Diana Nyad‘s swim from Cuba to Florida is coming up soon although on August 5th’s The Score radio broadcast she announced that she was still waiting for her Cuban visas to be issued.

“I am in this netherworld right now,” commented Diana – a place and time where many channel and marathon swimmers dread. As they wait for tides, weather – or visas in the case of Diana – the swimmers and their support crews wait patiently or inpatiently onshore for the right time to go.

It is difficult, both mentally and physically, to wait…and wait…and wait.

“When something important is coming, athletes need to peak. The peak for me was the 24-hour swim on July 10th,” said Diana. “Well, [after that swim] I need 2-3 weeks to get recovered and be ready. How do you maintain the peak?”

Diana’s words and concerns are so true, a well-known netherworld for channel swimmers: Do you train more? Do you continue tapering? Do you continue eating and gain weight? If you go for a long swim and you receive a ‘Go’ tomorrow, will your training take something out of you? If you continue tapering, will you get out of shape? How long can expenses continue to pile up? How long before the pilots and crew – including CNN’s Dr. Gupta in Diana’s case – start getting antsy and need to get on with their own lives and schedules?

It is a very tough position to be in.

But if anyone can find their inner strength – especially at the age of 60 – it is Diana who after her 24-hour training swim said, “I swear to you there was never … a one minute stretch that I didn’t feel strong, both emotionally and physically. I just powered my way through it.”

Stay tuned for Diana’s Score.

Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones