Under 30 Days for the Channel

Quick blurb on the past week on training and just life.

Swims have been happening as planned. Maine ocean has been "key" with lots of chop and cold.

Past week the ole body has let me know it has not liked what I am doing to it. Have had some normal over use stuff to deal with like a sore ankle from all the kicking and one finger on my right hand that is over used. All of the constant use requires me to address the most silly ailments.

With that said, doing long distance type stuff, I have a good idea how to combat these sort of things.

Never fails, as training gets the toughest, work/life seems to perk up at the same time. Doing my best to push back and get as much rest as possible. Perfect example, rise at 3AM to attend a client meet out of state, travel back to Mass to hit the pool, then client meetings at 6PM, then back to Maine by late night,

Not complaining, it's just how it goes.

However, I am pleased to announce an amazing development, the Invo Brands and their Coconut Line of Water has formally signed on to support my swim to Benefit Dana Farber. Along with the swim, they are going to support Dana Farber for their upcoming walk with expected attendance of 10K, along with their support for a cancer walk for breast cancer in September.  I will certainly post more on this soon.

Invo Brands has a huge line of amazing products that are all natural. Please check them out!!! Right now that are available in Whole Foods and Wegmans. The whole crew and founder are committed to offering products that don't need additives based on their unique cold fused processing. The Coconut Line is off the charts amazing.

This past week another Channel swimmer Nick Thomas sadly passed away during a solo attempt. My heart goes out to his family and by all accounts he passed away doing what he loved to do. I plan on writing Nick's initials on my swim cap.

Also, my good friend and CPA David was just diagnosed with Bladder Cancer this past week. Also, my Uncle Will now battling Colon CA. Cancer is just god awful. David's name, Will, Nick along with Shawn will be front and center.


This past weekend completed another long ocean swim. Taking cold showers is not even a plan, it is a requirement now. I can't handle the heat since my body has been getting use to being in the cold so long.

A few funny random ocean happenings. I spend so much time looking at the bottom of the ocean I know where my sea creature friends hang out. I see Mr. Horse Shoe Crab, my buddies the Star Fish, The old crab, to name a few. Once is a while I dive down to pick them up to inspect.

During this weekend I swam by a nice lady training for LobsterMan in Maine. She had a full suit, head warmer, booties and gloves. I swam by basically naked and we talked floating about 30 feet for a few. She could not believe that I didn't have a wetsuit on. I may have heard something like, "you are insane".

I'm paying special attention to rest and nutrition. Plan is for some sort of taper, but not sure what that looks like.

That's it for today, off to my day job!

http://www.jimmyfund.org/events/cancer-fundraising-events/mark-scribner-s-english-channel-swim/

67 Days, 11 hours 28 mins but who is counting?

July 17th training update. Another long swim of seven hours in the books. Water becoming very comfortable and a good week of training. Hard part has been spending long hours in swells with no visibility, looking through goggles like a blender which is mostly an issue after I stop swimming. Big push the next few weeks with a little over two months to go. So far, old body is hanging in there. Hitting the gym to keep my shoulders in their socket's. 

Coach Craig's plan is to get me to about 80% of the distance which would be about a ten hour swim before the channel. Going to have to work extremely hard each week.

Housing and flights booked, medical and blood work complete.

My friend Rob Ski connected me with an Ironman athlete Art who is interested in crewing for the event. Just got off the phone with him. He is a paramedic, is moving to London and one crew member I wanted to have when I put this together. Hypothermia is no joke and being so far out in the ocean means its impossible to get urgent care in the event of an emergency (not that I expect that). 

With the channel, the biggest obstacle is the cold. I'm doing my best to nail that down with all my long swims in the Maine ocean without a wet-suit. Also, pretty much every shower is a cold one, A/C on full blast at night sleeping on top of the covers. Mrs. Scribby not liking that. I'm waiting for the "you have to sleep with ice and ice baths" next email from coach Craig.. I'm guessing I am headed for the guest room.

Working on event fundraiser date. My friend owns West-End Johnnies and we are going to do an event there early September. Stay tuned and if you would like to donate directly to Dana, please visit:
Dana Farber

Endurance swimming, Channel and life

During this training various people have asked about my bucket list pursuit of a solo attempt of the English Channel with the guidance of Craig Lewin and Endurance Swimming which is slated to take place on September 23, 2016. 

Although I have many different types of motivation, mentors and causes that make me want to dream big, set lofty goals, there is a common thread as to what makes me "tick".

