Month: April 2009

Book Review: Swimming to Antarctica

Posted by Brittany – April 24, 2009

Book Review: Swimming to Antarctica

Author: Lynne Cox

Year: 2004

During my last blog entry, I mentioned that my injury has allowed me some time to find sources of inspiration. Another source of inspiration is long-distance swimmer Lynne Cox. I recently read her autobiography, Swimming to Antarctica, and found it full of insight.

Not everyone sets huge athletic goals for themselves at age nine. But, Lynne Cox did. In her autobiography, she describes how a stormy day while swimming at her pool in New Hampshire, she set her sights on swimming across the English Channel. She worked toward that goal during her adolescence, moving to California in the meantime. Swimming 26 miles across the Catalina Channel at age 12 further provided further motivation for her English Channel swim. At age 15, Cox swam across the English Channel, breaking both the women’s and men’s world record times.

So, what do you do when you achieve your life goal at age 15? You strive for more challenges. And that’s exactly what Lynne Cox did. After her first swim at the English Channel, her record was quickly broken. So, she went back and broke the record once again. She also set a record on the Catalina Channel. Eventually, Cox began focusing on international swims with her ultimate desire being to swim across the Bering Strait into Russia, during the Cold War. The political maneuvering behind doing such a swim took years, so she began training in colder waters. Cox swam across the Cook Strait in New Zealand, joined by dolphins, being broadcast through the whole country, and with all of the Kiwis pulling for her as the weather continued to worsen. She then pushed her cold-water boundaries in the Strait of Magellan, swimming in 44 degree water, followed by swims in the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa and Lake Myvant in Iceland (where the water was 43 degrees). All the while, she encaptured the hearts and souls of people in each country visiting, finding support in places she never expected. Cox never forgot her ultimate goal of swimming the Bering Strait and viewed all of her various swims as training for this swim. To prepare for swimming in the 38 degree water of the Bering Strait she ventured to Glacier Bay, Alaska where she swam 28 minutes with pan ice in 38 degree water.

The book seems to climax during Lynne’s swim of the Bering Strait. Cox spent years writing letters, making phone calls, and creating connections which would eventually allow her to gain the permission she needed for the swim. This swim would never have happened if it weren’t for her persistence and endless hope. Before she had even gained permission from the Russian authorities, she and her support team made there way to Nome, Alaska to prepare for the swim. Cox had a window of time she allotted for the swim and near the end of that time she still hadn’t heard from the Russians. But, then the long-awaited phone call was finally received and the swim was on. Lynne swam from Little Diomede and Big Diomede, from Alaska to Russia, in cold water, during the Cold War. Cox’s swim signified new relations between the two enemies, and allowed for a cultural exchange between the habitants of two countries that only knew rumors about one another.

Cox’s successful swims made her realize her true potential. Her swims began to develop into “three dimensional” tasks. Cox’s goal was not only to swim in unique places, but she also wanted to “establish bridges between borders”. In trying to accomplish this goal, Cox swam in Lake Baikal in Siberia, across the Beagle Channel between Chile and Argentina, across the Spree River from East Berlin to West Berlin (before the fall of the Berlin Wall), and across Lake Titicaca from Bolivia to Peru.
But, these swims were easy for Cox. She desired for something more challenging- something people thought was absolutely impossible. Cox wanted to swim in Antarctica. In 1992, Cox became the first person to swim the “Arctic mile”, swimming in 32 degree water from a ship called the Orlova to the shore of Antarctica at Neko Harbor. The swim was an enormous victory for Cox, although she sustained permanent nerve and muscle damage from prolonged exposure to the cold water.

I am not a swimmer, really. And the thought of swimming in water that cold makes me want to cry. Yet, I found this book absolutely enjoyable. As an athlete myself- a female athlete at that-, I could relate to many of the trials she encountered in her story. Cox battles issues of funding and sponsorship, often emptying her checking account to achieve her goals. She writes about the failure to achieve a goal, a matter that many athletes have to contend with from time to time, and demonstrates how overcoming failures is a matter of mind-set. Cox talks about why she swims and it’s a simple answer – she swims because she’s good at it. To accomplish her goals, she spends years planning and training with the end result being exposure to treacherous conditions, whether it is nearly freezing water temperatures, floating chunks of ice, sharks, or raw sewage on the Nile. Like any ambitious athlete, Cox devotes her time, her mind, her money and her life to accomplishing the goals that surround her sport. Because of this, Cox’s book is one that any athlete will appreciate.

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Lynne Cox now tours around the country speaking about her experiences and on other topics such as motivation and goal setting. You can hear an excerpt of one of Lynne’s talks here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_4rcs_iqN8

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See other Recommended Books

An inspiration: Leah Potts

Posted by Brittany – April 19, 2009

Injuries that prevent you from doing what you love can do funny things to you. First, they make you miserable. Not only are you in pain, but you can’t do what you love. You begin to feel inept and you feel like you’ve lost part of yourself, even if it’s only for a while. So, then, you go on a search. What you’re searching for you may not know, exactly. You just know that you’re looking for something that will help you find a little piece of the soul that seems to have vanished.

