Pair Completes A Fast Gibraltar Crossing

Simon Murie, the well-known founder of SwimTrek, and his marathon swimming partner Tom Hudson completed a fast Straits of Gibraltar crossing in 3 hours and 37 minutes earlier today.

CHOC It Up To A Bunch Of Teenagers

This morning in Southern California, six teenagers from the Mission Viejo Nadadores Swimming Club completed their Catalina Channel crossing in 7 hours and 51 minutes. Tyla Willment, 17, Mallory Mosk, 19, Sasha Westberg, 15, Derek Young, 15, Joey Ferreri, 16, and Blake Parker, 16. Reserve swimmers are Cameron Willment, 14, and Kelsi Ferreri, 14 started their relay before midnight last night and navigated the Catalina Channel on the 63-foot Bottom Scratcher to raise money for sick children via CHOC Mission Viejo.

Before the night swim, coach Ad'm Dusenbery said. "Psychologically, this will be tough for them. They will be dealing with the darkness and the cold, and the ocean swell -- they've never done anything like this before." Sasha, who came up with the idea for the CHOC benefit, also had a mixture of emotions before the crossing, "I'm really excited to do it. I'm kind of nervous but it will be fun. It's a new experience for me. I've done ocean swims before, but nothing like this."

With a goal time of 9 hours, the swimmers completed one of the fastest crossings ever while raising nearly US$5,000 for CHOC.

Photos will be posted later today as the swimmers return home for a well-deserved rest.

Race For Rome and Race For The Oceans

While Aaron Peirsol was busy setting a new world record in the 100-meter backstroke in 51.94 seconds at the USA Swimming World Swimming Championship trials in Indianapolis last night, we know that he and his business partners are also preparing for another Race for the Oceans in October.

The 7-time Olympic gold medalist announced he would award US$3,000 of his own money to the winners of his Race for the Oceans open water swim with the winners of the men's and women's 1K race winning US$1,500 each.

Excited by Aaron's leadership, Olympian Eric Shanteau, 3-time Olympic gold medalist Brooke Bennett, 4-time Olympic medalist Brendan Hansen, and world championship silver medalist Hayley Peirsol have also joined the cause and will contribute to the event.

"This event and cause have been a real passion for me," Aaron said. "I want to attract the best in the world to this event to promote and educate people about the severity of the issues facing our oceans. I decided it was time to back my passion for saving the oceans by matching the commitment with funds of my own to continue to build the excitement and help expand the cause."

Aaron will host the Race for the Oceans in Fort Myers, Florida, with 3-time Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines, as the master of ceremonies for the event. Aaron and Rowdy will also team up to teach a swim clinic for all ages on Saturday morning, October 10. "Protecting our world’s oceans is very important to me because I grew up swimming in the Pacific Ocean and now that I have a chance to make a difference, it’s important to me to help people understand that we can’t take the beauty of our oceans for granted. This is a great chance for people to experience the joy of swimming in Florida’s warm ocean waters and raise awareness for an important cause."

Aaron is partnership with Oceana, an organization that campaigns to protect and restore the world’s oceans with teams of marine scientists, economists, lawyers and advocates around the globe. The Race for the Oceans raises funds and awareness for Oceana for which Aaron is a spokesperson. Part of the proceeds from the event will go to clean up the oceans and raise awareness for the ongoing need to protect them.

Fjord Fun

The Sognefjord Swim Festival will be held in Norway on August 7-9. The Sognefjord Swim Festival is held among beautiful Scandinavian scenery.

The events include the 3.7K Sognefjord Challenge across the deepest fjord in the world and two wonderful open water swimming talks.

One talk will be given by Martin Strel who will talk about his 5,268K (3,274-mile) swim down the Amazon, and the other talk will be given by Mariia Yrjö Koskinen, President of the International Winter Swimming Association, who will talk about winter swimming around the world.

Photo by Terje Eggum of the Thue family from Balestrand.

