Or does it?

What if contentment is not a bad thing?  What if the thing I had been looking for finally landed in my lap?  Should I not run with it?  Every damn day for 2 years:  Inhale joy and contentment.  There it is.  Contentment.  I had been seeking it out.  Expanding it with my focus.  Of course it's going to show up in my life!

So I took a step back, backed off the trail running, quit my job, moved to the beach.

Yeah.  I did that.  I swear in a very calculated manner, and not in the midst of a mid-life crisis which I know is exactly what you're thinking.  Trust me, I have had that thought too, but I just needed a change.  Arizona was never meant to be my final resting place and it was time to go.  

So what now?  

Well... ironically, I went back to the trails- only this time as a thru-hiker, not a runner.  I spent the first week of July hiking the 171.4 mile Tahoe Rim Trail.  I feel this deserves an entire post dedicated to it, so I'll just leave you with the link to a podcast I did with YogiTriathlete until I have time to put those thoughts onto paper.  Er, or screen, rather.    

And being in the mountains surrounding the gorgeous blue waters of Lake Tahoe reignited my desire to do some more marathon swimming.  I had reached out to the Pacific Open Water Swim Company in January to express my interest in swimming across Lake Tahoe (they coordinate all official swims of the lake).  Dates for 2020 didn't work out because the only week they had left was the same week I was in Washington Island for the bff's big bike race.  I am focusing my energy on securing a date for 2021 and in my research I came across something that resonated.  

The California Triple Crown of Marathon Swimming.

1.  Lake Tahoe 21.3 miles

2.  Santa Barbara Channel, Anacapa to Mainland, 12.4 miles

3.  Catalina Channel, 20 miles

The minute I read about this challenge I knew I wanted in.  I felt excited about a training goal for the first time in a long time.  It made me want to jump into cold water and go for a swim.  All of these swims follow the basic guidelines for channel swimming.  No wetsuit.  No touching the support boat.  No drafting.  No artificial aids of any kind (cheater panties, pull buoys, etc).  It's just me and the water from start to finish.  

One cool thing about marathon swimming is that, similar to ultra running, I can have a support swimmer.  Generally after the first 3 hours or so, I can have a friend hop in and swim next to me for an hour at a time.  They are required to take breaks between support legs.  I remember how cool it was to swim side-by-side with Melody for about 9 miles out of our 17 mile day at SCAR last year.  I love idea of having a support swimmer-- someone who can swim close enough to my pace to stay warm, loves swimming, and doesn't mind spending 12 hours on a boat.  

There are a few logistics involved in arranging a marathon swim.  Hiring a boat.  Hiring a kayaker (for Santa Barbara and Catalina).  Applying for approval from the various swim associations.  Medical clearance.  Paying the fees to the boat captain, and the ratification fees to document the swims.  Not to mention training to swim in cold water at night.  With my experience at SCAR I feel confident that I can train to handle the distance.  And living on the ocean gives me the opportunity to train in open water.  

So that's what's happening here.  I'm hoping to document my training and planning as things develop.  I am hoping to do at least 2 swims next year-- but I'm dependent on the availability of a boat captain that can successfully guide a channel swim.  Either way, there will be a lot of open water swimming going on!  

 

From Calling it Quits to Kissing the Rat: Finding Aloha in Battle

Volunteer:  "Kiss the rat."
Me:  "huh?"
Volunteer:  "You need to kiss the rat."
I turn back toward the finish line I just crossed to see a Halloween style plastic rat dangling from a rope.  The race mascot, apparently?  I pull it toward me and kiss it square on the mouth.
Done.  I am finished.  I want to sit down and never get back up.

My day started 7 hours and 34 minutes earlier.  Or at least the run did.  My day actually started about 3 hours before that when the alarm woke me from my slumber, cozy in my bed-n-breakfast just off of the village in Carlsbad, CA.

I signed up for this race knowing nothing about it.  And, well, I probably should have done a bit of research.  Not that I wouldn't have signed up anyway. (I would have.) But at least I would have know what I was getting into.  Though maybe that's the point.  Maybe it was meant to be unknown.