My search has led me to places where I have found inspiration. I’ve found several stories that have been sources of inspiration for me, and I will make it a point to cover these in my blog entries. But, for now, I would like to tell the inspirational story of Leah Potts.

In 1999, Leah Potts was living in Colorado after having moved there from the Midwest. On February 13 of that year an accident happened that changed her life forever. While skiing a warm-up run at Eldora, she crashed into a tree. The next thing she knew, she was waking up as a quadriplegic in the hospital. Doctors told her she would never walk again.

But, Leah overcame the odds. She worked hard on her recovery and now can walk with the assistance of a cane. A recent article in the Denver Post explained that Leah’s positive attitude and strong commitment to her physical therapy likely had something to do with her amazing recovery.

Today, Leah is 32 and lives in Aspen. Despite her injuries she is very active outdoors. She rides a recumbent bike and can even ski (with the poles that have skis on the bottom to help her). Topping all of that, Leah is a spin-cycling instructor.

Currently, Leah is seeking alternative treatments to help her regain more capabilities with her limbs. Stem cell treatments can help re-grow spinal tissue. However, these treatments are not being done in the United States. So, Leah must travel to India. Leah is leaving soon for her third stem cell treatment. However, these treatments are very costly, so Leah is asking for help. If you wish to contribute or find out more about Leah, check out her website at www.leahpotts.com.

I find Leah’s story to be a compelling example of how humans with the right mind-set can overcome so many odds and challenges that face them. May that be a reminder to all of us. Whether we are injured or not, we all have obstacles that have blocked our paths. Leah reminds us that we can overcome these obstacles- coming out stronger and better than we were before.

ACL update: 5 weeks post-op

Posted by Brittany – April 17, 2009

As of yesterday, I was 5 weeks post op. I saw the doctor earlier this week. She said recovery seems to be going well, which I already knew. She did the ACL test, so yes, my new ACL is working. And she approved me to ride outside on my road bike or on my mtn bike on dirt roads. For now, I’m supposed to stick to mostly flat terrain, eventually working up to hills. But, she squashed the idea of riding single track or getting on skis any earlier than 6 months post op which for me would mean mid-September. I pretty much knew she would say that though. It all just goes back to the fact that I have an allograft instead of an autograft and allografts take a bit longer to heal. I started asking her about it and she didn’t really give me a good explanation. She said something about that my cells begin integrating themselves into the foreign tissue and we are just waiting for more of those cells to be mine. She said something like it really takes a year for the tissue to be 100%, but that it’s usually strong enough to do stuff by six months post op.

At any rate, I’m going to play it conservative. If I can’t really be on a mountain bike this summer, than at least I can road bike. My real passion is skiing anyway, and it’s most important for me to be ready for next ski season than to be on my mountain bike this summer. I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize my knee so that I can’t ski next year. I think I would lose my mind if that happened ;)

Before I left, she gave me copies of the xrays they took during my visit a few weeks ago. Here’s one of them. You can see the hardware in my femur. The new ACL travels diagonally down all the way through the femur, through my knee, and then all the way through my tibia. A plastic screw is used in my tibia. Since it’s plastic, it doesn’t really show up on the the x-ray. But, it’s there.

Overall, recovery is continuing to go well. My ROM is at 138. My walking continues to get smoother. I have a few more exercises added on to my PT but generally it’s staying the same. I’m working my hamstring muscles more though and beginning to do lunges. I’ll be happy to begin riding outside again. But, a trip to Ohio to visit my family and being overwhelmed with work will prevent me from riding outside until the beginning of May. But, at least I have something to look forward to!

Movie of the Month: An Inconvenient Truth

Posted by Brittany – April 12, 2009

Movie of the Month: An Inconvenient Truth

Director: Davis Guggenheim

Year: 2006

Where can I find it? Netflix, Amazon.com, climatecrisis.net

The Book:

An Inconvenient Truth is inspired by Al Gore’s global warming campaign. Since an accident almost claimed the life of his six-year old son, Gore has vowed to try to make this world a better place. Since college, Gore has shown interest in the research and science behind global warming. As Vice President, Gore continued his interest and was a political leader in global warming policies. But nothing has been stronger than Gore’s current campaigns.

An Inconvenient Truth documents Gore’s recent campaigns where he educates people about global warming. His goal is to campaign as hard as he can about a subject that he believes is one of the most important global issues. In this campaign, he educates regular people about global warming. Afterall, he states, the only way he knows how to tell the story is to impact one person at a time. This is Gore’s campaign.

In An Inconvenient Truth, Gore breaks down the science of global warming, making it understandable to the average person. He avoids scientific jargon and makes the points plain and simple. The throws myths out the window. For instance, Gore addresses the myth that some scientists believe global warming is not happening. That simply is not true. He also highlights scientific research in CO2 and climate change. Paleoclimatologists have long recognized the correlation between rising CO2 and rising temperatures. Many people think that the earth can handle today’s skyrocketing CO2 levels, as it is just the same as a cycle in the past. But, what most people don’t know is that climate records have never shown the CO2 levels being much higher than 300 ppm (parts per million). What are today’s levels? 387 ppm according to 2008 Mauna Loa studies. As far as we know, CO2 levels have never been this high. How is the earth going to handle it?

