Key West

RE: Key West

Former Member — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:15:55 GMT

Jeff, Thanks for all the input. I'm searching for a training plan right now and possibly a coach. There are some good ones here in Florida. I've decided to go for it solo. Scared shitless and excited at the moment! This is a great feeling!

RE: Key West

Former Member — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:24:12 GMT

Hi everyone! First of all congratulations to all of you for swimming this event! It sounds like alot of fun and suffering all rolled into one! ha ha. I am strongly considering going for the solo swim in this event this year and need a solid training plan or coach around the south Florida area (Broward) if possible. So far I can complete a 5 k at a modest speed without a problem. Getting to 12 is going to be a challenge that I would like to accomplish this year. If you have any info that can help, I would appreciate it! Thanks and congrats! Manuel aka Frogman Best of luck Manuel! I'm sure someone will chime in cause while I kinda know what "I" need to do, it might be different for your needs. I pretty much found out last year that I don't like "long" OW swims. Although I can do them and won't rule out doing another....I just don't have the patience. To do Key West solo you'll need to ramp up your weekly yardage. I didn't do the solo (I did the 3-man relay) and was doing 20-30K yards a week. That should give you an idea at least of the yards and time you'll need to put in. Plus you SHOULD do as many long OW swims as you can leading up to the event. There WILL be pain (physical and mental)....just how much depends on your training! Best of luck! I likely won't be back this year as I'll be training towards LC Nationals at Auburn. Plus the whole trip was a big expense/vacation for me last year.

RE: Key West

Former Member — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 06:55:32 GMT

RE: Key West

Former Member — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:04:56 GMT

LOL, the "lump set".....I'm not even doing that much right now! Since Nationals I've have a meet or event every weekend for like 6 weeks. I just can't put in the time and training right now. It kind of showed in KW with me BONKING for a stretch. I'm trying to enjoy the summers more anyway and not stress about how I place, etc. I'll pick it up in Sept. as I have some pretty far out there goals for the SCY season (and my last in the 35-39 age group!) Lump - haven't googled mapped Canton, Ga but you should consider a weekend trip to Chattanooga Rat Race Swim in 2011 - do the 4.5 mile swim with the river current... you should be done very quickly and there seems to be a handful of things in the area for the family.

RE: Key West

Former Member — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 06:37:14 GMT

Lump - haven't googled mapped Canton, Ga but you should consider a weekend trip to Chattanooga Rat Race Swim in 2011 - do the 4.5 mile swim with the river current... you should be done very quickly and there seems to be a handful of things in the area for the family. I did it last year. Unfortunately it AND the Death Valley swims fell on the same weekend as Key West. I'm in Beaufort, SC right now for the Beaufort River Swim (5K Salt) tomorrow morning. Swimming with my buddy, Carlton Bruner, who swam the 1500m in Atlanta '96. Chattanooga is only about 1-1/2 hours at most from my place.

RE: Key West

Killer — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:43:35 GMT

Congrats! I will be trying to do a solo swim a week from this saturday. i hope i make it, I have worked hard, we will see how it goes. Any way, it will be a good vacation.

RE: Key West

Former Member — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 06:36:09 GMT

great job on the swim - seems like a great experience - certainly would have to prepare different for water temperatures in high 80s and 90s including your premeal race...