The first mile was asphalt.  A nice gentle grade, very runnable.  A little bit downhill even.  And then we turned onto the trail and almost immediately I was in trail-runner hell.  I felt as though someone had taken gathered up every rock in the state of California... and littered them onto the course.  Huge boulders to clamber over, and leap off of.  Grapefruit sized ankle biters with sharp edges-- whole mountains full of these.  For an endless 31.96 miles (according to my garmin) this went on.  And I didn't enjoy a single second of it.

That's not to say there weren't amazing views (there were!).  But this was more of a study in mind games than anything else.  Today I got to study my ego (aka:  small self).  It went on and on and on... filling my head with unworthiness and various other lies.

What makes you think you should run trails?  You kinda suck at this.
Maybe you should go back to triathlon.  You were halfway decent there.
You shouldn't do the 100k because you suck at trail running.
You shouldn't throw your name into the lottery for the 100 miler of choice because there's no way you'll ever finish. 
Hey, you weren't even a terrible swimmer.  Maybe you should bag Tahoe, and go for another marathon swim next year.  
Why are you even in sport??  Quit while you're ahead.  
Do you really want to make a fool of yourself??

For 21.5 miles, this went on.  And because I have trained my mind, I didn't indulge in the thoughts.  I didn't follow the negativity and spiral into a shitty attitude.  I just noticed them.  And the other side of my ego even tried to defend me a few times.  To no avail.  But man, when you are the observer of negative thought after negative thought after negative thought for HOURS on end... it's fucking exhausting.  It was like being in battle.  I had every intention of dropping out at mile 23 (the next aid station).  I don't believe in excuses, so I didn't have any.  I just didn't want to be out there any more.  I wasn't having any fun, and I was done.

And then the universe stepped in.  Jess, whom I had signed up for this race (and my next race!) with, approached from behind me and hollered my name.  I stepped off the trail and turned around to high five her as she went by.  The moment our hands connected, there was an instantaneous transfer of energy.  It was as if my higher self (aka: Self) recognized her vibration, and (finally) stepped in and took over.  My body didn't magically feel great, but my ego (self) vanished and I was free.  I hopped in behind her and matched her pace for the next several miles into the aid station.  We were in and out quickly and back on the trail I kept up as long as I could.

After she dropped me, and I was alone again, I remained free from the commentary in my head.  I still didn't love the trails.  I still wasn't having fun.  But I wasn't engaged in a mental battle along with the physical anymore.  And that freedom was priceless.

I finished the 50k.  It wasn't fast.  It wasn't pretty.  It hurt like hell.  But I won.  For 21.5 miles my mind tried to get the better of me.  And for 10 miles, I retaliated.  So here's the truth:

1.  I don't have to LOVE every single thing.  About trail running.  About life.  Period.  Just because I meditate does NOT make life perfect.  Far from it.  I have stepped up to the plate, and the universe will continue to challenge me.  What's the phrase?  Forged in the fire?  Yeah.  That's me.  Setting this life ablaze.

2.  Just because I didn't enjoy this trail system, doesn't mean I don't love trail running.  It's ok if I want to be in the forest on a pine-needle covered single track.  That's ok.  It doesn't make me less of a person.  I just know what I like.

3.  Just because I sucked at this race, does not mean I can't finish the 100k or the 100 miler.  I mean, in reality, isn't this why I picked Tahoe in the first place?  Because it speaks to me?  Because when the going gets tough (which it WILL), the fact that I WANT to be there is one less thing I have to think about?  One less obstacle?  I've had more than one person suggest that perhaps I should choose an "easier" 100 miler for my first.  You wanna know why I haven't??  Because I know that I need something else to get me to the finish line.  I need that view that brings tears to my eyes.  I need to be able to close my eyes every night between now and July and see myself on the top of Snow Valley Peak.  I need to be on the course that tugs at my soul.  And from the moment I stepped foot on that course years ago... I *knew* it would be the one.

4.  I've been running trails for 4 months.  Yes-- I was an ultrarunner before I was a super-serious Ironman racer.  But I haven't run trails consistently, or for any length of time in many years.  Jeez, give yourself a fucking break.  Maybe run a little longer than 4 months and before you decide you suck at it.

