Utah Open Water

Great Salt Lake in the High Country News

2013-05-13T14:26:00.003-06:00

Last year, Gordon, Goody and I introduced Kate Greene to swimming in the Great Salt Lake. Kate is a very talented writer and wrote a piece about her experience titled "Of Sense and Salinity: A Swim in the Great Salt Lake" that was recently published in the High Country News.

Check it out!

http://www.hcn.org/issues/45.8/of-sense-and-salinity-a-swim-in-the-great-salt-lake

Choppy Swim at the GSL

2013-05-10T13:42:00.000-06:00

There was a good group at the marina yesterday afternoon. The weather was really nice and Gordon, Goody, Chad, Sue, Kate and myself all took advantage by going for a swim.

I've been getting a little nervous about the LV10K next week because the water temp is 63 degrees and I haven't done any long swims at that temperature for a while. The water temp at www.gslmarina.com reported 62 degrees at the marina, so I though it would be a good opportunity to see what I would be up against next week.

I was relieved when we started wading into the water that it didn't feel too bad (the fact that it was warm and sunny outside didn't hurt). Once we swam out of the marina, it warmed up noticeably and by the end of the swim, those with thermometers were getting readings of 67 to 68 degrees.

As soon as we turned the corner out of the marina, we were faced with pretty good sized swells that were coming right at us. It took me a while to adjust and I ended up swimming more of a "catch-up" stroke into the waves.

Gords, Chad, Sue and I met up at the first red buoy and we decided to keep going straight out to the next red buoy. Once we got to the second buoy, Sue and I decided to head back and Gords and Chad kept going out to the third buoy. It was a lot of fun swimming with the waves back towards the marina. You could really feel them pushing you forward.

Back at the first buoy, I was feeling great and was going to swim east to the white buoy. Instead, we saw Kate (in for her second swim) and Goody just outside of the marina and I decided to hang out with them and chat. After a while, we all headed back in to the boat ramp.

I didn't wear my GPS, but I'm guessing the total swim was around 0.75 mile. It was a lot of fun to be out in the lake, swimming with a big group of friends.

10K Pool Swim

2013-04-28T08:37:00.001-06:00

I am excited to be swimming the LV10K in a couple weeks. As preparation for that swim, I met Sue and Kaitlin at the Salt Lake Sports Complex yesterday morning to get in a long swim before the event.

The LV10K course is a four loop course. Swimmers do not have their own kayak support, which is good and bad. A feed table will be set up so that swimmers can get their fuel when the are marked after each lap.

I wanted yesterday's swim to be as close as possible to how the LV10K is set up, so the plan was to swim 4 x 3,000 with feeds in between. Boring, I know, but it had to be done.

I set my watch to a 1:25 per 100 pace for the first 3,000. I felt good and it went by pretty fast. We stopped for a feed and were off again.

I kept my watch set to the same pace and I struggled to hold it towards the end. By the end of the second 3,000 I was feeling a little tired and regretted the 1:25 pace. I took a quick potty break, had a gel and more Perpetuem, and we were off again.

On the third 3,000 I slowed my pace down to 1:30 per 100 which was a little too slow. Slowing down felt good though and I got into a good, relaxed rhythm. Sue and I swam side-by-side for about 1,000 yards or so. Part way through, we all ended up moving over to the mini lane at the end of the pool because a Masters workout and water aerobics were taking up the rest of the pool.

At the end of the third 3,000, the end was in sight and I wanted to pick up the pace again on the last one. I set my watch for 1:25 again (which ended up being WAY too fast for the last one). I swam hard and sprinted the last 100.

I felt tired, but good, when we were done. Sue and I ended up closer to 6.8 miles and Kaitlin finished at 5 miles. This was both Kaitlin and Sue's longest ever swim. Nice!

I was grateful for Sue and Kaitlin coming to swim. It would have been VERY boring without them.

A Taste of Things to Come

2013-04-26T12:20:00.002-06:00

Chad swimming back to the boat ramp.

Yesterday was a beautiful, warm day (finally). I met Gordon, Chad and Jim at the Great Salt Lake Marina for a swim and to see the new safety plan Gordon has been working on.

This is just awesome! Well done Gords!

The safety plan consists of a swimmer flag that can be posted at the end of the dock in the marina to alert other lake users that there are swimmers in the water. You can also post your swimmer "tag" with your name and emergency contact info on the flag pole to let people know who is out there and who to contact should something happen. I'm really impressed with the system and look forward to using it!

We got various water temperature readings, but settled on about 62 degrees. It felt much warmer than when I was out there last time and it was still in the 50's. Gordon took off to swim down to Black Rock and back while Jim, Chad and I took our time talking and making our way out to the first buoy. We stayed out there for a while, drifting with the current, and enjoying the water and scenery. This is what I have been missing all winter! It gave me a taste of the many swims with friends that we be coming this year as the water continues to warm up.

Todd and Goody surprised us by showing up as we were getting out of the water. I haven't seen Goody in a while and he is looking much better! It was good to get caught up with him and I hope he will be back to swimming with us soon!

New Safety Plan for Swimmers at the Great Salt Lake

2013-04-26T11:02:00.000-06:00

New swimmer safety flag at the Great Salt Lake Marina.

Gordon has been working hard on a plan to make swimming at the Great Salt Lake a little safer. Yesterday afternoon he unveiled his plan and we tested it out.

Gordon got permission from the Harbormaster to to install a swimmer flag at the end of the dock that can be posted when there are swimmers in the water. The hope is that it will alert other lake users to keep an eye out for swimmers.

Swimmer "tags" with emergency contact info that are posted on the swimmer flag while swimming.

The really cool part is that you can post your "tag" on the flag with your name and emergency contact info when you get in the water. When you finish your swim, just take off your tag and, if you are the last swimmer in, put the flag away.