IJsselmeer Marathon Swim Exceeds Maximum

Niek Kloots of Open Water Swimming in Europe reported that the 22K IJsselmeer Marathon Swim, that also serves at the Dutch marathon swimming national championship, has reached its capacity of 16 swimmers.

21 swimmers have entered and the organizers are trying to obtain additional escort boats so everyone can start on August 8th.

IJsselmeer Marathon Swim is one of the world's longest running marathon swims (now in its fourth decade) and was recognized with a Certificate of Merit by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2007.

Certificate of Merit winners can be athletes, coaches, administrators or organizations that are considered by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame to make major contribution to the sport of open water/marathon swimming.

Thank You New York, As Always

Elizabeth Fry sent in the following letter of gratitude to the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim volunteers, "I had so much fun and had a fantastic team with a great boat captain, perfect kayakers and smiling, cheering observer. I can't say enough great things about the volunteers and staff throughout the whole event. My kudos are to you."

This pretty much summarizes much of the depth and extent of gratitude that most swimmers have towards all the volunteers that make our sport was it is today.

Photo by David Nager of swimmers at start of the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim.

Aqualung Open Water Series Launches In Colorado

Matt Gilmartin summed up the Aqualung Open Water Swim Series by saying "I really enjoyed the [first June 30th] race. I like that you are doing this - I'd participate every week if my wife were in town and I didn't have the kids alone!"

The Aqualung Open Water Swim Series is a six-race series held in Smoky Hill Beach in the Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora, Colorado. The distances are 0.5 miles, 1 mile, 1.5 miles and 2 miles.

Bula From Fiji

Registrations from around the Pacific from Australia to the US are now coming in for this year's Fiji Swims. The 18K Fiji Swim solo swim and relay will be held on August 13th. The 2.7K Fiji Swim at Beachcomber Island and the 1K Fiji Swim from Treasure Island to Beachcomber Island will be held on August 15th.

Aerial photo shows the channel between Treasure Island to Beachcomber Island.

Olympic swimming legend Shane Gould will attend and will host a swimming clinic with famed coach Milt Nelms.

Note: Bula is a common greeting in Fiji

Polish Open Water Swimming

There have been only two Polish solo swimmers who have crossed the English Channel: Teresa Zarzeczanska in 11 hours and 10 minutes in 1975 and Romuald Szope in 1978. Kasia Frackowska, who grew up in Slupsk about 20 minutes from the Baltic Sea, will attempt to be the third Polish native.

Kasia tells us that there are many open water races in Poland nearly every weekend during summer, mainly in the lakes in northern Poland with races that vary from 0.4K to 1K for younger swimmers to 2K-4K for older swimmers.

There are also open water races in the Balic sea including the Baltic Open Water Championships.

Open Water Is Heaven

Website designer Rebecca Taylor continues to swim as she prepares for her third child's birth.

When asked about the difference between swimming when pregnant, Rebecca replied, "I feel maybe a little colder - and definitely colder by the end of the swim when I get out."

"I have 30% more blood volume [when pregnant] and I'm pretty sure it's all in my belly by the end of a swim."

When asked how else she feels different when pregnant, Rebecca said, "I'm much more buoyant and I'm naturally pitched at a different angle. It's not unlike how I used to feel in a full wetsuit or with a swim buoy. I drag my feet and am using my upper body more."

As Rebecca heads off during her third trimester, she mentioned that the "open salt water is heaven!I've been swimming in the pool (actually tethering in my own pool) for the last few months and it's a wonderful treat to swim in the [Provincetown] bay this week. I feel like a rocket out here and I don't notice the baby at all -- in a good way."

A Great Friend Of The Sport Passes Away

Flip Darr, a great friend and supporter of open water swimming, sadly and suddenly passed away today from a massive heart attack last evening at his home.

Flip was internationally respected, coaching swimmers who earned 16 world records, 8 Olympic medals, 9 World Championship medals, 3 Pan American Games medals and 31 American swimming national titles. He placed swimmers on the American Olympic teams of 1968, 1972, 1976 and 1984.

