March 30, 2009 / by srhernan / 3 Comments / Filed under Fitness & Training
Dave sent me a link to a very compelling article on how triathletes are much more prone to sudden death incidents than marathoners.
Practically all of these incidents occur during the swim part of an event. The article states that the primary culprit is not being properly acclimated to an open water environment. It also cites the anxiety of competition as well as the presence of “hundreds of people thrashing around” as being factors that contribute towards excess stress on the athletes’ hearts.
I agree with all these points. Most triathletes training for the Chicago Triathlon only swim in the lake a handful of times before the event. In fact, many do all of their training exclusively in an indoor swimming pool only to find out on race day that:
- The lake is not 80F
- It’s not enjoyable having a horde of goonish strangers flailing about on all sides of you
Remember, swimming is supposed to be a fun low impact workout – not a water equivalent of the “running of the bulls.”
March 28, 2009 / by srhernan / 9 Comments / Filed under Swim Reports
Beautiful sunrise, but high winds and monster waves. Maybe next time!
Big one crests Ladder #1
Today’s masterpiece (with bonus seagull)
March 24, 2009 / by Steve / 4 Comments / Filed under Chicago Trivia
Right now, there is a thin layer of water on the surface of Lake Michigan that is colder than 39F (4C) and therefore less dense. This thin layer of water floats on top of the lake and under the ice throughout the winter. We’ve been swimming in this less dense layer of water since November.
However, were we to dive down past 30 feet, we would find the lake temperatures increasing to 39F and remaining at that temperature all the way to the bottom of the lake. This layer is known as the hypolimnion, which is a constant in cold, deep-water lakes. So over the past few months, we’ve had this scenario:
With the arrival of spring, the ice melts off of Lake Michigan and the top layer of water on the lake gets warmed by the increasing levels of sunlight. Once the surface temperature reaches 39F, the surface waters sink until the water temperature at all depths reaches approximately 39F. This sinking, combined with spring winds mixing up the water, causes a phenomenon known as the “spring turnover” which is beginning to take place right now:
As spring transitions into summer, warmer water collects on the surface and the lake eventually stabilizes into three layers:
As the summer wanes into fall, the surface temperatures cool and the process reverses itself. We get a similar turnover in the fall, and then we’re back in winter mode.
The key point to note here is that the majority of Lake Michigan never really goes above or below 39F. In addition, due to its enormous variability in surface area and depth, Lake Michigan is never really that far from lapsing back into “turnover mode” on both ends of the summer months.
So always be sure to bring a variety of gear with you out to Ladder #1, because you never know what you might get – even in the middle of the summer!
March 22, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Swim Reports
Chris and I were out bright and early at Ladder #1, but we were almost too late to witness another amazing sunrise. I was able to do my first out-and-back swim to Oak Street Beach for 2009 as there was no pesky ice barring the way. And I can definitely tell that the water is getting warmer. I’d estimate we’re in the 37F – 39F range right now which means that I can probably switch to a lighter wetsuit next month.
All in all, a great way to usher in Spring and celebrate the fact that we were able to tough it out all winter long. Old Man Winter sure gave us a run for our money, but in the end even he couldn’t keep us out of the lake!
Spring sunrise
March 18, 2009 / by Steve / Make A Comment / Filed under Fitness & Training
Check out Peter Schiff’s recent speech, “Why the Meltdown Should Have Surprised No One.” The video clip is a bit lengthy, but you won’t be able to stop watching it once you begin.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgMclXX5msc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]
March 15, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Swim Reports
This was the last winter weekend, folks. So unless you plan to make it out to Ladder #1 before this coming Friday, you will have to wait until next December to become a “Winter Elite” Lake Monster…
The swim area was literally and figuratively a sheet of glass. We had to shatter a 1/8 inch layer of ice in order to enter the water, and we spent the entire swim playing “icebreaker” with our leading swim hands. We managed to make it to the 1/4 mile marker before the ice became too thick to navigate. But the sun was out in full force – quite magnificent, actually. Below is a shot. More pics to come.
March 12, 2009 / by Steve / Make A Comment / Filed under Event Alert
Steve Munatones over at 10K Swimmer has published an updated list of his top 100 swims. Check out the list as well as the links on the left side of the page!
