Want to be awed?

Any day now, 61-year-old Diana Nyad will get in the water and attempt to swim 103 miles from Cuba to Key West — a feat that’s expected to take about 60 hours. That means she’ll have to swim through two nights and three days, with no breaks. She’s certain she’s fit enough to make it, according to a recent story in the New York Times. “I feel strong, powerful, and endurance-wise, I’m fit,” Nyad told the Times.

All kinds of factors will come into play, most notably the weather and currents. She’s reportedly hoping for calm waters, and has a team of support people, including meteorologists, helping her pick the best day to dive in. You can follow her amazing story through her website, diananyad.com. She actually attempted the same swim in 1978, but bad weather stopped her short after nearly 42 hours in the water.

Totally unrelated: In a blog post earlier this week, I wrote about cookout safety and how to prevent food poisonings and fires when you’re grilling out. And I said I’d report back on whether charred foods — which, let’s face it,  make a lot of appearances at cookouts — are carcinogenic.

Here’s what the United States Department of Agriculture has to say about cookouts and cancer:

“Based on present research findings, eating moderate amounts of grilled meats like fish, meat, and poultry cooked—without charring—to a safe temperature does not pose a problem.”

But what if you char the food?

“Cut charred portions off the meat,” the USDA advises.

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