He was the 1991 World Championships Open Water Team coach for the USA where he coached Chad Hundeby to the 25K gold medal and Martha Jahn and Karen Burton to the women's silver and bronze in the 25K race. It was years of hard work under his tutelage that helped Chad set the English Channel world record of 7:17 in 1994.

Flip always supported open water swimming in Southern California by taking his young swimmers to ocean races up and down the coast.

He will be missed, but his memory will burn bright.

Istra Mile in Russia

Pavel Kuznetsov of Russia brought us this information about the Istra Mile on July 4th in Russia.

90 people swam the 1-mile race and 30 people participated in the more competitive 5K race in the Istra Water Reservoir an artificial lake amid a natural forest located about 45 kilometers from Moscow where the water temperature was 16°C. The winners of the 1-mile race were Anna Guseva in 21 minutes and 2 seconds and Anton Stepanov in 21 minutes and 6 seconds.


Russian national champion and world championship medalist Ekaterina Seliverstova (shown above) was the honored guest where she participated in the opening ceremony and awards ceremony, but did not swim like last year.

All In The Family - May Looney

John Morrisey of Buffalo, New York brought us this background information on International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame inductee May Looney: May was an accomplished marathon swimmer during the 1930’s Great Depression era and the late 1940s.

May participated in the 5-10 mile Canadian National Exhibition swims between 1930-1937 and 1947-1948 (note: the race was not held between 1938-1946) as it was considered the premier marathon swimming event for women of that era.

May finished in the top five in 9 of 10 races, winning the race and setting a record in 1934 with 3 second-place finishes (1935, 1936 and 1948) and 3 third-place finishes (1932, 1937 and 1947). She also coached her niece, Bernice Looney, who was crowned the US Junior National Distance Champion in 1942 and who won the 1947 and 1948 Canadian National Exhibition swims. May and her niece competed together at the Canadian National Exhibitions in 1947 and 1948.

Champ Of The Gulf Coast Waters - Jerry Kerschner

Jerry Kerschner was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1978. His professional marathon swimming career spanned from 1946 to 1954. In 1948, he won a 12-mile swim in Lake George, New York and the famous 10-mile swim Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. He repeated victory in the Canadian National Exhibition swim in 1951 where he frequently competed.

Known as the "Champ of the Gulf Coast Waters" and the self-proclaimed "America's Travelin’ Swim Coach", he won several long-distance races in the Gulf Coast every year.

The photo is from the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame that shows Jerry congratulating Cliff Lumsdon after the 1950 Canadian National Exhibition.

Lake Padden Open Water Swim - In Memory Of Maia

Benefits from the Lake Padden Open Water Swim in Bellingham, Washington will go to the Bellingham Food Bank. Hosted by the Bellingham Masters Swim Club, the August 1st event will have a 2.5K and 5K race in addition to a 2.5K for swimmers between the ages of 13-18.

The event will be held in memory of Maia Hakin, a long-time Bellingham Masters swimmer and race volunteer, who passed away last year in a bicycle accident. Maia's spirit of enthusiasm, dedication and friendliness will be long remembered by those who knew her.

152 Open Water Swimmers To Compete In Rome

FINA has confirmed the participation of 152 athletes from 40 countries in the open water races at the Rome World Swimming Championships starting on July 19th. 41 men and 42 women are entered in the 5K. 47 men and 43 women are entered in the 10K. 23 men and 17 women are entered in the 25K.

However, 5 countries with a total of 10 men and 1 women have yet to confirm the participation of their open water swimmers, which may boost the final figure upwards a bit.

According to FINA, 2,556 athletes from 185 countries will compete at the Foro Italico venue (pool for swimming, diving, water polo and synchronised swimming) and Ostia Beach (site for open water swimming).

To date, the number of qualified athletes for the World Swimming Championships include:

• 1,470 swimmers from 164 countries
• 200 divers from 43 countries
• 416 water polo players from 21 countries
• 269 synchronized swimmers from 41 countries
• 152 open water swimmers from 40 countries

Photo of the 2008 men's world 10K championship start in Seville, Spain by Javier Blazques.