I'm really excited about this new system and think that it will help us be a little safer out on the lake.

The full details of the plan and other safety tips can be found in the following document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JJAduq09C2XX9J4p8Llvq_TA0i5LIEp2Mq5NknVq0ZI/edit

Gear Review: Discovery Trekking Ultra Fast-Dry Towel

2013-04-18T16:45:00.002-06:00

A couple weeks ago, Discovery Trekking Outfitters sent me one of their Ultra Fast-Dry Towels to test out. I had heard about the towels online and was excited to try one out.

The Ultra Fast-Dry Towels are much different than standard towels. The most noticeable difference is that they are super thin and light weight. The material that the towels are made from looks just like the material that "tech" shirts are made from (which explains the moisture wicking and fast drying time).

The material looks a lot like a "tech" shirt, which explains the light weight and quick drying time.

The thinness of the material has it's pro's and con's. On the pro side, it does dry incredibly fast. I didn't do a side-by-side drying test, but it easily dries twice as fast as a regular towel. It is extremely lightweight and folds up to about 1/3 the size of a regular towel.

My two towels side-by-side.

The Discovery Trekking towel and my regular towel folded up.

The downside of having such thin material is that it's not as satisfying to towel off as a big, fluffy towel. The material is also somewhat sheer and I felt like maybe I was showing off more than I wanted to in the locker room.

I took the towel on vacation to California last week because it claims that sand doesn't stick to it and that it provides protection from the sun. I can't vouch for the sun protection (I was trying to get a tan :) ), but it worked amazingly well on the beach and for wiping sand off of my feet.

The towel also touts antimicrobial properties due to Silver Sand technology. It sounds gross, but I have been using the towel for two weeks without washing it, and it doesn't smell at all.

I love that the towel takes up so little space in my swim bag, and allows me to pack in more stuff.

My regular towel, hogging all the space in my swim bag.

The Discovery Trekking towel in my swim bag, leaving me lots of room for more gear.

Overall, I like the towel but I don't know that I will be switching over to the Discovery Trekking towel for daily use. I do see this towel becoming a key part of my open water gear bag and getting a lot of use this summer.

The towels are available in different sizes and range in price from $14.95 to $29.95 on the Discovery Trekking Outfitters website.

Swim at GSL and On Hill Events Clinic

2013-03-28T09:31:00.000-06:00

Things got a little chaotic at work yesterday and I'm just getting around to posting about Tuesday...

Goody let everyone know that he was going out to GSL for a swim and that there would be a reporter there to do a story on him. Sue, Gords and I went out to support him.

Goody, Gordon and I at the end of the marina. Photo by Sue.

The water temp measured about 52 degrees. I haven't been to GSL since the New Year's Swim and it felt cold getting in. Goody stayed on shore getting his picture taken while the rest of us swam out. Since I hadn't been in for a while, I was just taking it easy and not going for distance. I swam head up breaststroke out to the end of the marina and back. As I was getting close to the ramp, Goody was just starting his swim. I swam out to the end of the marina and back with him. It was a total of 800 yards and about 20-25 minutes. I felt great in the water but, as usual, got the shakes a few minutes after getting out.

It sounds like the University of Utah is going to do a nice story on Goody and he may possibly end up on a billboard! They found the right guy to write a story on. He has been an inspiration to a lot of us.

After taking a quick shower at the marina, I left for Bountiful. Gordon had been asked by Joe Coles at On Hill Events to talk about open water swimming at a triathlon clinic. Gordon asked me to help with part of the presentation and I was more than happy to tag along.

There was a group of about 20-25 people at the Top Gear Bike Shop on Main Street. There were presenters on running and cycling and then Gordon and I got up to talk about open water. I think it went pretty well. Gordon talked about training, swimming with Masters, and places to swim and I talked about equipment, sighting and turns. I love doing clinics and helping new open water swimmers and triathletes!

Gear Review: Speedo Biofuse Finger Paddles and Speedo Air Seal Tri Goggles

2013-03-18T11:20:00.000-06:00

I recently got some new swim goodies from the good folks at AquaGear. They were kind enough to send me a pair of paddles and a pair of goggles to test out.

Speedo Biofuse Finger Paddles

I was excited to try the Speedo Biofuse Finger Paddles, because I know Gordon uses finger paddles in some of his workouts. I tried them on briefly while on vacation at an outdoor pool in St. George. There wasn't enough room to do much swimming, but the paddles were comfortable to wear (my kids also had fun playing with them).

I have since used them as part of my regular workouts. They feel much different that regular hand paddles because they only cover your fingers instead of your whole hand. Finger paddles are meant to help work on technique (especially the catch). As you begin your catch, your fingers should point down toward the bottom of the pool. I found that I was much more aware of my catch while wearing these paddles. The straps are very comfortable and they are a good piece of equipment to have in your bag for when you want to mix things up and focus on technique.

AquaGear has the Biofuse paddles on their website for $15.95.

Speedo Air Seal Tri Goggles

I requested the Speedo Air Seal Tri Goggles after seeing them reviewed in SWIMMER Magazine. The lenses are kind of strange looking, which is part of reason that I wanted to try them out.

I pulled them on while in St. George and was really impressed at the clarity of the lenses and the field of vision. The gaskets are filled with air (hence the name "Air Seal") and are very comfortable. I let my wife try them out and she loved them. I didn't see the goggles again until we left the pool.

I also tried the Air Seals during a pool workout. The goggles are designed for open water and triathlon and are not the best goggles to use if you do most of your swimming in the pool. Because of the their high profile and large lenses, you may find them pulling off or filling with water when you push off the wall. In open water however, these goggles would be awesome. They have a huge field of vision and are very comfortable to wear. My test pair had mirrored lenses, which will be great for sunny days.