5.  Yes.  To answer the question, I do want to make a fool of myself.  I want to get outside my comfort zone.  I want to get messy.  I want to be broken down and have to drag myself out of the mire.  Because isn't this where growth occurs?  Isn't this where we find out who we really are?  Isn't that why we're here, after all?

Truth

Forward:
I stopped writing a while ago-- like probably a 18 months ago.  And though I did do updates from Hawaii during Ultraman training, I withdrew from sharing long before that because I was afraid to be honest.  I didn't know how to say what I really felt, publicly, and without being able to speak the truth, I was choking on the lies.  I've continued to write - in my journal, where no one will ever see it, and my handwriting is so terrible that even I probably wouldn't be able to interpret it.  But I keep writing because it's what I do.  It's who I am. 

So the story you're about to read is old news.  Like, really old.  But before I could just jump back on and start writing I needed to address the elephant in the room.  Because only those closest to me have heard it straight from my mouth.  A few others were observant enough to see the change on social media and put two and two together.  Several have asked me directly (thank you!).  Many, many more (I've realized) were unaware.  And I think that speaks to the state of our society more than anything, really.  I mean, how was it not obvious? 

I spent a lot of time last year working with my meditation teacher on speaking my truth.  A lot of what we did complemented the work I did in therapy.  Standing up for myself.  Being honest, but holding space with love and compassion.  Allowing for someone else to respond in their own way, and not shoulder the responsibility for their reaction.  Knowing that my soul's contract with another will be fulfilled in the exact right way, at the exact right time... and sometimes that's painful, and hard, and you just have to breathe through it.  Every day I focus on what I want in life.  And I've watched that expand over the last 18 months-- I have literally created the exact life that I want to live.  Sometimes I feel giddy when I think about it.  I feel ridiculously content.  Anyway... here are some thoughts that I wrote quite some time ago.  It's out there now, and I can get back to writing. 


TRUTH
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A friend, who is a fellow writer and avid reader, reminded me recently about the catharsis of putting pen to paper.  We were discussing the memoir Educated, by Tara Westover, as I had just finished reading it.  There were so many feelings stirred in the reading of this story (this book is insane!  Please, if you haven't already-- go read it!), and when I shared my fear that I wasn't yet ready to put my truth out into the universe, she reiterated that sharing the nitty gritty could help shape or be a stream within a larger story.

Realizing that I may not hit "publish" on this for some time, you may be reading this much later than the events that are taking place.  If you ever read it at all.  The thing about this blog, is that sometimes I hide behind it.  As if it's a diary and not a public document for others to read and judge and have opinions about.  It's only one side of the story.  Mine.  And my truth probably looks different from yours, and his, and theirs.  I have come to appreciate over the last year that there is more than one side to every story.  And even though I cling to mine as truth, it's also skewed by my perception of what happened.  So is that really true?  Or is it just my interpretation of events?  And does it matter?

I am getting divorced.  Again.

There.  I said it.  Out loud.  I don't know why that's so hard.

Maybe because I feel like a failure?  That of my entire family, I am the black sheep?  My parents will be married 50 years next summer.  And my sisters are living the American dream with husbands, and good jobs, and 2.5 kids averaged between the 2 of them.  Are they happy?  I think so.  I hope so.  Do they know what happiness is?  Do I?

And I am me.  Unsatisfied with the staleness that became my existence.  And full of hope and a belief that at age 41, I can have so much more.  That life is too short.  A dreamer.  Impulsive, but calculated.  Careful, yet seeming reckless.  Willing to risk it all for the possibility.

If you know me, there's a good chance that you know my husband.  And I hope that if you know and love us both, that you will continue to do so.  There's love there.  But it isn't enough.  Sometimes when you love something you have to let it go.  And that's exactly what I asked him to do.  Let me go.

He will tell a very different tale.  My story looks like this:

I needed support that he couldn't give me.  So I built a wall instead.  And in place of his support, I created a network of girlfriends that I knew I could count on, who had my back, and who I could call any time day or night.

