I met John Gayford last summer… he’s a great ol’ Aussie swimmer who joined LOST Swimming.  I liked him right away.  Like all Aussie’s he’s got lots of great sayings… one that stuck with me was when he was talking about our LOST gang… he said “I like your gang here, they’ve got a bit of spark to ‘em”… in his classic Crocodile Dundee accent.  I like that “a bit of spark to ‘em”… there’s worse ways to be described.  I also liked him for helping get a sailboat for my Lake O Crossing!  Great guy.

But I’m not here to talk about John… I’m here to talk about his wife, Jeanette Mayer… but I had to try and tie it into LOST Swimming somehow!  Anyway, I was over dropping something off for John at his house and walked around back to see if he was home… he wasn’t but his wife was.  And she was painting.  So I checked out some of the paintings she’d done… and they were awesome.  Really awesome. 

So naturally I wanted to help out somehow.  I said you have to get these out so more people can see them!  So I put her in touch with Brett and he’s been displaying a bunch of them at his coffee shop that we all go to after our runs and LOST Swims, “Bean There”.  I also put her in touch with Carl, another LOSTie and buddy who has a website development company, Hypeweb, (who set me up with this website!  See logo on the side!)… I’m not sure if she ended up using Hyperweb or not, but John just sent me an email to let me know that Jeanette’s paintings are now on the web!

So here is the link… take a look… I think you’ll agree, they really are great!

http://www.jeannettemayer-artist.ca/ 

Cheers,

Rob

So my new friend in Barbados, (always good to have friends in hot places!) Zary Evelyn, who has set up two new open water races there has also put something together with the government to bring in tourists!  I guess there are some advantages in being on a small island where you can actually talk with the government and work together to get things like this done!  Good work, Zary!

http://www.bookbarbadosnow.com/island-inclusive

If you stay on the island for 5 nights you get $300… and $400 for 7 nights!  Very cool.

So if you happen to be looking at going south, I’d be checking out Barbado’s… and feel free to contact Zary or his wife, Kristina… they are starting up a very LOST-esque open water swim scene down there and swim in the ocean almost every day… who wouldn’t! 

http://www.swimbarbadosvacations.com/index.php/enter-the-swim-races

Good work, Zary and Kristina!

Cheers,

Rob

Thanks for the shirt Darren! (although I didn’t know I’d be wearing it to soon!)

… and for my next trick… the Toronto Marathon. 

I had been running well in the first 4 races this year.  Had been.  A fast (for me) 1:42 Chilly Half Marathon in March… an even faster South Beach Half of 1:38… a fast and fun trail race in South Beach too… then a pretty quick 2:28 Around The Bay, 30k race also in March.  Problem is… that was March and this is May.  And a marathon is quite a bit longer.  And I think I fell off in my training.  And it was hot, 26C by the time we finished.

On the upside… I was holding the time I needed to qualify for Boston (3:25)… until about 30k… which, if you ask any experienced marathon runner, is when the marathon really starts.  I was holding 4:50 min/km or better until that point… then I started falling off… to 5:00 min/km’s… but the problem is, when the wheels fall off… they really fall off… and within no time I was holding 6:00 min/km… and then 7:00 min/km.  Not a pretty sight.  I finished… but that was about all you could say about that race… in a 3:54, in case you had a morbid curiousity. 

Oh, and the medals where huge!

So the lesson of the day was… just because you’ve been running well, doesn’t mean a thing… each day is new… and there is always a chance you can have your head handed to you… oh, and resting on ones laurels doesn’t help ones time either.

On the up side… open water swimming and triathlon season are almost here!

Congrats to all those that did the various distances at the Toronto and Mississauga Races! 

Double points for those that didn’t blow up!  ;-)

Below are the results of LOSTies and running friends… sorry if I missed anyone! 

Mississauga Marathon, 2013: Clara, Julia, Georgie, Ron, Ana, Alex, Bruce, Scott, Brian, Lambrina, Brett, Carla

(click to enlarge results)

LOST Race, 2010

As I mentioned, LOST Swimming registration is now open (under tab “How to be a LOST Swimmer”).  Officially this is the 8th season.  Time flies.

I look at where we started… which essentially was just me training for my English Channel attempt and having the same core group of buddies paddling beside me… the same group that you see plastered all over this website doing LOST swims, triathlons and marathons together.  In fact, our group has been training and racing together for over 15 years now.  And it’s always just been a bunch of friends looking to do a bit of running, cycling and swimming… and have a few beer-worthy adventures along the way!  The nice thing about LOST Swimming is just that it’s grown since then.

In fact, here are some stats that will give you an idea how much LOST has grown:

• we’ve grown from 1 member… to 154 last year!
• from 8 people in the first LOST Race… to 128 last year!
• from no website… to our 3rd year… and from 95,000 visits or 261 visits per day… to 235,000 visits and 634 visits per day in year two… to 481,557 or 1,319 visits per day over this past year!!!
• over 500 people from around the world receive the LOST updates!
• we hosted the 10k MSC National Championship
• we’ve had 3 LOSTies swim the new 42k LOST Route from Port Dalhousie to Oakville
• we’ve had 7 LOSTies attempt to swim Lake Ontario
• we’ve had 2 LOSTies swim around Manhattan Island
• we’ve had 1 solo and 1 relay in the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim
• we’ve had 1 swimmer in the USMS 25k National Championships
• we’ve had 1 swimmer complete the 28k Ederle Swim in NYC
• we’ve had 4 solo swimmers complete the 20k Swim Around Key West, and 2 relays
• we set a new record for number of people out for a single Saturday morning LOST swim last year at… 85!
• we had 15 triathletes compete as LOST Triathletes in  Ironman Louisville in 2009
• we had 14 triathletes compete as LOST Triathletes in Ironman Canada in 2011
• we’ve also had more individual short distance triathletes and Ironman train with LOST and represent LOST than I could count!  But we’re proud of each of them!
• and as a measurement of how many people have gotten into Lake Ontario because of LOST … LOSTies have bought 120 wetsuits from our sponsor Xterra in the past 2 years!
• and with the help of our new 12 person Board of Directors we have a lot more new events and ideas planned, including running our own Lake Ontario Crossings!
  

  A new LOST world record… 85 swimmers!

Not bad considering when I started swimming in Lake O… I had never-ever seen anyone swim in our beautiful Lake!  People thought I was crazy… maybe they were right… but at least I have a lot more company now!

The long and short of it… I hope to see you out for a dip this summer!

Cheers,

Rob

Okay a bit of parental bragging here… my daughter Maisey just signed with Bryant University in Rhode Island! 

(just as her big brother, Dylan, is coming home from the University of Maryland!)

She and I have been working on getting her a scholarship to US university for over 1 1/2 years!  I added up all the schools we looked at last night… to one degree or another, we looked at 74 universities!  Many of them approached her, some we approached, some she was accepted to, some made good athletic offers, some made good academic offers, some implied they would make offers, but made nothing at all.

Maisey Kent, Fastest “Naked Woman” 2009

She was accepted to 3 Canadian universities.  She applied and was accepted to U of Toronto, Guelph and Carlton.  Easy peasy.

But to find just the right school in the US is so much more difficult.  First of all, most schools will take you if you have decent marks… but getting one to pay you to go to their school is much harder. 

Secondly, we have about 40 universities in Canada… they have over 4,000 in the US. 

And thirdly, the variables are almost incalculable… you want: a good school… with a good swim team… who will give you a good amount of academic and or athletic money… in a nice city… that’s not too big or too small… or too remote… and it should have a guys team and a girls swim team… and you don’t want to be the fastest on the team or the slowest… with a decent pool and facilities… a good coach… and tight knit team… lots of seniors graduating is a good thing too so that they are looking for lots of freshmen… and do you early-sign or wait until spring… and hopefully in Maisey’s case, they are looking for a freestyle and backstroker… and a school that isn’t too expensive too start with… and allows “stacking” athletic and academic scholarships… and has the right level of SAT scores… and one that we can go visit and that she can come home to for holidays.  Oh and all of this has to be done within the very strict boundaries of the NCAA rules.  You get the idea.

Let’s just say it was tough and emotional… and to add a bit more drama, it came down to the day before the NLI (national letter of intent) expired… essentially Maisey had to make up her mind by April 30… and we didn’t get the final numbers from Bryant until April 29!

But to quote the famous line from Captain Mathew Webb, the first man to swim the English Channel, “nothing great is easy!”

Bryant is a small, beautiful and very modern and well funded school in Providence, Rhode Island.  It is 150 years old, but the founder of “Tupperware” is an alumni and he donated an entire campus… so it is almost all new, with the exception of a few old buildings they moved there.  (the mascot’s name is “Tupper”!) It has the 27 best business school in the US (Maisey is planning on taking International Business/Studies).  They have a great program that stresses balance and being well balanced.  They require students, if they are taking a liberal arts degree to minor in business… or if you are taking business to minor in liberal arts.  And Rhode Island, well, I’d never been there… but it is gorgeous.  In fact it looks a lot like old Oakville… or all the nice areas of Boston. 

Maisey and Rob… The Duel in The Lake! (2012)

It was the glass slipper that happened to fit Maisey perfectly.  And she was bouncing off the walls yesterday she was so excited! 

Just like when we all train for some big race, it’s nice to see when people are rewarded for their hard work… and it’s even better when it happens to your kids.  I’m just really happy for her.

Congrats Maisey!

Cheers,

The Proud Dad.

Darla’s first ride back! woohoo!

So triathlon season is pretty much here… finally!  There have been a few hard-core cyclists that have been out on the bike for weeks already… but I’m a bit of a fair weather cyclist… so our Sunday ride was my first of the season.  Actually on Saturday I put the pedals on my bike on Saturday, wiped off the cob-webs (literally), got rid of the gels taped to the top bar and pumped up the tires… as I hadn’t been on my bike, quite literally, since Ironman Canada… 20 months ago!

Triathlon Club of Burlington

Margaret, the President of the Tri Club of Burlington called Joanne to say they were going out for a nice, light ride… the first ride of the year… perfect… just what I needed to get me back on the bike.

But it wasn’t to get me back on the bike… it was to get Darla back on the bike!!!  Now you may not remember, but Darla, a dedicated LOSTie and fantastic person, was training for her first Ironman in Florida, ironically just a few weeks after our Ironman Canada race in 2011.  But tragedy struck.  During the race… she was hit by a car.  Really badly.  I won’t list all the injuries, but it was life threatening to say the least… but fortunately she made it through

Darla on a bright sunny day of LOST Swimming… Sept 16, 2011

the life threatening part… and started a very, very long and unpredictable recovery.  In fact, the last time I saw Darla was when she came out to the LOST Polar Bear dip… 16 months ago.  She was very proud then, because she could walk, just barely, and with double canes and only for a few minutes… but it was so great to see her up and out of the hospital after so many months. 

So to say this was a special ride was a bit of an understatement.  We went 24k, climbed a few good hills (Snake Road) and Darla was awesome.  She was understandably nervous and was worried she would be slowing us down… she didn’t.  Well, not me at least.  She did really well.  You wouldn’t have known she had had such a horrible accident at all.

I find people toss around the word “inspirational” too much these days… not every race that everyone does is inspirational… but let me tell you… Darla and her amazing comeback… that is inspirational.  Makes me want to get out on the bike more too.

Great to be back in the saddle… for Darla… and for everyone!

Thanks Darla.  See you soon… out for a LOST swim too!

Cheers,

Rob

White breaks 32-year-old swim record!

Eclipsing Baumann’s 1981 medley mark part of six-record month for OAK swimmer

When Andrew Ford touched the wall first to win the 200-metre individual medley earlier this month at the Canadian World Championship Trials, he secured a spot on the national team.

The second swimmer to touch, Oakville’s Evan White, may have accomplished something even more impressive. White may not have earned a spot on the world championship team but he did break one of Canada’s longest-standing records.

His time of the two minutes, 2.38 seconds eclipsed a long course 15-17 age group mark that had been on the books for 32 years. How long is that? Well, for starters, it was 15 years before White was born. It was seven Prime Ministers ago. When the record was set, there were only two Star Wars movies — Luke didn’t even know Darth Vader was his father.

Equally as impressive was who set that record in 1981 — Alex Baumann, who three years later would set the world record in the event on his way to one of his two Olympic golds in Los Angeles.

“I know he’s a gold medalist,” White said. “And I know he’s a legend for Canadian swimmers.”

White locked his focus on the record of 2:02.78 after earning a silver medal with a time of 2:04.30 at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in January. Knowing he wasn’t shaved or fully tapered, White knew he was capable of more.

After qualifying sixth at the world trials, White delivered the swim he knew he had in him, taking four-tenths of a second off Baumann’s mark, which was the oldest record in the country among swimmers 15 and older.

This past weekend, the Grade 11 student at Iroquois Ridge added his name to the record books again, at the aptly named BDO National Record Challenge in Owen Sound. White shattered the short-course 200m IM record of two-time Olympian Tobias Oriwol. White’s time of 1:58.26 cut more than a second off the decade-old record.

“It was a little faster than even he really thought he could do,” said Oakville Aquatics Club coach Sean Baker. “It was a pretty big jump, but he had been working toward that since the world championship trials.

That capped a meet in which he had already added his name to the record books twice. White and his OAK teammates established new marks in 4x50m freestyle relay and the 4x50m medley relay.

David Whiteside, Gamal Assaad and Bryce Kwiecien-Delaney joined him to shave .05 off the freestyle relay record with a time of 1:33.17.

“We were biting our fingernails on that one,” Baker said.

With Matthew Mac replacing Whiteside for the medley relay, the fingernails got a reprieve as the OAK team took almost a full second off the record, finishing in 1:42.70.

Those two records, coupled with two freestyle relays set at the world championship trials, gives OAK eight of the 10 national relay marks in the boys 15-17 age group.

White and Kwiecien-Delaney have been a part of all eight while Assaad has been on seven of them. Whiteside, Omar Mahmoud Afara (three each), Peter Serles, Mac and Mitchell Gour (one each) have also contributed to OAK’s rewriting of the record book.

“It’s pretty fun. It’s a bunch of us, guys who have been together and moved up through the ranks together,” he said. “We’re all good friends and we’re pretty tight. We’re all working hard and pushing each other.”

Baker said it doesn’t take much to motivate White. “He’s always pushed himself,” Baker said. “He’s willing to do what we ask him to and he rarely, if ever, misses practice.”

White began with swimming lessons but showed a knack for it and his instructor suggested swimming competitively. He started at the age of nine but didn’t immediately set the world on fire.

“I was pretty average. I don’t think I was amazing or anything,” White said. “I just worked hard and got better.”

White is now representing his countries at international junior meets — he’ll travel to Spain and France for meets this summer but high-profile meets at home will also keep him busy. He’ll compete at summer nationals and age group nationals and is one of six OAK swimmers to qualify for the Canada Summer  Games, where he’ll swim four individual events.

White says what he enjoys about swimming is that what you put into it, is what you get out of it.

“I enjoy the racing and seeing that your hard work pays off,” he said. “There’s not any luck involved.”

And having seen members of his club excel at the university level and make it to the world championships and the Olympics, it only motivates him to work that much harder. It makes him think about following in the wake of not only the Olympians from his club, but of those whose records he is now breaking.

“It’s pretty much always on my mind,” the 17-year-old said. “It’s one of my goals.”

—Follow regional sports reporter Herb Garbutt on Twitter, @herbgarbutt

Kim just dropped me an email to pass you on to you all about the first viewing of the documentary they have been making about her!  For those of you who don’t know Kim, she and her father are legendary in Lake Ontario marathon swimming history!

http://openwaterpedia.com/index.php?title=Kim_Lumsdon

http://openwaterpedia.com/index.php?title=Cliff_Lumsdon

She’s swum Lake O twice before… and is going to give it another go this summer!  Which would make her the oldest woman to cross (56)… going after current record holder (54), and fellow LOSTie… Colleen Shields! (who has also swum it twice!… and is putting together a relay swimming the length of Lake O this summer!).

Name: Against the Tide
Date: May 30, 2013
Time: 9:30 pm
Location: Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 506 Bloor Street West

The film is called “Open Water” and it is the first film screening in that program

Contact: Debora at:  dfoster@ryerson.ca

PS.  a special “shout out” to another friend… from Jersey (the real Jersey… not New Jersey!) who also is also a 56 year old female marathon swimmer of much renown… Sally Minty Gravitt!  http://openwaterpedia.com/index.php?title=Sally_Anne_Minty-Gravett Sal will attempt to do a double crossing of the English Channel!!!  Only a very small number of people in the world have ever done a double… and like Kim… she’s going to the age record too!  And in case all this wasn’t coincidental enough… they are even going on the same dates!

Good luck Kim and Sal!!!  Let’s hope for flat water all around the world in July!!!

Cheers,

Rob

Here we go!!!  The first sign of spring… LOST registration is open!  It’s so cool that Melanie and I have already been inundated with lots of emails about when LOST Swimming and registration will start, (June 1st or so… but don’t worry… I’ll let you know!) which put the pressure on me to get my act together and formalize the changes and get the registration done too!

The registration can be found under the “How to be a LOST Swimmer” tab above.

We’ve made a few changes this year too:

1. I’ve formally created a 12 member LOST Board of Directors, to give an official title to all the people that have been helping me for years… to get more opinions and ideas in the mix… and to keep on strengthening and growing LOST Swimming! So your new Board of Directors are: Rob Kent, Joanne Kent, Melanie Price, Bill Johnson, Alex Mcmillin, Madhu Nagaraja, Joe Allan, Lynn Delathouwer Rodgers, Stacey Van Wart, Jenn Strang, John Strang and Darren Osborne!
2. We are no longer a MSO team (Masters Swimming Ontario)… no hard feelings, but the cost of belonging to MSO was just too expensive and many of the non-safety related rules and regulations related to the LOST Race were not open water swimming friendly.  So we’ve found our own insurance provider that will cover more events… for
   

   Melanie’s Lake O Crossing

   less money.  So guess what that means?… the cost for the LOST Race has gone down significantly.  As I’ve always said… my goal with LOST swimming was never about making money, I just love open water swimming and would like to see it grow… and it’s just more fun to swim and train with other like-minded swimmers and triathletes! 

3. Our new insurance will cover: LOST Swimming, The LOST Race, other LOST events and swims (Polar Bear Dip, Blue Moon Swim, etc)… and Lake O Crossings!!!  We have decided that we will start conducting Lake O Crossings along the 42.2 km, LOST Route from Port Dalhousie to Oakville… the route that Melanie, Madhu and I have swum over the past 2 years!  This is a big undertaking that the Board is excited… we are also going to supply the boats that we require and the swim masters… a one stop shop… more like what is done in the English Channel and at other marathon swims around the world.  Lots more to come on this… but drop me an email if you are interested!
4. You get a LOST swim cap with registration this year!  Last year they cost $5, but we can afford to do this with the less expensive insurance… and can plow any extra money back into the club too!  One of the regulars actually came up with this idea to change
   

   LOST Swim Cap

   the cap colors each year… to keep out bandits!  Hey, it’s not fair if some have to pay then everyone should have to pay!  Think of how much you pay for all the clubs and equipment and races you pay for… and I think you will find that $40 is about the best value going!  Oh yeah… and the other great idea that one of the board members came up with, was to do like they do at BMSC, put your first name on your cap… so everyone gets to know each other’s name… friendly is good… especially if you are as bad at remembering 150 names as I am!  And besides, if everyone has their name on their cap, then no one stands out as looking too dorky!

Lots more info to come as the season approaches, but time to start getting your head into open water swimming!  (the Lake is still a little too chilly to be getting much more than your mind into it now though… but soon you’ll be able to get your whole body in!… it’s about 40F / 5C right now!)

