Training the past two weeks has consisted of some good pool and open water sessions focused on technique in wind/waves and cold water tolerance.

I got to spend a week in Ocean City, NJ with Dave and his family. The green flag areas and strictness of the lifeguards really threw me for a loop-IYKYK! I got whistled at every day for being in or out of the “green flag zone” in an incorrect way. It is very confusing.

During that week I was able to do 2 mile point to point training swims and then I would run the 2 miles back to the start where Dave and I would do a beach workout. In the afternoon I surfed or body boarded for 90minutes to 2 hours, so I would count that as training! The water in NJ was 76, which was not helpful for the Farallon Island swim but it was SO windy. 45minutes to an hour in white caps and huge swell feels like double the time and twice the effort.

After a lovely week in NJ we flew to Santa Barbara where Sarah Stoker got MARRIED!! If you don’t know Sarah, she is one of my closest friends from Cal days and has been an integral part of many of my long swims. She kayaked SCAR and my Golden Gate Bridge to Half Moon Bay swim. In addition, Sarah is the treasurer for Sea Dreamers.

I could go on and on about her and how lucky I am to have amazing friends BUT….you all are following along to hear about my training, I think??

In Santa Barbara I was able to go for a nice 45minute swim in the warm 68F water.

I love California waters so much. Even though SB isn’t home (yet?!?) I felt these sense of calm and peace when I entered the water. A simple, “Hi ocean, I am home.”

OK FINAL training swim. I joined a prone paddle event from Rodeo to Bar Bocce in Sausalito. I texted the organizer, a good friend, and asked him if I could swim. His answer was basically, yes but you are on your own. Fair!

Bianca Valenti, yes the famous Big Wave Surfer, and her mentee Sylver immediately stepped up offering to carry my water and be my escort. Bianca is a literal expert on these waters, so between her knowledge and safety and mine we felt very comfortable doing this. We also knew there was a safety boat should we need help.

Here is an important fact about prone paddle races—they WANT wind. The more downwind the better. Swimmers—not as helpful.

The event started at around 1pm from Rodeo Beach, which if you know summers in CA you know that means WIIIIINDY, like 20k plus gusts of wind.

Thankfully there was a good current so we covered the 7.65 miles in about 2.5 hours.

The best part was being under the Golden Gate Bridge in intense fog. It was so casual, like just three girlies for a little stroll in the ocean. haha!!

Getting real for a minute. A long time ago, when this blog was still Beyond the Blackline I PROMISED to always be vulnerable and authentic. So here is a little bit of that.

Social media is REALLY hard for me. I do not do well with internet criticism from strangers, I do not like turning the camera on myself, I do not like interrupting a workout or special moment to “hit record”.

The monster that is Instagram overwhelms me so much and TikTok…well, I created a profile a couple weeks ago and still have not uploaded anything. It is not in my wheelhouse or even in the same zipcode.

However, the reality now a days is that social media and followers is currency and leverage. It is why brands want to sponsor you, it is how you get them to notice you and your project.

The film The Alpinist resonated with me when it first came out. Not to the extreme of being a recluse but in doing something just for yourself. Beyondtheblackline Instagram started as a photo blog for my swims to share with people along the way.

I was often asked, “do you have sponsors?” and the answer was, “no, I don’t”. I did not want sponsors, I wanted to swim for myself and for my soul.

With Swim California that is my true north, swimming for my soul and to inspire. However, to do a project this big we need funding. Hence…a growing social media presence.

I have always said and will always say that success to me is for someone to say because of you my life is different, you made a positive impact.

As I march forward with learning how to “social media” better I want to keep top of mind that I am not here to influence anyone. I am here to create an impact. To inspire. To leave this world a tiny bit better when I am gone.

So while I truly hate playing the game, I will participate and be as good as I can be in the hopes that a young woman will see my story and be inspired. Or a guy surfer will welcome a new girl into the line up. Or that someone will volunteer with a local non profit and learn about ocean conservation. Or that in my authenticity, someone will feel a little bit less alone.

I ask this of you all, my early days readers and followers, if you ever see my social trending towards influence and away from impact, let me know.

🙂 “Cotani-Coast Diaries: North”

Cotani Coast Diaries is a new trail system in Davenport, CA near Santa Cruz! I am so excited to check this out for mountain biking soon.

“Cotoni-Coast Dairies is a 5,800-acre onshore unit within the California Coastal National Monument, located in Davenport, CA. These 8.3 miles of trail welcome hikers, bikers, on-leash dogs, and equestrians.”

😢  “The ocean’s fragile fortresses are crumbling under climate pressure”

Bryozoan is a phylum of small aquatic invertebrate animals and researchers are analyzing how they are being affected by climate change in the Mediterranean.

“The researcher notes that "bryozoans play a very important ecological role," although little was previously known about their response to the combined effects of ocean acidification and warming. She adds that "their microbiome had been virtually unexplored.”

Behind the swim is a whole team and so I just want to shoutout the people who have made getting this far possible.

Each newsletter I am going to shoutout someone who went above and beyond. This week I want to shoutout:

💙 Patrick and Laura Horn and family. Do you have any friends that are family? This is the Horn’s for me. Patrick and Laura have been friends of mine since my early swim days, meeting them through the Night Train community. Over the past 8ish years I have watched their boys grow up and joined them on many swim mornings. Being with them is one of my favorite things because I think when you spend time around kids your life/stresses/problems are irrelevant. It is a time to be present and have joy.

Patrick is helping Swim California from a brand/marketing/sponsorship standpoint and given so much of his expertise and time.

I also want to thank all the donors who have come in and gotten us close to $100,000.

This isn’t just my swim; it’s a journey for all of us who love the ocean, crave adventure, and believe in trying something even when it feels impossible. Thank you for being here.

Donations are currently being accepted through my 501-c3 non-profit, Sea Dreamers. During Swim California we will be stopping and having various Sea Dreamers events to bring more women and girls into the ocean and create more awareness around ocean conservation—because I believe we fight for what we love and women fight pretty damn hard.