RE: Key West

Former Member — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:07:41 GMT

So here is my blog I wrote about my Key West swim: 2010 Swim Around Key West: So I'm up at 5:23 (my alarm was set for 5:30). Get up and just but the thickest coat of Bullfrog Sunblock (SPF 50) before getting dressed. I'm basically looking ghostly white cause the stuff is just not rubbing in cause I put so much on. Not big deal and its probably a good thing as its been SO hot, So sunny and I shouldn't have to reapply several times. So I make my way to get a quick "Moon over my Hammy" sandwich from the Dennys a few blocks from our B&B; (Avalon). A breakfast of champions! I actually should have planned for breakfast better as once on the boat later on I really didn't eat much and should of eaten something better. Picked up the rest of the relay and we convoyed over to the marina to load up our two support boats....one a 23 Footer (with twin Yamaha 250's) and the other about a 20 footer. We ended up having the 3-person and one 5-person on the 23' and the other 5-person fin relay on the 20'. Once loaded it was a 10 minute or so ride over to the start/finish line where the kids race (like a mile or so maybe, I forget) was still going on. Then we finally picked up Mike Aziz as our support Kayaker (for our 23' boat teams) and our three relay starters. The race finally started at about 8ish I'd say. Air temp was about 88-90 maybe and the water temp about 90....it was gonna be another scorcher! So here is how the format was set up. We had 3 relays entered. The first was a 3-man relay of David Jacobson, Steve Kesler, and myself. David would start and swim to mile 4. Steve from mile 4 to mile 8, and I'd finish from 8 to 12.5 (finish). Second was a 5-person Mixed Relay (Male & Female). Each person on this relay would swim 30-minutes and once everyone did that they'd then go in the same order in 10-minute swim shifts until done. The final relay was a 5-person relay with fins. This is a new category for the race and the format is the same as the other 5-man relay. So for my relay David led off. When his leg ended at mile 4 he was in about 1 hr 25 min or so if I remember right. Steve, an Kona Ironman finisher, was our second leg member and swam from mile 4 to mile 8. I think his leg was roughly about the same as David's give/take 5 minutes or so. I do remember looking at my watch when I jumped off the boat to tag Steve and it was at about 2 hr 45 min. My leg started at mile 8 which was the entrance to a mangrove channel, Cow Key, where it was said before the race we'd have a 2-2.5 knot current with us. It ended up being about a knot less, I really didn't notice it much. David was my support kayaker and led the way through the channel as our support powerboat was too big and couldn't go under the bridge to get in the channel (see you on the other side!). While the water was REALLY warm I felt really good after I got in, felt strong, and got into a good rhythm. After a while I got a little like a runners stitch, but no big deal. My main challenge going through the channel was water depth. It was anywhere from 5-6 feet to a foot! I ended up having to do some creative stroke pulls and touch the grasses on the bottom lots. There is also lots of grass and other vegetative clumps floating around that you run into. It was not big deal to me and I never really though about it. Swimming in the lakes I do its something you just get used too. When I finally exited the channel it was a right turn (west) and along the Southern edge of Key West. This stretch turned out to be a LONG way. After about 10 minutes on that stretch I was asking Dave if he could see the finish buoy anywhere on the horizon to which he replied "ahhh...I think you got a ways buddy!" About 20-30 minutes after than I bonked pretty hard. I really don't think I took in enough calories or fluids at the beginning of my leg in the channel maybe. Steve took over on the Kayak and was great at keeping me in line (I follow both Dave and him for a line), getting my fluids, and keeping my spirit up. At one point our one 5-man had a switch off, I had gotten ahead of both at one point, and Karl came by me like Michael Phelps passing an age group swimmer. That was pretty demoralizing at that point and a low. But Steve did good at getting my mind back, squirting cool water on me, telling me the finish was just past this pier (he wasn't sure, but turned out right!), just encouragement. It goes a long way when you are near empty. Finally we got around the last pier and I could see the finish buoy. It looked like maybe a few hundred yards, but turned out to be more like 500-800 maybe. I started going like hell, whatever was left. It was a lot further than I though to the finish and was completely toast by the time I touched the finish buoy. Our total time was like 4 hours 31 min. My leg was about 1 hr 45 min and about 4.5 mile. It was long, it was hot, it was tiring......but DAMN it felt good to finish and do it! I'd like to thank all my relay mates, the supporting cast, my wife, my brother's family, my in-laws, and my grandfather for helping make this trip possible. While you swim alone there is still A LOT of behind-the-scenes help that goes on. Next up: Beaufort River Swim (Beaufort, SC) 5K on June 19

RE: Key West

Former Member — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:32:39 GMT

Hey Jeff, I just came back from KW having done the solo swim. I think you passed me on that same miserable 2.5 mile stretch. Everything else was good until that....that was the hardest leg of swimming I have ever done. It was like swimming through a desert. I have HUGE respect for you solo guys! On top of just making it, some put up some incredible times that were better or just barely slower than our 3-man. The description I was telling folks was that it was like swimming in a warm blanket just out of the dryer. At times it didn't even feel like water! Congrats to you on the solo effort....takes some real MOXIE!

RE: Key West

Former Member — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:29:09 GMT

Congratulations! Sounds like a fun swim (even if I got tired as soon as you said the water was warm). BTW, While I've gotten a late start in my push for open water training (first swim not until end of July), I now regularly add what I call the "Lump Set" (= 3 X 1500) into my training attempting to swim each faster than the previous. Funny how I can swim a 5K easier than I can do that set which has less distance. LOL, the "lump set".....I'm not even doing that much right now! Since Nationals I've have a meet or event every weekend for like 6 weeks. I just can't put in the time and training right now. It kind of showed in KW with me BONKING for a stretch. I'm trying to enjoy the summers more anyway and not stress about how I place, etc. I'll pick it up in Sept. as I have some pretty far out there goals for the SCY season (and my last in the 35-39 age group!)

RE: Key West

Former Member — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:59:22 GMT

RE: Key West

Former Member — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:15:27 GMT

as goldilocks might say, 'this porridge is too warm.' practically impossible to cool down following a swim at that water temperature. Yeah, I really didn't feel like laying around in it any more than I had to after the finish. My first drink was actually a Michelob Ultra! :D I certainly didn't want a drink with ANY salt (like a Margarita maybe!)

RE: Key West

Former Member — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:46:17 GMT

as goldilocks might say, 'this porridge is too warm.' practically impossible to cool down following a swim at that water temperature.

RE: Key West

srcoyote — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:42:53 GMT

RE: Key West

Former Member — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 13:02:13 GMT

I'm going... but you already knew that. :)

RE: Key West

Former Member — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 12:51:38 GMT

Not me this year, but happy birthday!!