I’ve got a lot on the calendar for this year. Most of it definite. Some of it penciled in. But there’s one single “event” that…
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Last Saturday, November 3rd, I joined 72 other brave souls in cold, wet, snowy, windy weather (yeah, that photo above is very misleading) for the…
Leave a CommentBy the time you read this it will be less than 72 hours until adventure swimmer Jamie Patrick takes the plunge for his planned 68-mile,…
Leave a CommentI’m always on the lookout for new trails I haven’t heard of yet. Just recently I stumbled across a gem called the SENECA TRAIL running…
4 CommentsYesterday, I had the privilege of participating in the 4th Annual KROSSIN’ KEUKA open water swim across beautiful Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes Region…
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Well, my brain is still trying to wrap itself around yesterday’s 4.5 mile end-to-end open water swim of NY’s beautiful Honeoye Lake. This was swim #1 of my Finger Lakes Swim project, and it was one of the most beautiful things as well as one of the scariest things I have ever done.
My longest previous swim being a 2 hour 5k pool swim, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting myself into yesterday. I knew I would be charting new territory both for me and for open water swimming in this region. I am aware of only one other person who has ever swum the length of all of NY’s 11 Finger Lakes (and I haven’t been able to get a hold of him), so information on open water swimming these bodies of water is practically non-existent. The best I can do is visit each lake, observe, and glean as much information as I can from fisherman, kayakers, and conservationists.
So, when I swam against a strong northerly current the entire first 1/3 of the swim? Yeah, there’s no information about that online. But that’s part of what adventure is all about. Being one of the first…
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The day after tomorrow I have my first genuinely big open water swim. It is swim #1 of my Finger Lakes Swim Project – an attempt to swim the length of all 11 of NY’s Finger Lakes over the next year.
I don’t usually get nervous before events. I am confident in my training and my abilities, but I’ll admit that I have butterflies this time. The more I’ve been exposed to the wonders of open water swimming, the more I’ve fallen in love with it. There is simply no way to put into words the humbling feeling of being “in the moment” out in a big body of water, alone, under one’s own power. At the same time, I’ve also grown to appreciate just how challenging open water swimming is and how dangerous a sport it can potentially be. It certainly isn’t a sane sport. The idea of plunging into an element humans weren’t made for with its own weather, currents, tides, animals, weeds, random floating things, water craft, etc. There’s the risk of cramps and just-about-anything-creepy-in-the-water-induced panic. Oh, and than there’s the fact that you can’t stop. Once you enter the water you’re either all in or all out. Out on the trail you can take a break if you need to, but there is no way to “half-ass” an open water swim.
Leave a CommentWanted to make a quick plug for an awesome organization and a great upcoming event! If you enjoy open water swimming, or would like to…
2 CommentsWell, I’ve officially lost my mind. In two weeks I kick off my year long FINGER LAKES SWIM Project. Between now and fall of 2013…
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Over the past few days that I’ve had to reflect on last weekend’s Off Road Half Ironman, I’m realizing that this past Saturday is a day that will be seared in my emotional memory for years to come. It was that good. A perfect day in many ways.
When I started losing weight and got hooked on Triathlons in 2010, I knew almost instantly that I’d want to do an Ironman. Off Road. Lot’s of people do them on the road. There are very few who have done one off road. For good reason – it’s really, really, really hard.
I’ve been planning on tackling my “holy grail” of a full off road ironman later this year. But somewhere in the recesses of the under-used logical section of my brain, a little voice said, “Ya know… It would make a lot of sense to try a HALF Off Road Ironman before you try a FULL. Just sayin’.”
So, enter last Saturday. I decided to give the Off Road Half Ironman (1.2 Mile Open Water Swim, 56 Miles of Trail Mountain Biking, and 13.1 Miles of Trail Running) a whirl and see what would happen. What happened is that, in just under 9 hours of swim/bike/running, I rediscovered all over again that I’m capable of more than I think I am. I discovered that trails and open water possess an almost religious quality for me. I discovered that I have utterly amazing family and friends who support what I do (I knew that before, but it never hurts to be reminded).
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