It always comes back to how I was raised, and my dear mother. That along with an inner voice that makes me want to push myself in all areas of life, having nothing in life ever handed to me, and a constant, restlessness and a curious mind.

To take a step back, my mother was a nurse. Her name was Marlene and she worked three jobs for as many as thirteen years straight to put food on the table for our family. My family was exposed to an insane work ethic by our mother. She did this while never complaining, with a smile and most importantly giving almost all of herself to those that needed a lift emotionally, and compassionately.

To this day, I can't believe how she pulled it off. Sadly, she passed away at the age of 61 and never got the chance to do the things she wanted, which was to see her kids and grandchildren grow into adulthood. 

On my mum's deathbed, she really only worried about her family and had some regrets about not having enough time to pursue her passions which she just started do before being diagnosed with cancer.

Soon after her death, my sister and I got together to create a scholarship for nursing in her honor at Spaulding Hospital.

I wanted to find a way to endow the scholarship and Spaulding Hospital at the time sent an invitation to run the BOSTON Marathon. I convinced them to let me run with the money raised to go into our newly established fund.

I was 40, completely out of shape, weighed close to 220lb's, had just been to the doctor where my cholesterol was 240  and was told it was time to start considering medication and I was a new father. I was winded going up stairs, a basic "bowling ball with arms". 

I was mourning my mother something awful. I sat back and worried about my health and how my children would view me; would they see me as fit and more importantly as a compassionate man, that had a life of giving vs taking that so clearly our mother taught us? I could solely have business and financial success, but that seemed empty to me.

So, I signed up for the Boston Marathon with never having run more than two miles. I had no idea what I was doing. I had no training plan, just went out and ran with 90 days of training. I cried most long running days at ccompletion, because I missed my mother so badly. It became a way for me to heal and to celebrate her life and the only thing that got me through the race was her memory and all that she sacrificed for us. 

The marathon from a finishing perspective was terrible. It took me close to 6 hours, and was humbling.

However, ten minutes after finishing and for many weeks after, it changed my way of thinking and living life. I raised a lot of money for Spaulding and I would not have been able to do an event like that of not for the personal motivation, the stories and hope people shared with me.

Not much after, I found a coach and ran my next marathon in NYC in/ around 4:30 and again ran in memory of my mum and raised even more money. 

Wanting something more after marathons, I set out to complete a half ironman. More money raised and was able to fit everything into my life. Training became my personal development lab, I was growing as a person, testing my limits and building confidence in all areas of my life and candidly never more happy. 

I joined Minuteman masters through Rich Axtell and learned how to swim. The first few practises were daunting and I literally fell asleep at my desk one day because I did not know how to eat well.

After feeling comfortable, I sought out and found Jesse Kropelnicki from QT2 who is considered the best in BOSTON for the full ironman distance with training plans and more importantly nutrition. 

I completed many, many ironman races, long swim events, long hikes and by this point lost over 70lbs.  I typically raced around 140lbs and was able to qualify officially for the Boston marathon with a sub 3:20 through Jesse. I just received my annual exam results and my lab tests were as perfect as one could want.

Each and every race, I would learn of someone faced with cancer, or a hardship and would reach out to them to lend support. I would write their name on my shoe, hold their plight in my mind during many long and brutal training days. 

During periods of doubt, I would draw on the knowledge that if these survivors felt better, they would be out there with me living life. My training day and my sacrifice always paled in comparison with what others have gone through. 

I could not wait to cross the finish line and grab a medal so that I could give to my inspiration (s). All of them I stay in contact with and I count them as life-long friends.

After racing a lot, I needed a break. I took about a year off to spend more time at work and with my family.

As a restless person and having goals I sat back wondering what was next. Tri's where great, but found them hard to fit into life with all gear and an insane travel schedule. My body was not liking all the pounding from running either and settled more into swimming as it was time efficient and the best bang for the buck. 

I have an insane bucket-list and one item was to swim the channel. Not unlike everything in my life, there were so many people who told me it would be impossible to do. 

The quickest way to get me to do something is to tell me I can't do it. I'm conditioned to flipping the word "no", to "on" as as quickly as I hear it. Even typing the word "no" is hard for me to do!!!


As has been the case during races, bucket list, life, is that many people will doubt you. You will doubt yourself. It's the norm. History is littered with many people who have accomplished a lot after being told they are worthless, crazy,  have limiting beliefs, naysayers. Obstacles are always lurking but in all cases, don't ever be afraid to make the first step and make a move. 