Heart Of A Champion

The Daily Mail reported on the unfortunate experience of Italy's Flavia Zoccari who had a split swimsuit at the Mediterranean Games in Pescara, Italy last week.

While there has been a strong worldwide outcry by coaches and athletes against the use of technical swimsuits in the pool, we have observed the effects of the controversy in the open water.

Throughout the year, including the time certain swimsuits were not allowed, it has been our observation that the best open water swimmers have continued to win.

In other words, the same swimmers who won BEFORE the controversy CONTINUED to win during the time some swimsuits were banned and AFTER the most recent FINA ruling. This has been true whether the race was a cold-water race in San Francisco Bay, a 1-mile race in England's Lake Windermere, a 10K FINA World Cup in Portugal's Atlantic Ocean or professional marathon swims in the warm rivers of Mexico and Argentina.

Winning remains the ultimate goal of the world's elite open water swimmers - as opposed to setting world records or achieving best times in the pool.

As the technical swimsuit issue continues on the pool deck in Indianapolis at the USA Swimming national championships this week and in Rome at the World Swimming Championships this month, we hear that most open water swimmers have already determined what works best for them. And, if the recent past is a precursor to the future, it seems that the best swimmers will continue to win in the open water, effectively holding off their competitors no matter what the conditions are.

In summary, it seems to us that the heart of a champion still counts for a lot in head-to-head racing.

Para Open Water Swimming Championships Postponed

The first Seoul International Para Open Water Championships and the third Korean National Para Open Water Championships scheduled to be held between July 9-12 in the Han River in Seoul, Korea has been postponed until, possibly, late August.

A Thoughtful Passion For The Open Water

Jen Schumacher, a 23-year-old graduate student from Fullerton, California, is an enthusiastic long-distance swimmer with a three-prong passion for the sport.

Firstly, regarding her academic side, Jen is writing her masters thesis on a phenomenological study on the subjective experiences of channel swimmers.

In a series of upcoming interviews with marathon swimmers who have completed a minimum of a 20-mile (36K) swim at least once over the past two years, Jen hopes to gain a comprehensive understanding of the experiences of channel swimmers. She is currently recruiting such individuals who are willing to share their recollections for academic research.

For more information, contact Jen's website directly.

Secondly, in preparation for her Catalina Channel solo swim this summer, Jen carefully maps out her ocean training swims using a Garmin Forerunner 305.

For use in the ocean, Jen takes off the watch straps and puts the Garmin Forerunner 305 in a waterproof bag.

She places it under her swim cap on the back of her head, so the GPS device it faces the sky for the best satellite signal. She uses Ascent software on a Macintosh so she can overlay her swimming route on Google Earth. Her latest training swim is noted above.

Lastly, Jen's solo Catalina Channel swim is a benefit for the Surfrider Foundation, a grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the world's oceans, waves and beaches with over 50,000 members and 80 chapters worldwide.

The Next Generation of Great British and Russian Swimmers

Like the generations of great American butterflyers and Japanese breaststrokers, Great Britain and Russia continue to produce a long line of successful open water swimmers. The young British and Russian swimmers stepped into the spotlight at this weekend's LEN European Junior Open Water Swimming Championships in Poreč, Croatia.

Open to men born between 1990-1992 and women born between 1991-1993, British Ellie Faulkner and Russia's Arten Podyakov won the the junior women's and men's 5K races respectively.

Ellie (shown above with her teammate Gareth Keating) won the women's race in 59:56, imitating the great Larisa Ilchenko, as she overtook her competitors at the end of the 5K race.

Arten held off Britain's Gareth Keating in the last 100-meter sprint. Arten won in 55:46 with Gareth just behind in 55:48 as they battled down the stretch.

