CuttingWater

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Happy Birthday K & K the big 21

Yesterday (June 29) and today (June 30),
my dear niece, Kassandra Holder (29th) and nephew, Kurtis MacDonald (30th) turned the big 21, Wow, where did the time go, I remember celebrating lots of paired birthday parties as they grew older, fun family times.
Yesterday, we enjoyed some time with Kassandra at the Casino, and a nice workout in the morning.

I felt better than I thought, especially after the big Catalina swim last Tuesday.

Warm up: 500 (alternate Drill/ Back/easy free)
S: 4 x 100 (1:35)
Fulcrum: 400 (alternate drill/swim)
S: 4 x 100
F: 300
S: 5 x 100
F: 200
S: 4 x 100
F: 100
S: 4 x 100
C/D: 500
= 4,100 yards (21 x 100)


Today,
 
I tried to celebrate my nephew, Kurtis MacDonald's 21st birthday with a swim at Hammonasset, but no lifeguard, no buddy, no swim at the beach. It just wasn't in the cards,
so the plans changed and I went shopping and ended at Mansfield Community Center for a nice 2100 yard swim.

I just another day of rest ...is good.

So, 2100 yards,
every 21st length was backstroke (with pull ups at the ends)

Felt good.
Let's see who has a birthday tomorrow,
scratch that,
1st outdoor practice with LEHY in East Hartford...YESSSS!!!.

Dream, Prepare, Succeed.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Tracking for Catalina, Preparation is DONE



Hi friends,

The 1st Adventure of the summer begins tonight. Scott Lautman and I will be attempting our swim crossing of the San Pedro Channel, from Catalina Island to the point off of Palos Verde, California.

We have a SPOT Messenger. We are sharing our location information with you during our swimming adventure tonight.

Click on the link to see where we are.

WE are starting at approximately 12 midnight tonight, swimming into the sunrise of Tuesday, June 25th.

Just follow this link to see our location updates:





http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0xokPf7vz2GDHXEOhLjOhCJmHPHUqZknh

If the link doesn't work, try copying and pasting it to your browser's address bar.


Thanks and see talk to you soon,
Marcy and Scott


... and remember we always for a cause.
The simplest way to donate is to visit my page at the Swim Across the Sound website,
 
https://give.stvincents.org/netcommunity/marcella



P.S. To learn more about the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger, visit
http://www.findmespot.com
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Sunday, June 23, 2013

Readying for Catalina



All the paperwork and prep is done, now getting down to business.
 
… Because EVERYONE knows someone.

I don’t think there is one person that Cancer has NOT affected. We all know someone who may be or have battled the disease that scares us all. Some of our family and friends have not survived and have joined the legion of angels; we miss you and smile when we remember you often.
We’ve already had a serious year of concern and worry; Sandy, Newtown, a blizzard, the tragedy at the Boston Marathon and then an E-F5 tornado in Oklahoma.  So many to help, but then the concern for those battling cancer reappears into our minds, it will continue to be there. My summer again offers me time and goals to help my friends at St. Vincent’s Medical Center Foundation. The summer weather of 2012 was not very friendly to me to complete my swimming goals, so I have doubled up the work load. Here are my goals for this summer.

#1 Goal: Fundraising for St. Vincent’s Medical Center Foundation, I hope you can help me reach my goal.
The SWIM Across the Sound is a charitable, grass roots organization run by the St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation. The SWIM helps provide cancer education, screening and prevention programs at low or no cost for the elderly and under-served. The SWIM helps individual cancer patients on a case-by-case basis with specific needs, such as the funding of wigs and prostheses, medication assistance, free transportation to treatments and appointments, day-care scholarships and support groups. This assists patients, families and the communities of Connecticut deal with the burdens of battling Cancer.

My Swimming Goals for the 2013 summer are:
1. Catalina Island to the California Coast:
My friend, Scott Lautman (a cancer survivor), and I plan on crossing the 20.1 mile San Pedro Channel. We will start at midnight, Tuesday, June 25, 2013 and hope to finish in the mid-morning hours, depending on weather conditions. We both look forward to this new experience and challenge to start off the summer of 2013.


