Last Saturday, I jumped into some big surf and chilly waters with 100 other swimmers for the first 2.4 mile Nubble Light Challenge in York Beach, ME. Highlights included rough seas, fog, and very cold water that led to hypothermia for several swimmers, even those wearing wetsuits (local news article and event homepage linked below).
This was a very well run event, and a true, raw, open ocean swim. Of the dozens of races I have done, this was by far the most challenging and the most fun.
Hopper
www.swimvacation.com
www.fosters.com/.../articlewww.nubblelightchallenge.com/
Of the dozens of races I have done, this was by far the most challenging and the most fun.
Hopper, I agree, this race was no joke. I've done dozens of races as well (including the Chesapeake Bay and a 10K in Atlantic City) and this was definitely the most challenging. I'm still recovering, so I'll reserve judgment as to whether or not it was fun. :cool: I could not believe how cold it was out in "the gut." I would guess the water was around 50 there.
For anyone who is interested, results are here:
www.coolrunning.com/.../Jul10_Nubble_set2.shtml
Here are some pics my husband took showing the conditions. He took these from the viewing point by the lighthouse. You can see how foggy and rough it was. The last one is me. :-)
You got in that?!
The stuff of horror movies!
Maine has the coldest water I've ever (under normal swimming aspiration conditions, excluding Jan. 1 plunges and glacial melt pools) set foot in.
I hope the rescuers were prepared!
Ha, yes. This was the real deal. Very hard to see and cold. I went off course and spent some time re-routing around a buoy.
Thanks for posting those pics!
I rode in the ambulance with my hypothermic friend, whose body temp was 87.
I would do it again, but fun probably was not the word.