British Open Water Performance Manager Mark Perry said, "This is the best result ever from a British open water junior team and a great testament to the hard work put in by the swimmers and their home coaches. It proves once again that we are on the right track in selecting our swimmers and that those athletes and coaches that have embraced open water as just another swimming event were right to do so. I am personally delighted with the results and look forward to a bright future working with the growing depth of athletes that we are now developing."

The Start Of Something Great

A pair of local 22-year-olds Chan Ye Ko Rico and Tam Joe Dick Dickson went 1-2 in the Sheko Challenge in Hong Kong. Anne Marie Monk, ex-Hong Kong Olympic swimmer, won the women's division and was fifth overall.

"Hong Kong is an excellent place for open water swimming because of the year-round temperate waters, easy-to-reach beaches, and incredible scenery – we have a rapidly growing competitive swimming community who have a vested interest in cleaning up our oceans and beaches," says Doug Woo, co-organizer of the Project Kaisei charity event.

Ten Tips From An Olympic Champion

Rebecca Soni pulled off arguably the greatest upset at the 2008 Olympics with a gold-medal victory in the 200-meter breaststroke. According to one of the USC coaches, Catherine Vogt, she is also 'awesome' in the open water.

Most recently, the 3-time Olympic medalist and world record holder wrote Ten Tips for a Great Swim for the Waikiki Roughwater Swim:

1) Preparation is everything. Elite level distance swimmers who are in reasonable shape may be able to get through the 2.384 mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim without months of race specific training. All others should find a qualified coach and training group to assure that they are in shape to finish the race regardless of the conditions (wind, waves, current). Stretching, cross training and strength training are all helpful tools but perhaps the most important thing is an efficient stroke and good conditioning. By race day you should be able to swim 4000 meters comfortably without stopping or touching the bottom.

2) If there is any doubt that you can finish the race stay on the beach and train for next year.

3) There are no lane lines in the ocean. Practice sighting buoys and landmarks (twin towers, Rainbow Hilton). Learn to read the ripples in the sand on the bottom. They can help you stay on track. You should be able to 'look stroke' while swimming freestyle every 20 strokes or so. Even an Olympic Gold Medalist in the breast stroke swims head down freestyle in the ocean.

4) Wear a comfortable (and stylish) swim suit with minimal drag, a brightly colored swim cap (lime green, and pink are my favorites) and goggles that fit you and will not fog up.

5) Vaseline and sunscreen are key. Vaseline areas that might chafe such as your neck and underarms. Use a high SPF sunscreen and find a friend to get your back. Reapply sunscreen after the race.

6) Honolulu tide charts can help give you an idea of what the currents will be like on race day but for the best indication, swim part of the course (with a friend) the day before the race at the same time that you will be swimming that section of the course. It helps to practice navigating both the start and the finish. The Roughwater Swim Committee offers free clinics and I advise you to take advantage of this great opportunity.

7) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. On the day prior to the race avoid soda, caffeine and alcoholic beverages. Drink lots of water and/or sports drinks. Don't overdo it but keep sipping up until race time. Rehydrate as soon as possible after you finish the race. There are no aid stations out in the ocean.

8) Eat what you feel comfortable with the day before the race. Avoid foods that you are not used to or that may cause you discomfort. In the morning eat a light but balanced breakfast that you are used to eating. Don't skip breakfast but don't visit the all-you-can eat buffet either.

9) Arrive at the beach at least 45 minutes to an hour before the start. Prior to the start, line up where you expect to finish in your heat. If you know that you are among the fastest swimmers in your heat get right in front and at the gun take off in front to take advantage of the open water. If you are not going to lead the pack, or you are not sure, then take a few steps back, wait a few seconds after the gun and draft the pack out the channel. You will save energy and avoid faster swimmers pushing to get around you.

10) Enjoy the race. If you are in shape and have prepared properly you will have a blast, regardless of the conditions. If you are not prepared, it may not be so much fun. Stay on the beach. While you are on the course, look for turtles, fish and dolphins. It is usually more efficient to stay with a pack where you can draft and share navigation duties than to swim on your own but when you can outsprint or outsmart the competition go for it! Ocean swimming is all about enjoying the environment, getting in great shape and navigating and swimming your best.