Each new distance, race, business or event or while waiting for the gun to go off was new experience, I was scared, wondered if I could complete. Many of the races did not go as planned. The metaphors in life as compared to racing are endless. Stuff will and can go wrong, all you ever can control is how you deal with it is a constant phrase I repeat to myself in all areas of my life.

It does not matter what motivates you, but I feel we all have that fire deep down. Turn on the news each day, it's easy to get sucked into despair.

I'm here to tell you, for the rest of my life, I do/will draw on testing my limits when faced with doubt or uncertainty because of endurance sports.

It does not matter what your goal is. It can be big or small. For me, even if it's not a personal best, a faster fast, a "one-up" it is all about the journey. In fact, the actual race or event is typically anticlimactic just a celebration that you set a goal and are out there testing yourself.

Which leads me to today. After about two years of planning with Craig Lewin, hundreds of hours in the pool and meeting Shawn during one of his cancer treatments and connecting with Dana Farber, my tide date for the channel is 9/23/2016.

If you would like to make a tax-free contribution to Dana Farber please consider donating here. 

http://www.jimmyfund.org/events/cancer-fundraising-events/mark-scribner-s-english-channel-swim/

http://www.enduranceswimming.com/home.php

Training, Channel for Dana Farber

Quick update on training and most importantly fundraising for GVHD and Dana Farber.

To date, we have raised close to $25K with a few more large gifts promised in the next few weeks. Much more effort is in store on the fundraising front. I am looking for a venue and ideas to host something if anyone has some suggestions. I'm leaning toward a casual type event in August.

So, training.... Yes, it is happening any and all hours. I have been hovering around 25 miles a week and doing my best to combat the various over-use type injuries that plague marathon swimmers. Also, paying special attention to my swim stroke. Any flaw gets amplified with the hours and hours on end. In my free time (doesn't exist) I watch swimming video's to hone in my swim stroke.


Coach Craig (and other's) continue to emphasize the need to be in cold water all the time. I have begun the pleasurable task of taking cold showers. I sweat my butt off at night now. I was able to put a good chunk of time in the ocean this past weekend. The water temp was close to 45 degrees without a wetsuit. To be candid, I got in an immediately wanted to run back out. My head froze, immediate head ache, hands searing from the cold. I headed back to shore, then "willed" myself back and fought for the first ten minutes with a high stroke rate and began to warm up pretty fast. The prep in the pool with a high turnover rate Coach Craig has been making me do was on the money.

The distance of the channel by swimming standards is not the issue. Depending on the current's, the distance can be anywhere from 27-33 miles. However, it is the cold that makes most not succeed. The survival rates for a typical person in 50 degrees is about 1-2 hours. No idea on how long it will take me, but I'm preparing to be in cold water for around 12-14 hours. If I can can immerse myself in cold Maine water all the time, the goal is to make the Channel feel like bath water. When I swim in the Maine water, I'm not putting any grease on, just some lube around my pits due to irritation and around my neck.


The training is not unlike Ironman prep. Many weeks of a build, next week a reduction and or lighter volume and a little rest and then bigger, deeper, faster and longer. Return, rinse and repeat. Qt2's nutrition is spot on and I follow it exactly as I did during Ironman prep.


The boat called the Connerma piloted by Kevin Sherman is pictured above. My dear sister Michelle is going to be one of the crew members and Coach Craig will be able to jump in every now and again to pace. He can't pace for the first hour, but can jump in alongside of me every other other. He'll actually swim at least half of the Channel with me, but he get's to wear a wetsuit. It's an exhausting day for him and impressive. He will have to push me hard at various times to make it past the freight boats and to time currents.


In the next two weeks I have to pass a six hour test in the ocean in water less than 60 degrees. Next week I submit myself to another deep medical exam which is required from the Channel Association. I have already been to the endurance lab at MGH for funky stress tests. I have been haltered many dozen's of times.


I've been able to connect with various people who have successfully completed what many call, "The Mt. Everest" of swimming attempts. Most have told me that at this point I'm doing everything I am suppose to do and seem on track. The most valuable piece of information I got, never look up and look for the shore. Keep your head down the whole time and never ask how much is left, because picking your head up not only adds to your time, but does not keep you focused. Also, during past Ironman and long swim attempts I have had to deal with some scary stuff. They all said I will be able to draw from that when it get's ugly and they all assured me it will. It can be throwing up the whole time, huge swells or swimming in the same spot for two hours without any progress.


I've become a bit of an strange sighting at my local pool. I've heard, "you're the crazy guy we heard swims here all hours of the day", to many people inviting themselves to keep me company in the ocean, doing kayak support, etc.