Cheers,

Rob

So if you have 10 minutes to kill… my new friends and documentary film makers, Katie Jones, Christa Morrison and Jonathan Jackson made this.

It’s about ultra running… and features Carla Miceli, Richard Takata and… you guessed it… yours truly!  Carla and Richard are great runners… and they even did a great job making me look like a runner!  Thanks Katie, Christa and Jonathan!

Enjoy…

Cheers,

Rob

So last fall I got a call from someone I’d never met, asking me about open water swimming.  Not that unusual, LOST swimming has become quite well known in the world of open water swimming, so I get calls and emails pretty regularly… the interesting twist was that this guy wanted to start a race right here in Toronto and wanted to know how to do it!!!

His name is Steve Hulford and he and his swimming partner had been swimming out at the Toronto Islands last year and discovered… low and behold… that Lake O is actually a great place to swim!  And they thought it might be cool to start a race there!

Steve also happens to have two useful qualifications to just that… he’s a good swimmer, having swum for U of T, back a few years ago… and he’s a pretty entrepreneurial guy.  Just what is needed to build something like this.  So he and I went out for coffee a few times, chatted and emailed a bunch… and then he disappeared for a while… and recently surfaced with this:

Looks great… good work guys!!!  You can count me and a lot of LOSTies in!

PS.  We are even looking at tying a few races together to make an open water series right here in Ontario!  More to come!

Cheers,

Rob

So I was thinking about trying to add a “forum” on to this website… a place where marathon swimmers could chat about, well… marathon swimming.  But this website wouldn’t support it too well… and besides no need to re-invent the wheel… one already exists!

Last year a couple of guys I know in the marathon swimming world did just what I was thinking of doing, starting a marathon swimmers forum… and guess what they called it… the “Marathon Swimmers Forum”! 

Good work Evan Morrison!… he’s also a pretty knowledgeable guy… he’s one of the top marathon swimmers out there!  Amongst many other things, he won the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim that is in the other post I just put up!  http://openwaterpedia.com/index.php?title=Evan_Morrison

Just click on the logo on the right hand side of this page entitled “Marathon Swimmers Forum” and it will take you there (like all those logos!).  I’ve been a member for a while… it’s a great site and lots of useful and interesting information about races, swims, training, etc. 

So go forth and chat… and tell them you are a LOSTie!

Cheers,

Rob

Tampa Bay Marathon Swim

Last year I swam the classic 24 mile “Tampa Bay Marathon Swim” that my friend Ron Collins puts on… it’s a great race!  People literally come from all over the world to do it, there aren’t huge numbers, because oddly, not that many people can race 24 miles, but he usually gets 20 – 30 swimmers, plus relays!

I swam it solo and LOSTie, Ted Gregory, swam it on a 6 person relay with a gaggle of girls… luckiest 72 year old around!  Last year a huge lightning storm rolled in about three quarters of the way through the race… and we all got pulled… unfortunately.  It really sucked, because at 6 1/2 hours through the race I was feeling good and was doing quite well.  Having said that… that is the nature of our sport… that’s what makes marathon swimming tougher than other ultra distance running and cycling events… mother nature plays a much bigger role in your swim!

2012… This was just the start of it…

This year I’ve been doing more running and although I’d like to go back and tick that box, it’ll have to be another year, but my pal Ted went back with the ladies to get it done… and guess what… mother nature dealt them a crappy hand again!  No big electrical storm… just really rough water!  An unusually high percentage didn’t finish… including Ted’s team.  Tough break pal!

Tampa Bay Marathon Swim, 2012… it was rough even before the storm!

Some consolation though, the 6 that did complete it were pretty decent swimmers… including one Olympian… who came second!  Tough crowd… literally!  Congrats!

Check out Ron’s race report and the results:

Chelsea Nauta Claims Victory At The Tampa Bay Marathon Swim

Six Swimmers out of a Field of Eighteen Starters Battle Wind and Waves to Complete a 24 Mile Swim of the Length of Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay, Florida – Tampa native Chelsea Nauta was able to fight through swells and a strong headwind to become the Overall Champion at the 16th Annual Tampa Bay Marathon Swim. The three-time FHSAA Swimmer of the Year and USA National Team member was able to finish the swim in 10 hours, 7 minutes to hold off Olympian Brooke Bennett who finished only 4 minutes later.

The Men’s Champion was Chris Burke, 51 of St. Petersburg, FL, who completed the course in 12 hours, 16 minutes. He was able to out-duel his friend and training partner, Dr. Mark Smitherman of Clearwater, FL who came to the finish line in 12 hours, 33 minutes.One relay team of six swimmers, NC State of Mind,  turned in the quickest time of the day, posting a time of 10 hours, 2 minutes. Starting at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and ending on the Courtney Campbell Causeway in Tampa, the race was held on Saturday, April 20th in celebration of Earth Day and the revitalization of Florida’s largest estuary.

Official Results

10 hours, 7 minutes – Chelsea Nauta, 24F, Brandon, FL
10 hours, 11 minutes – Brooke Bennett, 32F, Clearwater, FL
12 hours, 16 minutes – Chris Burke, 51M, St. Petersburg, FL
12 hours, 33 minutes – Mark Smitherman, 55M, Clearwater, FL
13 hours, 37 minutes – Sergio Salamone, 45M, Buenos Aires, Argentina
14 hours, 37 minutes – Ann von Spiegelfeld, 51F, Tampa, FL

10 hours, 2 minutes – NC State of Mind Relay Team
Patrick Woodruff, 29M, Durham, NC
Kelly Woodruff, 27F, San Diego, CA
Mary Robbins, 28F, Durham, NC
Greg Sanchez, 55M, Cary, NC
Jack Roney, 25M, Fuquay-Varina, NC
Sarah Sanchez, 15F, Cary, NC

Tampa Bay Marathon Swim route… swimming south to north.

Since this event was first staged in 1998, it has drawn competitors from across the United States, Great Britain, Guatemala, Italy, Australia, Japan, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Germany, India, Canada, and the Cayman Islands.he Tampa Bay Marathon Swim is possible because of the conservation efforts of people like the Earth Day Network.  Please take a moment to look at their message below to learn about other Earth Day celebrations world-wide. 

Cheers,

Rob

 Here is a picture of happier times at the Boston Marathon… the day before the race. 

Kind of cool, our group and another group of running friends from Oakville, Connor’s Runners (in orange), all met up for this picture! 

The story below from the ”Huffington Post” is about Chris Kavanagh, who is a good friend who Joanne and I have run with when we trained with Steve Connor’s group a couple of years ago.  Chris is the one in the front holding up the picture of the Oakville Beaver.  Glad you are safe Chris!

The LOST Runners and Connor’s Runners at the Boston Marathon, 2013. Connor’s Runners are in orange (click to enlarge)

Canadian At Boston Marathon Recalls Bomb Close Call

 http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/04/16/canadian-at-boston-marathon_n_3094677.html

The LOST Runners and Connor’s Runners at the Boston Marathon, 2013. Connor’s Runners are in orange (click to enlarge)

 

Oakville runners, their friends and family, hold a copy of the Oakville Beaver prior to the start of the 2013 Boston Marathon Monday. Hours later, the streets of Boston became a bloodbath after two bombs detonated near the finish line. Oakville residents recount the horror to Oakville Beaver Sports Editor Jon Kuiperij.

 

http://www.insidehalton.com/community/OAKVILLEBEAVER

 

OAKVILLE — Though approximately 850 kilometres separate Oakville and Boston, many local residents were at the centre of Monday’s deadly bombing attack of the Boston Marathon.

Forty-two Oakville runners were registered as participants in the world’s oldest annual marathon, while some of their family members and friends were among the half a million spectators who lined the Boston streets to watch the race.

Fortunately, according to Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, no Canadians were killed or injured by the explosions that killed three — including an eight-year-old boy — and hurt more than one hundred others.

But the bombings made for a frantic and stressful few hours for members of Oakville’s running community as they waited to hear from friends, relatives and teammates.

“It’s just about as disturbing and frustrating to be here than be there, because all of my buddies are there,” Rob Kent, a three-time Boston Marathon competitor who did not participate in this year’s event, said Monday afternoon.

“You try to figure out what emotions are coming over you. It’s just very disturbing and upsetting. I don’t know whether it’s the right emotion to feel, but it just makes me very angry.”

Steve Connor, a local chiropractor who heads a marathon training group called ‘Connor’s Runners’, spent Monday afternoon checking emails and Facebook messages between appointments.

“Everything’s been chaos, but everyone’s accounted for. Anyone who had a spouse or family there watching has checked in as well,” said Connor, who knew 19 participants in the race.

There were certainly some close calls.

According to results posted on the Boston Marathon website, eight of the 42 Oakville runners completed the 42-kilometre course less than 15 minutes before the first bomb exploded near the finish line approximately four hours and 10 minutes into the race. Chris Kavanagh was the closest, finishing in a time of 4:08:13.

“I crossed the finish line and within seconds, I turned with the blast and then the second blast,” said the 62-year-old Kavanagh, a self-employed sales consultant. “There was so much grey smoke, you really couldn’t see much of anything. That’s how much smoke there was. I truly thought it was a gas main that had gone off… it didn’t even occur to me that it would be a terrorist act.”

Connor’s Runners teammate Mariellen Glover, a Burlington resident, crossed the line shortly after Kavanagh.

“I had just passed the pad and was under the John Hancock (sign) when the first explosion happened. I turned around and saw the second explosion. They flattened the metal fences and advised the runners just to move,” Glover said in an email Connor forwarded to the Beaver.

“It was a little surreal. People were crying. I had one guy beside me as we got our water and medal who was praying. But everyone is safe and sound.”

Kavanagh’s wife, Mary Jo, was approximately a kilometre from the finish line. It took her nearly an hour and a half to get to the family waiting area and discover that Chris was okay. Cellphone networks in the area had been shut down, as had the airport and subway.

“The city was truly in lockdown,” Chris said. “It was amazing how quickly the authorities responded to the event.”

Others had finished the race well before the bombs went off but were still in the proximity.

Kent, the founder of the Lake Ontario Swim Team (LOST), received an email from a LOST member (Kent chose not to disclose his or her name) detailing how close they were to being in harm’s way.

“(A runner) and myself were about 150 metres away on our way to collect our medals,” the email read. “We’re still very shaken!!!” Is everyone in our group okay?”

Elite wheelchair racer Josh Cassidy, a Sheridan College graduate who lived in Oakville several years ago before moving out of the area, finished the race approximately two-and-a-half hours before the explosions. He was sitting in a restaurant close to the finish line when he heard the bombs go off.

“No one was sure what it was at first, but I got a gut feeling it wasn’t good… and I put down my fork cause I couldn’t eat,” Cassidy said in a release. “Sure enough, moments later you could hear the commotion outside, and out the window were people running from the finish line area, across the street.

“I wasn’t afraid at all myself, more just really sad seeing others in fear,” he added.

“The marathon store I had just been to (the previous night) to pick up my racing top… was in front of the explosion and had its windows blown in. Hoping the awesome and friendly staff are all okay… Seeing the people running and hearing the screams on the replay was just horrible. Hard keeping back tears for those visibly really emotionally or physically damaged.”

The Boston Marathon is the centerpiece of Boston’s celebration of Patriots’ Day, a civic holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The Boston Red Sox also play a home game each year on Patriots’ Day that begins at 11 a.m. at Fenway Park.

Former Oakville Buzz junior B lacrosse player Mark White, his parents, Mike and Susan, and friends Matt Gulliver and Tyler Malenfont attended Monday’s Red Sox win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The group then headed to Quincy Market, a tourist area within a mile of the marathon’s finish line.

“We actually went right by the finish of the Boston Marathon and continued on to Quincy and went in to have lunch,” said White, now a student at the University of Southern Maine. “You could actually hear the explosions. No one knew what it was, so nobody thought anything of it. Then somebody said something of a bomb, the restaurant threw on the news and everyone was in awe watching everything go down.

“Then the news mentioned that if you’re in a touristy spot, you should get out of there because I guess there were tips there were other bombs in the area. So we were like ‘let’s get out of here now’ and tried to scurry out of there as quickly as possible.

“It was tough to get a cab, but we finally did get one. They shut down the train station, so we took the bus back to Portland (Maine).”

“Being in a high-tourist area like Quincy (Market)/Faneuil Hall was unnerving, hearing the sirens, and seeing everyone glued to their (mobile devices) made us think we were at risk,” Susan added in an email. “It was surreal… A day that began as a chance to experience Fenway and other areas of Boston ended in such tragedy.”

Kavanagh said the bombings wouldn’t be enough to deter him and other runners from attempting to qualify for next year’s event.

“That was my second time, and I can’t wait for my third. I’m just more determined to go back. Boston is a great, great city, and I just need to be part of it again,” he said.

“It’s a world-class event that has traditionally been offered and run as a very small-town situation. It’s very folksy, everything is just so fantastic. It’s likely some of that will change from a standpoint of security, but that’s precisely the reason why I’m sure I’m not alone in saying I’m determined to go back.

“You can’t let these horribly tragic, terrible events dictate our world. You cannot justify cowardice. There is no explanation for it.

“I can tell you once again, above all else, I felt and continue to feel fortunate to be there, to have been there,” he concluded. “But I feel more fortunate and happy to be someone who lives in Oakville.”

The Boston Globe has just reported over the news wires just minutes ago that “There have been 2 large explosions at the finish of the Boston Marathon”… also “The Boston Marathon headquarters have been locked down”… and “There are multiple injuries at the scene”.

“Hi All,  crazy crazy things happening in Boston, but we wanted to let everyone know we are all safe.  Very scary time and very upsetting. ”…….. Alex

“We are all okay but a few friends finished just as the bombs went off so they are very traumatized and shaken up.”     Lambrina

“Ana, Mark and myself are all ok.  Ana and I were about 150m away on the way to collect our medals.  We’re still very shaken!!!  Is everyone in our group ok?”    Clara

“You can see on the TV coverage a huge Canada flag on the 4th floor, 4 doors down from the explosion – that’s my flag and my room that I was in when it happened.  I’m sick to my stomach about this”.     Freddie

That’s horrible… unbelievable.  I hope everyone is okay, especially all our friends.

Here are the results of the friends we have running it.  Looks like most of the people I know have finished… but lots of injuries to other people… I think.  Horrible.  This was supposed to be good news about how well everyone did.  I’m shocked…

Monday, April, 08, 2013 – 3:03:22 PM

Submitted photo

Colleen Shields

By Eamonn Maher

Staff writer

Local resident Colleen Shields is going to take another run at crossing Lake Ontario this summer, except this time she’s approaching it from a different angle.

And the 61-year-old won’t be swimming alone in an attempt that’s never been completed before – crossing the late horizontally – a treacherous 305-km trek from Kingston to Burlington.

Shields, who stands as the oldest woman to cross Lake Ontario from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Toronto, will embark from Kingston on July 23 as part of a five-woman relay team that is raising money in support of Plan International’s “Because I am a Girl” campaign.

Rebekah looking pretty good after Crossing Lake O! 2011

Joining Shields are three other women who’ve successfully crossed Lake Ontario before, 47-year-old Nicole Mallette of Hamilton, Samantha Whiteside, 23, from New Hamburg and Markham teenager Rebekah Boscariol and another 18-year-old, Mona Sharari, of Richmond Hill, who conquered the English Channel last summer.

Shields said someone came up with the idea for the relay fundraiser after her attempt to make the 51-km crossing of Lake Ontario last September came up about 10 kms short of the finish line at Toronto’s Marilyn Bell Park. She successfully crossed the lake in 1990 and 2006.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 (above: the finish of Nicole Mallette’s Lake O Crossing in 1997)

“We’re all very aware about how difficult this is going to be but we’re all excited because nobody has done it before,” said Shields, a Mississauga-based travel agent.

“We’re checking with the Guinness Book of World Records to see if this is qualifies as the longest open water swim. We still have some things to put together, like looking for boats that will accompany us during the swim and if we could find a houseboat, that would be awesome. We’re calling it Because Girls Can and I think that the Because I’m a Girl movement is a wonderful organization and a great charity. We’re aiming to raise well over $100,000 and I think we can do it with corporate sponsorships and other donations.”

The women have set up a Facebook page called Because Girls Can Relay to provide updates and more information leading up to the event.

This just in from our own LOSTie and photo buff, Bruce:

“These specimens are making a break for it from Lake O, up the Humber River (beats 16 mile creek!). What did they see that we’ve missed? Minutes from Bloor and Jane. Go figure!”

… and my response to that would be: ”Now that truly is swimming uphill… I’d definitely rather swim up 16 Mile Creek!”

Cheers,

Rob

Easter Run, 2013

… okay, technically it was Good Friday… but we’ll call it the Easter Run anyway.  Just the usual suspects out for a nice 9k run.  A good hard run… and coffee with the gang after… sometimes it’s the simple things in life.

Officer Rick and the Chicks… apparently there is something about a man in uniform… how else can you explain all the women around Rick?!

Here’s to hoping we’ll have the LOST Swimming gang in this very same coffee shop warming up on a Saturday morning after a freezing cold morning dip in the Lake… in just a few weeks!

Just nice to have such a good bunch ‘o friends.

Cheers,

Rob

More running races!  I know, I know, this is supposed to be all about open water swimming… but also triathlon… and therefore running too!  Besides that’s what we do… and Lake O is only about 37F right now!… still a bit nippy, so we’ll have to do a bit of running to stay in shape for the swim season!

Anyway a large group of us did the 119th Annual Around-The-Bay race on Sunday!  A bit of history and trivia on the race for those of you who don’t know it:

- the tag line is “Older Than Boston”… (on the back of all the shirts!) the Boston Marathon that is, which started in 1897… 3 years after ATB… which makes the ATB the oldest running race in North America!

- why is it 30k and not the standard 42.2 k / 26.2 mile marathon distance?  Because when this race started there was no such thing as a marathon!  There were only long distance races of various lengths… and although the marathon was in the first Olympics in 1896 (2 years after the first ATB race!), the distance varied until the 1924 Olympics when it became the current distance.

With a history like that and how well it is put on… it has become a true classic… compared to any race.  One of the nice things is that it starts and finishes in the Copps Colesium… and given that you never know what the weather is going to be like this time of year… we’ve run this race in the sun, wind, rain, snow… it’s nice to start and finish indoors and the arena makes it awesome!

Kind of cool that a non-standard distance race like this is also the biggest race in the area/Ontario… even compared with all the marathons around!  (about 7000 runners!… plus the relays… and for a benchmark, 2:59:50 was the average time)

Oh yeah… and it’s tough.  Ironically, it is built a lot like the Boston Marathon.  It tricks you and urges you to go out too hard, with a nice gentle downhill for the first 10k.  Then flat for the next 9k or so… then you get your head handed to you when you hit the hills.  First just a challenging set of rollers… then at 27k (and that’s key), you get the hill Valley Inn Road… which is a helluva lot harder than Heartbreak Hill!

So the long and short of it is… Congrats to all the runners!  The weather was perfect this year and it was a good day for a run!  And of course… a couple of pints after at the Gown & Gavel for 45 thirsty LOST Runners!

Here are the results I spotted in the official results of LOSTies and locals that I recognized… appologies to whoever I missed! (click to enlarge any pic!)

And here are some random pics… thanks Jackie!

Kirsti… having too much fun… oh, wait… this was before the hills!

Ya… everyone still had a grin on their face at 18k… even Melanie!

Rick doing his hometown race! (nice heel strike Rick… we’ve got to get you some Newton’s!)

Peter Rabbit… slumming it as the Pace Rabbit for the 2:20 crowd!

And this one has nothing to do with the race, except everyone’s favorite cousin, “Cousin Al”, showed me it in the pub after… of him racing pro SuperCross… 25 years ago… no wonder he’s so good on the bike!… ah, glory days… and hey, the chicks dig it!

