Webisode 3 from EPIC 5.   The wind that was Molokai.   The girls aren't featured in this one at all.  However you get to see how the challenge is beginning to affect all the athletes, us included.

Here is webisode 2 of EPIC 5 with Josef Ajram.   If you watch when the swimmers are in a group heading out.  You will see one swimmer out front with no wetsuit arms…that's me.  I'M FAMOUS!  Ok not really.  .

I don't know if I mentioned that during the EPIC 5 event in Hawaii there were two film crews there to make documentaries.  One was the Red Bull crew to focus on a documentary about Josef Ajram.  The other is to make a documentary for the Outside TV network. 

Obviously Team Nike wasn't the focus of the Red Bull documentary and I imagine that we will have little exposure on the Outside TV one as well.  However, I thought I would still share as it does show the event and the amazing athletes (including us) that were there.  Oh yeah, the Red Bull one is also in Spanish, but I think you will get the idea.

I may have mentioned but we are staying in the coziest and most wonderful place in Tarifa.  Casa McCallion and the proprieters are amazing.  We have come to really know them and they have become part of our swim story.  Kath and Eddie and their dog Willis, named after Prince William, came down to the harbor to see Billy, Elizabeth and I off on our adventure.  When we returned, they were at the house cheering and smiling.  They didn't care if we had completed the task or not.  As Eddie says "it is about making the attempt."  Kath had spent the day making us a celebratory cake.  I mean seriously if you come to Spain to swim the Strait or just come for a holiday, this is the place to stay!

They understood we would be tired so they let us rest and recooperate.  At 4 pm, we were down on their patio with cake and Cava to celebrate the swim.  Besides Kath and Eddie, Pauline and Marvin joined in the festivities as well.  Before we knew it 4pm became 9pm and it felt like only minutes.  It was a wonderful evening sharing stories with new and old friends.  I couldn't have asked for a better night.  To cap it off, Kath let us raid her kitchen and take all of her leftover Indian curry.  HOLY SMOKES it was/is amazing.  We had a little leftover, but we didn't return any of it as we are hording it.  Elizabeth and I are determined to bring the recipe home.

I know that I went to bed emotionally and physically happy.  Thank you to Kath, Eddie, Pauline, and Marvin for making our celebration night such an amazing one. 

The weather on Thursday proved to match the forecast and it was LOVELY!  Overcast with no wind.  Funny that a town known for wind surfing had a day with no wind.  According to our pilots, this is a very rare occurance indeed.  With the conditions all lined up, it was just time for Billy and I to do our job of swimming towards Africa.  Continue Reading »

The winds have been a blowing like mad for the last two days so there hasn't been that much from a swim update perspective.  We spent the days sleeping in with no alarms set which I never thought would be a luxury, but what a luxury it is.  Then we would meander down to the Atlantic side of the strait and have a nice little paddle.  Ok nice paddle one way, continual slap in the head from the waves going the other way…I mentioned the wind right?  Good news is that I was able to get into a rhythm regardless of the wind and felt really relaxed in the water.  It was nice to be in more my temperature water rather than that warm stuff of Hawaii.  Don't get me wrong, it is beautiful in Hawaii.  However, I'm more built for the colder water climates.  I didn't spend years eating ice cream for nothing. Continue Reading »

After some traveling snafus, we all arrived into Jerez de la Frontera.  Elizabeth, my friend and crew person, and I arrived on Saturday and proceeded to test the roundabouts as we navigated and re-navigated and navigated again to the wonderful Casa McCallion to our cozy little apartment.  Then it was off to the grocery store.  I love going to grocery stores while in different countries.  It really does give you a sense of the culture.  Plus what a fun way to figure out how things work.  There was a binful of live snails in the seafood department all sliming their ways around. Of course I took a photo with plans to come back another day for a video. 

Then there was the wine section.  Seriously why have I not known that in Spain you can get a good bottle of wine for under 2 euros.  Continue Reading »

Thank you to Steven Munatones and The Daily News of Open Water Swimming for supporting the swimming and the great endurance event of Epic 5.  

http://www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimming.com/2011/04/5-swims-on-5-islands-mixed-in-with-bit.html

While there are individuals and Team Nike, this event is not about who wins, but how can we all together finish this crazy challenge.  I know that I will be doing what I can to help everyone make it through the day.  I'm blessed to have the knowledge that many of my crew members have used during my marathon swims to keep me moving forward.  And I know that all of you will help cheer us on too.  Don't forget to follow Team Nike and the Epic 5 crew on my twitter account at macyswim or via the live gps tracker on www.epic5.com/live.

http://www.outsidetelevision.com/blog/epic-5-challenge/hawaiian-vacation-or-polynesian-punishment

Help support Team Nike by supporting The Girl Effect http://www.girleffect.org/give.  Mention Epic 5 – Team Nike in the in honor of section.

Very nice article about Epic 5 and the athletes competing.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/04/prweb5267244.htm 

Don't forget to support Team Nike as we raise funds for the Girl Effect!  http://www.girleffect.org/give.  Don't forget to mention Epic 5 – Team Nike in the honor of field.