So, like any difficult tasks, I am taking it day by day and doing my best. I know I'll look back on this and will be that much stronger. There are as is life, many dark moments and self doubt during this preparation. I'm in the pool battling feeling selfish, thinking and worrying about my client's, my kids or anything else that can go through your head during endless hours of repetition. It's the mastery of the mind that gives me hope. I don't have any talent here, just an appetite to set a goal and do my level best to make it happen. I've done it all my life and you can too!!

I really appreciate the support from everyone. Stay tuned and please consider knocking the snot out of cancer by donating via your tax free contribution to:

 http://www.jimmyfund.org/events/cancer-fundraising-events/mark-scribner-s-english-channel-swim/

Swimming for GVHD

My gosh, it's been sooo long since I blogged about endurance racing I'm not sure even where to start, but I am going to blog a lot more, I just have the bug again (and what I feel is a good cause, you'll see below).

I've been on the side-lines attending to life (business mainly) that there has been little time for anything else. However, with that said I have been devoting the past year to a "bucket list" item that I've had for a long time, but now with meaning and purpose (follow along please).

If I may, I want to to take a step back. Cancer.... the impact it has had on me and my friends and family has never abated. I still long DAILY for one more conversation that I could have with my dear mum, Marlene, mother, wife, Nurse and Angel. I can't even put into words how much. That will never, ever change. To the core, I find myself reaching for the phone for a piece of advice, from mum, soothing comments, her letting me know "I worry too much", or simply an offer to meet up to go "browse" the various stores to see whats new and good old retail therapy. My mum passed away 14 years ago at the age of 61 from colon cancer.

While I have been on the sidelines with endurance racing, I've seen my dear sister complelty transform her life, now having raised a serious chunk of change for various cancer causes and to benefit the scholarship our family set-up to benefit nurses at Spaulding. She's a marathon junkie and simply the best sister any person could ask for.

I've seen various friends complete Herculean events for those impacted by cancer. Too many to even list here, all the while I've been listening, following, donating and offering encouragement. For me, it's the old saying, " a pebble in a pond has a ripple affect".

A few years ago I met a gentlemen named Shawn D (SD) through another dear friend Bob. Shawn is as private and unassuming as you can get, and it took me a while to convince him to let me tack his name onto my bucket list adventure.

Shawn has battled cancer for a very long-time. He's been able to co-run a successful business, start a family and achieve a lot in a short time. He and his wife Jackie were even able to welcome their "miracle child" Alex after a long wait and much pre-planning.

As I began to form a friendship with Shawn, I learned that his dear brother successfully donated bone marrow to save his life. I did some research on successful bone marrow treatments and it is "eye-popping" on what the odds are of not only finding a match, but getting through the months, years of confinement and weakened immune system, medical appointments, medicines and the insane costs.

Miraculous as medicine is today, and as mentioned above, the tremendous odds of even getting to the starting line with treatments and a transplant.

I also learned that virtually all bone marrow patients (50-70%) after getting that far then have to endure the constant rejection of the bone-marrow transplant. Now, I'm not a doctor or an authority on this topic by any means, but I was struck with the irony and misconception that once you found a donor match, you are on your way to an easy, medical free, less complicated life. That's simply not the case.

As a donee, you are placed on many, many different types of medicines for the rest of your life. You are prone to getting diabetes, kidney failure, locked shoulders/limbs, hand atrophy, only to name a few. The condition is called Graft Host Disease, GVHD.

I was able to visit with Shawn a couple of times at Dana Farber to see what he has to do to keep his life in balance and was impressed with the sheer will to survive and fight for his family all the while just taking it "day by day".  This guy is full of "piss n vinegar".

As SD and I were talking one day, he was able to share with me that the doctor's and nurses treating him at Dana were at the fore of trying to find a cure for Graft Host Disease. The doctor is Joseph Antin. SD wondered out loud how he could come up with a way to ever thank Dr. Antin so we began planning.

After a few months of sitting on this an how inspired I am after getting to know Shawn and seeing his outlook on life, I offered to combine my bucket list desire to attempt to raise funds for Dana Farber and the Jimmy Fund and GVHD.

So, that brings me to where I am now after many months of seeing how my body will hold up, I've signed up for a solo english channel crossing slated to happen 9/23/16.