My only complaint (and one that is shared by others who have tried these goggles) is that the straps are very slick when wet and can pull out of the strap adjuster (which has roller pins in it). I am planning to replace the strap adjuster on my pair with one from another pair of goggles.

AquaGear has the Air Seal Tri Goggles on their website for $19.95, which is a reasonable price for open water goggles. They come in Ice / Smoke or Black / Mirror.

New Guidelines for USMS Sanctioned Open Water Events

2013-02-20T16:57:00.001-07:00

If you have been trying to register for a USMS sanctioned open water event recently, you may have noticed that registration for many events has been on hold. The reason for this is new sanctioning guidelines for open water events.

Insurance premiums increased dramatically for open water events this year after some unfortunate accidents in 2012. A task force was put together to determine how to move forward with open water sanctioning and new guidelines and requirements were recently published. The long and short of the matter is that it is going to cost event directors significantly more ($1,800 per event - $800 paid by USMS = $1,000 per event) to have their events sanctioned through USMS. In addition, safety plans must be reviewed by a third party and there are new rules in place regarding motorized support boats.

A really good summary of what has been happening as well as answers to common questions was posted today on the USMS website.

So what does this mean for our local open water events?

Utah Masters has been very supportive of our growing open water scene and wants to see these events continue under USMS. They have graciously offered to cover a portion of the sanctioning fee. The remainder of the increased sanctioning cost will have to be paid by the event director. As it is, our three local events (Great Salt Lake Open Water Swim, Deer Creek Open Water Marathon Swim, and Bear Lake Monster Swim) are lucky to break even financially at the end of the event. Unless there are more sponsors who step forward to help these events, part of the increased cost will likely be passed on to the participants in the form of increased registration fees.
Race directors have been waiting for the new guidelines to be published. Now that they are out, events can begin applying for sanctioning. Registration for many events will likely open later than in years past.
On the plus side, the new rules and safety plan review were put in place to make events safer for swimmers.

This is going to be a challenging year for USMS sanctioned open water events. Race directors have been put in a tough spot and are scrambling to figure out how to keep their events going under an increased financial burden and stricter safety rules. Race directors will appreciate your patience and understanding as they work these things out.

If you have any questions about the new guidelines, read this article. If you still have questions, you can contact owsupport@usms.org.

Salt Lake Open Water (SLOW) Club Suits - Pre-Order Deadline

2013-02-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

We are excited to be putting in an order for Salt Lake Open Water (SLOW) club suits. We will be placing the bulk order at the end of this week (February 23), so please pre-order online to be guaranteed the style and size that you want.

Pre-order online at the Salt Lake Open Water club store.

Thanks to Dennis and HARDCORE SWIM for coming up with the cool designs. All suits are made of PBT material, which holds up really well (even in chlorine).

If you are ordering locally, choose the "local pick-up" option at check out (no shipping charge) and we will make sure you get your order. If you are ordering out of state, you will have to pay shipping.

See some examples of the suits below:

2013 QUAC Ski-n-Swim Meet

2013-02-17T15:12:00.003-07:00

Go SLOW! (Photo by Todd Frehse)

Yesterday was the QUAC Ski-n-Swim meet. I was far from my best times, but had a whole lot of fun with my teammates.

We had eight SLOW swimmers there: Gordon, Goody, Sue, Anne, Rachel, James, Stacey and myself. It was the first time I had met James and Stacey and I am excited to have them both on our team.

We entered two SLOW relays for the 200 IM relay. Team A was Gordon, James, Sue and Anne and Team B was Goody, Rachel, Stacey and myself. I was nominated to lead the relay and swim backstroke. I hadn't done a backstroke start since last year's meet. There was some confusion as we never heard the starter say "take your mark". Needless to say, I had a pretty bad start. I tired to make up for it by swimming as fast as I could. I had a pretty good turn and got in several dolphin kicks off the wall. I like backstroke but never enter backstroke events. Maybe for the next meet I will practice my started and enter the 50 or 100 back. Goody was next with breaststroke and was followed by Stacey (fly) and Rachel (free). We came in dead last, but had a blast! The A team did much better and came in 5th overall.

Next up for me was the 100 IM. I have never swam this event and entered it just to try something new. The turns have been causing me problems all week and all I could think about on the starting block was making the right turns at each 25. I felt pretty good and ended up with a time of 1:08.26, which I was happy with.

I sat out the 200 Free relay, but we had two SLOW teams entered. The A team kicked butt at 1:55.43 and got third place.

My next event was the 500 free. I entered with a seed time of 6:30. I haven't been training as hard as I was last year when I did 6:01. My only goal was to not get lapped by Gordon who had set an aggressive goal of 5:45 (which he beat!). My arms felt like lead from the first stroke to the last. I just couldn't get into a good rhythm and felt out of breath the whole time. Gordon was in the lane next to me and I watched him get further and further ahead of me each lap. He finished his 500 just seconds after I touched the wall at 450 yards. I ended up with a 6:21.22.

I was really tired after the 500, but still had the 100 free. I entered with a seed time of 59 seconds and ended up at 59.89. The guy next to me was ahead at 50 yards but I cranked it up and out-touched him.

The best part of the meet was cheering on my teammates. We came up with a team cheer and Gordon made some posters that he used at the end of the lanes to encourage us. Everyone did really well and I think we are all motivated to swim faster at the next meet. It was especially exciting to watch Goody swim his events. He was far from his best times due to his recent cancer treatments, but he was having a great time. We finished up the meet with a final team cheer before going down the slide :)

I was lucky to have Sabrina and my boys there to cheer me on. My parents, grandma, sister and her family also came to watch. I am really lucky to have such great supporters!

