Just a quick note…I’ve been in touch with Todd and his trainer, