Taking a page from blog-friends Evan and Rob, here's my 2010 OW swim season in review. I don't have nearly as impressive a resume as those two, but I hope that next year I can redo this post with twice as many races.
Let's start with the map. Hey Rob, my map is of the whole world! ;) Granted, that's because I was lucky enough to be on an Uncle Sam paid trip back to the states and I managed to fit in the Jim McDonnell Lake Swim, in Reston, Virginia. Wonderful first OW swim experience. I am lucky enough to have relatives in the DC area, so I managed to stay with them, and for the night before the race, I got a free hotel room in Reston because of all the hotel points I have with Marriott. I ended up about a mile from the start.
The organization of the JMLS is expert. Those guys know how to put on an event. From showing up and getting your packet, getting marked, getting briefed on safety and the course, everything was perfect. Especially the sandwiches at the end. And no, Evan, I didn't have to wait for everyone else to finish. If I'm in the states at the right time next year, I'll sign up for the 2-mile...or maybe for both (some did both the 1-mile and 2-mile races).
Next of course came London. And my epic fail. But you can read about that separately.
As a result of "The London Incident," I now have my wife check my e-ticket. I let her tell me which airport I have to go to. So, for the Christiansburg Round, in Copenhagen, Denmark, I relied on her to direct me and my support staff (son #2) to the right airport. A short few hours later, Sam and I were in Copenhagen. It had been 21 years since I'd last been in Copenhagen, and I recognized the pedestrian area immediately. Even better, the swim was not too far from it. Boy and I walked around Christiansbourg, took a canal tour, tried too much pub food, and generally had a great dad-son time. Oh, and I swam the 2K.
Again, great organization and conditions. Tons of swimmers too (thus to avoid "The Cyprus Standard") which made it fun to pass some swimmers. Food and water at the end. Good t-shirt, if a little small. Great communication before and during the swim. I will definitely do more Danish Swimming Union OW swims in the future.
And finally, Cyprus. I've just finished the race report, so don't want to write much more. I will say, especially after reviewing my other swims, that the organization of Cyprus was horrible. Horrible might be too hard. Disorganized. That's better. I don't think I'll be doing the swim again, unless I happen to be in Cyprus at the right time. But I would like to swim in the Med again.
So, to keep up with how Rob and Evan do it, here's the summary:
Distance swum: 5.35 miles (8.6 kilometers)
Locations: 3 races in 3 countries on 2 continents
Best Course: Christiansbourg Round, swimming around the Danish Parliament!
Most Beautiful: Cyprus, hands down
Best Result: Well, that would have to be JMLS.
Venues: 2 salt-water and 1 freshwater
Frequent flier miles: 14,570 (mostly on United)
Hotel nights: 7
Steps walked: 158,687*
Of course, I must thank my wife for letting me have this fun. I want to do this again next year, and do more in the summer break so I can take my kids. Perhaps even have a family trip next year, maybe to Sicily or England.
*The medical center here on the embassy has a competition. They give you a stepometer, and if you walk 1 million steps, it is as if you had walked from Moscow to St. Petersburg, and you get a t-shirt. Walk another 5 million, and you've walked to Siberia. And get another t-shirt. WOOT!
I concede that your map of the world trumps my paltry one nation map :) high five on such a geographically diverse open water season! I hope to join you in some Euro swim action one of these days!
Posted by: Rob D. | 26 October 2010 at 14:10
Congrats on the season. It's easy to forget with our North American blinders on, but there's a whole world of swims out there! In fact those Europeans have been big into this OWS thing for a lot longer than Americans have! Not to mention the Australians...
Posted by: Evan | 27 October 2010 at 12:10
Oh I know. If I were independently wealthy, I'd just travel around swimming.
Posted by: 10Kmarathonswim | 27 October 2010 at 13:25