I'll spend the next few blog posts on the training that has occurred. But today, I'd like to introduce our fund raising page to help get the word out and awarness for this very, very solvable disease. Please consider donating at  http://www.jimmyfund.org/events/cancer-fundraising-events/mark-scribner-s-english-channel-swim/

Thank you, Mark

Boy I was cooked

Ok, no excuses on the lack of posting. Long/Short story is that I was cooked, I mean completely cooked
after IMLP last July and the four years of killing it! I could not even look at my bike, sneakers or anything structured relating to a workout. No measuring my food, data or time... Nada, not a blip or desire to move my body other than to play with the kids and even that was blah.

My friend Kat when discussing my lack of motivation recently said to me, "Mark, you not only burned the candle at both ends for so long, you burned them in the middle and beyond and it's no wonder you needed a break".  As weird as this sounds, I had no idea how hard it was to pull it off until I had time to reflect. Now, it does not even sound possible.

So, here we are about a year later with more than a few Lb's. After a couple of start and stops with some major medical issues and scares this year, my lovely assistant Kelly decided enough was enough and took my credit card and signed me up for the Nubble Light House Challenge on July 14. It's a "no joke" of a open water ocean swim 2.4 miles into some shrinkage type cold Maine water.

I've been jumping in the pool goofing around and working on setting a new swim stroke. I'm only swimming for about 45 mins three times a week and the other half of my swim time in in the hot-tub. I still prefer the hot-tub time....

Michelle is about as great as you could ask for regarding support. She always suggests I try to burn off the extra energy I have by going out for a run or a long walk. More recently she's been heading out with me on some of my trail runs.

I had on the calendar this August Ironman Tremblant. That now is a donation to the ever profitable Ironman logo (No refund policy). There is chatter about signing up for IMLP for 2013 and my assistant Kelly is getting close to signing on too. Nothing better than having people who share passions working along side. We have an angle on a house (This is how your friends try to rope you in)

So, taking it day by day and finding my grove along the way. (Above is where Michelle and I take our walks and stare out into the ocean for calmness)

Bringing home the baby!!

Sorry in advance to any and all of the woman who read this blog with my inference!! For the record, as it relates to evolution; the "big guy in the sky" got it right when he selected woman to bring new life into the world. If it were up to us men, I’m not so sure the human species would have survived/advanced?!!

Ok, where is this guy going with this you may ask? Well, here it goes.

When it comes to competing in an Ironman, and actually finishing one in fewer than 11 hours, it’s the male equivalence of delivering a baby. Sorry ladies but please hear me out and see below. (By the way, this picture is of our son Mark less than an hour into this world).

1) IM (Ironman) even to get into these races now takes over a year of planning.
2) They cost as much if not more than having a baby.
3) After the baby (IM finish is delivered) they make you pay for the next baby even before you can enjoy the one staring you in the face.
4) We lay in bed at night wondering what it’s going to look like.
5) The preparation talks back to us at all hours of the night.
6) We try to come up with a suitable name, but “this effn hurts” or names like that doesn’t go over well enough in the school yard.
7) Everyone around us could care less about it.
8) We carry our finish line photo in our wallet.
9) We have to eat well, avoid booze and our bodies are out of sorts and disfigured.
10) The list of formulas and drinks and supplements surpasses even your best night time feeding
11) We go for check-ups even more than having a difficult pregnancy.
12) Our coach (doctor) is on speed dial and comments on how much we weigh, what color is our pee and how much rest we get.
13) We spend all our free time congregating with other pregnant men and read magazines to buy faster strollers.

Well, it’s just a short list and I’d love to see you add to it.


We are just 6 short days from the big dance called Lake Placid. I so love this course because I feel it suits my biking skills better than most. Training and health are as good as they have ever been. Swim is better, bike watts are about 30 watts higher and I have a solid base for the run with my start and stop of Atacama training. For just this Ironman protocol not including the Boston Marathon, Nubble Light and Atacama preparation I’ve logged 428 hour of training. I’ve completed almost every ride on my trainer where I wanted to see if I could control the workout and keep the intensity as high as possible and time constrained. I’m ready!

The long and crazy odds for Kona are something like this: 100,000 IM athletes, 1500 slots available out of all the races throughout the world. 1.5% chance, or 1 in 66. Less than 1/10 of 1% of the human population will ever even run a marathon.  Add IM onto that and you get the picture!

I’ve asked a couple of friends to take over my twitter account since they will be on course. Look to follow Face book or Twitter if you would like updates. Also, here is the Lake Placid real-time tracking.

My bib number is 2091

scribb@twitter.com
http://ironmanlakeplacid.com/
www.ironman.com
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1408468181