Barrington resident Don Macdonald does not call himself an adrenaline junkie, but rather more of an adventurer – who has learned the art of restraint.

Macdonald, 52, previously swam the length of Tampa Bay, the Boston Harbor, Lake Zurich, Lake Michigan, off the coast of California’s Seal Beach and Manhattan Beach, and in the La Hoya Cove off the coast of San Diego.

Reprinted: Barrington Courier Bridget O'Shea

“I think water gives me a sense of freedom, but it’s a very quiet, lonely freedom,” said McDonald, noting that he has sometimes shared this freedom with jellyfish, dolphins and sea lions.

However, a different type of challenge presented itself to MacDonald in 2011, when he began to experience cardiac issues after returning from a trip overseas, where he planned to swim the English Channel but was unable to due to weather conditions.

While taking a break from swimming, MacDonald began experiencing shoulder, arm and chest pain, which he said he was not too worried about.

“When you’re training 10K a day for swimming, your body is going to ache,” he said.

However, it turned out that MacDonald did have mild heart issues. After seeing his doctor, who then referred him to a cardiologist, MacDonald was treated with stents for narrowed arteries, given a typical medication regimen and stress tests. He was later approved to begin training again for the English Channel.

“During that time, I was actually out jogging and I had a major cardiac arrhythmia event that put me in the hospital for 10 days,” he said. “I was standing at a block party after I ran and I collapsed. This kind of came out of the blue, which is why it was so challenging to wrap my head around.”

Luckily, a retired nurse was at the party and began resuscitating him.

“She saved my life,” he said.

MacDonald was taken to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, where cardiologists implanted a small defibrillator device just beneath his skin to detect any abnormalities and reset electrical impulses.

“It’s been challenging physically and emotionally,” said MacDonald, who was used to training by swimming up to 26 miles at a time in 50-degree water.

But instead of focusing on any setbacks, MacDonald is now using his experience as an example of the importance of proper health screenings and evaluations for open water swimmers, triathletes and others that engage in vigorous sports.

“People have to pay attention to what they are doing to their bodies,” he said. “Everybody needs to consider their health situation carefully. Here’s a guy who could swim the English Channel and look what happened to me.”

Particularly with high endurance sports, MacDonald said, a feeling of being indestructible can sometimes develop, leading to a false sense of security. He uses himself as an example.

“Before this, it had gotten to the point where I was no longer afraid to swim in any body of water regardless of seals, sharks or the temperature of the water,” he said. “The biggest thing is that you go from being able to do anything and everything to, ‘OK, what do I do now?’”

Since his 2011 stay at Good Shepherd, MacDonald has reached out to the community, working with high schools, middle schools and the District 220 Educational Foundation by speaking to young people as a living example of the importance of cardiac and other medical tests and screenings for athletes.

While less vigorous exercise is now part of his recovery, MacDonald, who has swum since he was a young child, has not lost his love for the water.

On June 28, he will kayak the perimeter of Manhattan Island in New York as his friend Doug McConnell swims in the Manhattan Island

Marathon Swim.

“Instead of curling up and being the wilting flower, I decided that instead of swimming every day, I would do kayaking,” he said.

MacDonald will kayak next to a 9-foot boat with food, water and medical supplies for the swimmers. His main objective, he said, is the safety of his friend.

MacDonald has kayaking experience, most notably the 28 miles from Catalina Island to Los Angeles, a ride that began in the middle of the night.

“It was pitch black,” he said. “You could hear dolphins and whales.”

Originally from Goshen, Ind., MacDonald said he moved to Barrington from Chicago about 15 years ago and he and his wife enjoy raising their daughter here.

“It’s a great community,” he said, describing Barrington as a place where you can go to the city, go horseback riding or go into town for ice cream.

“It truly has everything you want from a small town,” he said. “It’s kind of the quintessential experience.”

The Greatest Gift of All - saving Someone's Life

In the New Year  Learn How to save someones life  Learn How to Perform CPR 2012, Triathlete dies in NY swim. As athletes we rarely consider this will happen to ourselves much less someone we know know or a fellow competitor. I can assure you it does, and when you least expect it and sometimes from the fittest people. Do you know how to perform CPR, use a defibrillator? I did not.  Try this video and see what you think. You may just save a life....  We have all walked by the Red Cross sign in malls, schools and airports indicating where a heart machine is located, learn to use one and maybe pay it forward.  Link: http://www.heartrescuenow.com/

Paying "The Man" - Success just doesn't happen, its earned!

Just a reminder to get off the couch!

Junk in equals Junk out, sports drinks, carbo loading and marketing traps

Final in the series on nutritionally sound alternatives to Gu's, energy drinks and junk food for endurance athletes and open water swimmers.