Open Water Archives - An Arm Up On The English Channel

In 1963, Kendall Mellor from Yorkshire, English became the 79th person to successfully cross the English Channel in 16 hours and 53 minutes - and the first to do it with a broken arm.

Kendall was representative of the grit and mental focus of English Channel swimmers when he unknowingly broke it when he slammed into an escort boat.

Photo from Solo Swims.

Going Against The Tide

Two weeks after winning the women's division in the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and before her brave attempt at a reverse circumnavigation around Manhattan Island, Penny Palfrey gave an interview on National Public Radio's famous All Things Considered program. Listen to the mild-mannered accountant-turned-adventurer's interview here.

Iranian Open Water Swimming In The Caspian Sea

According to earlier reports from the Iranian Students News Agency, Iran held its first open water swimming competition today at Noshahr northern beach in the Caspian Sea. The 3K race was held under Islamic regulations.

Hanging On And Hanging Tough

In the cool 59°F (15°C) waters off the California coast, Olympic 10K swimmer Mark Warkentin won the Rabobank 1-mile Ocean Swim in Santa Barbara.

Mark, focusing on family life with a son expected in a few weeks and coaching a new swim team now, told Blake Dorfman of Presidio Sports, "The next generation of open water swimmers is nipping at my heels. It’s starting to slip. I got so much yardage and training in before the Olympics that I’m still hanging on."

The CIO Solutions 3-mile race will be held today and the Semana Nautica 6-mile race on July 12th which are both part of the Semana Nautica Festival which has been held since 1933.

The summer-time fun-filled festival originated when the locals challenged the crew of five US Navy battleships, moored outside beautiful Santa Barbara, to a series of contests along the beach. Originally called Fleet Week, the festival earned immediate popularity and changed its name to Semana Nautica in honor of the town's Spanish heritage.

Photo from Presidio Sports.

Wading Through Life's Challenges

SwimNetwork posted a nice article about 2005 10K world champion Chip Peterson this week, called Chip Peterson, Wading Through Life's Challenges. Click here to enjoy.

Open Water Swimming Word Of The Day - Yellow Card

Yellow flag or yellow card (noun): A yellow-colored penalty card or flag that indicates an official warning to a swimmer due to unsportsmanlike conduct or an infraction of the rules during an open water race. The head referee gave a yellow card to the swimmer who cut across the back of his competitor. Synonym: warning.

Excerpt from the Open Water Swimming Dictionary (2009 English edition).

Open Water Swimming Hero Of The Day - Petar Stoychev

English Channel record holder. 8-time FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix champion - an unprecedented streak of pro marathon swimming success. A 3-time Olympian from Bulgaria, sixth in the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim and flag bearer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Father and multi-lingual Petar Stoychev represents all the best of open water swimming.

With the growth of open water swimming, Petar will be able to compete in his first FINA World Cup race in his home country. The Black Sea port of Varna will host a professional 10K swim on August 8. "Petar's our champion," said 34-year-old mechanic and fan Georgi Tudzharov. "It'll be such a pleasure to watch him [in Varna]. He is a phenomenon. He's a real star."

"Finally, I'll have an opportunity to give Bulgarian fans something to cheer on home soil. I hope to have a good race but at the same time I realise it will be something different, something new for me," said Petar who has traveled the world swimming. "To be at the Olympics was fantastic. I was lucky to compete three times as I know many great athletes who never had the chance to taste the Olympic atmosphere. "I couldn't win the Olympic title [he finished sixth], but I was so happy just to be part of the Games."

The site of the 69th annual 4K Galata-Varna Swimming Marathon will also be in the same venue in Varna Bay (Odessos) where the water is expected to be 24-26°C (75-78°F) where thousands are expected to cheer on their home country hero, Petar Stoychev.

Photo of Petar, a 2008 International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame inductee, by Pei Qingsheng in Beijing.