Open Water Drills for the Pool

2013-02-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

This morning was "fun Friday" with the Masters group I have started swimming with and coach Max had a fun open water workout for us. These drills are a good way to prepare for the upcoming open water and triathlon season and are also a good way to add variety to your swim workouts.

Head's Up Free
Swimming with your head up is not generally recommended (unless you are playing water polo). However, in open water you have to lift your head to sight. Doing sets of "head's up" free will help to build your neck and lower back muscles. This is a tough workout and will teach you really quickly how important horizontal body positioning is. A good place to start out would be doing sets of 25 or 50. If you want a real challenge, try swimming a longer distance (200 to 300 yards).

Hypoxic Breathing
Open water can be rough. You never know when you might get hit with a wave, boat wake, or another swimmer when you try to take a breath. Doing hypoxic breathing sets can help you feel comfortable holding your breath. My favorite is doing sets of 100's and limiting my breaths to 3, 5, 7 and 9 on each 25. Underwater 25's are also fun and challenging.

No Walls
In open water, there is no streamline or resting on the wall. Try doing sets of 100 or 200 yards without pushing off the walls. It's exhausting to try to get back up to speed without the wall, this drill will teach you to keep moving!

Eyes Closed
Swimming straight is an important aspect of open water. The straighter you swim, the faster you will finish. Try doing some 25's with your eyes closed for the first 10 strokes. When you open your eyes, pay attention to where you are in the lane. If you consistently drift to one side or the other, there is likely some imbalance or cross-over in your stroke. Learning to bilateral breathe (breathe on both sides) will help to balance your stroke.

Three Wide
The starts of open water swims and triathlons are notorious for being crowded (and sometimes rough). Learn to deal with swimming in close proximity to others by sharing your lane with two other swimmers. Swim 25's or 50's side-by-side and take turns in each position (right, left, middle).

Drafting
Drafting is a good way to save energy and swim faster. Do sets of 200 to 400 yards and start each swimmer one second apart. Try to stay on the toes of the swimmer ahead of you. Make sure that each person gets a chance to take a turn swimming in the front.

No Lane Lines
If your pool will let you, take the lane lines out. This will simulate open water by making the water much less flat. It you want to try something really fun, swim around the perimeter of the pool instead of laps, practicing your buoy turns at each corner.

Sighting
Put a cone, or other object, on one (or both) sides of the pool. Practice sighting the object 2 or 3 times each lap. If you want to make it more challenging, have someone move the object each lap. Try not to lift your head higher than you need to and pick up your kick each time you sight.

2013 USMS 1 Hour Postal Swim

2013-01-29T20:57:00.003-07:00

Gordon took this photo of me during my 1 Hour postal swim this morning.

I met Gordon this morning at 6:00am at the Northwest Rec Center to do the USMS 1 Hour Postal Swim. The swim has to be done by the end of the month to count, so we were cutting in pretty close.

First of all, the Northwest pool is really nice. There were only a handful of other swimmers in the pool while we were there and lots of open lanes. If there weren't other pools closer to my house, I would probably start swimming there.

I swam first while Gords kept track of my time and splits. I did 200 yards of easy free and back before starting the swim. I knew that I was going to start out fast. You kind of can't help it when you are excited to get going. After about 1,000 yards, I settled into a pretty consistent pace of around 0:43 per 50.

Here are some graphs of my 50 and 100 splits:

My goal was to just make it to 4,000 yards. I haven't been training nearly as hard as I was last year when I finished the 1 hour swim with 4,425 yards. I ended up beating my goal with 4,155 yards, which was an average of about 1:27 per 100. Not bad considering I have been having a hard time even holding a 1:30 pace at my recent workouts.

Gords was next and was shooting for 4,500 yards. He did a quick warm-up before starting his swim. His splits were MUCH faster than mine. It didn't look like he was even pushing it because his stroke was so smooth. He ended up a little short of his goal with a distance of 4,425. Nice!

I had a lot of fun this morning and am looking forward to the other USMS postal events. We will have to do a better job of organizing our SLOW members to participate.

In Case You Were Wondering, 29 Degrees is REALLY Cold.

2013-01-19T17:01:00.001-07:00

I met Gordon and Jim at noon today for a dip in the GSL (with the water temperature showing 26 degrees on the marina website, I don't think any of us thought about doing more than "just a dip").

When I got to the marina I was somewhat relieved when Jim's thermometer read 29 degrees. At the same time, I was also a little disappointed because I missed getting in the slushy water last year and I wanted to see what it feels like.

My feet hurt the instant I put them into the water. I have been in cold water before, but this is the coldest I have experienced by a solid 2.5 degrees. Jim dove into the water like a madman and started swimming out to the end of the dock. Gordon and I immersed ourselves up to our necks and waited for one minute to slowly tick by before getting out.

Gordon made a good point that the GSL has to have some of the coldest water in the world. Even at 26 degrees it will not freeze solid.

I guess Jim didn't get enough time in the water because he wanted to get a picture of the three of us sitting on a snow bank.

We missed Goody today. He is one of the few guys dumb enough to do this with us.

Goody's Ice Swim in the News

2013-01-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

Check out our local hero, Goody Tyler, on the front page of the Standard Examiner!

http://www.standard.net/stories/2013/01/11/ogden-ice-mile-swimmer-faces-cold-water-chemo

Goals for 2013

2013-01-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

We are at the start of a new year once again and it's time to start thinking about goals for the next 12 months.

I asked swimmers on the Utah Open Water and Salt Lake Open Water Facebook pages what their goals are for 2013. There were a lot of really great answers ranging from just staying healthy to completing specific events and increasing total miles swam.

