10k OWS, Noblesville, IN

***, Lisa & Team NASTI- Thank you so much for putting on a great 10K. Everything was wonderful.......registration, boat rides to view course, well marked course, food, volunteers, etc. !!!!!! Thank you for all the hard work put into this event. I really appreciated it. You all are great!!!!!!!! I can't wait until next year for the 25K and another wonderful event. V :applaud:

+1. It was an incredibly well-run event, from the Friday evening course tours to the post-race spread. The 10K isn't designed to be a pleasant experience, but *** Sidner & NASTI's attention to detail made it a gratifying challenge - the highlight of my O.W. season. And what a field! It was an honor to share the lake with so many impressive athletes (including a couple on this thread). Evan www.freshwaterswimmer.com

I agree with everything everyone has said. What a well run race! I really, really appreciated the boat tours of the course. That took a lot of anxiety out of the race the next day, despite the extremely hot racing conditions. Because everything leading up to race day had been so well-organized, I felt confident that safety would be job one for the organizers, so rather than totally freaking out about 87 degree water, all I had to do was concentrate on swimming my race and paying attention to my body. I could see all of the bouys and remembered the sighting points from the boat tour--I did not experience one moment of "now how did I end up HERE?" A FANTASTIC practice other organizers would do well to imitate was this: NUMBERED BOUYS. This is an innovation like ziplock bags or the light grids on the back of wrapping paper--why weren't things always done this way? Even small details were taken care of: the goodie bag had great stuff in it--I like the luggage tag and the cool 2010k cup the most--a very cool, well-designed t-shirt, a tent to protect folks from the heat post-race, food and beverages right there after the race, a hose with a shower attachment for post-race clean up (made the drive home to Chicago SO much comfortable), and even lots of raffle prizes! It's amazing how much sponsorship the organizers lined up for this event. I also have to commend *** Snider for responding to my emails immediately, even right after the race! A very nice guy. Noblesville is a pretty place to visit, too, I might add. I am a Chicago girl, and a Lake Michigan swimmer accustomed to swimming in temperatures between 60 to 70 degrees, so Morse Reservoir is tough for me due to its warmth. But I plan to return and do the race again because it was the best run open water race I have ever done, and because I so enjoyed the camaraderie of the other swimmers. I agree that this was a very fast field of competitors. Still, regular mortal swimmers like me also had a great time. Congratulations to everyone who participated. Such fun! Ruth Giles-Ott, Chicago Smelts

I couldn't agree more. This event was such a well-organized, fun experience. The Nastis do an exceptional job at summoning the strength of the group. *** & Lisa Sidner deserve major kudos for their effort to make everything RIGHT. I'm looking forward to the 25K next summer. Marcia Cleveland:banana:

What a great event!... Thank you for allowing me and the ISF Volunteers and Swimmers to participate and be apart of this wonderful event...Open Water is where growth in membership will come...We need more events like this...Already looking forward to volunteering next year for the 25 K. Mel

Outstanding job to *** and Lisa Sidner for the Morse 10k! The Morse Reservoir races (10k in 2010 & 25k in 2008 & 2011) are easily the safest races I have ever been involved in. The entire course is in a no wake zone that is very well patroled by Police, DNR, Fireboats, Lifegaurds, and swimmer escorts in kayaks. As a 25k swimmer and a 10k volunteer I have seen both sides of the USMS Morse races. The races have outstanding sighting, allowing swimmers to either use large numbered bouys or contrasting landmarks - your choice. Most of the race can be swum from shore point to shore point and the points are visible from much further than bouys. Course tours, led by experienced Morse open water swimmers, were held the night before to show the course, point out exact sighting landmarks, and answer any questions to reduce that pre-race anxiety. I strongly recommend either of the Morse races, 10k or 25k (or their relays) to anyone. Whether you are a competitive open water swimmer, recreational, or just want to finish, the USMS 10k / 25k races at Morse Reservoir are for you. I'll be there at the 25k next July - will you?

I agree with all of these posts. This race was incredibly well organized and supported. The boat tour of the course the day before made it so much easier to navigate the race the next day. THe course itself was ideal. As a first time 10K racer, I would recommend this race to any first timers whose goal is simply to finish. Yes, there are incredibly fast swimmers in this race, but I think everybody felt welcome and part of the event. If you are thinking of doing a 10K swim, this is the one! John Raleigh, NC

This was one the best races I have swam so far!GREAT job to all that worked so hard to make this well organized! The coarse was so great! So easy to fallow and to have a boat tour the day before was and out standing idea. I will for sure be back next year for the 25K!!! Was the best!!

To *** Sidner, Thank you for hosting a great event. I appreciate all the work and hours that all the volunteers and you dedicated to make this event possible. From the time that I arrived and registered on Friday afternoon to the time that I departed on Saturday, every thing was perfect. Dane Griffin

Jeff- Thanks for responding....and I am glad to know that you only (that sounds strange "only") did the 10K prior to that. I was just looking for training tips that might help, for example, how much yardage were you getting in for the heavy training? I have been a participant of the Go the Distance event for the past three years and I try to beat the prior year. This month I am close to 100 miles (mostly lap swimming (4-5 times for lake swimming). Since I swim on my own, I use the Workouts in the Binder for workouts and often double the main sets to get more yardage. I like descending sets, so I am thinking that I would maybe increase these to longer descending sets.....Your thoughts? My family came with me this year (kids 7-13) - so I would probably need someone to be my escort. Would that be difficult to do?