Cheers,

Rob

So it already seems like a distant memory, but we went to Florida for March Break… and had a great time!

Check out the LOST jersey… it’s been around!

A bit of fun for everyone… we flew into Miami on the Friday and stayed in South Beach.  We took Maisey and Jillian out for dinner along the famous strip in South Beach… and, how can I put this, it was “alive” with characters!  First it was South Beach… second it was March Break!  Let’s just say there was a lot going on… and a wide variety of “cultures” there!  There was the very easy to spot gay crowd, the muscle shirts and short-shorts give it away, mind you so did the short skirts… there was the equally easy to spot drunk college kids… and if you get off the main drag (no pun intended), which we accidentally did, it turns into a pretty rough crowd too.  If you like people watching, which my 3 girls do… there aren’t many places in the world with a more interesting view!

Jo’s big finish on the Beach! (a 1:56, but who’s counting!)

So we had fun out on the strip… but had to get to bed in our (very) little and nice South Beach art deco boutique hotel.  If you notice, one of the “cultures” that I didn’t mention above was the running crowd… we didn’t see a single runner-type out the night before.  It was kind of weird because when you go to a big marathon or Ironman the athletes take over the town… here… we didn’t even make a dent.  The race started at 6:15, to avoid the heat (not that there was any!), so around 5:30, in the total dark we made our way the half a block to the starting line, right on the beach.  The interesting thing we saw in that half a block included guys peeing in the bushes (and not before the race… still staggering home from the night before… and I do mean staggering!), guys puking in the bushes, guys passed out in the bushes and quite literally under bus benches… apparently we missed a good one the night before!

South Beach… a nice break from the endless winter back home!

Anyway, we found the starting line… and low and behold there really were some athletes in town!  In fact there was 2005 runners in the Half Marathon, ironically quite a bit fewer than the Chilly Half Marathon we had run 6 days earlier with 2837 runners in it!  (way to go Chilly!)  I must admit, we did feel a bit more at home with the running crowd

As for the race itself, it was awesome.  Both Jo and I had great races, Jo went from a less than stellar 2:01 the week earlier at Chilly, to a 1:56, putting her 10/66 in her age group.  I had had a very good Chilly Half a few days earlier, doing a 1:42… but found a girl who I never spoke to once during the race, but she and I raced elbow to elbow for about 11 of the 13.1 miles, before she pulled about 100m ahead at the end!  I ended up doing a 1:38… and finished 119/2005 overall… and 12/155 in my age group… a great race for me!

Okay, it was only 8:00 am in South Beach… but it was 5 o’clock somewhere!

I definitely would recommend the race.  Spectacular location and good course.  Although the weather was warmer than the Chilly Half, it was a hillier course… actually it was pancake flat, but you have to climb 4 bridges over the causeway to and from the island, but generally a fast course.  And the beer tent opened at 8:00 am!  That has to be the earliest I’ve ever had a beer after a race!… but yes, I had it.  And Joanne’s.  And then you are in South Beach for the rest of the day!

South Beach… with the whole ocean to myself!

PS.  I did manage to get a swim in too!  And I had lots of room… in fact, on the entire huge and beautiful length of South Beach… I was the only one in the water!  It was pretty chilly (68F on land, but probably about 70F in the water!)… and there was a huge surf… in fact there was 2 flags up on the lifeguard towers… one for high surf… and one for “aquatic life”!  I talked with the lifeguard and he said it was because of jellyfish?… but that seemed odd to me, because as far as I know they don’t come up when the water is rough… anyway I didn’t get stung… and didn’t see any other “aquatic life” either!  It was a lot of fun swimming about 1 km through the breakers though!

Cheers,

Rob

… so after the Miami Half Marathon on Saturday morning… we went back to the room and woke up Jillian and Maisey… went for a great breakfast… and did what everyone wants to do after a good hard race… spent the rest of the day shopping (just shoot me)… but it was everyone’s vacation, so I sucked it up and went along.

Up and at ‘em… another day, another race start in the dark!

The next morning though, dad got even… everyone had agreed to do a “fun race”… and the four of us did the “Down 2 Earth, Oleta Trail Run”.  Essentially it was a trail race in a state park about 10k north of Miami where we had just done the half the day before, so it wasn’t even out of the way.  I knew you could do the 5k, 10k or 21k races, as it was 5k loops but other than that, I didn’t really know much about it.  I had just looked up on the internet to see if there was going to be any races on while we were in town… you may not know this about me, but I love racing!

My girls… well, they don’t love racing as much as me… but like me with the shopping, they sucked it up and went along.  Maisey and Jill are great swimmers… runners, not so much.  Jo was a little apprehensive about doing another race right after our second half marathon in 6 days… but they are unfortunate enough to have to travel with someone who isn’t smart enough to know better!

The Podium Girls… and some guy photo-bombing the shot…

So the 3 girls decided to do the 5k trail race… I went with my motto “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth over-doing”… go for my 3rd half marathon in 7 days!

So trail races can be anything and I have to say this one was probably the most fun trail race I’ve ever done!  It was single track, only one reasonable hill per 5k loop and the rest was the most technical trail race I’ve ever run!  It was fantastic!  All I kept thinking about was how much the running gang at home would love this race!  It was through real jungle… trees only a couple feet apart the whole way, very hard to pass anyone, and up and down and left and right all the way… constant turning, jumping, roots, logs, ditches, dry river beds… I even did a nice face plant once, but I knew that was coming!  Regardless, it was a lot of fun!

It was so unlike the race the day before, this race you never really “opened it up”, you just set a pace and ran through the jungle!  There ended up being a girl running right behind me, she and I were running at a comfortable chatting speed for the whole race, we had a great time… funny thing is, I got to know all about her and she was only about 4 feet behind me for the whole race… but the trail was so narrow and technical, there was no point when she was beside me… so I never knew what she looked like!  Just kinda strange to have this great chat and never see who you are talking too!

10k finish… okay, I bailed on the 3rd Half Marathon in 7 days!

So coming into the end of second loop, I told my new friend that although I loved the race and was doing fine, I was feeling kind of guilty about making the girls wait while I did 3 more laps than them and if they were there I was going to bail out.  Sure enough Maisey, Jill and Joanne were at the finish/turn around cheering me in!  So I cut out… it was a very casual race and we got to know the race director very well, about the friendliest, most hyper-active Philipino guy you would ever want to meet… who was so proud of his race and genuinely enjoyed seeing everyone come out and have fun running through the jungle!  The similarity between him and myself didn’t go unnoticed and he loved the fact that “a family that runs together, stays together”!  Naturally, I told him all about LOST!

And they are off… thanks to our gracious, friendly (and hyper) host!

And the funny thing about Maisey, Jill and Joanne… they all LOVED the race!  And they all did REALLY well!  Maisey was the second female overall, Jill was 5th and Joanne was 6th! Jillian would have even finished higher, but she got lost!  The best line of the day was when the three of them started out together and Jillian took off like a shot and Maisey turned to Joanne and said “can she even run 5k?”.  Turns out she could.  Good thing dad twisted their arms to get them all in the race!  What a great day!

Maisey 2nd, Jill 5th and Jo 6th… nice showing for Team Kent… 3 of the top 6 spots!

The race is run several times per year, and they even race mountain bikes on the course too, so if you are ever down in Miami, do look it up… it was awesome!

PS.  I won’t bore you with the rest of the trip… but there was something for everyone… we drove from Miami to Naples to see Grandma and Grandpa Kent (that many of you know from the LOST Race!)… then we went to Orlando to Harry Potter Land in Universal Studios… the girls are HUGE Harry Potter fans!  And a good time was had by all!

With G&G in Naples… see we do have clothes without race logos on them!

Maisey and Jillian in Harry Potter Land! “The Best Day Ever!!!” (ya, they’re still little kids!)

All aboard the Hogwart’s Express!

Cheers,

Rob

… and there we have it… the first race of 2013 is under our belts!  The classic Chilly Half Marathon! 

And it lived up to it’s name… it was chilly… I don’t know exactly, call it -6C with windchill… making it around -10C or so!  Not the coldest one I’ve run, but not the warmest either.  The main concern after a week of rain, snow, melting and cold was what the footing was going to be like… and we lucked out there, it was fine!

Not much spectacular to report except that I think most people had a good race… and fun after the race!  I did the same time as in 2009, so after a year off running last year (to train for my Lake O Crossing), I’ll take that time!

Congrats to all… next stop Around the Bay 30K!!! (March 24)

PS.  actually, my next stop is Miami!!!  Joanne and I are doing another Half Marathon on Saturday, the Miami Half… and if things go well… I think I’ll do the Miami Trail Half Marathon the next day… 3 Half Marathons in 8 days… hey, if it’s worth doing… it’s worth over-doing!

PS.  ya, it’s all about making Hugh look good! 

Cheers,

Rob

So let me bring you up to speed on what the biggest contreversy is in marathon swimming… uniformity.  What rules and equipment should be allowed?  It’s a slippery slope… practically everything is an aid to some degree.  The hardcore purists don’t want virtually anything allowed… the triathletes think wetsuits and the like should be allowed.  Ultimately in most cases what is allowed is somewhere in between.

In my opinion, allowing wetsuits is like allowing rollerblades in a marathon… a HUGE advantage… but I find nothing wrong with GPS.  Those are largely agreed upon… but ones like mp3 players or a neoprene cap are more in the gray area.  (I was literally about 3 hours into my swim across Lake Ontario when my crew got a call from SSO to say that they disallowed mp3 players!  I wasn’t using one, as I think it is a very, very big aid in a 21 hour swim… but up until that point several people had used them in Lake O Crossings!)

Anyway, Evan Morrison, one of the top names in marathon swimming these days, took it upon himself to see what other marathon swimmers thought should and shouldn’t be allowed… excellent information (thanks Evmo!)… have a look… you can find more info on his site (http://www.freshwaterswimmer.com/2013/02/rules-survey-analysis)

Cheers,

Rob

Marathon swimmers largely agree on what should (and should not) be used in their sport.

What do marathon swimmers agree on?

Some critics and swim-aid proponents would have you believe the marathon swimming community can’t agree on what their own rules are. The implicit argument is typically: “Therefore, we might as well just let people use anything they want.”

Actually, the marathon swimming community agrees on quite a lot.

A. The marathon swimming community agrees on basic channel-rules attire: traditional porous textile swimsuit (including jammers), goggles, one latex or silicone cap, ear plugs, and nose clips.

B. The marathon swimming community agrees that substances or devices that protect the swimmer against dangerous marine life (e.g., sharks & jellyfish) – but unambiguously do not enhance performance – are acceptable.

More than 75% of survey respondents agreed that the following items are acceptable:

Percent of respondents who think item SHOULD be allowed on marathon swims

C. The marathon swimming community agrees that devices or substances that unambiguously enhance speed, buoyancy, or heat retention should NOT be allowed on marathon swims.

(Including drafting off the escort boat, which is allowed in the English Channel.)

More than 75% of survey respondents agreed that the following items are NOT acceptable:

Percent of respondents who agree that item SHOULD NOT be allowed on marathon swims

D. More moderate consensus exists on the following:

Percent of respondents who think item should be allowed

Some thoughts on why there is less consensus on these items:

1. Using boat to shield from wind & waves – improves performance, but is already widely allowed, and it’s unclear how a prohibition could be enforced.
2. Exiting water for safety reasons – allowed in MIMS and Cook Strait, but not elsewhere.
3. Topical substance that retains body heat – does such a substance even exist? Perhaps a confusing question.
4. Multiple caps – allowed by FINA, minimally performance enhancing.
5. Shark sharpshooter – not performance enhancing, but harmful to sharks and thus morally problematic.
6. Topical substance that warms the body – does such a substance exist? Confusing question.

Controversial items: stinger suits, swim streamers, bubble caps, and shark divers.

A. Shark divers. 59/41 (for/against).

B. Bubble caps. 43/57 (for/against).

C. Swim streamers. 46/54 (for/against).

D. Stinger suits. Tie – 50/50. 

(If you must know, the stinger suit vote was 84-yes, 83-no, with 8 no answers.)

My view: if an item is controversial, it cannot be considered “approved by the sport of ocean swimming.” At best, it might be considered a “local exception” to a more universal set of rules – for example, the use of streamers in Japan.

If an item is controversial, it is in some way approaching a line in the sand. In marathon swimming, if you’re flirting with this line – trying to find loopholes for some extra edge – quite simply, you’re doing it wrong.

Some stinger suit proponents claim that these enhanced-coverage suits are merely protective, not performance-enhancing – and that therefore they should be allowed on marathon swims.

Personally, I’m not sure about this claim. Couldn’t someone easily produce a stinger suit that is performance enhancing? Would we then have to define new rules about what is and is not a performance enhancing stinger suit? Could I put on my old full-body Blueseventy Nero tech suit and call it a “stinger suit”?

If you’ve ever thought of swimming the English Channel… or are just curious as to why someone would… have a look at this video.

I attempted the EC back in 2006 as my first marathon swim… 12:05 hours in very rough, 60F water… and didn’t make it… due largely to inexperience and weather (see video under the VIDEOS tab for a better account!)… but no regrets… it was still one of my best adventures!.  Having said that, watching this video makes me want to go back and settle the score! 

One of these days…

Enjoy…

PS.  a big congrats to all those successful swimmers that became part of the EC Club this year!

Cheers,

Rob

Okay, this one is pretty cool… even though the title sounds like what Johnny Depp would say before he says: “Release the Kraken”!

This woman, Ali Howard, wanted to raise awareness of proposed coal bed methane gas wells and the threat it posed for salmon in the Skeena River, in interior British Colombia… so she swam 380 miles of the Skeena in an epic month-long journey!  (she did it in 2009, but I just found out about it now!)

Now the purists in the world of open water swimming absolutely hate this kind of thing… because it doesn’t conform to the standard “English Channel” rules… and let me tell you this doesn’t even come close to “proper” open water swimming rules… she’s wearing a dry-suit, fins, a helmet, even a lifejacket and a white-water boogie board for the rapids… but I have to say it still looks pretty cool!

I’m sure it was a grueling swim, but sections of it at least look like a ton-o-fun!  Looks like her crew had fun too!  Anyway, a great accomplishment and good cause.  Well done.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Rob

So here is an interesting email I just got from a swimmer who wants to join us for the LOST Race when he’s in Oakville next summer… from Perth, Australia!  (Cool that even the Aussies check out our site!)

We were talking about the swim here and then he told me (below) about the famous race in his home town… one that is on my bucket list… the Rottnest Channel Swim!  It is a spectacular 20k swim from Perth to Rottnest Island and has about 2500 solo and relay swimmers!  Which makes it one of the biggest (and most beautiful) swims in the world!

Anyway, just looking out the window today (and for the past 2 months!) has me dreaming about warmer climates and nice warm swims!  So take a look around next time you go on vacation and see if there are any races or swims, there are literally thousands around the world and more springing up each year!

Come on summer!

Cheers,

Rob

Rottnest Channel Swim:

http://www.rottnestchannelswim.com.au/

Global Open Water Race Calendar:

http://www.openwaterswimmingracecalendar.com/race-calendar/

 Hi Rob,

Just for a bit of a heads up: (OK I’ll say it before hand: I’m biased) but in my opinion the Rotto swim has got to be one of the best swims you could ever do. Usually the weather is great…. (this year was a bit tough with the swell and chop). But mostly it is because so many people participate. The event attracts between 2,300 – 2600 swimmers in teams of 4 or 2 and Solos. The start line atmosphere is so huge you can bite it. There must be close to 1000 boats on the water for the day as support boats, marine rescue & safety and race officials. There are Helicopters in the air, a Tallship at the 1500 mtr mark and the finish is literally right in front of the Pub on Rottnest Island (where the after party is legendary).
In my opinion the nicest way to experience the day is in a team of 4 (we do rotations of 5 – 6 min each) That way you get to chat with everyone in the team & support crew, view your progress etc, snack, rev each other up etc.  Logistically the day has quite a bit to organize as there are so many things to sort out compared to a set location swim including support boat and paddler etc.

Looking fwd to your regular newsletters and catching up with you in Ontario.

All the best.

Richard

(Below are the 2013 successful Solo Swimmers!)

The start of the 2013 Oakville Pub Run!

So I’ve been a bit delinquent in my swimming these days… a grand total of 2 swims since my Lake O Crossing last summer.  One at Christmas with my son, Dylan, who was back from University of Maryland (and who made me feel even more out of shape than I was… note to self: don’t swim with fast people when you haven’t been swimming!)… and once with my 15 year old daughter yesterday.  We did a weenie 3k swim in which I drafted off her all the way… and then finished by racing a 50 fly, 50 back, 50 breast & 50 free… she soundly thumped me in backstroke and we tied in fly… but the old man still had it in free and  breast!  A proud, proud day… or as she put it “oh ya dad, impressive you can beat a 15 year old girl!”  Whatever, I’ll take the victories where I can get them these days!  ;-)

But that’s not what I came here to talk about… I came to talk about what I’ve been doing while not swimming.  Running.  Well, running and drinking.  Hey, this is a swimming AND tri group right?!  I just needed a bit of a break from swimming after last year, but my appetite for the water is coming back, that’s what a winter of running will do for you!  I wouldn’t recommend my program of training, but I like to mix things up… just for the fun of it.

The gang’s all here!… well, not quite… Ron’s still coming!
Scott, David, Rick, Mark, Alex, Darren, Jackie, Brenda, Melanie, Peter & Rob

And speaking of fun and “training”… take our second annual Pub Run last weekend for example.  As I pointed out to Melanie prior to the “race”, when she was concerned if she could keep up with this group of very speedy runners: “well, it is quite a serious and highly competitive race… and run at a torrid pace… so I’m not sure if is really fit for a girl”… but given that she can knock’em back with the best of the boys and is probably in better shape than me right now… we let her run too!  ;-)

There he is! Ron made it… the only guy who ran hard the whole day! That’s what you get for being late!

I have no idea how far it was, I’d like to call it 5k, but I think I heard Scott say it was only about 4k.  However, I’m sure if one was to trace my footprints in the snow the weaving would have added another km anyway!  And the time?  Well, I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who even started their watch… and I did remember to stop it some time after the run finished… not sure when though… but it said 1:40.  No idea how long it took us last year… so I’ll call it a PB!  woohoo!

We started at “The Gingerman”… then off to our usual Wed night post-run watering hole, “The Kings Arm’s” for our first beer at each pub… then Scott took us on some crazy route that almost created a mutiny… the next pub was too close to the Kings Arms so he had to stretch it out to about 1 km… then we ended up at “The Southside Cottage Grill”… kinda got me all misty-eyed as we used to come here for years when it was Prime Time… or it coulda been the beers catching up to me… to the other pub of royal body parts, “The Queen’s Head”… it was one of the few places that had a

The old Prime Time!

reasonable crowd in it when we got there and we seemed rather “boisterous” and got a few looks from the patrons that needed to do some catching up… but it reminded me of the immortal words of the famous poet… Billy Joel… “I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints… the sinners are much more fun”… and with that beer down we were soon

…and proof we weren’t just having tea at each stop!

off to “O’Finn’s Irish Temper”… we always say we should go there more often, except that it’s far too nice for people of our sweaty stature… or as another favorite philosopher of mine, Karl Marx… oops, no… Groucho Marx, use to say “I’d never belong to a club that would have me as a member”… although the very friendly employees certainly made us

… still goin’…

feel quite at home and wanting to come back!  But alas it was time to move on… and back

umm… the friendly staff at OFinns… and Ron…

to the start at the Gingerman again!  As per last year’s experience we had all the spouses, friends and DD’s join us for a delicious, well-lubricated lunch at the Gingerman!