As for myself, I've been thinking a LOT (maybe too much) about what I want to do this year. Last year ended up being kind of a weird year for me. My big goal for 2012 was to swim across Bear Lake. I started out doing really well and was putting in a lot of miles in the pool. I was able to post some of my fastest times at a meet early in the year because of how much I was training. Things were going really well, and then I had my freak-out in the Great Salt Lake. That experience kind of messed me up mentally for the rest of the year. I wanted to keep training for Bear Lake, but I started getting really anxious about cold water. As a result, my training went downhill and I didn't accomplish my goal to swim across Bear Lake. The year wasn't a total loss. I was able to assist Goody, Gordon and James on their big swims, help run the Great Salt Lake Open Water Swim for the second year, organize a swim camp, make a lot of new friends, swim from Antelope Island to Black Rock with Gordon, and help organize Salt Lake Open Water.

This year I am taking a different approach to swimming. Instead of worrying about how many miles I swim (or don't swim) or having a big swim to work toward, my goal this year can be summed up in two words: HAVE FUN! So much of 2012 was spent worrying that it stopped being fun. I don't ever want swimming to become a chore. I want to get back to what first got me interested in open water swimming: exploring new places and just enjoying being outside in the water.

That being said, there are quite a few events and swims that I want to do. Here is a tentative list:

WFPBC New Year's Race - DONE!
LV10K
Bear Lake Swim
Deer Creek Open Water Marathon Swim
Slam the Dam
Antelope Island to Black Rock
Relay swim across Bear Lake

I mentioned earlier that I wanted to get back to exploring. I have a long list of places I want to check out (or revisit). Here is a small sample:

Northern end of the Great Salt Lake where the water is even saltier and pink in color
Green River
Snake River (Idaho)
Causey Reservoir
Starvation Reservoir
Yuba
Scofield
Lake Powell

With the formation of Salt Lake Open Water (SLOW), I am looking forward to spending 2013 developing our club and helping our swimmers in any way that I can. Our swim camp last year was a blast and I look forward to expanding the camp and making it even better. I also look forward to helping out with our local open water races (and possible starting new ones), swimming with old and new friends, and trying to introduce new people to the club and to open water swimming.

Oh, and I have a semi-secret writing project that I am hoping to finish by the end of the year as well...

So there's my plan for 2013. I would love to hear what your swimming goals are for the coming year.

Wasatch Front Polar Bear Club New Year's Race Report

2013-01-01T18:25:00.002-07:00

Our new mascot (the bear, not Harrison)

I have been putting off typing up my report of the Wasatch Front Polar Bear Club New Year's Race until my fingertips thawed out enough to type.

After loading up my kayak on our van this morning, I got some double takes from my neighbors. Little did they know, that I would not only be paddling today, but would also be swimming.

Gordon, who organized the event, was already there with his family and already had the cocoa station set up. I unloaded the kayak and helped get some of the other things set up. Jake and my dad, Kelley, were also there and were getting set up to do the timing for the race.

Dave Shearer came by and gave us the official water temperature of 31.6 F! I had been expecting 34 degrees, which had me pretty nervous over the last couple days (and especially this morning). Hearing that the temperature was was below freezing (yes, this is possible due to the high salinity of the Great Salt Lake) had me even more anxious. During Goody's safety briefing, it started to snow. Great.

Goody giving us our pre-swim safety briefing.

Reporters from Fox13 and the Deseret News were on hand to cover the event. Goody, Gordon and I got interviewed by Pete from Fox13, who put together an excellent story on the event (It just barely aired).

The first two swimmers enter the water (Richard Edge and Jim Hubbard)

There were eight people registered to swim the 400 yard race. Considering the extremely low water temperature, Gordon did an excellent job organizing the event so that it was as safe as possible. There were four waves with two swimmers each. Gordon, Jake and I were on the water in kayaks to keep an eye on each of the swimmers. In addition, the USP Rescue boat was on the water and there was an ambulance and paramedics standing by in case anyone needed help. A time limit of 15 minutes was established and everyone finished the swim well under that time. After the first wave finished, the second wave had two minutes to get ready. During that time the volunteers were doing a great job taking care of the first wave swimmers and helping them to warm up.

Nathan Nelson nearing the finish (and a hot "shower")

I paddled alongside Jim, Nathan and Kim for the first three waves and had a lot of fun watching them and trying to encourage them. I made sure to ask them how they were doing every once in a while, but they all looked strong and I had no doubt that they would all finish. I really enjoyed watching them finish and pour warm water over themselves and seeing the steam come off their bodies. Seeing them all be successful helped put my mind at ease about my own swim.

Jim getting a much deserved hot "shower"

Superstar volunteer Chad Starks helping Sue Frehse warm up after her swim.

Gordon and I were in the last wave and we hurried and stripped out of our wetsuits, which we were wearing to keep warm on the kayaks, and get ready to swim. The crowd counted down and we took off. Gordon shot off like a bat out of hell. His kick was ferocious and he was making quite a splash. The water was definitely cold, but I hardly noticed at first because of the adrenaline and the excitement of everyone watching. Pretty much everyone had swam head-up freestyle, but Gordon had his face in the water from the start. After swimming head-up about a quarter of the distance, I put my face in the water and was surprised that it didn't hurt like it has before. Weird. I guess it must have went instantly numb and I swam the rest of the way with my face in the water. Sabrina had jumped on our kayak and was my escort during the swim. It was very encouraging to see her cheering for me when I took a breath.

I finished the 400 yards and Sabrina got a jug of warm water to pour over me. The reporters from the Deseret New and Fox13 were asking me a bunch of questions, but I honestly can't remember what they were or what I said. I got dressed and Todd brought me a cup of hot chocolate. After sitting in the van for a few minutes I was pretty much back to normal. I was actually surprised at how little I shivered and how quickly I recovered.

Me and Goody after the event.

I caught the tail end of Goody's quick dip after the swimmers were all done. He was the inspiration for a lot of us today and many of us dedicated our swims to him. He is an inspiring guy and I am honored to call him my friend.

