ok, so this is the season for open water and many of us are fortunate enough to have lots of events to choose from but this weekend is chock full of opportunities if you are in the NY-CT area.
Friday, Sept.4
Governers Island 2 Mile
this is run by the manhattan island foundation (yup, the folks who bring you MIMS each year). its like this; you board a ferry at south street... jump off the ferry... swim around the island... get out... hang out... get back on the ferry. www.nycswim.org/.../Event.aspx
Saturday, Sept.5
Lake Quassapaug open water 3 mile, 1.5 mile, .5 mile
I recommend you do all three. The curse is .75 mile out and back (twice for the 3 mile) and there is ample time between events to fuel up for the next. An added bonus; there is a good chance you might bump into Stud there. Timex was a sponsor last year, and just about everyone walked away with an ironman sport watch. www.qsailingcenter.org/openwaterswimming.html
Sunday, Sept.6
John Daly Ocean Mile
Longbeach is beautiful and this is always a great event... easy access via the LIRR or get yourself a Zip car for the day. www.longbeachny.org/index.asp
Monday, Sept.7
Take the day off... I am. (tomorrow travelin' to dover)
so come out and play there's 8 miles of OW waiting for you
Parents
Former Member
There are certain advantages of the 4-loop NYC Pro Swim course:
1. It is within viewing distance of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty, two iconic locations of New York, especially for those who live outside the US.
2. Repeated loops allows for very strategic racing. The dynamic interplay between athletes on each subsequent loop is fascinating to see as positions often change. Those with good sprinting ability hang back, trying to draft and conserve energy for the end of the race. Those with confidence in their endurance try to push the pace. Because many of the athletes race against each other so often, they are always trying to out-strategize each other, from race-to-race and even between loop-to-loop.
3. A loop course allow the athletes to repeatedly pass by a stationary feeding station. Although the athletes take 2-3 gel packs in their swimsuits to consumer along the way, they also benefit from the hydration that their coaches pass to them at the feeding stations. With a point-to-point course, the logistics to pass hydration to the athletes usually means more escort boats or other logistical requirements.
4. A loop course allows spectators and media to have a better and constant view of the field and better understanding of the race dynamics and individual positions throughout the race.
On the professional marathon swimming circuit, most of the races are loop courses, although there are also races that are out-and-back (e.g., around islands) or point-to-point (e.g., down a river or across a bay).
The world's elite marathon swimmers ply their trade as they compete in 29 different locations around the world, from tropical islands to metropolitan settings and from warm salt oceans to cold fresh water lakes in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. It will be interesting to hear their impressions of the New York City course come September 6th.
There are certain advantages of the 4-loop NYC Pro Swim course:
1. It is within viewing distance of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty, two iconic locations of New York, especially for those who live outside the US.
2. Repeated loops allows for very strategic racing. The dynamic interplay between athletes on each subsequent loop is fascinating to see as positions often change. Those with good sprinting ability hang back, trying to draft and conserve energy for the end of the race. Those with confidence in their endurance try to push the pace. Because many of the athletes race against each other so often, they are always trying to out-strategize each other, from race-to-race and even between loop-to-loop.
3. A loop course allow the athletes to repeatedly pass by a stationary feeding station. Although the athletes take 2-3 gel packs in their swimsuits to consumer along the way, they also benefit from the hydration that their coaches pass to them at the feeding stations. With a point-to-point course, the logistics to pass hydration to the athletes usually means more escort boats or other logistical requirements.
4. A loop course allows spectators and media to have a better and constant view of the field and better understanding of the race dynamics and individual positions throughout the race.
On the professional marathon swimming circuit, most of the races are loop courses, although there are also races that are out-and-back (e.g., around islands) or point-to-point (e.g., down a river or across a bay).
The world's elite marathon swimmers ply their trade as they compete in 29 different locations around the world, from tropical islands to metropolitan settings and from warm salt oceans to cold fresh water lakes in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. It will be interesting to hear their impressions of the New York City course come September 6th.