Darren finally got to be in the back of a group shot…

As you can see from the pics, Scott planned (or didn’t plan, depending on who you ask) a beautiful day in the sun and snow for the gang!  A great bit of “training” and levity for the middle of February!  Just good fun.

Shake it Ladies!

… ya… whatever…

Cheers,

Rob

At the risk of sounding like I’m in grade 3… “guess what mom?!… I made a new friend!”

Through the beauty of word of mouth (and the internet) I was fortunate enough to be contacted by Neval Greenidge of the Barbados Tourism Board… and Zary Evelyn of Swim Vacations Barbados… my two new friends!  Always good to have new friends… especially when they live in Barbados!… and you live in Canada… and it’s freakin’ February!

Anyway, Zary and Neval have kindly invited us all down to Barbados… although I’m not sure if we’ll all be staying at their houses or not.    But Neval is working with Zary to try and promote tourism… and more specifically Zary’s new open water swimming races!

The jist of it is that they are going to be holding a 1.5k and a 5k race, twice per year… July 6-7 and October 26-27!  It sounds awesome and I think it would be worth looking to put together another LOST Travel Team like we did for the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim and the Swim Around Key West!

You don’t have to decide just yet… we can talk this summer… but in the meantime, have a look at the website and start dreaming of swimming in that beautiful warm water!

http://www.swimbarbadosvacations.com/index.php

PS. here’s a little bit of Lake O and Barbados trivia for you… if you look at the Lake Ontario Crossing Record Book (on the tab above)… and scroll down to the 47 swim/37 swimmer to cross Lake O… it shows: Peter Gibbs of Barbados, 2004!  Also, Chris Gibbs, Peter’s brother has swum the English Channel and both are helping Zary organize the races!  So they have a bit of credibility too!  A belated “congrats” Peter and Chris!

PS.  Zary said if any of us are going down to Barbados to look him up, they get out for swims daily, if you want to join him!  He’s also a good guy to talk to about local hotels, restaurants, etc.

Cheers,

Rob

Beer Run!

A (somewhat) scientific look at how a postrun pint (or two) affects your favorite activity. Biggest surprise? It’s different for women.

By Christie Aschwanden;

Image by Eddie Guy

Runner’s World, January 05, 2012

I stood at the end of a ridiculously grueling trail amid the red cliffs of Western Colorado. Around me, runners enjoyed various cold, locally brewed beers wrapped in neoprene sleeves emblazoned with a sketch of the mountain we’d just torn up and down and the words “I survived the Summit and Plummet.” It was not yet 11 a.m.; we’d just finished one of the hardest five-mile runs in North America. We’d earned those beers. At least, that’s what we told ourselves.

It’s a common ritual among my running buddies. We run, then we drink. And we’re not alone. The outfit that organized today’s informal run often congregates at Grand Junction’s Kannah Creek Brewing Company following its weekly trail runs. Paonia’s Elegantly Attired Running Ladies, my women’s group, meets every Friday evening for a run that finishes at Revolution Brewing. And then there’s the famous Hash House Harriers, with chapters around the world, which calls itself a drinking club with a running problem. Among runners, coffee is perhaps the only beverage more popular than beer.

My friends and I often joke that we’re carbo-loading when we split a six pack together, but once in a while I wake up groggy and wonder: Could my drinking habit be hurting my running?

What it’s all about! (click to enlarge)

Turns out the research on alcohol and exercise is as herky-jerky as our culture’s attitude toward the bottle. Most early studies investigated alcohol’s potential as a performance enhancer. It seems ridiculous now, but during the 1904 Olympic Marathon, U.S. gold medalist Thomas Hicks was given a mixture of brandy, strychnine, and egg whites in an effort to gain a competitive edge. Many coaches then believed alcohol boosted energy.

In more recent years, not surprisingly, that belief has been largely disproved. One study on sprint-and middle-distance runners, for example, found that at most distances the more alcohol the athletes had, the slower they ran. Still, another study on male cyclists found that drinking the equivalent of two shots of hard liquor one hour before exercising didn’t give athletes any distinct advantages, nor did it significantly harm heart rate, blood pressure, or oxygen uptake. Even a hangover doesn’t seem to diminish your aerobic capacity—it just makes you feel lousy, so you underperform. But at the same time, there’s evidence to suggest that drinking after a workout might spoil recovery of muscle damage and reduce the amount of energy stored in muscles.

So what was all this conflicting information really telling me? Being a former scientist, I had my own theories about how drinking and running mix, and I couldn’t resist putting them to the test. The nearby Colorado Mesa University had just opened the Monfort Family Human Performance Research Lab, a state-of-the-art exercise-science facility that seemed like the perfect venue to explore alcohol’s effects on running performance. My friend Gig Leadbetter, Ph.D., coaches the school’s cross-country team and is an exercise scientist at the Monfort Lab. He’s also a home brewer and winemaker and, without any arm-twisting, agreed to put together a study for Runner’s World.

Drinkers with a running/swimming problem!

He decided to test whether drinking beer immediately following a hard run would sap performance the next day. Since men and women metabolize alcohol differently, he opted to test both and look for gender differences as well—something previous studies didn’t examine. Part one of the experiment—the Beer Run—was a 45-minute, early evening run at an intensity that would require tapping into muscle-fuel stores, immediately followed by a serving of beer. Part two—the Exhaustion Run—would take place the next morning and provide a measure of the recovery. On this run, volunteers would run at 80 percent of their max for as long as they could tolerate.

Researchers tested the volunteers twice, using two unnamed beers and without divulging their alcoholic content. In Round One some runners consumed regular alcoholic beer—Fat Tire Amber Ale—while others had a nonalcoholic beer, O’Doul’s Amber. (In Round Two, the beer options were reversed.) One would expect runners to run out of gas faster the morning after their Fat Tire run than they did the morning after drinking the O’Doul’s. Real beer might also make the Exhaustion Run feel more difficult. Finally, real beer might alter the amounts of fat and carbohydrates our muscles burned for fuel.

CHEERS TO SCIENCE!
We’d recruited five men and five women—myself included—ranging in age from 29 to 43, all moderate drinkers (defined as drinking less than the recommended daily limits of two drinks per day for men, one for women) and who ran at least 35 miles per week. At the orientation a week before the first Beer Run, Leadbetter explained the study before serving us Fat Tire beers. He was trying to get us to about .07 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC), which is below the legal limit for driving under the influence. The hope was to simulate a “normal” amount of beer a runner might drink after a race or workout.

To figure out how many beers equaled “normal,” Leadbetter started the orientation with the government’s alcohol impairment chart, which estimates blood alcohol levels using body weight and alcohol percentages. Over the course of the next hour, everyone drank what the chart predicted would amount to .07 percent BAC. Because individual metabolism can vary, however, Leadbetter invited a couple of cops to give us Breathalyzer tests to ensure everyone got the right dose.

It’s a good thing he called for backup. The chart proved right on the mark for some, but was way off for others. It correctly predicted, for example, that 29-year-old Daniel Rohr needed to drink three and a half beers to reach .07. However, it led Bryan Whitt, a muscular 149 pounds, to drink almost three Fat Tires. As Whitt strode to the front of the room and faced the cop for his moment of truth, he didn’t seem at all impaired. But when he blew into the Breathalyzer, the number came up to .095 percent. The chart also wrongly limited a petite Cynthia Malleck to one 12-ounce beer, when she really needed almost two full bottles. By night’s end, as volunteers met their designated drivers, Leadbetter and his team knew exactly how much to pour.

Everyone reconvened the following Friday evening for the first Beer Run. We ran on treadmills for 45 minutes at a pace that felt steady, like tempo, but not overly strenuous. Then we gathered on the patio behind the lab and drank cold beer (or the placebo) and devoured plates of pasta and tomato sauce (carbs!).

The next morning, volunteers returned to the lab for the first Exhaustion Run, a task as grueling as it sounds. After we ran at a fast clip for as long as possible, researchers measured our heart rates and metabolic factors, such as oxygen consumption and carbon-dioxide production. Every three minutes, they asked us to rate how hard we were working.

My legs ached from the beginning, but I was determined to tough it out to 20 minutes. The treadmill’s timer was obscured, but by eyeballing a clock across the room, I could guesstimate my time. As I approached what I thought was 20 minutes, my will to continue faded and my perceived effort soared. My legs felt heavy and uncooperative, but was I truly exhausted? Well, no. My heart rate and breathing were fine. With Leadbetter and the other researchers cheering me on, I kept going until at 32 minutes and 23 seconds I finally called it quits.

I downed a bagel and orange juice from the breakfast buffet, and then went home to rest up for the next run. That evening, I hit the treadmill and the suds again. Though I’d spent the day napping, this second Beer Run felt harder than the first. By the time I stepped onto the treadmill for the second Exhaustion Run the next day, my legs and brain were shot. Still, I was determined to suffer as hard as I could in the name of science—this was no time to go soft. But I lasted only 27 minutes and 31 seconds, almost five minutes less than I had the day before.

GOOD FOR WOMEN, BAD FOR MEN?
Right after the second Exhaustion Run, I sat down with Leadbetter to review a few results. The first shock was personal: I had assumed my second Exhaustion Run was so poor because I had drunk the real beer the night before. Wrong! I had actually been served the placebo the previous evening. Surely my results were a fluke. Leadbetter sent all the data to Bob Pettitt, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist and statistics expert at Minnesota State, Mankato.

The time differences between the beer and placebo Exhaustion Runs varied considerably from individual to individual. But when Pettitt averaged together the time differences between the two runs, they evened out to a big fat zero. Why? “The women did better after beer, but the men canceled it out by doing worse,” says Leadbetter. The five women ran an average of 22 percent longer the morning after drinking Fat Tire, while the men ran 21 percent shorter.

Pettitt’s analysis showed that this gender difference was statistically significant. However, “concluding gender differences based on 10 subjects is a big leap,” he says. Leadbetter agrees, which is why he’s spent recent months studying a larger group of runners. “Obviously, women use and metabolize fuel sources differently than men,” says Leadbetter. “If we find the same effect in [later] studies, then it will be really exciting.”

Ratings of perceived exertion, on the other hand, showed no significant difference between the trials, implying that the runs didn’t feel any easier or harder after real beer versus placebo beer.

If moderate drinking has a negative impact on performance, it seems to be a modest one, says Leadbetter. But even without a definitive answer, the results offer some assurance to beer drinkers. For those who are running for pleasure, any effect is probably no big deal, he says. On the other hand, if beer turns out to help women and hurt men like this study implies, even a single percentage point difference could mean the difference between a merely solid run and a PR.

TO DRINK, OR NOT TO DRINK
Afterward, I called some of the volunteers to get their takes on their results. Daniel Rohr ran about 13 percent longer the morning after drinking O’Doul’s, but says he felt similar during both trials. “I actually slept better the night after I drank the alcohol,” he says. A few weeks after the study, he competed in the Warrior Dash, a race that involved an obstacle course and free beer at the finish.

Trail runner Cynthia Malleck ran 44 percent longer on her real beer Exhaustion Run than she did after drinking the placebo, but she attributes the difference to fatigue. Malleck received the real beer the first day, and by the time the second Exhaustion Run came around, she was toast. “As I was getting on that treadmill, I thought, I have to do this again?”

The start at The Gingerman: Andy, Scott, Mark, Rob, Huge, Darren, Cousin Al, Pete, Brian, Scott, David

But Karah Levely-Rinaldi received the real deal on the second trial and posted her longest run to exhaustion the next morning. She wasn’t surprised she’d lasted 4.5 minutes longer after drinking the Fat Tire, compared with the O’Doul’s. Last fall, she set a half-marathon PR (1:36) the morning after a three-margarita dinner. “Alcohol doesn’t seem to have a negative impact on my performance,” the mother of four says nonchalantly.

Larry Brede quit sooner on the run to exhaustion the morning after the Fat Tire, but he’s not so sure it was because of the alcohol. (He had to drink four beers within the allotted hour to reach his BAC.) “I’d had a long day at work when I had the beer,” he says. “I was overall more tired.”

As for me, I wasn’t ready to give up on my theory, so I decided to jump off the wagon for a month. In spite of my results, I was still pretty sure that without a drop of beer or wine, I’d run faster, sleep better, and maybe even lose some weight. Instead, my speed stayed the same, I still tossed and turned at night, and I didn’t lose a pound. So much for the beer gut!

The outcome of my monthlong dry run didn’t surprise Brede. A few years back, he gave up alcohol for four months while attempting to qualify for Boston. “I’d run a 3:28, and I needed to get under 3:10,” he says. “I ended up running a 3:25, and I decided it wasn’t worth it.” Eight months later, after resuming his beer drinking, he ran a 3:08. “I believe drinking is pretty independent of how well you’re trained and how well you’re eating.”

I agree. While I was disappointed to reap no benefits from giving up alcohol, the project proved that my drinking wasn’t causing me harm. I’d answered my question, and that’s worth celebrating.

Simon Griffiths has written another very good article in H2Open magazine on “failure” and in  particular how it relates to open water swimming.  I found it ironic that the two examples he used, the Olympics and the English Channel and the only two athletic endeavours that I have tried and “failed” at… and I agree with pretty much every word he says.  At least I can still go back to the Channel one of these day and try and correct things!  Have a read.

Cheers,

Rob

 In the next issue of H2Open Magazine (Feb/Mar 2013) 2008 Olympic marathon swimming bronze medallist Cassandra Patten shares the story of her battle with shoulder injury. It seems to be human nature to love stories of triumph over adversity. Back in July 2011 we published a piece on Maarten van der Weijden, who overcame cancer to win Olympic gold. These fairy-tale ending stories give us hope and inspiration as we fight our own battles. The reality is that these types of stories are few and far between. Dashed hopes and disappointment are the norm.

Cassandra’s shoulder injury destroyed her swimming career and dreams of a return to the Olympic stage in 2012. It’s not that she didn’t try. She describes in detail the pain and the conflict between the need to train to retain fitness and imperative to rest and recover, the hours of rehabilitation and physiotherapy, all in vain. Another swimmer we’ve been talking to, Bryn Dymott, last summer, very publicly (even appearing on television), attempted to become the 10th and oldest person to swim the English Channel breaststroke. He was pulled from the water with hypothermia long before he reached his goal.

In fact around 50% of people who try to swim the Channel fail.

Rob swimming by a freighter in the English Channel

How many swimmers around the world are currently dreaming of representing their country in the 2016 Olympics? We can think of at least three Australian swimmers who’ve said they’d like to contest the marathon swim. If the selection criteria match those for London two of those will almost certainly fail to qualify.

We’ve used the words ‘fail’ and ‘failure’ on purpose here. They’re emotion-laden words, sometimes used as taunts. It’s usually seen as the opposite of success.

But is it really? And is it such a bad thing? You ‘fail’ when you try to do something out of the ordinary, like qualifying for the Olympics or swimming the Channel. If you don’t try, you can’t fail, so surely the opposite of success is ‘not trying’ rather than failure.

It takes a lot of courage to pursue a dream. You can hardly train for the Olympics or a Channel swim in secret. You’re making a loud and clear statement that you believe you can do something extraordinary. You need the support of friends and family. You may be attempting to raise sponsorship, either to fund your training or for charity. When you ‘fail’ it can feel that not only have you let yourself down but all the people who believed in you and supported you, and those who doubted you will have been proved ‘right’. You fear how badly they will think of you. And that fear of failure, and what people might think of you, dissuades many people from trying. But do people really think badly of you when you fail?

I doubt anyone reading Cassandra’s or Bryn’s stories will think badly of them. We admire them for having the guts to chase their dreams. I also doubt that Cassandra or Bryn or the many other people that haven’t achieved their dreams regret the effort they put in to trying. They will have learnt too much on their journeys for that. Even better, Bryn is very proud of the £4,500 he raised for Parkinson’s UK and Cassandra was delighted that she had the opportunity to commentate on the marathon swim at the Olympics. Failure to reach your stated ultimate goal does not necessarily mean you come away with nothing.                                                                      (above: Cdn World Record holder and Gold Medalist, Victor Davis, 1988)

So don’t be afraid of failure. Not trying is worse. And if you haven’t set a swimming challenge for 2013, see our list of suggestions from our previous newsletter.

Simon Griffiths
Editor, H2Open Magazine

Jan 1, 2013… and 1C water temp! (click to enlarge)

… now that’s how you kick off the New Year… if you’re nuts!  Fortunately… we’re nuts.

Well, at least 20 or so of us were!  (and more than that were happy to just sit back and watch… and laugh!).  At the strike of 12:00 noon on Jan 1, 2013 we took the plunge… a plunge from -5C air temp… into +1C water!  About as cold as it gets without having to break it to get in!

A bottle of bubbly to toast in the New Year!

Stupid pictures though… it was a beautiful bright sunny day, which was nice… but it made it look like it could have been a nice LOST swim in August!  With the slight difference of instead of all of us going for an hour swim, I think I’m safe to say nobody made it for a minute!

Good fun though… and the first LOST Swim of 2013 is in the books!

… and there goes the cork!!!… to kick off a new year… now just a matter of that dip… (click to enlarge)

PS.  kudo’s to Scott… for best costume… he’s the guy with the “gator-aid”… and the newest LOSTie… not bad for a non-swimmer!

Cheers,

Rob

woohoo!… okay… enough pageantry… get in already! (click to enlarge)

… and there they go!!!

… frozen pipes!… and see, there really was snow!

Rob, Annaleise and Madhu… the three 2012 Lake O Crossing successes! (so far, Colleen leaves tomorrow!)

Madhu, myself and Annaleise all swam Lake Ontario this year, in one of the biggest years for Lake O Crossings in a long time… but when my friend, Steve Munatones, who runs the World Open Water Swimming Awards (WOWSA), called I had to nominate Annaleise for her swim! 

I’ll let you read her accomplishment below from Steve’s site, but needless to say swimming 50.5 km / 31.5 miles… in almost 27 hours… at 14 years old… to raise $230,000 for a children’s cancer camp… well, that pretty much makes her as deserving as anyone!

Congrats Annaleise!… you made us LOSTies proud!