Thank you to Gordon for putting on such an excellent event! Thank you also to all the volunteers who helped make it happen and helped keep us safe and warm. Special thanks to Chad, Jake, Kelley and Sabrina.

I know a lot of swimmers were at least as nervous as I was before the race. It was awesome to see every swimmer conquer their fears and anxieties and finish the race. What a great way to start the new year! I can now look back during the hard times that are surely to come in 2013 and draw strength from today. I hope that this will become an annual event!

Results are posted on www.wfpbc.com.

Link to Fox13 Story by Pete DeLuca: http://fox13now.com/2013/01/01/starting-out-the-new-year-with-a-dip-in-the-great-salt-lake/

Link to article in the Deseret News by Emiley Morgan: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865569737/Eight-take-part-in-polar-bear-race-at-Great-Salt-Lake.html

Winter Swimming at Deer Creek

2012-12-29T19:39:00.003-07:00

How could you see this and not want to get in the water?

Ever since Jim posted a photo looking down the boat ramp at Deer Creek last week, I have been thinking about going up there to swim.

This morning I met Jim and Nate at the frost covered boat ramp for a quick dip. There was a lot of mist coming off the water because the water temperature was actually higher than the air temperature. It looked like it would be fun to swim in!

Getting ready to get wet.

If you have ever been around Jim on a winter swim, he doesn't waste any time getting in the water. Nate and I were still setting out our gear (and working up our courage, I think) as Jim was wading into the water.

Our thermometers read between about 40 and 42 degrees. It was actually warmer than I thought it would be. I was secretly hoping we would have to break through the ice to swim (I even brought two shovels in case we needed them). Unfortunately, there was no ice anywhere near where we were.

You can see some of the mist over the water. What you can't see are the buoys that were hiding in the mist.

The water was MUCH clearer than at the Great Salt Lake and it was quite beautiful. After the initial shock wore off, Nate and I decided we could make it out to one of several buoys about 150 yard out from the boat ramp. On my way to the buoy, I thought we probably should have been wearing Safer Swimmers. The Great Salt Lake Marina is so shallow right now and you can stand up just about anywhere. Plus at the GSL, you are only ever about 5 yards from the shore. Here it was different because we were swimming out away from the shore in water that dropped to a depth well over our heads pretty quickly. If/when I go back up there, I will pack my Safer Swimmer for sure.

The mist seemed to be a little heavier near the buoys and, with goggles on, you could just make them out. When we got to our turnaround buoy, it was covered in ice! I wish I had tucked my waterproof camera into my suit to snap some photos.

We ended up in the water for just over 10 minutes. I felt great when I got out of the water. Jim is really on to something with the milk jugs of warm water, it feels great! I think it helps with my recovery as well. As we were standing there in the frost, our feet and shoes started to freeze to the ground. I took my time getting dried off and dressed, because I really felt great. I talked to Nate for a while, sipping on Jim and Connie's homemade hot apple cider.

Pouring warm water on ourselves after getting out and trying to keep our feet and shoes from freezing to the ground.

Nate asked us why we do this. From reading his blog, I think he is still trying to figure out why he does it. I told him that it was very likely that we were the only three people in the whole state doing this right now. It is a (sometimes painful) rush getting into the water but the real rush and "cold water high" comes after getting out of the water. It's kind of a cliche when people say that it makes you "feel alive", but immersing yourself in near freezing water has a way of reminding you of the fact that, yes, you are in fact alive. It makes hot showers even more enjoyable. There is also a sense of camaraderie that comes from doing something challenging, and kind of stupid, with others.

This was my last swim before the WFPBC New Year's Race at the Great Salt Lake. I'm a little nervous about the water temperature and the last forecast I saw said the high would only be 24 degrees. On the other hand, Gordon has done a great job with the safety planning and the only way it could be safer would be to not get in the water.

What a great morning! I am looking forward to getting back to Deer Creek (or Jordanelle) soon. Hopefully when there is some ice :)

Still Time to Enter the WFPBC New Year's Race

2012-12-26T21:58:00.001-07:00

I've been chatting recently with Gords about the WFPBC New Year's Race that he has been working hard on organizing. It's going to be awesome!

The shirts are in (and are really cool!), the media has been contacted, and the safety and volunteer crews are in place. Now all we need to make it even more awesome is more swimmers and more spectators.

If you are looking for a great way to kick off the New Year, there is no better way than to challenge yourself by doing something difficult (and a little crazy). There are a lot of polar plunges around, where you can jump in and get right back out. But this is the only winter swimming race in Utah. It is a short swim with a time limit of 10 minutes. There will be plenty of trained emergency crew on hand as well as heated areas to warm up (this is a winter swimming race after all and cold water can be dangerous.) Did I mention that the grand prize is a new tandem kayak?!

It will be a fun atmosphere on race day and the swimmers will appreciate spectators cheering them on. If you are not quite ready to swim in the race this year, you should definitely come and check it out. Who knows, maybe next year you will be ready to try it yourself. SLOW swimmers, come and support your teammates!

The cost to enter the race is $40 for USMS swimmers. Because of the extreme cold, you will need to "qualify" at one of the few remaining WFPBC clinics. For those who have earned a cap this year, you are already elligible to participate. Check out www.wfpbc.com for details on how to register.

For spectators, the race starts at noon on New Year's Day. Please come and cheer on the swimmers!

Merry Christmas From WFPBC!

2012-12-22T21:32:00.001-07:00

I was planning on doing two cold water swims today, but couldn't make it down to Provo this morning to meet up with Nate. I wish I had, there was ice in the water!

I met Gordon, Jim and Alan at the GSL marina this afternoon for our last swim before Christmas.