March 10, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Fitness & Training
We’ve been hearing the term “moral hazard” quite a lot these days. But as a former foot soldier in the insurance claims battlefield (quagmire), I can tell you with utter certainty that moral hazards have been alive and thriving for quite some time. First, a quick primer…
A moral hazard is simply the notion that an individual or group will behave differently – and quite often carelessly – in situations when they perceive they are insulated from risk. This “letting down of their guard” paradoxically increases their likelihood of falling prey to the very hazards that they were trying to avoid in the first place.
A perfect example of this is health insurance. Regardless of whether it’s provided through a private plan or by a publicly administered (government) program, health insurance sets up a number of dangerous dynamics that create moral hazards for the majority of policyholders:
Falsehood #1 – Health insurance guarantees that you will be quickly and easily restored to a previous condition of optimal health and physical vitality
This erroneous thinking stems from the over touted concept of “indemnification” which is the staple of insurance policies. This concept can be successfully implemented with damaged property such as a house or a car. But the human body consists of living, biological tissue. And once damaged, it can never be completely restored to a pre-loss state.
Yet people still continue to live their lives believing that it can…
Falsehood #2 – Health insurance is a basic human right in a well-functioning society
Again, this is fallacious thinking that is based upon a dependency mindset coupled with an entitlement belief – two very anti-primal ways of thinking. The real truth is that health insurance is just a nebulous promise that total strangers will attempt to ameliorate your physical and mental ailments – and that they will do so because other total strangers have agreed to compensate them. And anyone who believes that these “social contracts” are inviolate is suffering from an advanced case of “cranial-rectal inversion.”
The key is, take advantage of health insurance if you have access to it, but never rely on it to “make you whole” or to provide you with peace of mind. Genuine peace of mind is accomplished by taking complete ownership over one’s own personal health and fitness, and by developing a mindset that assumes there is no cradle-to-crave “social safety net.”
Because in the real world, you only find safety nets at the circus.
March 10, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Event Alert
I received this comment today from a fellow visiting Chicago from across the pond:
Hi – intrigued to read this. I am from the UK and was in Chicago a few weeks ago – mid-Feb 09 – and a colleague and I braved the waters, WITHOUT a wetsuit, at the little beach near the Museum of Science and Industry. The water was cold – I’d say about 1-3C – but quite bearable. We stayed in for five minutes or so.
What was intriguing were the bossy notices on the beach saying that what we were doing is illegal. Is this really the case – is swimming in open water in the winter illegal in the US?? It certainly isn’t in Britain
This is a significant observation. Chicago is the only major city in the U.S. that imposes a swim ban outside of the official open beach season (Memorial Day to Labor Day). And even during these summer months, the city criminalizes all non-motorized water activities (i.e. swimming, kayaking, surfing, etc.) outside of the hours where beaches are patrolled by lifeguards. And to make matters even worse, lifeguards will not begin their beach patrols until 11:00am this summer due to city budget cuts.
We’re working to get this swim ban changed to a “swim at your own risk” policy, and a big part of this campaign is public awareness. I publicize the issue as much as I can on this site, but we really need you and your friends to help us build more momentum. One easy way to do this is to sign the petition to open Chicago’s beaches to non-motorized sports.
Sometimes it takes an outsider’s perspective to shed light on Chicago’s archaic beach access policy…
March 7, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Swim Reports
After weeks of freezing temperatures, Chicago was blessed with a warm front that moved in on Wednesday. Not only did this break apart the iced-over swim area, but it also gave me the opportunity to bike out to Ladder #1.
Despite forecasts of heavy rain and occasional thunderstorms, the area around Ladder #1 was dry and relatively balmy at 41F. The lake was calm and mostly clear with a few random ice floes scattered about the swim area. Chris had reconned the area the day before, and we were both quite pleased with how quickly the ice had broken up since Wednesday.
I stayed close to the wall and managed to swim almost to Ladder #13 until I ran into a barricade of some large and very intransigent ice floes. I worked my way back to Ladder #1, occasionally brushing aside a curious ice floe that had wandered into my path. Overall, it was a solid 3/4 mile swim in almost ideal conditions for this time of year.
UPDATE - As I write this, I can hear the rain falling outside along with some SERIOUS thunder – so we sure dodged that mess!
Braving the icy waters
The author in a non-serious mood
Chris chilling out (literally and figuratively)
