Retch and Vomit
Dawn_Treader
Member
As I pour over blogs and reports of EC crossings, accounts of vomiting keep "coming up". Puking is tough enough as it is, and I never did so without holding onto something. Thinking "Dear God, anything but this." How on earth do you manage this in the water- or worse choppy water or rolling waves? I can't imagine succeeding if I need to throw a pizza in the sea.
I'd like to know how you got through this if it happened to you. I know it sounds like a joke, but I think it would be the only thing that could really stop me besides the weather.
Cheers!
I'd like to know how you got through this if it happened to you. I know it sounds like a joke, but I think it would be the only thing that could really stop me besides the weather.
Cheers!
Sisu: a Finnish term meaning strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.
Comments
i can pretty much hurl without breaking stroke. (an odd thing to be proud of, but stranger talents were certainly featured on the Ed Sullivan Show)
...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
There's a thread about seasickness somewhere here, and several folks recommended powdered ginger.
After hours of chop and an increasingly full bloated feeling, during my 5 hr feed, I just had to let it go. I couldn't swallow any more, so it just came up. 3 good heaves any under age drinker on a Saturday night would have been proud of. I just went on my back, curled up, crossed my arms over my stomach and let rip. I immediately felt better. I told the crew to give me just water as soon as they could and started swimming immediately. The water came within a minute. It stayed down and partly washed the vomit out of my mouth. I then asked for sugared water on the next feed at 5:30. It stayed down and tasted lovely by the way. I then asked for a maxim feed at 6 hours, it came straight back up. Again 3 good heaves that this time contained the food consumed per swim. So I had just vomited the 6 hours worth of feed and some pre swim nutrition too and was quite worried that I was on now running on empty and on the slippery slope to running out of steam which would end with me being pulled. I repeated the previous drink of plain water immediately followed by sugar water on the next feed. I then went on to maxim which stayed down and was fine for the remainder of the swim.
During my training I never got sick so vomiting was a new experience for me. I don't know if there is any way to practice for this, certainly not one that any swimming pool would tolerate.
So, no need to hold onto anything except your self, and you do feel great having gotten rid of the bloated feeling. For me the water plus sugared water worked as a means to get over it. Hope this helps.
Colm
Your kidneys and liver often can't process all the liquid carbs you are taking in, so emptying he stomach and restarting will usually make you fell better. You'll be uncomfortable for a while beforehand, maybe an hour or two, but fine afterwards.
Word of warning: it can frighten unsuspecting crew!
loneswimmer.com
Sisu: a Finnish term meaning strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.
So, I just encourage you that, it happens, it's probably miserable, but it's conquerable, too. :-)
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
Anyway, on the big day in July, all was fine until the 6 hour feed when I was given an electrolyte feed, then I swallowed a wave and according to my crew I then projectile vomited a mini chocolate roll and everything else in my stomach about 6 feet into the air! Quite impressive apparently. The sickness carried on for quite a while - at least 10 more incidents but I felt much better each time after getting it out. @ssthomas I am afraid there were also 4 incidents from the other end too - my apologies to anyone who swam after 23rd July.
My feed chart went completely out the window, I didn't want any of my "treats" and the only solid food I would touch was tinned peaches.
Anyway, I do laugh about it now. I actually find the whole thing hilariously funny.
@Dawn_Treader asked how you get through it. I can only speak from my own experience.
- You do feel a lot better once you've got it out.
- I kept reminding myself that I was not actually "ill" - just suffering from having too much Maxim and saltwater in my system.
- My crew saved my swim by dumping my feed strategy of Maxim every 30 minutes and changed it to hideously strong tea with fruit sugar added, and small doses of weakened Maxim. Apparently my face was full of disgust when they handed the first strong tea to me.
- I kept reminding myself of something I was told in Gozo "It's only one day in your life".
- I remembered that the pilot, crew and observer had seen it all before. I even got a big cheer from my pilot at one point!
- It's surprisingly easy to be sick when floating in the sea. I never managed to do it without breaking stroke, but will learn that for next year.
Interestingly, when I swam Windermere 5 weeks later, all I wanted to do was eat. I never felt sick, just absolutely ravenous and exhausted all of my own supplies and ended up eating the crew's food! A huge difference between swimming in salt water and a lake.
We are evolved to use gravity to help us digest, similar to the way chickens use pebbles.
@evmo It's not (for me anyway) about concentration. Winds and choppy water (Force 5 in the Channresult in swallowing small amounts of salt water which wouldn't normally happen, this is a partial cause.
loneswimmer.com
Sorry to bump this older post but this seems to be a huge factor for me. I was running late for my time trial last weekend and dumped a massive scoop into the bottle in between my handle bars. As soon as I took the first sip I knew I had messed up and on the last lap my attractive projectile vomit had drained my stomach clean. I wish I could say this was the first time this has happened hehe
I threw up from 3.5 hours on my English and Catalina Channel swims. Lost 7kgs in the EC and 5kgs in the CC. I can now swim and vomit at the same time....what a girl !! The best advice I can give us if you're constantly feeling nauseous...fill your head with positives. I say my sons names in beat with my stroke and this takes my mind off feeling sorry for myself. Have a back up feed plan. My go to is flat full sugar coke. It's the only time I drink it. In the Catalina Channel I turned it into a joke....yelling chum in the water each time I threw up...that's if I stopped to do it. Keep remembering if it does happen....it's not enough of a reason to give up on your goal....tomorrow you'll feel great!!! Good luck!!!
Just realised it's an older post...advice remains the same ha!!!