It was a pretty nice day today. The air temp was around 46 and the water temp was right around 39 to 40 degrees.

After snapping a few photos in our Santa hats, we got in the water. There was a crowd of people who had gathered to see what was going on. Jim said one of them put a single finger in the water to see how cold it was. What people don't realize is that it actually gets better after a couple minutes in the water.

We took some more photos and then swam out to the rocks and back. On the way out we saw some GSL friends heading out of the marina to go sailing.

On the way back, some duck hunters were coming back in on their boat. They were bundled up as much as they could be and thought we were totally nuts for being in the water. We talked and joked with them for a while on the way back to the ramp.

Jim, Alan and I ended up staying in for just under 15 minutes. The recovery was really good for me today. Maybe because it was relatively warm outside. Jim said it was much easier for him as well.

I asked Alan if he was coming to the New Year's race and he hadn't heard about it. I told him to check out the WFPBC website for the details. He could do it no problem.

We sure missed having Goody the Ice Man there with us today. Gordon went ahead and added him in to this awesome Christmas card. Hopefully Goody will be well enough to take a dip on New Year's.

Merry Christmas from Utah Open Water! I am looking forward to another exciting year of swimming and hope you will come and join us.

Goody's Ice Mile

2012-12-13T21:55:00.004-07:00

I am still amazed at what I saw happen tonight.

Goody posted that he was going out to the GSL Marina for what could be his last cold water swim for a while due to his upcoming cancer treatment. Knowing it might be his last time in the water for a while, I knew I had to get out there to swim with him and I think Gords must have thought the same thing.

Gordon and Goody before the swim.

Goody had mentioned that he wanted to swim two laps and that he would see how he felt. My only goal was to stay in the water for at least 10 minutes. After finding a suit that fit, Goody forgot his, we went down to the boat ramp and got ready to go. The water temp was reported on the GSL Marina website at 41 degrees and all of our thermometers confirmed it.

Gords took off and swam out to the marina entrance and back. Face-in free the whole way with no hesitation at all.

I stayed near Goody and did a mix of head-in and head-up free and breaststroke. Goody did head-up free for a while and then switched to head-in free. I swam out to the rocks and saw that Goody was going out further. He went a little way out of the marina and then turned back. We swam back to the boat ramp together.

At the ramp, he turned around and headed back out. I followed a ways behind him, not in any hurry. He went out to the same spot just outside the marina and turned back. I swam head-in free and head-up free back to the ramp with him and then got out. Goody stayed in and asked Gordon to walk along the shore to keep an eye on him. He started swimming again and then stopped and said, "forget it". I thought he was done, but I learned later that something clicked in his mind and he decided to go for the ice mile.

You can't really see him in this photo, but he is out near the marina entrance on his last (I think) lap.

Goody swam two more laps and looked strong the whole way. Gords yelled down to me to start the heater in my car so that we would have somewhere warm for Goody to recover. Gords and I were both yelling and cheering him on. It didn't look like he was struggling at all until he got to the ramp after about 40 minutes and 1 mile of swimming. He had trouble standing up so Gords jumped in and helped him up. We covered him with towels and a jacket before moving him into the car.

Warming up in the shower.

The recovery was pretty scary. I have never seen anyone that cold before. Gords took his pulse at one point to make sure he was ok. After sitting in the car for a while, Goody asked if the shower was open. We cruised over to where the shower is and I jumped out and got it running and warming up. Gords and I helped Goody into the shower, where he spent quite a while warming up.

We could tell he was getting better when he started talking and joking around. He told us about all the struggles he has been going through lately and how much he wanted to do this swim so that he had something positive to think about before starting chemotherapy. He told us about how the last two laps he got MAD and was chanting "F*** YOU CANCER!" to get him through. Cancer picked the wrong dude to mess with!

After about an hour and a half, he seemed pretty much back to normal and ok to drive home. I am so glad that I could be there to see his great accomplishment! He is the first Utahan to do the Ice Mile and one of only a handfull of people in the country to do it. Goody has been an inspiration to me many times and today was certainly no exception. Way to go Goody!

Read his account here: http://goody4.blogspot.com/2012/12/13dec12-going-out-with-bang.html
And Gordon's here: http://gordsswimlog.blogspot.com/2012/12/utahs-first-ice-swimmer.html

Coldest Swim of the Year so Far!

2012-12-11T21:21:00.002-07:00

Two new members of the Wasatch Front Polar Bear Club this afternoon: Miles and Anna.

I rushed out of work this afternoon to make it to the weekly Wasatch Front Polar Bear Club swim. The water temperature was reported to be 38 degrees on the GSL Marina website. I was excited to get in a test run of the New Year's Swim.

Gordon, Jim and Miles were already there when I pulled in with my family. I waled down the ramp to join them and, after a little chit chat, we got ready and get in the water.

The water temperature that we measured varied from about 41 to 43 degrees. This was the coldest swim of the year so far!

I have been a little anxious about the upcoming New Year's race because I haven't swam that far in water that cold. I was looking forward to swimming the course today to make sure I could make the time cutoff swimming a mix of head-up and head-down free and breaststroke.

Gordon took off like it was a summer swim and didn't seem to have any problems keeping his face in the water. I swam head-up free until I was near the marina entrance and then switched to breaststroke. I wished I had taken my camera with me, because there was finally some snow on the rocks that would have made a good picture.

On the way back, I put my face in the water and swam for a while until I got to where Miles was. From there I switched to breaststroke again and swam the rest of the way in. I came in about a minute after Gordon, who finished in 6 minutes. I'm feeling a lot better about the New Year's race now!