And then one day, years later, I realized that I wanted a partner who knew me as intimately as my friends knew me.  On an emotional level.  Only despite spending hours upon hours in therapy, we just couldn't get there.  Because my walls were too high, or my faith too little, or my trigger points too raw.  He tried, but I just couldn't connect.  There was too much hurt.  Or too much blame.  Or too much resentment.  And eventually I didn't want to keep trying any more.  I was tired.

So that's how I got here.

And I feel guilty.  Because I am happier than I've been in years.  I feel lighter.  And content.  And though there are moments in the quiet spaces of my thoughts that I crave the company of another human being, I am willing to be that company for myself right now.  I am exploring new things.  Finding out what interests me, and what makes me feel, and what makes me laugh.

I found a beautiful studio apartment that I love.  It's quiet, and has a dozen windows that pour natural light into my space during all waking hours.  I spent all spring with every window and the patio door open 24/7, breathing fresh air and soaking in the healing that my space is providing.  I am spending time in the kitchen allowing my creativity to flow as it once did.  I have no television.  I have a bluetooth speaker with iheart radio, and I have books.  I have my boys who happily talk to me when I engage them in conversation.  I have minimal belongings and in Marie Kondo style, everything has it's place.  I have no need for more "stuff".  And by removing the "stuff" I can begin to see who I really am.

I don't pretend to know what my future holds.  But I know that it will be exactly what I need.  It will be full of beautiful adventures.  And in the writing of this, I realize that my friend was right.  The tears that carry away hurt, and sadness, and fear, are merely tributaries to the river that is my life.  The story will twist and turn, flowing over rocks and boulders.  Life, shaped and changed over time.

SCAR: The top 10 things you need to know about long distance swimming

You know how there's always that one friend who pops out a kid and then is like, Oh wow I never knew this was going to be so hard.  (raising said child)  As if there are NO books published on parenting, and you have ZERO friends with kids willing to tell you the truth.  (Trust me, I don't have kids BECAUSE I know the truth... so it's out there, you just have to find it.)

Well, right now I kinda feel that way about swimming.  I mean, I feel like someone should have warned me.  Not that it would have stopped me from signing up for a long distance swim.  (The truth certainly doesn't stop anyone from having kids.)  But I would have known what was coming.  I could have taken some breathing classes and learned how to swaddle before I was thrown into the deep end.

So I'm going to be that friend.  I'm gonna tell you all the things you knew but didn't really know about preparing to swim 17 miles in the middle of a 41 mile swim.

1.  Despite the fact that you have chlorine emanating through your pores, you will reach a point where you physically can't wash your hair.  Your arms will be limp noodles by your sides.  You will be lucky to open the bottle of body wash and drizzle it down your lower half.  I recommend short hair.  And hats.

2.  You are going to eat as though you haven't seen food in a month.  All. day. long.  I can literally eat an entire 4 course meal and be hungry again an hour later.  And no, I'm not eating Chinese food.  I'm eating EVERYTHING.

3.   You will adapt.  AFTER you stress the body.  And this will happen in cycles over and over and over again.  You will hit faster splits than you've ever seen in your life, and then the next day fail a workout that you should be able to do with your eyes closed.  And just like you got used to swimming 10k a week for Ironman training, you will get used to swimming 40k a week.

4.  You're going to chafe.  From swimming.  *pause to let that sink in*  I recommend vaseline.  Under the arms.  On the inner thighs if you have a pull set longer than 3k.  Hopefully you can claim that it's because your lats have doubled in size.  If not, maybe you just need a better suit.  I recommend Jolyn.

5.  Swimmer's ear is not just for kids!  When you spend 2-4 hours a day in the pool, you are going to be water logged!  Your ears do not like this.  Get some alcohol.  Pour it in your ears when you get out of the pool.  You're welcome.

6.  Remember those 5 hour long Sunday bike rides?  Now you're doing a casual 5 hour Sunday swim set.  (Don't forget the sunscreen!)

