So our very own LOST swimmer, Melanie Price, is going to swim Lake Ontario this summer… and assuming she makes it she will be the first LOST swimmer to cross Lake O!!! This is as big as it gets in Lake O swimming, and is among the biggest marathon swims in the world!!! Marathon swims are like ultra-marathon runs, where each one is different, but this is one of the global majors, to be sure! The English Channel is 34 km (typically rougher and colder water), Manhattan Island Marathon Swim is 46 km (with some tide assistance), Catalina Channel is 34 km (usually pretty flat), and as my last post showed, there are dozens more. There are several routes one could take, the “Traditional Route” that Marilyn Bell swam was 50 km (despite what the story says), Vicki Keith swam at least some of her swims from the Leslie Street Spit (which became Vicki Keith Point) which is 45 km… and I’m still working on Mel to be the first person to swim to Oakville (42.2 km… which is a “true” marathon swim!)… so we can all greet her as she swims in!!! Either way, this will be awesome… don’t worry there will be plenty more on this as the date (in Aug) gets closer!
PS. here is Mel’s blog… http://melaniepriceadventures.blogspot.com/
Cheers,
Rob
‘I like to push the limits,’ she says about crossing Lake Ontario
Her story: Melanie Price doesn’t sit still too often. “Pretty much, I am always on the go,” says the 38-year-old. Price has two girls, Cadence, 11, and Dahlia, 3, works full-time as an accountant, and spends about 10 hours in the pool each week training with the Burlington Masters Swim Club. She’s also recently added coaching with the Hamilton Aquatic Club to her busy schedule. “My husband likes to joke, ‘Oh, she does that in her spare time’ because really, I don’t have any,” she says with a laugh. And as if Price doesn’t have enough on the go, she’s about to begin training for one of her biggest challenges yet: a gruelling 52-kilometre swim across Lake Ontario in August. “Melanie’s a true inspiration. She’s one of the strongest, most go-getting women I’ve ever met,” says Jennifer Fisher, president of the swim club. “She always has to have a goal to work toward and thrives on it.”
Her sport: Price has been swimming competitively since she was 13. Though she also cycles and runs to compete in triathlons — including the 2009 Ironman Triathlon in Kentucky where she finished 34th in her age group — swimming is her first love. She has a long list of accomplishments under her belt, including a two-mile swim race around Governor’s Island in New York City and several masters swimming championships. “When I was younger, I remember being very, very nervous about swim meets. Swim meets were definitely not the reason why I was there — I was there because I liked the training,” she says. Today, it’s a different story. “I actually really enjoy the competing now. I mean, I still get nervous, but I get a big thrill out of it.”
Her training:
Price trains with the Burlington swim club for one to two hours each day, Monday to Thursday. Saturdays she swims an hour and a half on her own, then it’s two and a half more hours in the pool on Sundays. Price estimates she swims about 3,000 metres an hour. She does straight freestyle laps when she’s by herself, but when she trains with club, she practises varied strokes. Outside the pool, Price says she also does some “low-key” running and core training. As soon as it’s warm enough, she’ll start training in open water to prepare herself for her swim across Lake Ontario. “As soon as May comes around, I’ll be in the lake,” she says. Price’s coach at the swim club, Dave Judd, keeps her on track during practices. He’ll also be part of her crew when she swims Lake Ontario. “This is a big task for her,” Judd says. “I think she works hard. When it comes to finding new challenges and stepping up to the plate, she does that nine times out of 10.” Having Judd helping her through training will be key for Price’s swim across the lake — especially if she hits a wall. “He knows me pretty well and knows how to motivate me,” Price says. “I think he would he able to read if he could push me through it or if he needs to get me out of the water.”
- Mel, before swimming around Governor’s Island in NYC last summer… with the big grin!
Her challenge: According to Solo Swims of Ontario Inc., a not-for-profit provincial swimming organization that governs long-distance solo swims in Ontario, there’s been a total of 54 successful Lake Ontario crossings since 1954. Price’s journey, which she plans to start in Niagara-on-the-Lake and finish in Toronto, will require both mental and physical preparation. Not only will she have to ensure that her body can handle 18 to 24 hours of swimming, but she will also have to cope with the uncontrollable variables of weather, water temperature, currents and other forces of nature. She’ll also have to figure out how and what she’ll be able to eat during her swim — likely a liquid diet that includes lots of carbs. Price will have a crew riding beside her, helping her stay on course and taking turns swimming alongside her. Still, the plan has lots of challenges. “I like to push the limits and see what you can do,” she says.
[email protected] 905-526-2452
Go Mel Go! – holy crap – that’s inspiring. I’m getting tingles just thinking about it – very cool – I KNOW you will be successful – go get em! – Talk to Rob about Sponsoring you too – he’s good for it. 🙂 BTW – Anything i can do to help out – just let me know. (website, promotional stuff etc)
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