American TV Coverage of Swimming

Most of the American open water swimming team competing in the 5K, 10K and 25K races in Rome at the World Swimming Championships will also compete in the USA Swimming National Championships and World Championship (pool) Trials this coming week.

NBC and Universal Sports will televise and webcast the championship events between July 7-11 from Indianapolis where Michael Phelps will be showcased in the most important pool swimming meet on American soil this year.

Universal Sports will broadcast live on Tuesday, July 7 and Wednesday, July 8, both beginning at 6:00 pm. NBC will package the remainder of the meet and broacast on Saturday, July 11 from 1–3 pm., and on Sunday, July 12 from 2-3 pm.

All the preliminary and final sessions will also be webcast live on SwimNetwork where American open water swimming stars Emily Brunemann (see above), Emily Hanson, Andrew Gemmell and Sean Ryan will compete. The television schedule is as follows:

• Tuesday, July 7: 6:00 – 8:30 pm live on Universal Sports
• Wednesday, July 8: 6:00 – 7:45 pm live on Universal Sports
• Saturday, July 11: 1:00 to 3:00 pm taped on NBC
• Sunday, July 12: 2:00 to 3:00 pm taped on NBC

Drinking More...Or Less?

Open water swimmers often discuss and debate what foods and drinks are best to use before, during and after training swims, races and solo swims. We came across an interesting research study - but perhaps irrelevant to swimmers - that demonstrated that elite distance runners from Kenya and Ethiopia are excel despite hydrating much less than their foreign competitors.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow in the UK and Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia studied the unique dietary intake of the international successful African distance runners.

Besides their medal-winning performances at the Olympics since 1968, the Kenyans and Ethiopians have also dominated many major marathons around the world.

The purpose of the study was to assess the dietary intake of highly-trained runners, living and training at high altitude (7,874 feet or 2,400 meters) during a seven-day period of intense training prior to a major competition.

The athletes' body mass was well-maintained during the assessment period with a diet comprised of an average of 3,194 kcal and high in carbohydrates. Their diet consisted mainly of vegetables (approximately 88%) with the remaining percentage from meat sources.

Fluid intake comprised mainly of water (an average of 1,751 ml or 59 fluid ounces) while no fluids were consumed before or during training with only modest amounts following training.

So while the elite distance runners meet the recommended dietary recommendations for endurance athletes, they are still able to perform very well on the international level even without the recommended fluid intake.

From our perspective, the results of this study seem to tell us that either these runners still have much room for improvement, despite their current success, if they increase their fluid intake as recommended by nutritionists and physiologists - or their bodies have adapted well to the fluid intake they have been taking all their lives.

It is our hunch that it is a little bit of both.

And They're Off And Running

Another busy open water swimming weekend is set to begin from the European Junior Open Water Championships to the Open Water Energy Sheko Challenge Swim in Hong Kong (see photo). "We celebrate the oceans with a great swimming event because our seas are something that we should respect and honor for all of our enjoyment," says race organizer Doug Woodring.

"The ocean is under considerable stress with overfishing and pollution, most of which goes unnoticed to people on land. This is a chance for the Hong Kong community to learn more about the ocean and what it has to offer us, even right in our own backyard."

Donations from the event will be made to Project Kaisei and WWF for their Save Our Seas program, which fosters ocean conservation and good fishery practices.

Journey Of A 1000 Miles Begins With The First Step

In other words, an open water swim of a 1000 meters begins with the first stroke. And, one ideal place to start that first stroke in the US is the Chris Greene Lake Cable Swim in Virginia.

Known as a competitive, yet beginner-friendly swim, the Chris Greene Lake Cable Swim offers warm water without currents, waves, tides or jellyfish to worry about.

The course also offers an opportune time to developing one's navigational IQ due to the cable that is strung between the turn posts. And, very importantly for a newcomer, is the fact that swimmers are started in waves of ten individuals, seeded by their 1650-yard time - which means newcomers do not have to fight through a sea of elbows and thrashing feet.