7.  You remember Amanda Beard's autobiography?  In the Water They Can't See You Cry?  It's true.  They can't.  #tintedgoggles  I don't know how many swims I finished and told my training partner, I cried through that whole last set.  Obviously, everyone's reaction to stress is different.  Me?  I'm a crier.  And not just for sadness.  If I'm angry and I'm yelling, that's a good thing.  If I'm angry and I start crying, you better run cause someone is gonna die.  When I'm exhausted, I bawl.  It's fine.  I don't need you to do anything differently.  Just don't freak out, OK?

8.  Sleep and food fix almost everything.  Don't feel guilty about taking what you need. 

9.  You will get through the distance... IF you do the work!  Do the work.  PLEASE.  Don't skip swims.  Don't skip strength.  Don't skip any of it.  Just do the work.

10.  Having someone to do the work with you... priceless.  My friend Melody and I have been swimming together for a long time.  We figured it out a few years ago, but by now it's been maybe 7 or 8 years?  We've been talking about SCAR for about 5 years, and because I wasn't going to be racing this year, we decided to go for it.  Of the 750,000 or so yards that I swam in training, less than 50,000 were swum solo.  For the remainder, I had Melody by my side.  This made it so much more fun and enjoyable.  I can't imagine having done SCAR without her!  (And since it was her idea I probably wouldn't have!). 

UMWC: Finding Aloha in Moving Forward

I've started and stopped and deleted and started again at least a dozen times.  But the truth is, there's not much more I feel like sharing about Ultraman Worlds.  For my crew, who were with me through the days before and after, and got me though the race in one piece...  I feel like our stories are sacred.  I don't necessarily want to share them with the whole world.  I like being able to say "circle of recovery" and know that there are only 3 people on the planet who can laugh in solidarity. 

Maybe what everyone should know is how amazing my crew was.  How when I was having a meltdown at the bike turnaround on day 1 they held my bike steady as I gulped air and tried to hold back tears.  How on day 2 they made me smile and laugh during the climb, and reminded me to just "take the next breath" and fed me egg rolls to boost my energy half way through the day.  They absorbed whatever I gave them and reflected back to me only the positive affirmations and mantras that I had chosen, allowing me to stay "in the zone."  

And how my mom burst into tears at the end of day 1 when she saw me on the massage table, overcome with the emotion of it all.  And how my dad and sister drove 55 miles (each way) to meet us at the finish of day 2, so they could schlep my bike (and back-up bike) back to Kona, leaving more space in the crew van on day 3. 

And how on day 3, they didn't care how slow I was moving, only that I kept moving.  And we talked, and they told me stories, and Josie spontaneously used foreign accents to keep me laughing and Chris allowed himself to be objectified by performing (at the request of my girls who knew it would be a pick-me-up) for me as I ran by the crew van, which he was using as a pole.  (BTW, he's got moves, in case you were wondering.) 

And how my family got the key code and let themselves into our rental to decorate it before we got back there when it was all said and done.  And they ended up staying to the wee hours of the night and we laughed, and played pin the tail on the llama, and had a spontaneous dance party.  Only my sister could get me up and dancing after 3 days of Ultraman racing. 

These are the moments that I carry with me.  I don't remember every single thing that I ate.  Or thought that penetrated my mind.  Or swirly sensation that graced my body over the 3 days.  I do remember how much I felt loved and supported.  I remember the beauty of the island, and feeling so grateful to be able to do what I do.  I remember laughing and having fun and enjoying the moments.  I remember feeling like I had nothing left to prove when it was all said and done...  satisfied... finished... ready to move on....

Hopefully if you wanted more details and info you had a chance to listen to the podcast with YogiTriathlete or read the Q&A with my SFQ sisters.  2019 is going to be a chance for me to give back to those who have supported me over the last few years.  I have more crew opportunities on my calendar than races.  And I couldn't be happier or more excited to give back and pay it forward.  

Always Anotha Thing: Finding Aloha in the Next Big Thing

#findingkona was never about Ironman.  The true meaning behind it has more to do with the idea of stepping outside your comfort zone.  Of taking risks.  Believing in yourself.  Believing that you are worthy of huge goals.  Big, scary goals.  Ones that force you to risk failure in order to achieve them.  It's about deciding that a dream is worth 100% focus and dedication, no matter how long it takes. 

