Movement recovery after spinal cord injury – with Theo St. Francis.
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​The Trans Tahoe Relay is On!

7/15/2016

8 Comments

 
A quick update from the lake:

Sun is out, air is clear, and the 60-degree water is NOT AT ALL like Hawaii!

I am here for tomorrow’s Trans Tahoe Relay – and I can’t believe it’s finally happening!

Five teammates and I will be swimming across the lake, from Sand Harbor, Nevada, to Skylandia Beach, California. Each team member will swim a 30-minute leg, followed by repeating 10-minute segments until we complete the 11-mile point-to-point. Every one of the 239 (!) teams competing has a support boat accompanying for the swim. With six-person teams, that's 1,434 competitors. The event is an institution in lake swimming – this 2016 event marks the 40th year. (A friend of mine has done it 36 of those years!)
​
Commons Beach, Tahoe City
Just off Commons Beach, Tahoe City
Two years ago, I remember hearing about the race and thinking wistfully what a crazy event it must’ve been. The Masters swimmers on my North Bay Aquatics club team all raved about it. Some even had sweatshirts sewn with their relay-team name. 

Last year, I looked into it but didn’t think there’d be a chance I could participate: cold water? wetsuit? mosh-pit start? getting in and out of the boat? 3 or 4 times in the water across the lake? Too much uncertainty. NO WAY was I ready.

This year though? I drove myself up yesterday – that’s right, I came up alone – to make it to the North Bay Aquatics practice swim at Commons Beach in the evening. There’d be a pier to negotiate, maybe some gnarly foot-ramps down to the water, but not a problem, I thought, I’d have help getting my wetsuit on and would test out the water for 20 or 25 minutes…which would be about 20-degrees colder than my last month of swimming in Hawaii.

Well, I got to the pier and, with Now-or-never! on my mind, decided to forget the wetsuit for some Maui-tested board shorts, had some help down the ramp, got in the water, and made it through a 40-minute swim. The best kind of wakeup call.

I did something similar this morning, opting for the good ol' speedo for a 30-minute dip down south with the team, in Tahoma. 

Not only do I feel immensely refreshed (and pretty exhausted), I still can’t believe my body handled the water as it did.

Changes. My own expectations: shattered.

The captains meeting was tonight – replete with the frenzied energy at check-in that I know from national swim meets.

We board the boat at 6:30am tomorrow to motor across to the start line, and I can’t wait to reunite with some old swim buddies tonight from my three club swim teams, as well as a couple newer friends, for this majestically-placed relay.

​The race is on.
North Bay Aquatics // Commons Beach Tahoe City
Part of the North Bay Aquatics squad after 40 minutes in the water...and I'm supporting myself standing.
8 Comments
Lara Austin Shoop link
7/15/2016 09:35:15 pm

Best Of luck to you Theo! Absolutely cannot wait to read about the race.

Reply
James Bogin
7/15/2016 10:16:05 pm

You continue to set such high standards, off the charts. Would be interesting to hear if driving alone to Tahoe was a major adventure. Good luck with the swim! Ben and I cycled around the lake last month with 3500 other geniuses. When we arrived there, our first trip to Tahoe in a long time, all I kept saying was, "That is a very big lake."

Reply
Theo
7/18/2016 06:50:28 pm

Well, the lake has a 72mi circumference and a fair bit of up and down – a solid and beautiful ride, I'm sure! Driving was uneventful, happily...stopped to stretch my legs but otherwise no issue.

Reply
Betsy Clark
7/16/2016 12:10:25 am

Have an amazing day, Theo!!! You will rock that boat and your whole team!!! Good for all of you!

Reply
Nancy Kirwan
7/16/2016 05:57:08 am

So many milestones all at once. Fabulously freeing to travel on your own and to take on such a big challenge!!

Reply
Mary Lawson
7/16/2016 09:56:55 am

BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO!!!! YOU ROCK ....IN A BIG WAY!!!! (Btw: Don't leave us hanging!!! We're waiting on pins and needles to hear about the race!)

Reply
Jennifer Cote
7/16/2016 11:41:14 pm

Wow, Theo! So awesome! You continue to amaze and inspire us all! Sending steady (and warm) swimming vibes to you and your team. xox

Reply
kris Berglund
7/18/2016 10:55:15 am

Reply



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