Cheers,

Rob

(Here is the updated Official Lake O Record book too!)http://lostswimming.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Lake-Ontario-Crossing-Record-Book-Sep-14-2012.pdf

2012 WOWSA Woman Of The Year – Annaleise Carr

Annaleise

26 hours 41 minutes in Lake Ontario forever changed the life of 14-year-old Annaleise Carr and for many others along the way.And for her exploits and inspiration, Annaleise Carr, a Canadian teenager, was selected as the 2012 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year.Swimming for others takes on a profoundly deep meaning when a swimmer is so young and the conditions are borderline wild.The Lake Ontario Swim Team member is the epitome of selflessness as she selected Camp Trillium to support. Her efforts have touched the hearts of people throughout Canada and the world, generating nearly $250,000 in donations for the Trillium Childhood Cancer Support Centre.  While the media and public have continued to celebrate the wunderkind, her grounded personality has stirred even greater efforts to raise awareness and funds for child with cancer. She trained, she swam and she continues to give of herself. Her generosity of time, her sincerity of spirit, and her depth of passion are easy for people to see.Like her fund-raising activities on land, Carr‘s efforts to complete a 50.5 km swim in Lake Ontario through the night over wind-generated waves in plunging water temperatures never wavered. In fact, the youngest 24-hour Club member drew motivation every time her crew told her that more donations were pouring in. The public understands a heroine and Carr is one. For a maturity beyond her years and for her deeply felt commitment to raise money to support children with cancer, the new Lady of the Lake was worthily voted as the 2012 WOWSA World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year.The World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year award is meant to honor the woman who (1) best embodies the spirit of open water swimming, (2) possesses the sense of adventure, tenacity and perseverance that open water swimmers are known for, and (3) has most positively influenced the world of open water swimming during the year.It was an incredible year of firsts, mosts, bests, fastests and courage by thousands of individuals in the open water swimming world. While Carr was voted Woman of the Year, the other 2012 nominees were also outstanding representatives and ambassadors of the sport:

1. Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil), World Professional Marathon Champion
2. Anna-Carin Nordin (Sweden), Oceans Seven Swimmer
3. Annaleise Carr (Canada), Young Marathon Swimmer
4. Catherine Vogt (USA), Dual Olympic Coach
5. Diana Nyad (USA), Xtreme Dreamer
6. Esther Nuñez Morera (Spain), Professional Marathon Swimming Champion
7. Grace van der Byl (USA), Marathon Record Breaker
8. Janel Jorgensen McArdle (USA), Swim Across America President
9. Julia Washbourne (Hong Kong), Eco-Swimming Aquapreneur
10. Karen Gaffney (USA), Swimming Philanthropist
11. Keri-Anne Payne (Great Britain), British Open Water Icon
12. Pat Gallant-Charette (USA), Channel Swimming Late Bloomer
13. Risztov Éva (Hungary), Olympic Champion
14. Shelley Taylor-Smith (Australia), Pioneering Administrator
15. Tina Neill (USA), San Clemente Channel Swimmer

Carr joins the previous World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year recipients: Olympian and world champion Edith van Dijk (Netherlands) in 2008; professional marathon swimmer Poliana Okimoto (Brazil) in 2009; channel swimmer Anne Marie Ward (Ireland) in 2010; and professional marathon swimmer Pilar Geijo (Argentina) in 2011.In the online public vote conducted by the World Open Water Swimming Association, another incredibly unselfish inspiration Karen Gaffney of the U.S.A. received the second highest number of votes. Like Carr, Gaffney is a champion in every sense of the word: a humble heroine and a remarkable role model who moves people to action. The English Channel relay swimmer has dedicated herself and the tools at her disposal to champion a journey to full inclusion in families, schools, communities and the workplace for people with Down syndrome or other developmental disabilities. With dramatic open water swims to emphasize one’s potential, as well as her speeches, video tapes and resource materials, she constantly installs hope for others with Down syndrome. Her lifestyle proves a full productive and inclusive life is in store for parents and families of a child born with Down syndrome or other learning disabilities.With Carr in Canada and Gaffney in Oregon, the two young women have a talent and passion to heighten awareness and raise expectations and funds for those in need.In one of the most awe-inspiring years of open water swimming on record, the community salutes all the WOWSA nominees and Anneleise Carr in particular for her selection as the 2012 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year.

 

(Steve was good enough to send me the links to the rest of the WOWSA winners too… all very worthy winners!… have a look…)

 

Hi Rob,

Happy New Year and congratulations on Annaleise’s selection as the 2012 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year.  It is an honor that is well-deserved.  The following 2012 WOWSA Awards winners were announced last night at the stroke of midnight in Los Angeles, California:

 

2012 World Open Water Swimming Man Of The Year, Stephen Redmond of Ireland

• http://dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/2013/01/2012-wowsa-man-of-year-stephen-redmond.html 

2012 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year, Annaleise Carr of Canada

• http://dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/2013/01/2012-wowsa-woman-of-year-annaleise-carr.html 

2012 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year, Juan Ignacio Martinez Fernandez-Villamil of Spain

• http://dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/2013/01/2012-wowsa-performance-of-year-moreno.html 

2012 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year, SWIM Channel produced by Patrick Winkler of Brazil

• http://dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/2013/01/2012-wowsa-offering-of-year-swim-channel.html 

For more information, visit the following Openwaterpedia entries:

• http://openwaterpedia.com/index.php?title=World_Open_Water_Swimming_Man_of_the_Year 
• http://openwaterpedia.com/index.php?title=World_Open_Water_Swimming_Woman_of_the_Year 
• http://openwaterpedia.com/index.php?title=World_Open_Water_Swimming_Performance_of_the_Year 
• http://openwaterpedia.com/index.php?title=World_Open_Water_Swimming_Offering_of_the_Year 
• http://openwaterpedia.com/index.php?title=WOWSA_Awards 

 … and just for fun… a picture from the pre-Christmas morning run at Brett’s coffee shop, Bean There, which we all frequent after our LOST Swims… turns out these LOSTies are good runners… and swimmers and triathletes!… well most of them!

Cheers,

Rob

So our very own LOSTie, Steve Faulkner, who drives all the way down from Barrie to swim with us most Saturday mornings is now the Boss of the Big Apple… the King of the Hudson… the Aquatic Mayor of NYC!!!

NYC Swims, which hosts 8 swim races in NYC each summer, just gave Steve the prestigious “Hudsie Award”… for being the only person to complete all 8 races in one season!  Including the 28k Ederle Swim… and the crown jewel of the series, and one of the triple crown of marathon swims, the 47k Manhattan Island Marathon Swim! 

The cool thing about Steve is… how can I put this… he’s not the fastest guy out there… he finished last in out 10k National Championship last summer… and last in MIMS… but he did it!  And there truly aren’t many people in the world who can say that!  It’s fun to cheer for a guy who truly loves the sport and wants to do it all… and doesn’t give a crap about where he finishes!  My kinda guy!  You make us LOSTies proud, Steve!

Well done, Steve!

Cheers,

Rob

 http://www.nycswim.org/

The Envelope, Please…

Whether you have your designer ball gown ready to wear or not, we’re pleased to announce the 2012 Hudsie Award Winners. The Hudsies recognize participation in NYC Swim’s events, and we’re very excited to have such a fine list of swimmers to distribute this year. We’d particularly like to call out Steve Faulkner’s performance this year, as he traveled down from his home in Barrie, Ontraio, to take part in every single one of our events this year. That’s eight separate trips from Canada to New York City. Wow! There’s lots of local swimmers who haven’t been able to pull that feat off yet, but we love that kind of dedication and are pleased to announce Steve and our other winners this year.

Top 15 Event Completions — 2012

Rookies of the Year — 2012

Top 15 Event Completions — All Time

Congratulations to all our Hudsie winners. We hope to see a lot more of you back again for the 2013 Swim Series!

… so Peter and I were talking about this the other day and I’m sure most residents of Oakville have been wondering about it for a while too… in my discussions with the Town about the 50m pool we’ve proposed, we talked about several of these sites (although the 50m pool still most likely to go at the North Park site at Neyagawa and Dundas… and the OTMH site may have a 25m pool as well… or instead?)… but this is a good summary of what they MIGHT do with these new vacant lots since these schools have closed… but as the second last line says, “it is far from a done deal… and they are taking recommendations until March”… it’s pretty rare that this much land comes up for redevelopment in this area, so this will be an interesting next few years… I’m leading the charge on the 50m pool… but feel free to get involved with these projects too!

• OTMH (Hospital) & the old OTHS land
• Brantwood School
• Chisholm School
• Linbrook School
• Oakville arena

Other surplus lands in the area discussed at Town open house.

Oakville residents hear about possible future of OTMH lands. Former Oakville Trafalgar High School on Reynolds Street. OAKVILLE BEAVER FILE PHOTO / @halton_photog

The Town of Oakville held an open house at the Oakville Arena Wednesday, for residents interested in hearing about the possible future of the Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) lands and other surplus lands in the area.

Diane Childs, manager of long-range planning in Oakville, said there are a quartet of options for the future of the OTMH lands.

The property is bounded by MacDonald Road to the north, Reynolds Street to the west, Allan Street to the west, and Wallace Park to the south.

“This is the site where a community centre will fit. With the community centre, you have associated outdoor parkland,” said Childs.

“There are two options showing the community centre on the north side of the site, closer to Reynolds and MacDonald, and there are two options showing it more in the middle of the site, closer to the existing high school.”

Some of the scenarios advocate keeping OTMH’s parking garage and refurbishing it while others show what the site would be like if it was taken down.

All options call for a private medical building, possibly for a doctor’s office or walk-in clinic, to be established.

All options also call for a mix of detached dwellings and low-rise apartments to be added to the properties.

Options C and D advocate the introduction of townhouses.

Childs said the former Oakville Trafalgar High School would be incorporated into the design.

Some options would make the high school part of new buildings while options C and D would see portions of the school become part of the new community centre.

The South Central Public Lands Study has identified the need for a 25,000-30,000 square foot community centre in the area, which would feature a gym, a pool and some flex community space.

The open house also laid out some possibilities for the lands currently occupied by Chisholm Public School at 165 Charnwood Dr., Linbrook Public School at 1079 Linbrook Rd., and Brantwood Public School, 221 Allan St.

The three schools closed due to the changing demographic of the area in 2010, but were purchased by the Town earlier this year.

“For Linbrook School, we developed three options,” said Childs.

“One option is to reuse it as a private community centre, so to sell it. We are preserving the woodlots on the north side, they would remain in Town ownership.”

Another option would see the building sold and two detached residential dwellings established on the remaining land.

A third design would see seven houses developed on the site.

In this scenario the portion of the schoolhouse that has been designated under the Ontario Heritage Act would be preserved, and possibly expanded, so it could serve as a detached dwelling.

In all options the woodlot on the north of the site would be preserved.

Childs said there are five options for the Chisholm Public School site.

“One option, similar to Linbrook would be to sell it and let it be used for a private community centre. You could see things here like a place of worship, a private school, it’s a little big for a daycare, but those are the type of uses you could have under the official plan regulations and zoning,” said Childs.

“In all scenarios we’ve expanded the woodlot. There’s a park to the north where we could keep additional trees by bringing the park line down and making it bigger.”

Another option would see seven residential lots developed and the area’s existing playground moved to an eighth lot so it could be seen from the road.

Other options showed eight residential lots with no playground maintained, 10 smaller residential lots with the playground maintained and 11 smaller residential lots with no playground.

Plans for Brantwood Public School were similar to the other schools.

The first involved selling the lot and its entirety for a community use project.

Childs said a private school would be a good option for this property.

Another plan would see a portion of the site sold off for a smaller community facility, like a daycare facility or place of worship.

The rest of the property would be developed into four residential lots.

The third scenario would see a much smaller portion of the property sold off for a community facility and nine residential lots developed along Douglas Street.

In the final option, the entire property would be developed into 14 residential lots.

Some area parents are calling for the Town to scrap options, which would result in the disappearance of a playground located on the eastern portion of the Brantwood site.

One parent said the playground cost between $70,000-$100,000 and was only added to the area last year.

Childs said the Town is mindful the front portion of the Brantwood building is part of a heritage district.

While information about the Oakville Arena was available at the open house it was pointed out that the arena will be the subject of a separate study to determine whether the Town spends the money to refurbish it or tear it down and rebuild it at the same location.

Childs said designs for the OTMH lands and the school lands are far from being a done deal, which is why residents at the open house were encouraged to share their point of view with Town staff.

Town staff is not expected to bring land use recommendations to the Planning and Development Council until March.

so go ahead and pee in the pool… or in Lake O for that matter… the fish do it too… in other news… Simon Cowell and Gweneth Paltrow don’t know what they are talking about!

Cheers,

Rob

It may not be what everybody wants to hear but the swimming star Michael Phelps was right when he said it was OK to relieve yourself in the pool, claim scientists.

Phelps argued that it was OK as the chlorine killed any germs Photo: GETTY

Here we go again!  The first LOST swim of 2013!  The LOST Polar Bear Dip!  woohoo!!!

It worked well last year, so we’ll give it a go again this year… we’ll keep it plain and simple, no sign up, no fee, no registration… just a bunch-o-LOSTies jumpin’ in the Lake!

When: Jan 1, 2013… splash time: 12:00 noon exactly!  (So you’ll want to get there around 11:30)

Where: LOST Beach, of course!  (Navy St Pier… not the one at Confederation Park, where you have to pay money and wait in line!)

Why: why not!  There is no good reason… other than it’s a fun way to kickstart the New Year!

Rules: no wetsuits… everybody’s naked for this one!

Getting in at the 2012 LOST Polar Bear Dip!!!

you can measure the temp… by the facial expressions!

See you there!

Cheers,

Rob

Hey… a guy can dream… swimming and sailing the days away… nice…

Cheers,

Rob

• Location (Outside USA): St John US Virgin Islands
• State: Non-USA
• Country: Virgin Islands
• Listed: December 12, 2012 7:29 pm
• Expires: 58 days, 5 hours

 

 

Okay, there are getting to be quite a few of these rankings of the top extreme races around the world, but that’s okay… it’s fun to read about them, even though the ranking is always subjective… kinda cool to have done a few of them… and to know a few of the real stars in the sports… like Penny Palfrey and Dean Karnazes, both featured below.  This list is a pretty good one because it has the top 50… isn’t just one sport… and has a few I’ve never heard of on it!  (including the O Till O… in the next posting below!).

Arrowhead 135 | Leadville 100 | Western States 100 | Catalina Channel Swim | Race Across America | Manhattan Island Marathon Swim | Tevis Cup Ride | 24-Hour Track Race | Iditarod | Yukon Arctic Ultra | Yukon Quest | Badwater Ultramarathon | Furnace Creek 508 | 6633 Extreme Winter Ultra Marathon | Ultraman World Championships | Self Transcendence 3100 Mile Race | Patagonia Expedition Race | Jungle Marathon | La Ruta de Los Conquistadores | Norseman | Red Bull X-Alps | Trans Europe Footrace | Al Andalus Ultimate Trail Race | Ö Till Ö | La Haute Route | Enduroman Arch to Arc | Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race | English Channel Swim | Race Around Ireland | Iron Bike | The Mountainman | Spartathlon | Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon | Cadiz Freedom Swim | Cape Epic | Tour d’Afrique | Comrades Marathon | Dusi Cano Marathon | Marathon Des Sables | Great Wall Marathon | Yak Attack | Crocodile Trophy | Coast to Coast New Zealand | The Extreme World Races South Pole Race | Woodvale Challenge | 4 Deserts | Volvo Ocean Race | Adventure Racing World Series | Freediving | Vendée Globe

First, here is the book (it’s now on my Christmas list!… hint, hint Joanne!).  http://www.amazon.com/The-Worlds-Toughest-Endurance-Challenges/dp/1934030910

Second, here is the story in Triathlon Europe, with lots of pics!…

http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2012/11/28/gallery-the-worlds-toughest-endurance-challenges/

… and here is the story about the book from CNN’s website: 

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/28/sport/toughest-endurance-challenges/index.html

(CNN) — While obesity rates soar in the developed world and we live an ever more sedentary lifestyle, the flip side to this health time bomb is the paradox that more and more amateur athletes are taking on extreme endurance challenges.

Running a 42km marathon is still considered a huge achievement, but “weekend warriors” have now turned in their droves to Ironman Triathlons.

For the uninitiated, that’s a 3.8km swim, 180km cycle race and the marathon to finish.

And the more offbeat the challenge, the more entrants seem to be attracted.

In Telford, England each year thousands of people take part in an eccentric event called the Tough Guy Challenge, which involves a 12km run and assault course in freezing winter conditions.

 

Ironman champ: ‘Your mind matters more’

 

Fit Nation: Tips from Ironman champ

Just to make it more interesting, the organizer sets fire to parts of the course and puts in barbed wire fences and muddy bogs. Yet they come back year after year to be subjected to this torture.

Worn out just thinking about it?

The Tough Guy Challenge is a relative breeze in comparison to an Ironman race in Norway with arctic temperatures for the swim in a fjord, biking through a mountainous range, then finishing the 42km run at the top of a 1,880m peak.

That’s the challenge awaiting competitors in the Norseman, one of 50 events featured in a book, the World’s Toughest Endurance Challenges, by Richard Hoad and Paul Moore.

Triple Ironman

Despite the pain and the hours of preparation, such endurance events are strangely addictive.

Briton Mark Kleanthous has competed in 34 Ironmans — including the most famous of them all in the blistering heat and brutal winds of Hawaii — two double Ironmans and one Triple Ironman.

Since the mid-eighties, the 51 year-old has finished over 450 triathlons, making him almost certainly the record holder in that respect, not to mention the small matter of 75 mere marathons.

“The longer the event, the more the mind takes over, in a marathon it is probably only 10% mental in a Triple Ironman, with sleep deprivation, it must be at least 40% mental strength to continue,” Kleanthous, who now coaches and mentors athletes who take on these challenges, told CNN.

Kleanthous took just under 46 hours of continuous action to complete his solitary Triple Ironman attempt.

 

Palfrey abandons swim from Cuba to U.S.

 

Karnazes: Marathons are just practice

“After swimming, cycling and running a total distance of 521 miles I had no facial hair growth for 10 days,” he said. “I think it was my body’s way of saying I am shutting down.”

But there can be a darker side to this type of challenge.

Sleep deprivation

“I have known ultra endurance athletes to commit suicide within months of finishing sleep deprivation events,” said Kleanthous.

“In events lasting days with no sleep for one or two hours per day athletes have hallucinated and believed they have seen friends or family cheering them by the side of the roads.

“One competitor believed he saw his parents and it was only after the race he realized he had hallucinated because his parents were dead.”

Read: Tips from an Ironman world champion

Despite these warnings, it does not stop the rush to compete in events like the Marathon des Sables, which is also featured in the 50 challenges.

It is a near 200km run in the blazing temperatures and freezing nights of the Sahara Desert — with a two-year waiting list to compete.

Many competitors are inspired by the exploits of superstar endurance athletes such as four-time Hawaii Ironman world champion Chrissie Wellington of Britain.

Mind games

“Of all the body parts we train, none is more important than the mind,” she told CNN.

 

7 marathons, 7 continents, 5 days

 

Endurance swimmer halfway to Florida Keys

“There is an obsession in triathlon with tracking how far and how fast we have gone in our latest session. People think that if their training log is in order, then so must be their preparation.

“But it’s when the discomfort strikes that they realize a strong mind is the most powerful weapon of all,” added Wellington.

Not all the most famous endurance challenges are multi-sport events, but swimming the English Channel or cycling the near 5,000 km in the Race Across America are still grueling tests.

Extremes of temperature also play a part from the Four Deserts Marathon challenge to the South Pole equivalent at -40C.

High altitude is the enemy in the Yak Attack, a mountain bike race through the Himalayas, while a head for heights is required in the Red Bull X-Alps where competitors paraglide and trek from Salzburg to Monaco across the European mountain range.

Celebrities have also begun to embrace the idea of sporting endurance challenges.

Charitable aims

British comedian David Walliams swam the English Channel for charity and topped that by completing the 224km of the River Thames in eight days.

Olympic gold medal winning rower James Cracknell finished 12th in the Marathon des Sables, and then attempted to swim, cycle, run and row between Los Angeles and New York before he was hit by a petrol tanker in Arizona.

It nearly cost him his life, although he has returned to adventure and endurance challenges to raise money for good causes.

Kleanthous is full of admiration for anyone who finishes just one of these events, but then really threw down the guantlet:: “What if someone attempted to do all 50 of the challenges? ”

This one is really cool… and somehow it has escaped my notice until now!  (thanks for sending me the link to the 50 Challenges book, Rick!… although I think this might not have been the one you were focussing on… don’t worry, we’ll work on your swimming!)… swimming, running and adventure… doesn’t get much better than that!  And it’s in Sweden… never been to Sweden… but I’ve seen a few of their nannies… seems like a good place to visit!  Check this out…

http://www.otillo.se/the-race/

(PS.  Hey Borut and Martin Strel… we need one of these races in North America… maybe the in Arizona!?!)

 Ö TILL Ö is a unique race in a unique environment. Teams of two race together from island to island (Ö till Ö). The teams swim between the islands and run on them. The total distance is 64 kilometres of which 10 km are swimming and 54 km are running.

