Getting ready

We are all packed, the crew is all briefed and the vehicles organized.
The weather is predicted to be partly cloudy, winds minimal and waves 2-3 feet.
Air is 68 deg F overnight and 81 in the day.
Water temp will be 63 to 67 deg F.
I'm signing off now and handing over the blogging to my friend Andrea from San Francisco.

The day before the big swim

Today we drove out Palos Verdes Drive to Terranea resort, where it is anticipated I will touch land. I swam with all 3 of my pacers in the 63 degree water. We pretended we were sea otters and we had fun in the waves. We also practiced landing on the rocky beach. The technique is that you body surf in and grab a couple of big rocks and wait for the surf to wash away and then you get up and walk on all 4's the rest of the way.
We had to rush back to town because we had a lunch date with Marilyn Bell DiLascio's daughter, Jodi. For an extra special treat, she called her mother and I got to talk to her. "The older Marilyn" wished me luck. We had a great time with Jodi, reminiscing about her childhood and swimming. What an interesting woman.

Last day at our beachhouse

Another sunny day in southern California.
I sat on the beach and listened to the seagulls and felt the warm sand on my toes and the sun on my shoulders. And had a great view of Catalina on a clear day. It looks so close...
We met with the official observer today and talked about the swim. Evidently another Canadian, Steve Faulkner of Barrie, Ontario completed the Catalina crossing a month ago becoming the oldest Canadian, at 50. The pressure is on!

Another gorgeous day in Southern California

Deb and I went for a long swim in the ocean in the fog. We practiced with the Shark Shield attached to the kayak. My son says it worked after he got a little zap.
Tonight we are going to practice night swimming and kayaking.

Saturday August 24

We woke up to fog this morning. What an interesting experience to swim in the fog. My husband had to walk the beach beside me for safety. It was sunny by noon.
In the afternoon we got our rental kayak and played in the surf with it.

Greetings from California

Today was a gorgeous day in Long Beach. Our condo is right on the beach. I swam for 2 hours in the waves. I'm very happy that the water temperature is about the same as Lake Ontario. I spent the afternoon shopping for swim supplies. Looking forward to Mexican for dinner.

18 km training swim in Lake Ontario

I swam 18 kilometers in Lake Ontario today, accompanied by a pacer and my trainer in an inflatable boat. Final time was 8 h 17 min. It was a beautiful day, sunny in the morning and cloudy in the afternoon. The wind was generally light but it did blow in my face fairly strongly for 2 hours. The water temperature at 68-69 deg F (20-21 deg C) was about 2 degrees warmer than the Catalina strait. But the air at 19-22 deg C was way cooler than California, so I hope it all balances out.
I'd like to thank the staff at the Fifty Point Marina and the Hamilton Beach rescue unit for their enthusiastic assistance.
This was my last big training swim before I leave for California. I think I am ready.
Marilyn