Open Water Swimming Word of the Day

Navigational IQ (noun): The innate ability for a swimmer to swim the straightest and fastest path in the open water. She has the highest navigational IQ among all the competitors. [Origin: 1520–30; < L nāvigātiōn- (s. of nāvigātiō) a voyage. See NAVIGATE, -ION ] + intelligence quotient]. Synonym: ability to swim straight.

Excerpt from the Open Water Swimming Dictionary (2009 English edition).

German Team To Rome - Shout It Out

The German Swimming Federation announced its 2009 World Swimming Championship team with Stephanie Biller (shown on left) and Angela Maurer swimming the 10K and 25K, Nadine Pastor and Britta Kamrau swimming the 5K, Thomas Lurz and Jan Wolfgarten in the 5K, and Thomas and Christian Reichert in the 10K.

Stephanie's coach, Alan Bircher, said: "The 25km is the one we started the season looking for a medal at the worlds in, so it’s great news she has been picked. There are a lot of very good girls, so you can’t guarantee anything, but I think she’s in with a great shout."

Open Water Swimming Word of the Day - Feeding Stick

Feeding stick or feeding pole (noun): A long slender mechanical implement with 1-2 cup or bottle holders at the end in which coaches can hand fuel or hydration (e.g., water, Gatorade, tea, gel packs, food, chocolate) to their swimmers during a race or solo swim. The implement is generally hand-made, but some recent sophisticated models can extend up to 4 meters in length.

The coach stood at the feeding pontoon with her feeding stick in order to hand the water bottle to her swimmer. [Origin: bef. 1000; ME stikke, OE sticca; akin to OHG stehho, ON stik stick]. Synonyms: pole and rod.

Excerpt from the Open Water Swimming Dictionary (2009 English edition).

Jellyfish Gone Wild

National Geographic Magazine and Pink Tentacle reported on an impending invasion of giant Japanese jellyfish (called Nomura's jellyfish).

With the World Swimming Championships coming up in the Mediterranean Sea, the open water swimmers have got to be happy that these jellyfish are not anywhere near Rome.

The last thing the athletes want is a repeat of another jellyfish invasion that occurred during the 2007 World Swimming Championships.

"They were big," said world champion Larisa Ilchenko who was referring to the large Australian blue blubbers. "I could hear girls screaming on the first lap when they got stung." Top pro Angela Maurer agreed, "My whole body just burned. There were so many jellyfish out there."

But even with the huge jellyfish lurking around Japanese waters, the innovative Japanese open water swim series, called the Across Nippon Swims series continues to expand. The 12-part Across Nippon Swims series hosts events from Okinawa to north of Tokyo between early May to late October, featuring 0.4K, 1K and 5K solo races as well as 1.6K 4-person masters relays that are generating a lot of new enthusiasts of all ages and abilities.

Open Water Wednesday - Winning Olympic Gold

SwimNetwork posted an article on how Maarten van der Weijden captured the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim gold medal despite having slower pool times than some of his competitors - and what it will take to win in Rome at the 2009 world championships.

Photo of Maarten van der Weijden in Beijing by SwimNetwork.

Women Win Round The Statue Of Liberty

Rondi Davies (first overall in 18:16), Margie Pedder (second overall in 18:24) and Maeve Russell (fourth overall in 20:53) represented women well at the first 1.2K Liberty Island Swim. The always innovative NYC Swim's latest swim is presented here:

Open Water Swimming Word Of The Day

Core body temperature (noun): The operating temperature of a human, specifically in the deep structures of the body such as the liver, in comparison to the temperature of peripheral tissues. This optimum temperature is 36.8°C (98.2°F) through it varies regularly as controlled by one's circadian rhythms.


Temperature examination in the rectum is the traditional standard measurement used to estimate core temperature. The swimmer finished the race, but her core body temperature had dropped significantly and she was experiencing hypothermia. Synonyms: core temperature, normal human body temperature.

Excerpt from the Open Water Swimming Dictionary (2009 English edition).

Photo of Pavel Kuznetsov after his English Channel crossing.