670 contestants participated in today's Big Shoulders 2.5K and 5k Open Water Long Distance Swim Classic in Lake Michigan. Water temperature was a balmy 72 degrees. Sunny skies produced air temperatures in the mid-seventies.
As usual, Chicago Masters did a super job of organizing this event. Results were available very promptly at the conclusion - love that electronic timing! If past performance is any guide, they'll be posting the results for your viewing pleasure at www.bigshoulders.org in a very timely fashion.
This is a challenging and fun event and worth of consideration by any serious OW swimmer even when it isn't the national championship.
Thank you Chicago Masters for a job well done!
That last couple hundred yards into the second buoy is always a little rough and Saturday was no exception. I think Tom is right, though. Once you get around the buoy the waves tend to help push you to the beach. I always try to space myself away from the seawall because of the waves reflecting off it. The other difficulty is the water gets pretty shallow a ways from shore. That final running sprint up to the beach is the toughest part of the race!
That last couple hundred yards into the second buoy is always a little rough and Saturday was no exception. I think Tom is right, though. Once you get around the buoy the waves tend to help push you to the beach. I always try to space myself away from the seawall because of the waves reflecting off it. The other difficulty is the water gets pretty shallow a ways from shore. That final running sprint up to the beach is the toughest part of the race!