… so here’s one that’s is long overdue… a couple of stories about Peter von Euw!  Pete is one of my oldest friends (as is friends I’ve known the longest… he’s the same age as me… so he’s really pretty young! and an original LOSTie!  He is also one of the fastest runners I know (2:44 marathoner), a great Ironman triathlete and a helluva guy!  Oh, and he’s far too modest to say any of this… which is why it’s nice to see him get some recognition for the great things he does!  Atta boy Pete! 

Here are 2 articles that coincidently just came out about Pete… both above and beyond what most people do… one story in the Oakville Beaver about volunteering to go down to NYC and help restore power… and another story in iRun magazine about how he uses marathons to help raise money for Lukemia and to help people pace themselves in marathons… which is how he got the name: Peter Rabbit!

Oakville hydro crew home from New York

Hydro workers slept in trucks during nor’easter

Nine Oakville Hydro workers who recently returned from Long Island, New York were recognized at Town Hall Monday, for their tireless work in restoring power in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

In a presentation before Town council, Oakville Hydro President and CEO Rob Lister said when Sandy struck Long Island in late October, the area was devastated by wind-swept fires, extensive flooding and heavy winds, which brought down countless power lines and hydro poles.

“On Friday, Nov. 2, I was contacted by the Long Island Power Authority seeking assistance,” said Lister.

“We sent nine volunteers to Long Island for 11 days. Many other Ontario utilities also sent help. They were deployed to one of the hardest hit areas on the eastern seaboard. There were 1.5 million customers without power in Long Island.”

The Oakville Hydro crew worked 16-18 hour days and slept in gymnasiums, fire halls, recreation centres and even their own trucks as local hotels were filled with civilians whose homes had been destroyed or become unlivable.

Many of the workers said they didn’t know what they were getting into by agreeing to go to Long Island stating only they knew it would be an amazing experience and that it was important to help people in trouble.

“It was very touching just to see what these people had been through, either flooding or tree damage… it was quite extensive,” said Paul Horscroft.

“The first day, we were in Long Beach and it was a real eye opener as to the force of Mother Nature and what she can do.”

Horscroft said when he arrived on Long Island the streets were thick with garbage and destroyed furniture of every type.

Soup kitchens had been set up to help feed people and construction vehicles were removing tons of beach sand that had washed inland.

“It was like a war zone,” said Joe Perry.

Perry said once the crew began setting up hydro poles and restoring power it was hard to stop as residents would be coming out and begging them to restore power to their area.

“It is hard to just say, ‘No,’ but you’ve got to get rest for yourself,” said Perry.

“I understand why they want you to stay because they’ve waited so long. They’ve had no power for 15 days or whatever, they see a hydro truck coming and don’t want to let it leave.”

Conditions grew worse with the arrival of a strong nor’easter, which hit Long Island the second week of November.

The storm coated the area in thick wet snow while heavy winds brought down hydro lines and deprived thousands more of power.

The rec centre the Oakville Hydro workers were staying in also lost power, so those in charge would not allow the workers in at the end of their shift for fear the building’s heat would escape. That night the Oakville Hydro crew stayed in their trucks — drying their soaked clothes with the heaters of their vehicles.

Despite this, the crew said they were well received by the people of Long Island.

Horscroft said people were honking at them and giving them the ‘thumbs up’ as far away as Buffalo when they were en route to Long Island.

At another point, two women stopped their car, got out and hugged Perry when they saw him working by the roadside.

“There was one guy who said, ‘We waited 12 days and nobody came. Then you guys came and in one day the Canadians got all the power back on,” said Peter von Euw.

“That made you feel kinda good.”

Perry said when they restored power to an area, a party would almost break out with people cheering, thanking them and sometimes offering to make them dinner or get them coffee.

The group does not know how many people they restored power to during their time in Long Island stating one repair job might restore power to just two households while another might restore power to dozens.

“You didn’t care about the numbers. They were all important,” said Garrett St. Pierre.

With power restored to much of Long Island, the Oakville crew returned home Nov. 14.

At Monday’s council meeting the crew received a standing ovation.

“It’s an outstanding job and we’re very proud of you,” said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, giving each a certificate.

The Oakville Hydro team also included Chris Cudmore, Joe Rizzi, Jon Castillo, Alex Rusic and Brent Le Tual.

 And Pete in iRun Magazine this month too!

Peter Von Euw, Oakville, ON
iRun for the fun of it, but I also see that running can be a way to help other people.

Photo by Ian Murchison

“I enjoy pacing, it’s a way to help people out,” says Peter Von Euw who likes to pace at the Boston Qualifying time of 3:10. Having just completed his 47th marathon in ten years of running, Van Euw is now a marathon coach with Team in Training. “I enjoy helping new runners. Usually all they need is some encouragement and support to get off the couch and start with the basics.”

Von Euw came to Team in Training as a participant in the Paris Marathon in 2009, after his twin brother was diagnosed with leukemia. “It was quite a shock. I actually had to look leukemia up when he told me about his diagnosis.” Raising money for curing blood cancers became a way for Von Euw to do something for his brother. “It was an outlet for all the anger and frustration I was feeling,” he explains. Von Euw raised $19,000 that year. “I put my whole heart into it and it made we really warm to think that people wanted to help,” he says.

A few months after his diagnosis, Von Euw’s brother passed away. “When I ran that marathon in Paris I wasn’t just running it by myself, I was also running with Mike.”

Von Euw says that it helped to be with other people who had similar stories when his brother was ill and after he passed away. “The long runs felt healing.”

In the ten years since he started running, Von Euw notes that it has kept him fit. After mastering the art of the marathon, he began competing in triathlons and is now planning his 6th Ironman.

Strel Swimming: Slovenia
(click to enlarge)

I just got this email (below) from Borut Strel, Martin “Big River Man” Strel’s son, who runs the vacation swimming trip business with his dad. 

They are both great guys and these trips look like a lot of fun and are in spectacular locations… I’d love to do a trip one of these days to any of the locations they offer… and keep them in mind if you are interested in doing the same, it would make one helluva vacation!

In the meantime… we’ll just have to enjoy the pictures!

Cheers,

Rob

Loving it in Slovenia!
(click to enlarge)

Dear friends, swimmers and adventure travellers,

Hope you are getting well aclimitised to the winter months and trying to swim to swim in either the outdoors or indoors. Swimming is known to be one of the best activities to boost our immune system.

Here is a quick update of what we are doing in 2013.

1) We have opened our 2013 dates and availability. Check them out!

2) Some of our guests have shared their feedback about our swimming trips:

- See video: Testimonials Lake Powell Swimming

Lake Powell, Arizona
(click to enlarge)

- See video: Testimonials Slovenian Lake Swimming

- Jacqui from Switzerland writes: A Strel Swimming Story From Croatia

- Beth from Florida writes: Lake Powell Best Swim Vacation

Swimming in Lake Powell, Arizona!
(click to enlarge)

We also hosted 2 great writers on our last Lake Powell Tour and they will publish articles in the coming months in prominent British & Canadian magazines.

3) We have opened two new swimming holiday locations:

- Montenegro Fjord and Cove swimming along the Adriatic coast

- Austrian Lakes (combined with our standard Slovenian tour)

Spectacular swimming in Montenegro!
(click to enlarge)

4) Local Operational Policy

Please know that all our treks ensure that in the team of guides there is at least one team-member who has in-depth experience and knowledge of the local waters, the main swimming routes and the alternatives as well as a fluent local language speaker. I personally speak fluent Croatian, Serbian and Montenegro language.

Swimming into caves in Montenegro!
(click to enlarge)

5) We are attending Winter Swimming Championships in the UK (Tooting Bec, London) on 26.Jan, 2013. Please come and visit our stand.

6) We are co-organising traditional Lake Bled Winter Swimming Cup in Slovenia on 23.Feb, 2013. See more details at our site.

Our great website also has some stunning photos from our recent season!

Have a great weekend and we look forward to seeing you in the water again!

Swimmin’ fun in Croatia!
(click to enlarge)

Best regards, Borut Strel

Strel Swimming Adventures

+44 77 0006 1236

+1 310 928 3224

info@strelswimming.com

www.strel-swimming.com 

Some synchronized open water swimming in Croatia!
(click to enlarge)

Hi all,

Here is a Distance / Triathlon swim training camp offered over the Holidays at the NEW Regent Park 25m pool in downtown Toronto (Parliament & Dundas area).  Not quite as exotic as Martin and Borut’s swim trips… but it is close and in a nice new pool!

Here are the deets:

http://www.npconsultants.com/oannesswims/workshops/workshop_2012.htm

Holiday Swim Training Camp 2012

Thurs Dec 27 – 7­-9 AM
Fri Dec 28 – 9 ­ 10:30 AM
Sat Dec 29 ­ 9 ­ 10:30 AM
Sun Dec 30 – 9 ­ 10:30 AM
Mon Dec 31 – 9 ­ 10:30 AM

Graded cost depending on how many sign up – Nov 28 deadline:
16 minimum – $170 each
24 maximum – $115 each
We have 12-13 committed so far – so need a few more to hit our minimum for the camp.

If there is interested, we can continue for the following week.

Get back to Coach Kelvin – coach@oannesswims.com

So here is one that is hardly contreversial at all… cutting off the Livestrong bracelet!  Unlike Lance, I couldn’t avoid the topic any longer.

I got my Livestrong bracelet in 2004, right at the peak of Lance-mania!  And I’ve never, ever taken it off.  I swam (most of the way) across the English Channel with it on… ran for 7 days across the Sahara with it on… swam around Manhattan with it on… and across Lake Ontario… and every day in between.  So it does mean something to me.  Like it did to a lot of people.  I read the books and drank the Kool Aid… I was all in for Lance and a big defender for all those years.  And one of the last to be forced off the sinking ship.

Alain loving every minute of cutting the Livestrong bracelet off!
(click to enlarge)

But I also did all the research and read every news story out… all with my pro-Lance bias… and I still could not find any way to support him. 

I tried every rationalization I could find, but none of them held up to my own personal logic or ethics.  He raised money for cancer… and pocketed $120 million on his cheating.  We were duped… and most people were very emotionally invested.  But when it was all said and done… he cheated in the most grand manner and lead the parade. 

Whatever… another cheater.  I’ve moved on… and taken off the braclet!

Cheers,

Rob

Hey all,

So I just got an email from an Aussie race director yesterday… his name is Grant Siedle and he is the founder of a new 30k solo & relay race in Melbourne, Australia.  He sent me the details of his new race, Giants of the Bay .  It looks awesome… a little out of the way… but if you happen to be planning a trip Down Under, it’s a good one to keep in mind to make that trip a little more memorable! 

It’s also just good to see the sport growing everywhere… it was kinda cool that he was looking to us as the old established Team too!  Anyway, have a look…

http://spirited-away.com.au/corporate.php

Cheers,

Rob

Sorry… sold out in no time… to 5 lucky LOSTies!!!

Michele… our Xterra wetsuit model!

Okay, so we’ve accumulated “Xterra Points” (kind of like “air miles”)… but the catch is I have to use them by the end of the year!  So I’m going to turn it into a bit of a fundraiser for LOST!

So here’s the deal… I have about 900 pts (1 pt = $1)… and you can purchase the points for 75 cents per point… effectively 25% off!!! 

And in case you were wondering what I was wondering… can we “double dip”?  The answer is yes!  That is, you can buy the points… and then apply them to the discounted wetsuit price that we already get through LOST!

Example:

1. You want to buy the Vortex 3, full suit = $400
2. LOST discount of 60%, makes it = $160
3. You buy 160 Xterra points from LOST (me) for 25% less than the $160 = $120
4. You end up with a great new $400 Xterra wetsuit for $120!!! You can’t beat that!

Details:

• this offer just goes until I run out of points
• first come, first served… I’m not chasing people for money, so cash (or cheque to LOST Swimming) is the only thing that holds your points! 
• just drop me an email and tell me how many points you want (the5kents@msn.com)
• you can use the points on any Xterra wetsuit, same formula applies
• you can use the points on any other Xterra product (bags, speed suits, etc) but we don’t get the 60% off on those.
• just click on the Xterra logo on the side and it will take you to their website to see styles and sizing, over 80 LOSTies have bought wetsuits in the past 2 years!

Let me know asap!

Cheers,

Rob

So Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii is the pinnacle of triathlon races for all triathletes… but it is also for all those manufacturers of all the swim, bike and run products! 

Naturally, therefore everyone (sponsors and manufacturers especially) want to know what everyone is wearing and using… both what the pros are using… and the age-groupers.  And courtesy of Lava Magazine, here are the answers:

The swim (remember, Kona is a non-wetsuit race, so these aren’t wetsuits, they are “speedsuits”):

Addendum: Blue Seventy conducted a swim skin count from the spectator sea wall and gave us these numbers October 18, 2012. We assume some margin of error with these numbers.

The Bike: After an entire afternoon of tallying, the results are in and Cervelo is top dog once again. The Toronto-based bike builder has 483 bikes on the pier in Kona this year, and Trek remains ahead of Specialized as the runner-up. Here are the complete results from all the categories.  Thanks to the industry for their participation in this year’s count. 

… mind you… if you listen to Lance, “It’s not about the bike” anyway… 

Running Shoes: I feel vindicated in finding my shoes near the top of the list… I’m a big fan of them and find it interesting that they are so well represented given that they are not a big name shoe brand and have virtually no advertising… they are the only shoe I’ve ever worn that truly make me run faster (because the “lugs” force you to run in the correct position)… and in case you didn’t guess yet… they are Newton’s!

Interesting to see the ones near the bottom too… Vibram (those would be tough on the hot pavement in Kona!)… and I didn’t even know that Under Armour made shoes… and Crocs, well that’s just kinda comical!

• Asics:               300
• Saucony:         245
• Newton:          201
• Brooks:            181
• Kswiss:            169
• Nike:                118
• Mizuno:           107
• Zoot:                  94
• Adidas:             91
• New Balance:  48
• On:                      23
• Hoka One One: 23
• Pearl Izumi:      19
• Woolf:                 16
• Other:                15
• Sketchers:          8
• Puma:                 5
• Merrell:             5
• Ecco:                  5
• Avia:                 5
• Innovate:         4
• Karhu:              2
• Vibram:            1
• Under Armour:1
• Croc:                  1
• Altra:                1

Read more: The 2012 Kona Bike Count : LAVA Magazine http://lavamagazine.com/features/the-2012-kona-bike-count/#ixzz2Asmy8AAn
Don’t have LAVA? Subscribe today!

Cheers,

Rob

Hi all,

So here is one cool part of LOST… I get all kinds of people emailing me wondering if they are “good enough” to come out and swim with LOST… and I tell them, we take ‘em all! (although you should be able to swim 500m non-stop, comfortably!).  Well we have a couple of pretty interesting stories… that come from opposite ends of the age spectrum.  In the previous post, we had a story about the youngest LOST member, Annaleise Carr at 14… and in this post we have a cool story about the oldest LOST member, Frank Zamuner… who is 76 years young!

Frank may be 76, but he was a newbie at LOST this summer, but fit right in (just like Annaleise!)… he swims 4-5 times a week and does 2.5 km per swim!  He also has a great cause that he is using his swimming skills for, raising awareness for mental health issues with the “Navigator Program”.  He’s doing a Swim for Mental Health on Nov 22 & 23 at Appleby College and would appreciate all the help we LOSTies can give him!  Check it out below or at SwimForMentalHealth.com !

Cheers,

Rob

Swim for Mental Health
(click to enlarge)

Hi all,

So the voting for the WOWSA awards (World Open Water Swimming Awards) has opened… and we’ve nominated a LOSTie… Annaleise Carr is up for the Woman of the Year award!

There are 4 awards to vote on:

1. Man of the Year
2. Woman of the Year
3. Performance of the Year
4. Offering of the Year
   

   Rob, Annaleise and Madhu… the three 2012 Lake O Crossing successes! 

Of course there are lots of worthy swims and swimmers around the world, but there are a few that stand out for one reason or another.  And Annaleise’s swim across Lake O is one of them!  Although Madhu and I had long hard swims across Lake O this year too, I have to give the nod to Annaleise for her swim… for being a mere 14 years old (youngest ever), for swimming 52 km in almost 27 hours (youngest member of the 24 hour club) and raising over $200,000 for a kids cancer camp.  Well done, Annaleise… you’ve made us LOSTies proud and helped put us on the map! 

So if you agree and would like to see a LOSTie recognized globally, give her your vote!

PS.  The vote isn’t necessarily about the “best” swim, as that would be too hard to define anyway, so it is left as the “most popular” swim… which means the most votes… so let’s get out the vote!

Cheers,

Rob

• http://www.worldopenwaterswimmingassociation.com/2012-wowsa-woman-of-the-year-nominees/
• http://www.worldopenwaterswimmingassociation.com/vote-here/

 

Rob, Annaleise, Madhu, Colleen, Michele & Francois… 2012 Lake O aspirants! (missing Amanda)

Cabo Rojo Challenge 2013… Dominican Republic

So last year a bunch of us LOSTies went to the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim… and the Swim Around Key West… well, here is another one that deserves a closer look, could be a cool swim to do too!

Here are the details: Convocatoria Cabo Rojo Challenge 2013 US

And here is a summary:

So here it is… the much anticipated announcement for the location of Ironman Canada is… Whistler, BC!!!

Recall Ironman Canada got the boot from Penticton after 30 years when “Challenge”, the European Iron-distance race series, convinced the City of Penticton to go with them instead.  But Ironman was quick on their feet and now, inside of 2 months have found a new home.  There was a lot of speculation about where they would relocate to… Kelowna was one possibility, which is virtually the same location as Penticton… it would have been a bit spiteful and ultimately probably stupid to go head to head there as they would have just split the business… interestingly, IMC and Challenge Penticton will both be held on August 25, 2013, so there will still be some cannibalization anyway… then there was Muskoka, where they already have the 70.3… not a bad plan, but probably would have cannibalized some the IM Lake Placid and the new IM Mt Tremblant… there were a few other locations kicked around, but I think those were the only real contenders. 

So given those three, it seems like Whistler will be a great location… easy to fly into, potential for a spectacular course, and as they just learned with IM Mt Tremblant, the ski resorts make great venues, both pragmatically and scenically.  Hey, if Whistler can host the Olympics, they should be able to host an Ironman!

So, all in all… seems like it should be a bit hit… we’ll see!