Gore goes into details about what will happen as a result of temperatures rising. Many of our biggest cities will be under water. The global ocean circulation will shift, causing weather patterns to shift drastically. Rising ocean temperatures will allow storms to absorb more moisture causing more drastic disasters like hurricane Katrina. We’ve all heard these stories before, but Gore brings these to reality.

Gore speaks about the Kyoto Protocol, mentioning how it was a shame that the US couldn’t join in international global warming efforts because of political pressures coming from the oil/energy industries. However, he recognizes that many states have individually recognized the Kyoto Protocol and have passed measures showing support of these global warming efforts.

Gore addresses the issue that US citizens are energy whores. Per capita, we use the most energy compared to any other country in the world. European countries use about half the energy we use per person. With countries like China and India on the industrial rise, we need to set a good example of our energy use.

Most people believe in global warming, as Gore recognizes. However, most people are in denial of it. Many don’t want to change their lifestyles. Or others get so overwhelmed with the issue that they push it aside. Politically speaking, global warming is often considered one of the least important issues by our Congressmen today due to pressures from the oil industry. Yet, most don’t deny that global warming is happening. Most people just don’t want it to be happening. Simply stated, global warming is an inconvenient truth.

With these things in mind, Gore states that we already have all the measures we need in place to reduce CO2 levels back more normal levels. He makes it clear that we all need to do our part and that we all need to spread the word about global warming. How can you make a difference? Find out on climatecrisis.net.

View the trailer for Inconvenient Truth here:

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Why should we care?

Global warming is no doubt happening. Here in Crested Butte, we had some of the warmest temperatures in January and February this year than has ever been recorded. If this rise in temperatures continues, we will no longer be able to enjoy our favorite sport of skiing. Even worse, future generations will not be able to enjoy it either. On top of this, global warming is a major factor in the spread of beatles which are killing our forests. Soon, we may not even have forests due to this devastation. Global warming will impact each and every person on this planet. Please do your part to prevent it!

Off-season in the Butte

Posted by Brittany – April 11, 2009

The town is quiet now. The tourists have gone home. The snows continue to fall, but the chairs on the mountain aren’t running any more. Half of the restaurants in town have shut their doors until May. But those that remain open are a gathering place for the locals. The locals are happy because they can finally kick-back, relax, and enjoy that beer out on the deck. It’s as if the whole town has breathed a huge sigh of relief. The town is not empty, it’s just full of people who know one another. People who haven’t seen one another all winter stop in the middle of the street for a little chat. That didn’t happen in the winter. Everyone was on the go-go. The locals have stopped dressing up for the tourists. Carharts and torn sweatshirts have become the standard uniform for those who frequent the Eldo. And if there’s an event in town, everyone is there.

I like off-season. I would like it even more if I could ski right now, as April and May are typically some of the best times for ski mountaineering. All the same, it’s nice to walk down Elk Avenue and recognize more than half of the people. Yesterday, it took me 20 minutes to walk 2 blocks because I kept chatting it up with people I haven’t seen in a while. Everyone is smiling. Many are off to spend a week or two biking in the desert or surfing in the ocean. But many are just staying here- because they know some of the best things to do here happen during the off season. I feel sorry for the tourists. They don’t even know what the are missing :)

ACL Update: 4 weeks post-op

Posted by Brittany – April 10, 2009

Yesterday marked my 4-week anniversary of ACL surgery.

Recovery continues to go well. The improvements are less significant from day to day, and more noticeable from week to week. My PT consists of a lot of the same things I was doing before, but usually just a step higher. There’s a lot of core exercises mixed in there too- calf raises, leg press, squats, lunges, leg raises, pilates exercises, bridges, balancing on one leg and throwing a ball against the wall and catching it. I no longer have to go quad sets and straight leg raises. I ride my bike 5-6 days a week for over 30 minutes a day. I would ride longer except I get really bored. I think I’ll try to ride more like 45 minutes most days this week and try to dodge boredom by watching my Buffy the Vampire slayer DVD’s. I am still massaging scar tissue. My knee doesn’t get sore so much any more from being on my feet for long periods of time. Walking is becoming more and more natural and faster, although the ice still scares the crap out of me. My knee aches a bit, but sometimes it feels so good I forget that it’s hurt. The stiffness in it continues to get better and better.

My PT says I can maybe begin to ride outside in mid-May, 3 months after surgery. He says riding single track on a mtn bike may be possible at 5 months. But, he keeps following everything he says with, “if it’s okay with Dr. Beim”. I know when I spoke with her before surgery she was really adamant about not riding single track until 6 months. Now that surgery is over and recovery is going well, I’ll talk to her again. I have another follow up appointment with her on Tuesday.