Swimming the SCAR – 40 Miles in 4 Days Across the Arizona Desert

This was a different marathon swim, in fact, it was four marathon swims, back-to-back to back-to-back. The S.C.A.R swim challenge is named after the four lakes swimmers cross; Saguaro, Canyon, Apache, and Roosevelt. The distance was daunting as was the intense sun and unpredictable winds both swimmers and their kayakers had to contend with. Here’s some perspectives on my journey from training to completion.

Coming off a strong 20 Bridges swim around Manhattan in October, I had to adjust my training for this four day event. As I’ve shared before, the open water swimming community is super friendly and inviting; everyone has the chance to learn from each other. Seeking advice from various mentors and prior swimmers helped me create a plan and stick to it.

Preparation helps manage uncertainty in life, investing, and swimming in open water. My training consisted of lumping my workouts together Monday through Thursday to replicate the event. Friday was a rest day; Saturday was a long swim day with resting on Sunday (usually). I continued experimenting with my diet, sleep, and dryland workouts with the goal of sustaining a positive attitude and staying healthy.

Marathon swimming is a mental sport. There is a lot of time to think and it’s best to keep your thoughts positive. I do my best, but at times find remaining stoic to be difficult, both in and out of the water. There is so much of life that’s out of my control; even more so when I’m splashing around in open water. I’ve found success by staying present, right here, right now while focusing on the quality of my inputs. By following the black tiles at the bottom of the pool or sighting off a landmark in open water, I can control my breathing, pace, and mindset.

Without screens, music, email, and distractions I can channel all my energies into working through my sets as the hours compound. This provides time for both my body and brain to be in sync. It also creates time to think through challenges, opportunities, and strategies, before getting to the office and writing it down. These “deep work” sessions with uninterrupted time were fantastic.

Candidly, going into the week, all I wanted to do was finish each swim. If I was swimming well, then my next goal was beating the clock based on the goals I set. If I was swimming well, and beating the clock, then I also wanted to stay loose and have fun.

All swimmers were ranked by their finishing time after each day.  The fastest cumulative time over all four swims would decide the men and women’s winner. No trophy or prize money, just a cool handmade belt buckle and the experience and stories to share with friends and family.

The energy and vibe at this event were incredible! I made lots of new friends from all over the globe. Beyond the US, swimmers and crew traveled from Australia, Colombia, Canada, Ecuador, France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. There were about 50 swimmers, and another 50 crew before adding in the countless volunteers to pull this event off.

Day 1 | Saguaro Lake | 15.2km/9.44 miles | Water Temperature 16.7C/62 F | Goal Time 3:25:00 | Actual Time 3:39:14

Hydration was a challenge for me initially; the desert heat is something else. Gatorade, water, and coconut water were always by my side, and yet my lips were chapped, and mouth was dry. I’ve never experienced heat like this combined with the cool waters. All my feeds that my kayaker provided me through the swim were in liquid form. I practiced 2.5 scoops of powder in my bottles leading up to the event and my stomach tolerated it. This helped tremendously in keeping my electrolytes in check and not cramping.

I was placed in wave two, swimming with other middle of the pack swimmers. There were ten of us, and although I didn’t reach my goal time at the end of the swim, I felt a sense of relief having completed day one. Now it was time to remove all the Desitin from my back, shoulders, and legs. Diaper cream has a high zinc content that protects your skin from the intense sun but is very messy.

Day 2 | Canyon Lake | 14.4km/8.95 miles | Water Temperature 17.8C/64F | Goal Time 3:30:00 | Actual Time 3:38:36

Now swimming in wave three, the fastest wave based on my time yesterday, yikes! I stayed present and relaxed. This was the most beautiful swim as you snaked through the lake with canyon walls stretching hundreds of feet into the air on either side of you. An unreal experience.

We were navigating the shortest path, zigging and zagging around corners while dodging boat traffic in a confined space. I smashed my hand into the canyon wall once, and connected with more rocks, shaking it off, all part of the experience. I sprinted the last 1000m to make up time, having no idea where I was. I chose not to wear a watch through the event adjusting my speed by feel and pushing the pace when I could.

Day 3 | Apache Lake | 27.3km/16.96 miles | Water Temperature 11-17C/52-62F | Goal Time 6:40:00 | Actual Time 6:43:36

This was the main event, known for colder water temperatures, long duration, and winds that would sneak up on you and create interesting conditions. I was feeling the effects of the last two days and questioning my judgement on yesterday’s sprint to the finish. The start was cold before gradually warming up. I repeated the positive mantra “good” and “yes” with each stroke for segments of the swim to stay positive and be present.  When things got tough, I would dig in and pull harder knowing that the winds would likely shift in ten minutes. Taking feeds every 30 minutes for fuel focusing on my stroke.

I quickly warmed up at the finish, climbing onto the boat and basking in the desert sun. I had a dry bag in the kayak through the event, so once I finished, it was a quick change out of my suit and into warm clothes. Comparing notes with other swimmers on our ride back to the marina was a lot of fun. I was super stoked with my time and just happy to have finished a challenging swim.

Night 4 | Roosevelt Lake | 10k/6.2 miles | Water Temperature 17C/62F | Goal Time 2:25:00 | Actual Time 3:02:17

At this point, I’m exhausted and looking forward to an easy 6 miles and completing all four days. The first half of the swim was rough and bumpy as the wind was moving in all directions, I felt like I was swimming in a washing machine. Nothing easy about this swim as the sun set and I began swimming in complete darkness, which took some getting used to. My kayaker was wearing an illuminated vest, and we had decorated the kayak with commercial grade glow sticks. I took my goggles off for 20 seconds to look around at the stars in the sky, it was breathtaking, back to work.

And then, just like that I was done!  This last swim took much longer than expected but the joy I felt at the finish was enormous. Happiness for my kayaker, other swimmers and their kayakers, the volunteers that made this possible, it was an incredible feeling.

Though I didn’t beat my goal times, I did finish second overall male and fifth overall among men and woman, exceeding my expectations. With a cumulative swim time of 17 hours 3 minutes and 44 seconds it’s rewarding to set big goals and do your best to accomplish them.

I’m back home now, rested up, and writing up my next swim plan for September, stay tuned, it will be awesome!

 Chat - with Ryanor Contact Ryan