Cheers,

Rob

Event Services

You are receiving this email because you added your name to the preferred registration list for next year’s IRONMAN Canada, scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013, in Whistler, British Columbia. You will be sent detailed online registration instructions on Monday, October 15, which will allow you to complete advanced registration before race entries are available to the general public.See you in Whistler!The IRONMAN team.TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 11, 2012) – Today, World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) announces Whistler, British Columbia as the new venue of the IRONMAN® Canada triathlon. IRONMAN Canada in Whistler builds on the legacy of the 2010 Winter Olympics, while offering athletes a beautiful, challenging experience in a world-class venue. The event is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013, and will be the 31st running of IRONMAN Canada.“Whistler is recognized worldwide as a sought-after travel and outdoor recreation destination. As the new host community of IRONMAN Canada, Whistler will immediately earn a reputation as a triathlon destination,” said Steve Meckfessel, Managing Director of Global Race Operations for WTC. “With its accessibility to major west coast markets, stunning beauty and tourism infrastructure, Whistler will resonate with our athletes, their families and fans of IRONMAN.”The race will start with a two-loop, 2.4-mile swim in the clean shallow waters of Alta Lake at Rainbow Park, which has an average water temperature of 67 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit in late August. Athletes will enjoy a lakeside transition before starting a one-loop 112-mile bike course that is comparable in difficulty to the bike route at IRONMAN Lake Placid, IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene, and the previous IRONMAN Canada. Athletes will travel south on the Sea-to-Sky Highway before climbing into the Callaghan Valley, site of the Nordic skiing events during the 2010 Winter Olympics. After descending back to the highway, athletes pass through Whistler on their way north to Pemberton. An out-and-back section allows athletes breathtakingly beautiful views of glaciated peaks, while racing on a completely flat section of road. Athletes return to Whistler via the Sea-to-Sky Highway over rolling terrain. The two-loop run course follows the meandering Valley Trail past Lost Lake and Green Lake allowing spectators to reinvigorate athletes with a return through Whistler Village at the halfway point of the run before finishing adjacent to Whistler Olympic Plaza. “We are absolutely thrilled, and honoured, that Whistler has been chosen from among some of the country’s most spectacular destinations to host IRONMAN Canada,” said Breton Murphy, Tourism Whistler’s Director of Partnerships and lead for the Whistler Organizing Committee, which responded to the request for proposals by WTC. “Whistler is a world-class, all-season resort with a global reputation for producing and hosting international events of the highest calibre,” said Murphy. “IRONMAN Canada is a natural fit for our resort – and being selected as its new home speaks to Whistler’s ability to deliver an exceptional experience for both athletes and spectators.” “Whistler is an outdoor sport Mecca,” said Murphy. “IRONMAN Canada competitors and enthusiasts will marvel at our spectacular mountain ranges, pristine lakes and extensive network of cycling, running and walking trails.” IRONMAN Canada will be a P-1000 race with a $25,000 USD professional prize purse. Additionally, the race will offer 100 age group slots to the 2013 IRONMAN World Championship taking place on Oct. 12, 2013. Registration for the IRONMAN Canada will open on Thur., Oct. 18, at Noon PT on www.ironmancanada.ca. For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Athlete inquiries may be directed to canada@ironman.com. Media may contact media@ironman.com. Neither WTC nor IRONMAN Canada is affiliated with the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee, or the National Olympic Committee of any country. About IRONMAN The iconic IRONMAN® Series of events is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Since the inception of the IRONMAN® brand in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines at the world’s most challenging endurance races. Recognized for excellence through distinguished events, world-class athletes and quality products, World Triathlon Corporation (d/b/a IRONMAN), owner and operator of the IRONMAN Series, has grown from owner of a single race to a global sensation with more than 190 events across five unique brands: IRONMAN®, IRONMAN 70.3®, 5150 Triathlon Series, Iron Girl® and IronKids®. For more information, visit www.ironman.com. About Whistler Whistler is Canada’s premier year-round leisure and meeting destination located in the Coast Mountains 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Consistently rated the top ski resort in North America, Whistler was the Host Mountain Resort of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The resort offers an extensive range of accommodations totaling 10,000 bedrooms among 24 hotels as well as townhomes, condos, B&Bs and chalets. Whistler also boasts more than 100 restaurants and bars, 200 retail shops, 25 spas and countless activity options from world-renowned skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking and golf, to hiking, rock climbing, and watersports. The Resort Municipality of Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 10,000 permanent residents. About Tourism Whistler Tourism Whistler is the member-based marketing and sales organization representing Whistler, operating the Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler Golf Club, Whistler Visitor Centre, as well as 1.800.WHISTLER and www.whistler.com – Whistler’s official source for visitor bookings and information. As the convention and visitors bureau for the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler represents more than 7,000 members who own, manage and operate properties or businesses on resort lands including hotels, restaurants, activity operators and retail shops.

Questions or Concerns? Contact us at canada@ironman.com

So our old friend, Greg Pace, (um, not old, as in old… just that we’ve known each other for a long time! haha) of the Tri Club of Burlington and Pace Performance Triathlon Training has put together a new program:

“PACE Athletic Club, Youth Program”… have a look below… or at www.paceperformance.ca

CLICK TO ENLARGE

CLICK TO ENLARGE

… and in case the tattoo story from the post below this one, also from Steve Munatones’ Open Water Source, isn’t your bag… here’s some light reading you can do over the winter… or something to read while you are getting your tattoo!

PS.  I let them use my picture in this one too!  ;-)

Cheers,

Rob

Open water swimming is considered to be a sport that is 80% mental.

And Sabrina Devonshire stimulates the mental part of readers like few others in her new open water-centric book, The Open Water Swimmer.

In the exotic erotic adventure novel where a hunky swimmer plays a central role, the life-long swimmer who doubles as a romance novelist writes, “The starting gun sounded and Jeff sprinted into the ocean, kicking water everywhere until the density of the water overcame him and it was more efficient to swim than run. A fingernail jabbed his calf. A toe struck his face, partially filling his goggles with water. He slapped arms with another swimmer on a recovery. Jeff plowed through the water with all the gusto he could muster to break away from the mass…”

The Arizona resident explains that her romantic suspense novel “is an entertaining way to learn about the sport.”

To learn more, visit here.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source

Hi all,

So here is an interesting story… and pictures from Open Water Source!  Or at least I think so, not just because I’m in it… although that might have something to do with it!  ;-)

PS. you can click to enlarge the pics too!

Cheers,

Rob

Open water swimmers can be expressive in a variety of ways: verbally or artistically. Some view their skin as part of that public expression.Csaba Gercsak is a two-time Olympian marathon swimmer who combined his Olympic achievements and his passion for open water swimming into one colorful tattoo on his back.

Below are numerous examples of open water swimmers from Boston to Brazil, Germany to Geneva – many of whom have marine animal-themed or ocean-specific tattoos adorning various parts of their bodies.

Dolphins, whales, manta rays and sharks. Waves and sea shells and turtles. Black and white and in full color. Vito Bialla (shown above) has tattoos on each arm, one of a male orca and another one of a female orca.

Cathy Delneo, a survivor of a shark encounter (while she was surfing) is a mild-mannered librarian on land and an adventurous swimmer in the water – with a giant wave imagery on her back.

She completed one 16 hour 29 minute Farallon Islands relay from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands, with her tattoo proudly identifying her en route.

Large tattoos, small tattoos, open water swimmers of various ages and backgrounds like to adorn their arms, legs, backs, ankles, lower back with images that are meaningful to them.

Open water swimmers can be expressive in a variety of ways: verbally or artistically. Some view their skin as part of that public expression.

From Boston to Brazil, Germany to Geneva, Sydney to Sweden, open water swimmers have marine animal-themed or ocean-specific tattoos adorning various parts of their bodies.

Many swimmers have such a profound and intimate connection with the water that they want to visually share their connection with others.

Bruckner Chase (shown on left) received the “Best in Fest” prize for his Samoan-themed shoulder-sleeve tattoo at the 7th Annual Tisa’s Tattoo Fest. Tufuga Wilson Fitiau did Bruckner’s tattoo.A familiar figure in the water world, marathon swimmer Bruckner Chase (left) took the “Best in Fest” prize for the shoulder-sleeve tattoo Sunday as the 7th Annual Tisa’s Tattoo Fest TM came to a close this year. Tufuga Wilson Fitiau did Bruckner’s tattoo.

“With the designs no matter where I swim, I feel like I am in Samoan waters.”

Crystal Kemp grew up in Long Beach, California and has never lived further than a half-mile from the Pacific Ocean. “I started with my brittle star which symbolizes guidance, vigilance and intuition. From there I added my underwater scene which reflects my love of snorkeling and swimming.”

Glauco Rangel has a large swordfish covering his left shoulder and much of his back.

Chad Ho celebrates his Olympic 10K participation with the standard five Olympic rings.

Bruckner Chase (left) has a large jellyfish and whale tails colorfully inked on his torso.

Sebastian Fischer (right) said, “I have a mermaid tattooed on my left arm. I have always loved swimming and being in the water.

I have always loved women, so I decided to combine those two things for a tattoo on my arm.”

Chase added, “The tattoos on my back are of my wife Michelleand my past, present and future in the ocean.”

Chase has faced swarms of jellyfish that have stung him unmercifully. “I swam through schools of jellyfish so thick it was like swimming in the exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

They were right in my face too.”

Multiple world 5 km and 10 km champion and Olympic marathon swimming gold medal co-favorite Thomas Lurz explains his tattoo, “I have the date from my father’s birthday on my left arm. I got it after his death.

The tattoo [on the other arm] we did 12 years ago on our swim team for the German team championships and it means ‘Together we can do it’ or ‘We are strong together’.

For example, my brother has the same tattoo on the same place because he also was on the team at this time as a swimmer. Now he is my coach, so it still fits good together.

We were a good young team then.” And now.

Mauro’s tat of Manhattan island… and Rob’s tat from the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim too!

Mauro and Rob in Tampa Bay

Some Manhattan Island Marathon Swim tattoos from its previous participants, Rob Kent and Mauro Giaconia of Italy. Along with Kent’s MIM’s tattoo, he additionally has ink of his Ironman, Boston Marathon, Marathon des Sables, and Lake Ontario accomplishments.

Jen King says, “My tattoos have water in them because I’ve grown up near the water and it has made a huge impact on my life to be a swimmer, and it will always be a part of me.”

King tells of her turtle tattoo, “Water and fire are in place of the turtle’s shell. The turtle, or honu in Hawaiian, is a symbol of longevity.”

King explains, “On my back is a lotus flower with water around it. The lotus symbolizes overcoming obstacles and growing. With the water around it means that I have the power to control the outcome of any obstacle and growth.

Lexie Kelly, the Event Coordinator for the Global Open Water Swimming Conference on the Queen Mary, describes her tattoo, “I got this done on the north shore of Kauai [Hawaii].

To me, it signifies how important it is to focus on the small and simple and beautiful things in life. There is nothing more amazing than nature itself and the ocean – plumerias and seashells – happens to be something I am very passionate about since I have a strong love for swimming.

What better way to appreciate simplicity than spending time in the ocean.”

These photos are from the Chief Lifeguard at the King and Queen of the Sea (Rei e Rainha do Mar) on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.

The Poseidon trident is celebrated by the tattoo of Olympian and 2010 world 25K champion Alex Meyer of the USA is simple, yet profound. The trident is associated with Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology, and its Roman god equivalent Neptune. Poseidon, the god of the sea, used his trident to create water sources in Greece and was known as the Earth Shaker because when he struck the earth he caused earthquakes and he used the trident to create tidal waves, tsunamis and sea storms.

Dave Dunton, Managing General Partner of Try Cyclery, has two tattoos. “One is a seal lion that celebrates Seal Beach (California) and how much I enjoy living, working and swimming here.

The other tattoo is a dolphin that I had put on after a bull dolphin wouldn’t let me swim into the Bay where I found out later there was a Great White Shark waiting.”

Mike Nie (left) from the island of Cayman Brac has a stingray with a barb fish.

Shannon Cutting (right), a triathlete and an open water swimmer, wanted a unique tattoo and her friend created it for her in his apartment.

The tattoo on left adorned a swimmer at the starting line of an open water race in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Todd Cameron of Orlando, Florida started off with one hammerhead shark.

And then he got a few more.

In celebration of the induction of the Faros Maratón Swim into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Janez Maroević got a tattoo on his calf.

So pleased with the recognization as an Honour Organisation, that Maroević headed off the Queen Mary ship and into town to make his own custom design.

And the most inked Oceans Seven competitor, Darren Miller of Pennsylvania, wears his tattoos with pride as he traverses the globe in search of the hardest, longest, most challenging marathon swims on the planet.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source

Hi all,

Tampa Bay Marathon Swim

I just got an email from my buddy, Ron Collins, who runs the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim!  Entry is now open for next year… and given that Tampa Bay cools off in the winter, it’s a great place to get in some cold water training, if you happen to be planning a English Channel swim!

I did the solo last year (cancelled after 6 1/2 hours due to large lightning storm unfortunately, but got in about 25k) and a few other LOSTies put together a relay… it is a great event and a nice one to get some distance in early in the year.  Check it out:

Tampa Bay Marathon Swim route… swimming south to north.

Tampa Bay Marathon Swim, 2012… it was rough even before the storm!

Hi Rob, 

The entry form for the 16th Annual 24 Mile Tampa Bay Marathon Swim is now available at http://distancematters.com/entryform.pdf   Hope you can make it to our event next April 20th, 2013!  If not, please feel free to pass along the info to someone who is considering swimming as a soloist or relay.

Also, we are booking training/qualifying sessions here in Clearwater/Tampa, Florida for November – March.  Our water temps usually hover around 60F during the winter, so contact us if you would like to plan your cold water acclimation training or qualification swim with us in the coming months.

Thank you,

Ron Collins
www.DistanceMatters.com

naturally, the day after the race was nice though!

Here is a good one… courtesy Jen Alexander. 

Jen is from Halifax and we met in Dover in 2006 when we both attempted (unsuccessfully!) to cross the English Channel.  She has gone on to do some other great swims though, including one I’d like to do… the Northumberland Strait… from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island!  A great Canadian swim, check it out in openwaterpedia.  http://openwaterpedia.com/index.php?title=Northumberland_Strait

Anyway, Jen is also a swimming-math-geek… which of course, I find very interesting too!  Using some basic trigonometry she’s calculated a way to figure out how far you are from a given tall landmark when you are doing a big swim… just using the width of your fingers!

I call it the “How much further” calculation!!!  Check it out…

The “How much further” calculation (click to enlarge)

So by now most of you have heard that IM Canada in Penticton is no longer… it is now “Challenge Penticton”… part of the “Challenge Series” of Iron-distance races.  (see previous post about that: http://lostswimming.com/?p=5072 ).  So there has been a lot of speculation about where they should relocate IM Canada… I’ve heard Vancouver (but after the less than successful results of IM New York, it seems unlikely they would put it in a big city again)… or Whistler (after the success of IM Mt Tremblant, this seems more likely)… or I’ve even heard rumblings about putting IM Canada in Ottawa, the nation’s capital and a hotbed of triathlon… but still unlikely with IM MT and Lake Placid close by)… but probably the one spot that might make a lot of sense is in Muskoka.  Essentially doubling up the Half Ironman course there… it might just work!  And they are voting on it… so vote below if you want it in Muskoka!

Cheers,

Rob

 

It really was a beautiful swim!  One of the best all year.  The water was 60F/15C… flat as glass and the clearest I think I’ve ever seen it!

Last LOST Swim of 2012! And still a great swim… 60F and 21 swimmers!

You could probably see for 20 – 30 feet… that’s what I love about open water swimming, seeing things, even if it is just the rocky bottom and a few small fish… it’s interesting.  To use the analogy I often use with running, sure you can run on the treadmill, with no TV or music, and get a good workout, like you do in the pool… or you could run in the trails and see “the great outdoors”!  Yes, you might see a rabbit or a deer or a skunk… but that’s cool, it makes your run more interesting and memorable and thought provoking.  The same in the water you might see some little fish, or a few big fish, or a shark… okay, you won’t see a shark, but at least it’s more interesting.  And if that kind of stuff still freaks you out, which I get, well then you just need to do more open water swimming… and get your head into a different space… because it really is beautiful and interesting.  Which makes the swim that much more enjoyable.

Anyway, it was a nice swim.

How is it that Bud looks colder than Gerry… and Bud’s in the wetsuit! Good swim everyone!

We had 21 people out… went for a half our out, and a half hour back, about 4k… and out for coffee at Brett’s (Bean There Cafe).  And called it a season.  Nice.

We were talking at coffee and I was saying, as much as I like open water swimming, I’m glad the season is only as long as it is… from May to September or so.  And as much as I just told you how much I don’t like pool swimming… I really don’t mind pool swimming… if only because it is useful… and still social… but also it keeps you in the game and builds anticipation for next spring!  I’m sure we could keep going longer, and with 21 people out today there is still a great group that are up for it, but it’s nice to get out when you are on top… when it’s still good and enjoyable.  People’s heads aren’t as into it… all the Lake Crossings are done, the LOST Race and all the other open water races are over, the tri season is pretty much over (except for Mel and Bill doing IM Cozumel!) and it just feels like it’s time to move on.  It’s fall.

So clear you could see Toronto perfectly… probably could have underwater too… but there is no CN Tower underwater…

It was a great season… I’d say the best LOST Swimming season ever… and without trying to sound too sappy… it really was fun and interesting and eventful… and the only reason it was so much fun was because we had such a nice big group of people to swim with.  So, seriously, thanks for comin’ out!

PS.  next swim: noon on New Year’s day at the LOST Beach… for the 2nd annual Polar Bear Dip!!!  See you then!

Great shot Gary… too bad you didn’t leave your old lady swim cap on!

Cheers,

Rob

… no, not a marathon swimmer… a marathon runner… but we’ll let him in anyway! 

So our local running buddy, Stephen Connor, was nice enough to invite us LOSTies to attend a speech with his Connor’s Runners, where he brought in Reid Coolsaet to talk!  Reid is one of three members of the men’s Canadian Olympic Marathon team!  Very cool(saet)!  (sorry, I had to…)

Rob, Carla, Reid Coolsaet, Joanne and Brett!!!

It was a great chance to talk with such a knowledgeable runner.  In the pic above you have me… Carla (who is our resident ultra-marathon runner, having been on the Cdn National 100 km team!), Olympian Reid Coolsaet… Joanne (4 time Ironman, multi-marathon and Boston Marathon runner) and Brett (a sub-3:00 hour marathoner and just back from his near miss at qualifying for Ironman World Championships in Kona… due to his crash on the bike at IM Wisconsin… still sporting the bandages and war-wounds!).

It was a really enjoyable and casual talk.  I didn’t see Reid last time Stephen invited him in, but Joanne did… and she noticed how much more relaxed he was this time… laughing and joking.  I’m thinking that is the difference between giving a speech BEFORE the Olympics, with all the pressure and expectations of the country on your shoulders… and AFTER the Olympics, when you’ve gone out and done your best and the pressure is off!

So we got a chance to talk with him one on one and listen to his talk and here’s a few things I picked up:

• this was the first time Canada has sent a runner in the men’s Olympic Marathon since 2000… and first time we’ve sent 3 in a very long time!
• now if you remember watching it on TV the big thing was that it was HOT!  Guys were dropping like flies.  Reid was having a very good race… until the halfway point when the heat was getting to him and he started to bonk, but still pushed on until he really bonked with about 2 km to go.  It happens to the best of ‘em!
• But he still managed to finish 27, just two positions of his finish at World Championships!  Not too shabby!
•  a bit of interesting trivia that I didn’t know… but apparently in Cross Country running it is scored as a team… meaning that you add up the positions of all 3 of your teammates and see how your team finished relative to the other teams… and although all 3 of our marathoners finished in the 20′s, position-wise, that would have ranked us as 3rd as a team!
• I’ve always wondered if there was any correlation between the popularity of marathon running in the general masses (guys like us) and putting together a strong team of Olympic marathoners (like Reid and the guys)… and turns out there is.  As our marathons in Canada grow in size… the races become more profitable… which enables the race directors to attract more top quality runners from around the world… which gains more publicity… which gains more sponsors… for our Olympians!  So keep running the marathons… it actually does support our Olympians and make us better at the Olympics!
• Guelph as become the hotbed for elite marathoners in Canada!
• when Carla was training for her 100 km races and Brett was training to qualify for Kona, they both topped out at about 150 km per week… Reid tops out at about 250 km per week.  wow.
• … and if you think that is hard to relate to… then you don’t want to know the time he holds per km… just over 3 min/km.  wow.
• Reid is already looking ahead to Rio for the next Olympics… but would be the first to admit that we have a great crop of new young guys coming up too!  Something that hasn’t been said about elite Canadian marathoners in a long time!  woohoo!

Good luck in your upcoming races, Reid… and we’ll all be cheering you on to break that stubborn 2:10!!!

PS.  If you missed Reid last night… he’s also going to be the keynote speaker for the Hamilton marathon!