I wanted to stay in for 10 minutes, so I swam back out and talked with Miles for a while until he hit the 10 minute mark to earn his cap. I swam out to meet Jim and when I looked back, I saw my neighbor Anna coming down the ramp! She has been telling me that she wanted to try it out and earn a cap and she finally made it today! She walked right in with no hesitation. She did great! I stayed in for about 3.5 minutes with her and then got out. I think I ended up at about 18 minutes.

Gordon and I were talking about how we need to keep an official list of WFPBC members (those who have earned a cap). If you have been out with us and got your cap, please leave your name in the comments or on the Facebook page so we can add you to the list.

I felt great after I got out and the recovery wasn't too bad either. I think swimming twice a week is helping me to handle the cold better.

Saturday is Christmas Swimfest at the Gene Fullmer pool. Swimfest is open to anyone who wants to come. Afterwards, some of us are planning on heading to the GSL to cool down. We'll post the time on the WFPBC page for anyone who wants to come with us.

Swimming in the Snow!

2012-12-08T21:35:00.002-07:00

I wasn't able to go up to Gordon's cabin this weekend to swim in the Logan River, but I still wanted to get some cold water exposure in. Sue and I agreed to meet this afternoon at 3:00pm. I talked to Goody earlier in the day and he said he would be coming with three new people! He has become our cold water missionary and has got a lot of people to come out and earn a cap.

Goody giving the group a safety briefing before getting into the water.

I was surprised by the crowd when I got there. We had eight swimmers! Three of them were there for the first time with WFPBC. After a safety briefing by Goody, we stripped down and made out way to the water. My thermometer read 46 degrees, but it was also right on the surface of the water. Goody's read 43 degrees.

Getting ready to swim.

Polar Bears!

I waded into the water, and it didn't feel as cold as I was expecting. I swam breaststroke for a while and took some photos. If I am going to swim in the New Year's race, I decided I need to be able to swim freestyle instead of head-up breaststroke. The hard part has been keeping my face in the water. It didn't seem like an issue last year, but I am having the hardest time with it this year. I alternated swimming head-up and head-down free for a little while. I need to work on making myself keep my face in the water.

I couldn't help swimming through the foam.

Alan handled the cold water really well and earned himself a WFPBC cap!

It was fun being out in the water while it was snowing. Once we got out to near the marina entrance, we noticed a big patch of foam floating on the water. I couldn't resist, I had to swim into it. After taking a few photos, we headed back to the ramp. I ended up staying in for 16 minutes. I probably would have stayed in longer, but everyone else was getting out. I wasn't hardly shivering at 16 minutes and could have done more. Maybe if Jim was there...

Alan was telling Sue and I about how he likes to do hard things like this because he can use the toughness he gain from the experience in his daily life. I definitely agree!

Three swimmers earned their caps today! I am impressed with the new swimmers that come out and stick it out for 10 minutes to earn their cap of the first try. Good job guys!

I followed Jim's lead and brought a milk jug filled with hot water. It feels really nice to pour that warm water on you when you get out. Goody has sworn off of hot water and has been trying to convince us to do the same, but I like it too much!

The recovery wasn't bad this time around. Maybe it was the hot water "shower" or the hot chocolate I drank, but I recovered pretty quickly. I'd like to think my body is getting more acclimated to the cold.

It was a great swim today and I'm already looking forward to Tuesday afternoon!

45 Degrees!

2012-12-04T19:18:00.000-07:00

I met Jim, Gordon and Goody out at the GSL Marina for the weekly Wasatch Front Polar Bear Club swim. It was raining this afternoon, which made the swim more fun! I got there a little late and they were just getting into the water. I hurried and stripped down and swam out to catch up with them.

Goody wanted to be sure that I told him when I was taking the picture so he could smile and not make a "dumb face"...Gordon, I guess, did the opposite.

The water didn't feel that bad today. Don't get me wrong, it was cold, but not anything that I couldn't handle. Maybe swimming twice a week for 20 or so minutes has helped me to shorten the cold shock. After catching up with the guys, I pulled my camera from it's strategic location (hint, it wasn't in my cap), and snapped a few photos.

Notice the "cold water line" on Gordon's back.

Finally a little snow in the mountains...it kind of looks like winter.

Gords and Goody got out when we got back to the boat ramp and Jim said he wanted to stay in for 30 minutes. I swam out to the end of the dock with him and then we headed back in. I got out at 22 minutes and Jim floated around until he hit 30. By the time we got out, his thermometer was showing just under 46 degrees.

Jim getting out after 30 minutes in the water.

The recovery wasn't that bad this time around and I wished that I had stayed in for 30 minutes with Jim. I'm bummed to not be able to go to Gordon's cabin in Logan this weekend to swim in the Logan River, but Sue and I are planning on going out to the marina around 3:00pm to put in some time in the cold water. Come and join us! Stay in long enough and you can earn a WFPBC silicone cap and you can also qualify for the New Year's Swim.

47ish Degrees and Three New Polar Bears.

2012-12-01T20:45:00.001-07:00

Great swim this afternoon! Today's swimmers were Goody, Gordon, Sue, Todd, Ryan, Vicky and myself. This was the first time for Todd, Ryan and Vicky, and I am happy to say they all earned caps (although Vicky left befire getting hers).

The water temp was around 47 or 48. It felt warmer than on Tuesday, but that could be because the air temperature was warmer. It doesn't really seem like winter swimming because the weather has been so warm.

It was Goody's first time back in a while and it didn't seem to even phase him. He's a tough dude.

The new swimmers did great! I was especially impressed with Sue and Todd's son, Ryan, who will have some bragging rights. We agreed to shorten the time requirement because of his age, just to be safe. Even so, he lasted 5 minutes!

I felt pretty good and swam free with my head in the water for a short while. Sue, Goody, Gordon and I stayed in for 20 minutes. I didn't shake much on the recovery and I could have stayed in longer.

Looking forward to Tuesday's swim!