It’s always a wet and busy summer and I hope you can assist me to reach my #1 goal for the season, reaching my fundraising goal for St. Vincent’s Medical Center Foundation. Any amount is appreciated and it amazes me how quickly the totals click upward.

The simplest way to donate is to visit my page at the Swim Across the Sound website, 

 https://give.stvincents.org/netcommunity/marcella
 

While you are visiting my page, check out some photos and you can view the fine work the Foundation does for the community....or if you prefer to mail your donation directly through the post to:

Please make checks payable to: Swim Across the Sound
And write my name in the memo area on your check:  Marcella MacDonald
Send to: St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation, 2800 Main Street, Bridgeport CT 06606


Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Sunday, June 16... Another Birthday set and remembering Dad




Happy Father's day,
remembering my Pop, John MacDonald,
a super supportive Dad,
who valued Family, Education and pursuing your Dreams,
Thanks Dad, miss you lots.








Today also marks a FUN numbered birthday, just in time to start the taper for the Catalina channel. Which happens to start Midnight, Tuesday June 25th.

Happy birthday Mike Orlowski, you have helped so many professionally and on the field.

I enjoyed this swim,
another 100 day but it was peaceful and easy.

66 x 100

1-3 (warm up)

4-63 swim 6 on (1:30), 7th (1:35)
 
64-66 (cool down)
= 6, 600 yards

... onto the taper week.

Dream, Prepare, Succeed
 

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Happy Birthday John... 82

Our friend and the most dedicated swimmer at Mansfield Community Center had a birthday today,
82 amazing years, John Lenard,
his stories about the war and his immigration to the USA is so inspirational.

So very happy we met John and you help me stay focused.

Easy to remember:

82 x 100 various intervals

1-4 were warm-up
78-82 were cool down.

Dream, Prepare, Succeed.

2015 ... Swimming for Homes for the Brave

After spending the past 20 years paddling from Dover to France, it is time to venture into new waters, while helping some special people.
Soon, I will be traveling with my A-team to Scotland to swim the length of the famous Loch Ness.
As always, I try to help a Foundation raise funds and awareness and I thank you for interest and support.
I am deeply troubled with the thought of homeless individuals, especially in our US Veteran population.

That is why I am teaming up with our Connecticut-based “Homes for the Brave”. Can you imagine not having a place to call home?

Here is more information about Homes for the Brave! -Facebook pages – https://www.facebook.com/pages/ABRIHomes-for-the-Brave/199613606735630?ref=hl

- Annual Appeal with more information about our financials and programs- http://www.homesforthebrave.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/HFTB-2014-Annual-Report-FINAL.pdf

-Check donations can be mailed to the following address:
Homes for the Brave
655 Park Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06604

- Donations can be made online as well: https://homesforthebrave.isecuresites.com/products/index.php?type=1110

Please write “Loch Ness Swim/Marcy” to track your donation.


I will always be dedicating my swimming to all those battling cancer and in the memory of 4 special people in my life. Cancer first hit my family when I was young. My grand-aunt Eleanor Kersavage, passed away with uterine cancer and my Auntie Bea Halchak battled with brain cancer.

On January 1, 2002, our LEHY family lost Nikki Giampolo to bone cancer, just turning 16 years old. Her spirit still lives on in our East Hartford swim team.

In July of 2009, my brother-in-law, Gregory Allen Urban, who passed away, after a valient battle with lung cancer. I can see him now, talking about cars and projects around the house, music and his family.

I know Aunties, Eleanor and Bea, Nikki, Greg and all the angels will help me CUT through all this water this summer.

The St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation, based in Bridgeport, CT provides financial support for the needs that Health insurance companies don't cover, in addition to providing affordable cancer screening, wigs, medication and other things to make life easier for those suffering with cancer and their families.

Please make a donation, and thank you.

Online donations can be made at: http://give.stvincents.org

or you can send a check through the post to:

Swim Across the Sound
St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation
2800 Main Street
Bridgeport, CT 06606
(203)576-5451

Thank you so very much, peace and good health to all.