Cheers,

Rob

Hi all,

So here is some info to keep in mind for next year… a whole series of open water swim races in beautiful Vermont!  Phil White has started a very “LOST-like” swimming environment there and it too is thriving!  A few LOSTies have even gone down and done some of the races and have nothing but good to say about them!  So keep them in mind!

Cheers,

Rob

NEKOWSA – 2013 Swims

Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association

Indoor Recreation Orleans County, Derby Vermont

www.kingdomswim.org

The Kingdom Swim… in Vermont!

NEKOWSA was established in January of 2010 with the purpose to organize and promote swimming in the legendary lakes of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and to raise funds for our rural area’s struggling, financially challenged sports, fitness, and recreation center, IROC.   In 2012 NEKOWSA hosted seven swims, with over 375 swimmers signing on.   Swimmers are now coming from 36 different states and three Canadian provinces and are travelling from as far away as Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Great Britain and Mumbai, India.  The events have been sanctioned by USMS and USA Swimming.  They are challenging, totally fun, awesome venues, well supported and safety conscious swims for young and old alike.  We are pleased to announce our expanded schedule of swims for 2013.  In addition to Kingdom Swim, Seymour Swim, Willoughby Swim, and In Search of Memphre, we are very excited to be adding a number of other lakes to next year’s roster, plus an extraordinary 7 days of open water swimming over the course of 9 days from August 10^th through August 17^th.   The Daily News of Open Water Swimming has selected Lake Memphremagog and Lake Willoughby as two of the 50 great open water swimming venues in all of the Americas.  Hope you’ll join us to Swim the Kingdom.  

June 15^th:  Son of a Swim  — 2, 4,and 6 mile swims in Lake Memphremagog.  (Qualifier for Kingdom Swim)(Cap 10)

July 6^th: Kingdom Swim – 10 mile, 6 mile, 3 mile, 1 mile swims for adults and youth, plus ¼ mile and 100 yard swims for youth.  On Lake Memphremagog, Kingdom Swim has been selected to host the national 9+mile USMS Open Water Championship in 2013.  There will be two 10 mile waves this year.  The Championship Wave and the non championship wave (youth, wetsuits, and those not competing for the championship.)  The swim is held in conjunction with Aquafest, including The Frontier Animal Society’s Pet and Swimmers Parade on Friday evening before the swim. (Caps: 100 per 10 mile wave; 100 per 6, 3, and 1 mile course; 50 for the youth short courses.)

August 3^rd:  Seymour Swim – 3.5 mile and 1.75 mile swimming only option but also part of Kingdom Triathlon. (Cap 50)

August 10^th:  Crystal Swim – 4 mile swim under the cliffs and around the shores.  (Cap 50)

August 11^th:  Island Pond Swim – 3 mile swim from Brighton State Park Beach around The Island and back. (Cap 25)

August 13^th thru 15^th – Swim the Kingdom — Daily Swims, short and long, at some spectacular venues (Cap 25)

August 17^th:  Willoughby Swim – a truly majestic 5 mile swim. (Cap 75)

August 18^th:  Caspian Swim – 3 miles to Bathtub Rock and back or 1.5 miles to The Rock, with shuttle back (Cap 50)

September 7^th:  In Search of Memphre  – 25 Mile International Swim the length of Lake Memphremagog  (Cap 20)

Unless otherwise noted, during the remainder of 2012, each 2013 swim requires payment of a $25 registration fee, plus a $100 minimum, tax deductible donation to IROC – a total of $125 per swim.   Kayak rentals are available for $75.  Yacker + kayak package is $200.  Half of the yacker and kayak fees are considered a tax deductible donation to IROC.    This year we are offering a “Season Pass” for a $100 fee and a $500 minimum donation to IROC.   THE PASS entitles you to swim in any and all of the regular lake swims (including the three-day Swim the Kingdom) and special STATUS and RECOGNITION at all NEKOSWA functions.  Special pricing applies to In Search of Memphre ($500 fee plus a minimum $1,000 tax deductible donation to IROC), and the three-day Swim the Kingdom ($50 fee and $200 minimum donation to IROC).  Youth fees are $25 for those 10 and under and $50 per swim for those 18 and under with no minimum donation expected.  Registration for all events (except for the Championship Wave of Kingdom Swim) will open on September 1, 2012 at www.kingdomswim.org/NEKOWSA.php. The caps for each event will be strictly enforced.

Chloe McCardel swam the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in 2010, the year I swam it… but she won it!  My memory of her was when I was swimming in the last kilometer and seeing her running along the breakwater cheering me in!… she was changed and rested and back to her perky self… as I struggled in the last few meters!  Nice girl.  Amazing swimmer.  She just attempted to be the 4th person to complete a triple crossing of the English Channel!!! 

Cheers,

Rob

Australian Chloë McCardel ‘shattered’ after having to bandon three-way swim

From Kentonline.co.uk

by Graham Tutthill

Australian marathon swimmer Chloë McCardel has had to abandon her three-way Channel swim attempt.

She made it to France in nine hours 49 minutes and completed the second leg back to Dover in a total of 19 hours 20 minutes.

But two hours into the third leg to France the seas became very cold and there were concerns for Chloë’s safety.

She had hoped to become the first Australian, and only the fourth person, to complete a non-stop triple swim across the Channel.

Her husband Paul said: “This is very disappointing for the whole team, and Chloë is completely shattered. However, above all else, Chloë’s safety is paramount, and despite her determination and ability, the conditions are not suitable to continue.”

Chloë is spending 24 hours recuperating before deciding on when to re-attempt a triple crossing of the English Channel.

Last weekend, Stuart Johnson attempted a three-way crossing but had to give up on the third leg because of shoulder pains and feeding problems.

The current record for a three-way swim is 34 hours 40 minutes set by Alison Streeter from Dover 22 years ago.

Before starting the swim Chloë said: “The weather in the Channel can quickly change for the worse and although the conditions can be good at the start, it can soon become a ‘washing machine’ out there, especially over 30 hours.”

Chloë had been training in the UK for the past four weeks, after spending three months preparing for the swim on Australia’s Gold Coast.

… 5 years ago a bunch of us did IM Wisconsin… Brett wasn’t one of them… in fact, he’d never done a triathlon 5 years ago.  But yesterday, he did his second Ironman, (he was part of the group of 14 LOSTies that did IM Canada last year), Ironman Wisconsin.  And he was going there to qualify for Kona. 

Brett is the smilin’ face you see behind the counter at his shop “Bean There” when we go for coffee after LOST Swimming on Saturdays… and aside from owning the best little coffee shop in Oakville, he also happens to be a pretty decent triathlete. 

Brett… the LOST Coffee Guy… the only coffee shop in the world where they wear wetsuits to work!

Unlike the rest of us mortals, the guy is riddled with talent… he’s a runner (sub 3 hour marathon guy)… he took up biking in the last few years, and surprise, surprise… he’s good at that too.  The big surprise was that he wasn’t a swimmer when he started triathlon a couple of years ago… but clearly due to LOST swimming (oh ya, and boat load of talent) he’s turned into a very good swimmer too!  I should also mention that it isn’t just pure talent that had him vying for a spot in Wisconsin… he also trains hard.  Really, really hard.  Anyway, he had a really good, bad race… but I’ll let Lambrina and Brett tell you how the race went:

This email from Lambrina last night:

 I am VERY proud of Brett what a fighter and amazing that after a major crash & 2 flat tires after the crash finishing 7th in Division rank, 195 in gender rank, and 218 overall!! We had everything checked out at the medic tent (sorry David NO IV…bummer). He crashed at about 59 miles and had two separate flat tires on the 2nd half of the course.
 
Brett sends a HUGE THANKS for all your cheers, encouragement and congrats for his finish….lots of stories for the pub next week!!
 
XO Lamb & Brett

… and this from Brett:

Hey all,
Thanks so much for all you kind words of encouragement and accolades.
Obviously not the result I would have liked but in the end it’s probably the journey I’ll tell someone’s grand kids someday.
It was a great weather day so no excuses there.  As for the crash and flats. Well that’s so much a part of many peoples day at IM. I’ve always been very fortunate so I can’t really play the sympathy card to much. (I prefer money anyway!)

Brett claims the marks on his face are from his crash… but I heard the tattoo artist had to rough him up a bit when he started whining about getting his new tattoo! Now THAT’S and Ironman tattoo!

Not sure about the crash as I don’t remember anything. I was fortunate enough to meet Mike the poor soul from Alaska who was riding behind me at the time and also crashed. Told him jokingly he was probably drafting me. Unfortunately for me I usually drink on the downhills so he said I was reaching for my back bottle when front tire went sideways in a pot hole and launched me over top of the tri bars at 40 kph. (all you guys that were generously offering your Zips to me. Actually the Zips faired much better then my tri bars.) My head must have hit hard because I woke up riding my bike. Not sure how that could happen but I swear that’s my first memory.

Oh and Rob, the reason I was sprinting across the finish line (I sent him an email and told him that Jo and I watched him come across the line on IM Live and he came screaming across full tilt!  Beating the next guy by 3 seconds) was a guy in my age group passed me a km out and he didn’t take my re-passing him well. So my plan of having a quiet finish and just crawling into a hole were dashed. We pretty much did what felt like a flat out sprint for a km. When he was graciously congratulating me at the end he said he was also vying for Kona.  Screw Kona. I won Paisly!!!

Cheers,

Brett

A couple of other notes too:

• Brett’s time was: s= 1:06, b= 6:04, r= 3:40, overall= 11:00:52
• we aren’t sure yet, but he may still get a roll down for Kona… find out later today!  Fingers crossed!  (if not… it’s just a matter of time!)
• “amazing that after a major crash & 2 flat tires after the crash finishing 7th in Division rank, 195 in gender rank, and 218 overall!!!”… so you’re saying that he got “chicked” by 23 women!  I can’t imagine how embarrassing that would be!
• and this deserves a much bigger note than this… so I’ll write in bold… our good friend, Margaret Dorio from TCOB, (they were the ones that invited us to join their Pier to Pier swim last week!) won her age group in Wisconsin and qualified for her first Kona spot!!!  Huge Congrats Margaret!!!
•   Margaret’s time was: s= 1:15, b= 5:46, r= 4:09, overall= 11:23

Brett, Margret, Eileen, Tim… on the podium in Peterborough!

Mick’s shorts during Marathon des Sables… so encrusted in salt they LITERALLY stood up by themselves!

Mick is a buddy of mine who I spent 7 days with in the middle of the Sahara Desert when we did the 250 km run across the desert in Marathon des Sables.  He’s a classic Aussie, tough as freakin’ nails and funny as hell… just a good guy.

Oh, and he’s a pretty good athlete… since he and I did MdS, he’s gone on to IM Hawaii, Ultraman Canada (set the record for the fastest swim!), then won Ultraman World Championships… and about a million other brutally hard races… and then decided to get into 100 mile Ultras this year.  So he did the Ultra Grand Slam… Vermont 100, Western States 100, Leadville 100 and Wasatch 100… all in 11 weeks… and came 2nd overall… not bad for a newbie.  Congrats Mick!

Mick in the Sahara, MdS 2008

Cheers,

Rob

“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable” Christopher Reeve

Dear Family & Friends -  Fitting to end the Grand Slam newsletter series with a quote from Superman, don’t you think?

When Mike read my pre-Wasatch 100 update he said that perhaps I had a penchant for the dramatic, and although I has used actual quotes from actual race reports and web sites I wondered if  I had romanticised this last one a little. 

In fact (as I was told repeatedly at every aid station and the finish line) he had NO CONCEPT of how ridiculously tough this course was…apparently even the downhills went uphill. And! There were lots of wildlife sightings, even the winner Jeff Browning had to stop and wait for a Moose to move off the trail. Today we took a drive to Brighton Ski Lodge, because we were both there in the dark during the race, and Mike showed me the 10,000+ft peak that they climbed up over at 1 o’clock in the morning in freezing temperatures, all in the last quarter of the race. Mind-blowing, and I’m in awe.

Regardless of how many times out there Mike had to recalibrate his expectations and goals as the course and mountain weather battered him about, finishing the Grand Slam was always at the forefront of his mind, and finish he did. Let me proudly (and I can, as the wife) summarise his achievements:

• The first Australian and first South African to complete the Grand Slam
• Four 160km trail runs in under 11 weeks
• In a combined time of 88 hours of continuous running (well sometimes there was continuous walking)  
• 2nd overall in the 2012 Grand Slam (15 finishers from 25 starters)
• An outright podium finish (3rd at Vermont 100)
• The fastest Australian over the famous Western States 100 course (and the first to break 20 hours)
• Three sub-24 hour finish times out of four (and a sub 30 hour buckle for Wasatch 100 for his time of 28hr41min)
• Not a single injury
• A lot more grey hair (seriously, its weird I know)
• More new friends than he knows what to do with
• Breathtaking scenery overload

I was a bit concerned when I arrived back in the States to find Mike was throwing out a pair of new running shoes already. As he explained to me – he knew he was running way too much in between races, but he lives with a philosophy of More Than The Finish Line, and part of that is not to miss out on opportunities, experiences and curb life because he’s hung up on a finish line.  When your passion in life is to run and you’re living at the base of the San Juan Mountains; the Sierra Nevadas; at Apex on the Canadian Rockies; in Colorado with trails literally on your doorstep; and travelling through Moab’s incredible desert – the adventure outdoor capital of the world, I suppose you can be forgiven for wanting to lace up your running shoes every 5 minutes. All part of the journey that makes up the sum of the experience into the Epic adventure that it was.

Mike has coined the phrase ‘Ephi-scopic thinking’ which I love. It’s the almost spiritual epiphanies and detailed microscopic analytical navel-gazing that you do when you run (shuffle) in the dark (possibly to do with lack of food, oxygen and light), and you work out what’s what. He’s worked out that these past three months have been invaluable to him, a million miles wider than just the Grand Slam. Immersing himself in a rich and deep culture of ultra running in the States and enjoying the ease you feel amongst like-minded people (we met a man today who has completed SEVEN Grand Slams because his wife liked the t-shirt. The race director said if he made it to TEN they would pay for a life time of psychiatric care for him), cementing wonderful and important friendships and learning more about what he was capable of achieving. 

When we originally planned for the Grand Slam’s challenges we were most concerned about his legs and muscles and how they would recover, as well as his mental state and motivation for starting each race in such quick succession. What we didn’t reckon on was his stomach’s stubborn refusal to bounce back and digest on the hop copious amounts of food while running exposed to the elements continuously for over a day, four times. This was the biggest and most unexpected challenge for us, particularly in the last two races, and was disappointing as he mostly felt like going faster in his legs but didn’t have the engine for it. Fortunately Endura has some great products that we were able to rely on, and Mike has a will of steel.

We fly back to Australia tomorrow and are looking forward to reuniting with friends again, and our little dog too who we have missed. Thank you to you all for your emails, texts and tweets of encouragement, it really all helps when the going gets tough, to rally and keep going, knowing that it matters to more than just us.

Coach Jeff www.coachjeff.com.au will be podcasting again soon so keep a look out for that, and Mike will work on a race report at an airport I hope.

Thanks again! Until the next epic adventure,

… it was a dark and stormy day… really.

Someone emailed on Friday asking if we still swim if it is raining? Reasonable question… and the answer of course was “if there is no lightning then sure… why not?!”

But… I woke up on Saturday morning at 7:00 saw it was raining pretty hard… and have to say I was only so keen on going myself. But Maisey was game, so we headed down there anyway.

We got to the LOST Beach at 7:45… not a soul to be found.

But we walked down to the check out the water temp… it was a very pleasant 69F. But that was about the only thing that was pleasant. There were big waves… pouring rain… and the air temp was only about 16C… not really inviting.

Maisey said “are you still going to go swimming?”… I said “are you?”… we both bailed. We walked around a bit and then headed back up to the jeep.

Problem is… there were people there getting into their wetsuits!!! Elaine and Murn were going… then Colleen and Michele showed up and they weren’t even going to wear wetsuits… then Gerry and Michelle showed up (Michelle wasn’t swimming… she thought we were nuts)… Bud showed… and so did Louise! Now we had to go!

So we got changed… I wimped out and wore my wetsuit, as did Gerry, Bud, Elaine and Murn… but Maisey, Colleen, Michele and Louise were all tough guys and went naked! The water was actually warmer than the air… and none of us were really into doing a big long swim, so we were quite happy to use Colleen as an excuse! Colleen was just doing a pleasant little swim down, after her 14 hour attempt at at Lake O Crossing last week… so we were gracious enough to paddle along and keep her company!

Turns out it was a great swim… the water calmed down… the rain poured… and it was kind of cool swimming in the pouring rain. We ended up going for 45 minutes!

Given that Maisey and I had already bailed… and then when even 7 more LOSTies showed up, we decided it would be fun, so we changed our mind… and as it turns out, it was fun! It just goes to show you the power of the group… so many days when it is cold or rough or even rainy, most people (including myself) would look at the water and turn and head back up to the car… but with a fun bunch of LOSTies… anything is do-able!

PS. On this, of all days, I forgot the camera! You’ll have to take my word for it… it was pouring!

PPS. We’re still good for next week… as far as I can tell… don’t worry, I’ll let you know when the season is over!

Cheers,

Rob

Crap.  That really sucks.  I (and everyone else) really wanted her to make it.  I got an email from Colleen at 9:43 pm… not surprisingly she wasn’t in a real chatty mood… just said that she’s out… 6 miles from Marilyn Bell Park… after 14 hours.  Damn, that sucks.

I’m never sure what the right thing to say is after something like that.  I’m not a big fan of trying to make someone feel better, like “oh well, it doesn’t matter, that’s okay”… because, of course it really does matter and it’s not okay… at least when you are the one it has happened to.  I have always been of the mind set that you should be very disappointed and you should feel like crap after something like that… or it didn’t really mean much to you… but then you should get over it.  But you are certainly allowed to feel like crap for a while.

I’m not sure if that’s the proper reaction… I never got the rule book… but that’s how I feel about disappointment.  I’ve had my share of disappointment, it took me 14 tries before I qualified for the Boston Marathon… I swam 12 hours and 7 minutes in 60F water in Force 4-5 conditions in the English Channel before they pulled me out… I know how it feels… it really sucks to train that hard and put forth a gargantuan effort like Colleen did today and not meet your goal.  I witnessed how hard she trained… she trained hard… but it just wasn’t her day.

But then you get over it… and you feel better.  And it really is nice to hear nice things about your effort and to have your friends around to cheer you up.  It’s nice to hear things like:  Colleen put together an incredible effort and was going like crazy and we were all very excited for her and we are still really, really proud of her and happy to call her a friend.

Hey, open water swimming is one of the cruelest sports out there… because unlike almost any other sport, a very large portion of your destiny is out of your control (maybe mountain climbing too).  She was on track to break the speed record… but didn’t make it… and that’s why you never take anything for granted in this sport… it’s not over until it’s over.  There is no “coulda, shoulda, woulda”… it is what it is… and you get what you get… even if it isn’t fair… it’s a very tough sport.  It is a much more unforgiving and, dare I say it, tougher sport than running, cycling or triathlon… let alone all the “ball” sports.  And to swim for 14 hours… well, that’s awesome no matter how you cut it.

Congrats, Col… on one helluva effort!  Hope to see you at LOST swimming on Saturday… just for fun!  :-)

Cheers,

Rob

You know she’s doing well when I just got my first email asking me to guess when she’ll be done… and she’s only 10 hours into it!

I haven’t heard anything from the crew, they may still be in the “black out” area of the Lake, with no communication though, hopefully they will email me soon and I’ll update you all. 

I am loath to start guessing finish times… as I know first hand how things can change, both with the swimmer and the conditions, even in the last couple of km’s, let alone with about 17 km left… but if I had to guess right now… I’d put her coming in around 10:00 pm!!!  Which would be about 16 hours?!?!   wow.

Cheers,

Rob