I've been keeping an eye on 62-year old marathon swimmer Diana Nyad's attempt to swim the 103 miles from Cuba to the United States. As I write this she's still going despite attacks by poisonous jellyfish. When I used to run I found it difficult to cover 10 kilometers during a road race with painful mosquito bites. Having some tiny experience of trying to increase my own stamina I find endurance feats like Nyad's astounding.

As it happens Derek Stillwater, Mark Terry's government operative, is crossing the Florida Straits in a kayak. He's been going since August 17 [DIRE STRAITS ] in a novella Mark has been serializing on his blog. It's great stuff. I guarantee if you read the first episode you'll be drawn in. Derek's stakes are a little higher, frankly, than Diana's, being survival following a mission to Cuba.