your three favorite open water swims...

A few years ago Marilyn emailed me in 2007 we have had a good gab in 2008 also. The email is below I know you won't remember my married name, but perhaps you'll remember me from our aquatic days...a voice from the past...It's Marilyn Bell here. Bryan Findlay sent me your website. It was fun reading your bio and remembering all the good times I experienced at Hamilton Aquatic Club. I also have vivid memories of my trip to Hamilton after I crossed Lake Ontario. In fact somewhere in a box I have a photo of you and I taken on the steps of Hamilton City Hall. You looking splendid in your uniform, me looking shell shocked over all the hoopla.

The 1999 USMS Long Course Nationals were held in Minneapolis. Paul Windrath, the meet director, offered an open water swim on the last day of the meet. About 60 of us boarded a bus in the pool parking lot and rode about an hour to Stockholm, Wisconsin. We jumped into the Mississippi River and swam across the river to Lake City, Minnesota. Here is a map: maps.google.com/maps & remember, the day after 2009 USMS Short Course Nationals in Clovis was the USMS One Mile Championship at Millerton Lake. www.usms.org/.../1miresults.pdf

& remember, the day after 2009 USMS Short Course Nationals in Clovis was the USMS One Mile Championship at Millerton Lake. www.usms.org/.../1miresults.pdf Interesting. I just looked at the times from several other 1 mile championships 2008,10,11 and they were in general substantially slower than the one in Fresno. However, in some cases it was the same people, so it's not like a bunch of ringers skewed the Millerton results. If these are lake swims, why would people swim 3-6 minutes slower for a mile? Sorry if I seem ignorant, but I've only done two open water swims, both only a mile.

Could be wind direction and there are currents in lakes. You may be swimming with currents or against currents. I have done a half mile in one direction 7 minutes turned around swam back in the opposite direction in 13.5 minutes Interesting. I just looked at the times from several other 1 mile championships 2008,10,11 and they were in general substantially slower than the one in Fresno. However, in some cases it was the same people, so it's not like a bunch of ringers skewed the Millerton results. If these are lake swims, why would people swim 3-6 minutes slower for a mile? Sorry if I seem ignorant, but I've only done two open water swims, both only a mile.

i agree, amount of surface chop too. If the draw for the weekend was swimming laps in a 25 yard long pool, then an OW swim is a whole different sport. I'd add year-to-year differences in a participants' motivation, training/peaking for 25yd pool events, psychological factors such as water temperature, different drafting opportunities or rules, illness, true distance. i haven't looked at the venues or the results, so all that's from the hip. Speculation aside, you could email the swimmers directly. George, think Marilyn Bell would be open to autographing my copy of the book?

I will see if I have her email address saved. i agree, amount of surface chop too. If the draw for the weekend was swimming laps in a 25 yard long pool, then an OW swim is a whole different sport. I'd add year-to-year differences in a participants' motivation, training/peaking for 25yd pool events, psychological factors such as water temperature, different drafting opportunities or rules, illness, true distance. i haven't looked at the venues or the results, so all that's from the hip. Speculation aside, you could email the swimmers directly. George, think Marilyn Bell would be open to autographing my copy of the book?

thanks! PM me for spam and privacy issues

sweet, thanks for pointing that out, and it works even when one is not logged in to their google account. from the "Maps Labs" link at the bottom of the sidebar, enable "Distance Measuring Tool", exit back to the map. then click the tiny icon on the map's lower left that looks like a ruler.

neat! 60 is quite a troop. did everyone make it (at those temperatures)? here is a maplink for your swim that makes it easy to measure distances. Menu -> Make a map click on map to trace out a route distance is displayed in the lower right www.mappingsupport.com/.../gmap4.php Yes, everyone made it. Paul made sure to emphasize, "This isn't a race. It's for fun." The water temperature was in the mid 70s. It was the muddiest water I've ever swum in. Google Maps has a built-in measurement tool that I frequently use. You can read about it here: googlesystem.blogspot.com/.../measuring-distances-in-google-maps.html

Lac St Jean the worst thing that happened to me was my boat rower broke the oars during a storm. I found myself in the middle of the lake lost. I could see smoke on the horizon and started heading for that. That was the day a plane that found me crashed, all died except a baby who was rescued by a swimmer.