Fuel correctly post-exercise EVERY SINGLE TIME

As an athlete, recovery is an integral part of your program. Make it your goal to eat in the 30-minute window post-exercise, when your body is primed for nutrient uptake and carbohydrates consumed can be used to begin the recovery process. 

The right kind pf Carbohydrates are essential post-exercise to replace muscle glycogen and ensure you begin your next session with maximal stores.

If fat loss is your goal, start with 30g and assess your recovery and subsequent performance.  If you didn’t feel well fueled or found you did not recover as well as usual, simply increase by 10g following your next session. A little trial and error goes a long way.

Otherwise, aim to consume your body weight in grams (i.e. 1g/kg BW) of carbohydrate in your post-exercise meal. A quick example is a banana and a glass of coconut water or a fruit based smoothie.

What can I eat?
Sweet potato is the perfect post-exercise carbohydrate. Full of relatively fast-acting carbohydrates, plus vitamin A, B and C, one cup contains approximately 50 grams of carbohydrate.

If bread is your thing, eat it post-exercise. I prefer to eat gluten-free, but that’s a another topic. Two pieces of bread contains on average, 20-25g of carbohydrate.

Fruit fits in nicely post-exercise too. A medium banana contains 30g of carbohydrate, so pop one in your training bag or car, so you never miss the “window”! It is important to note however, that fructose alone takes longer to resynthesize muscle and liver glycogen than does glucose or sucrose. The solution is to combine carbohydrate sources; so accelerated synthesis can take place. Eat a banana and a muesli bar, both of which are perfect portable snacks. These are ideal if you have an hour or so between races and/or travel time to take into consideration.

If you are finding it hard to quit sugar, choose starchy vegetables that do not provide the sweet craving you are trying so hard to avoid. You can even eat white potato post-exercise! Remember it’s all about nutrient timing.

 
What about sports drinks?The short answer is no. They are full of artificial sugar, preservatives and colours, and there are much better options:

1. Coconut water: the natural sugars and electrolytes are great during, or after, an intense exercise session. One serve contains 15g of carbohydrates, so it is not to be treated like water. A couple of times a week is sufficient.
2. Juice: yes, if you like, you can drink juice. It’s far cheaper than expensive sports drinks and all natural, but please save it for during exercise and in the “window” only. Ideally, make it fresh and keep it to two pieces of fruit, with the rest vegetables.
3. Make your own: 750ml of water, 1 tablespoon of rice malt syrup, the juice of one lemon and a pinch of sea salt. This is perfect for on the bike or recovery from your longer sessions. Lemon is the highest electrolyte containing citrus fruit, so why not also had some to your juice.

What about carbohydrate loading?To put it simply, increasing and maximizing muscle glycogen stores takes weeks of consistent training and focused post-training nutrition. Carbohydrate loading only acts to increase your weight in race week and/or your potential for GI upset on race morning or even during the race. No thank you! It is your post-exercise recovery that is essential for optimal glycogen stores.

In summary, base your carbohydrate intake on exercise duration and personal goals. Make your post-exercise nutrition as important as the training session it follows. Fuel naturally and your performance will speak for itself. You really are what you eat.

 Reprinted from:

THE NATURAL NUTRITIONIST

Swimming for Kids - Social and Emotional Education Link

Average Times for English Channel Crossings - Updated

Average Times For English Channel Swimmers

Open Water Source analyzed 1,612 individual solo crossings of the English Channel between 1875 and 2010 that are included in Julian Critchlow's database ofEnglish Channel swimmers. All solo, two-way and three-way crossings were included (with the 2nd and 3rd legs of the two-way and three-way crossing counting as solo legs). The average times found:

Average female time from England to France: 12:48 (429 total crossing)
Average male time from England to France: 13:24 (908 total crossings)

Average female time from France to England: 13:33 (94 total crossings)
Average male time from France to England: 14:19 (180 total crossings)

The average times on a country-by-country basis is found at Open Water Source. Some interesting comparisons include the following:

Average time of female swimmers from Australia: 11:01 (23 crossings)
Average time of female swimmers from Canada: 11:53 (29 crossings)
Average time of female swimmers from Czech Republic: 9:17 (6 crossings)
Average time of female swimmers from Mexico: 11:04 (11 crossings)
Average time of female swimmers from the Netherlands: 10:28 (14 crossings)
Average time of male swimmers from New Zealand: 10:41 (15 crossings)
Average time of male swimmers from Spain: 10:35 (8 crossings)
Average time of male swimmers from U.S.A.: 13:01 (218 crossings)
Average time of female swimmers from U.S.A.: 12:13 (106 crossings)

Alcatraz swim with my sister

Forgot to tell everyone early this fall but the day after I swam my Alcatraz race, Katie did the same as part of a triathlon race. Her she is with her husband Ted after.