Update: Team RBG & the Swim Across the Sound

Friends, 

I’d like to start off by saying, “Thank you!” to everyone who has donated to me and to Team RBG for this year’s Swim Across the Sound. Cancer sucks, and it affects a Hell of a lot of people, and in many cases, those folks’ lives get destroyed even if they somehow manage to survive the disease itself. The good news is that we as a society can help. However, this does not change the fact that huge amounts of people will have to fight cancer at some point over the course of their lives.

Team RBG in 2024

Everyone will be affected by cancer, either directly or through the experience of a loved one. I therefore thank you all for taking up arms in this literal battle for survival.

Donate to the Swim Across the Sound

We had to reform Team RBG from scratch this year. Through a combination of unexpected medical issues, travel issues, and vacation scheduling, none of my old team could make the race this year, necessitating the recruitment of an entirely new crew. I initially reached out to the Swim’s Race Director to just fold me personally into an existing team, but with her help, we instead found not just three but actually FOUR new swimmers for our team. Indeed, we once again have an experienced crew with a bunch of really well-traveled, successful open water swimmers. With that, I’m excited for the actual racing portion of this year’s event.

Speaking personally, swim training has been something of a journey this year. 

I lifted and swam through the end of April and then dropped weights right as we started May. I then upped my total yardage and especially my intensity in the pool through the next eight or so weeks. My good friend and former Army Swimming teammate Andy talked me into this approach -- he’s been training for an English Channel crossing, mostly by swimming HARD -- and it’s been a good one, if somewhat surprising in concept. It’s also been hard as Hell. Instead of doing long, slow distance work, I spent May and June putting in TONS of uptempo interval work with longer rests between intervals. I worked a lot of quality in with my quantity, hoping to expand my aerobic base overall. With that base built, I then transitioned to some longer, smoother work, especially on the weekends in open water sessions.

I feel good, but I confess that I’m also tired. This is my last week of truly hard swimming before starting about a two-week taper. I honestly can’t wait. I swam 4800 yards in open water on Saturday two weeks ago, followed by 5300 yards in the pool this past weekend. Neither of those things would’ve been difficult back when I swam for the Army Team, but I’m now a 52-year-old who’s been retired from competition for almost a decade. 

Alas, it’s just not the same any more.

If you’re wondering, though, my butterfly feels pretty good. That’s maybe not surprising given all the uptempo work I’ve done. Still, I went :31 consistently for a set of uptempo 50s Fly a few weeks ago at the end of a 4500 yard pool practice and then went :35 for another set at 80% effort at the end of that 5300 yard practice over this past weekend. I continue to think that I could probably go right at one minute or maybe just under if I had the right competition for a 100 Fly from the blocks. Unfortunately, however, there’s just NO WAY IN HELL that I’m ever going to enter a swim meet to find out for certain.

And anyway, the Swim Across the Sound is not really about swimming. I’m swimming well enough and have been for weeks. We’re trying to BEAT CANCER here. 

To that end, we can still use your help. If you can afford to give, any little bit helps.

Thank you and BEAT CANCER!

Dan