what does it take to swim big distance?

The short answer: TRAINING There are lots of different ideas about this, so... to be clear these are my opinions only. I averaged 35,000 - 40,000 yds per week for a year and a half to prepare for a marathon swim season. I know others who have had success with much less, and I know some who do a bit more. Everyone I know includes long swim sessions in their training so they may experiment with feeds, recovery, mental fatigue, etc. I would want at least a 15 hour swim in the bank and probably a "broken swim weekend" (2 consecutive days with the total being equal to the number of hours I expect the swim to take. ex: saturday 9 hours, sunday 9 hours) before attempting Seneca Lake... work up to it. I've done a little research on the Finger Lakes myself, so I can say I don't think there will be any assistance from wind or currents... at least not anything to count on. Train in colder water than you expect to encounter. Nights can be cool, even in the summer. Air temp can cool down a swimmer more than you think. Have hot/warm feeds available. You will need an easy system for your crew to follow. Read Blogs of Marathon Swimmers. Find training buddies. PM me... I know a couple of people in your area (I think) Yes you will need lights; for yourself and your crew (kayakers? boaters?). For the swimmer I recommend adventure lights... green. www.adventurelights.com/.../products.asp one on the head and one on the tail. Practice night swimming WITH YOUR CREW... include feeds, communication, etc. Decide how you want to do the swim... Traditional Channel Rules, or wetsuit Make sure your crew is up for the task... add a few hours to your anticipated swim time and consider that they will be on a slow moving boat for the duration. Lots more to consider, but SAFETY PLAN PERMITS INSURANCE SANCTION

The short answer: TRAINING There are lots of different ideas about this, so... to be clear these are my opinions only. I averaged 35,000 - 40,000 yds per week for a year and a half to prepare for a marathon swim season. I know others who have had success with much less, and I know some who do a bit more. Everyone I know includes long swim sessions in their training so they may experiment with feeds, recovery, mental fatigue, etc. I would want at least a 15 hour swim in the bank and probably a "broken swim weekend" (2 consecutive days with the total being equal to the number of hours I expect the swim to take. ex: saturday 9 hours, sunday 9 hours) before attempting Seneca Lake... work up to it. I've done a little research on the Finger Lakes myself, so I can say I don't think there will be any assistance from wind or currents... at least not anything to count on. Train in colder water than you expect to encounter. Nights can be cool, even in the summer. Air temp can cool down a swimmer more than you think. Have hot/warm feeds available. You will need an easy system for your crew to follow. Read Blogs of Marathon Swimmers. Find training buddies. PM me... I know a couple of people in your area (I think) Yes you will need lights; for yourself and your crew (kayakers? boaters?). For the swimmer I recommend adventure lights... green. www.adventurelights.com/.../products.asp one on the head and one on the tail. Practice night swimming WITH YOUR CREW... include feeds, communication, etc. Decide how you want to do the swim... Traditional Channel Rules, or wetsuit Make sure your crew is up for the task... add a few hours to your anticipated swim time and consider that they will be on a slow moving boat for the duration. Lots more to consider, but SAFETY PLAN PERMITS INSURANCE SANCTION