This is the third in a series of blog entries by Katrina Murphy, who is going to swim the Straits of Mackinac in August 2010 wearing an XTERRA WETSUITS Vector Pro X2 Fullsuit.

What goes into a swim like mine?

Many people think that you just jump into the water and go. That it is just you, your swimsuit, swim cap and goggles. This is far from the case. When I tell people the work and planning that goes into this, they look at me with a very puzzled look. Trust me, I wish that it was as easy and throwing on your suit and heading into the water.

Here is the real deal about the work that goes into swimming the Straits of Mackinac. First off you have to get clearance from the Mackinac Bridge Authority. Ever since 9-11, bridge security is very strict as to who they let swim near the bridge. You can't swim near the bridge without getting pulled out of the water by the Coast Guard. Which leads us to the Coast Guard. You have to get clearance for your swim from them too. You have to sign a event request form and you have to get a list of the things that they require for your rescue boat.

Ah, the rescue boat. I am currently still working on that one. I still am in desperate need of one. Why a rescue boat? I am swimming in some of the most treacherous waters in the world, a lot of things could go wrong. I need a medic on board, my photographer, and my swim coach. We need to be in constant contact with the Freighter traffic control. I am not sure that I want to get run over by one of them. I would like to stay as far away from them as possible. A meteorologist is a good idea. The timing for your swim depends so much on the weather, especially in the Great Lakes areas. The most ideal time for my swim is at the end of a two or three day high pressure system over Lake Michigan. Figuring out where to start your swim depends on the wind and currents (which can be coming from two different directions) can be a bit of a challenge at times too. That is why it is so hard to be able to peg down an actual day for the swim.

So, as you can tell there is a lot of work that needs to be done before the swim. Oh, and how could I have not mentioned all the training!! That I guess is the most important hurdle to get over. It has been a challenge to get this all done on top of being a stay at home, home school mom of three. I couldn't do all this work if is was not for the love of my cause of suicide prevention and mental health awareness. Please check out my fund raising page for more details and a bit of the story about my struggles with depression.

At least one thing I can check off for my swim is that I know with all confidence is that I will be warm and nice and buoyant during my swim. Thanks to my XTERRA WETSUITS Vector Pro X2 full wetsuit. I can not thank them enough for sponsoring me in my swim. I do not know what I would do without my suit. It is just wonderful. If you are pondering over a wet suit or company, I have no doubts that you will be more than pleased with whichever suit you pick.