www.8bridges.org
In just over 3 weeks, we will begin accepting applications for all seven stages... June 25 - July 2.
Check the website for more info, including current predictions and swimmer pace per stage targets.
:drowning:Aw, shucks. In Long Beach, CA you can swim under 5 bridges in a 1.2 mile swim around Naples Island. Doesn't take a week to do it either.
I thought Naples Island only had 3 bridges?
And it may take some of us 8 days to circumnavigate the Island, with a stop for cocktails at the Long Beach Yacht Club.:wine::drink: :drowning:
Dave, is this series going to USMS sanctioned? I didn’t see any mention in my cursory review of your site. It sounds like a great challenge that I’ll all to my one-of-these-days list.
Naples is actually three islands and they have a total of 8 bridges. So you could spend the day swimming around the larger island (2.7 mi) with it's 3 bridges, then swim in the canals around the other two, which have 5 other bridges.
Not as scenic as New York since they are all at sea level, but rife with opportunities to get close and personal with some boats.
Dave, is this series going to USMS sanctioned? I didn’t see any mention in my cursory review of your site. It sounds like a great challenge that I’ll all to my one-of-these-days list.
Rob, yes... it will be USMS sanctioned as it was last year. Getting all the paperwork ready this week.
Question for you: why the different pace strategies? That part I don't understand
the hudson is tidal. generally, the ebb grows stronger as you get closer to NYC.
the pace calculations are the average speed one would need to maintain in order to finish each stage. these take into account current speed predictions and tide shifts. its not an exact science, as there are many possible weather related situations which can have influence on the rivers ebb and flow.
Today someone asked me which stage was my favorite. This is a tough question as the river varies quite a lot in that 120 mile span. The adrenaline and excitement at the start of stage one was extreme. When we hit the water, and all the kayakers fell into place next to their swimmers, I felt calm for the first time in weeks. There were long stretches where the water was like glass. This section of the Hudson was familiar to me because we did a test run of this stage only a few weeks prior to the official event.... measuring current speeds across the width of the river and monitoring swimmers progress against the flood tide. The Saugerties Lighthouse juts out at point where the river narrows, and we pass the house mid way between the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and the Kingston- Rhinecliff Bridge where I stood one summer day and dreamed of swimming this length (and later all the way to the Verrazzano).
www.nytimes.com/.../the-revival-of-marathon-swims-comes-to-new-york.html
Thats a pic of the Swimsuit Addict taken during our test swim!
This is beautiful. I wish you had time to write more, DB. You're very good at it.
Today someone asked me which stage was my favorite. This is a tough question as the river varies quite a lot in that 120 mile span. The adrenaline and excitement at the start of stage one was extreme. When we hit the water, and all the kayakers fell into place next to their swimmers, I felt calm for the first time in weeks. There were long stretches where the water was like glass. This section of the Hudson was familiar to me because we did a test run of this stage only a few weeks prior to the official event.... measuring current speeds across the width of the river and monitoring swimmers progress against the flood tide. The Saugerties Lighthouse juts out at point where the river narrows, and we pass the house mid way between the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and the Kingston- Rhinecliff Bridge where I stood one summer day and dreamed of swimming this length (and later all the way to the Verrazzano).
www.nytimes.com/.../the-revival-of-marathon-swims-comes-to-new-york.html
Thats a pic of the Swimsuit Addict taken during our test swim!