At the time when I gave my dream a name, my goal was to qualify and compete at Ironman World Championships, thus Finding Kona was born.  Once I qualified everyone asked me if I would change my handle, and my response was NO.  No, because there will always be another dream.  Another goal.  Another challenge.  I have a few on my mind right now, but after those... there will be more!  I just don't know what they are yet.  And that's the beauty of dreams.  I don't ever want to stop dreaming.  As the #bff said so eloquently after Ultraman, (insert Boston accent here:)  There's always anotha thing.

After I qualified for Kona, I added the hashtag #findingaloha to my repertoire.  To me, this represented the idea that I was fulfilling this dream with passion and joy.  Finding aloha, or love, in everything I do.  And just like #findingkona, it's not limited to my race in Hawaii in 2016.  It is my goal every day when I get out of bed.  To chase my dreams with passion.  To be joyful in the pursuit, even when my body is being beaten down in training, and I'm failing workouts.  Remembering that I GET to do this brings everything back into the correct perspective.

I sat down with YogiTriathlete at Indian Wells 70.3 to talk about Ultraman.  You can listen to that podcast here.   But if you missed the podcast extra on Patreon...

The next big thing is called the SCAR Swim Challenge and it looks like this:
Day 1:  Saguaro Lake, 9.5 mile (15.2 km) swim
Day 2:  Canyon Lake, 9 mile (14.4 km) swim
Day 3:  Apache Lake, 17 mile (27.3 km) swim
Day 4:  Roosevelt Lake, 6.2 mile (10 km) swim

In case you got distracted by the individual swim distances, it's a 4 day, 4 lake, 41 mile swim that takes place in April near where I live.  My swim training partner and I have had our eye on it for a few years, but with my other goals it was never the right time to take on this challenge.  After I was invited to Ultraman Worlds, and qualified to race Ironman Worlds again last fall, we discussed it and decided it was time to throw our hats in the ring.  There will never be another time as perfect as Spring 2019 for this adventure.

The swim is conducted on English Channel rules, meaning no wetsuit and actually "no bathing suit past the crotch" so no Sim shorts (aka: cheater panties), no speed suit, no competition suit.  Just me, my swim suit, and a swim cap.  And a fuck ton of calories.

Each swimmer has a kayaker.  I've hired my #bff's husband's bff.  :)  Say that fast 3 times.  I met Kevin when H was getting ready for H2H.  He was her crew captain extraordinaire, and when I was talking about SCAR and wanting an experienced kayaker H suggested Kevin.  He's already been in the lake practicing so I know I'm in good hands.  Apparently in the past some of the kayakers couldn't make the distance on day 3 because the wind tends to kick up in the afternoon forcing you to swim/ paddle against a current.  Just a little added bonus.

There are cutoff times each day, but we've been ramping up training pretty quickly and I have no doubt I will be 100% prepared to cover the distance come April.  Speaking of training-- I was meant to be a swimmer.  There is nothing I look forward to more than double swim days!  We've been working on strength-- lots of band work, lots of IM.  I've never swum so much butterfly in my life.  I hit a wall about a week ago and felt like I couldn't lift my arms out of the water.  I *know* that in a couple of weeks my body will adapt and I will feel more normal again, but holy hell, I've never felt my shoulders ache like this in my life.

2 months ago, the thought of swimming 17 miles terrified me.  I honestly wasn't 100% sure I could cover the distance (after already swimming 18 miles on the first 2 days).  1 month ago, we worried about the water temps.  Would we freeze trying to swim 41 miles in April without a wetsuit?  Today I am confident that we will cover the distance, warmed by the desert sunshine.  That we will be part of the black cap ceremony (honoring those swimmers who complete the entire day 3 swim within the allotted time).  That we will be #findingaloha every minute of those 41 miles because this is an adventure unlike any we've ever taken on before and we are worthy of this dream.

Everything Team SFQ wanted to know about UMWC!

Just wanted to share an interview that I did with my Team SFQ teammates!  Click HERE to read the interview on the Smashfest Diaries.  Hope you enjoy!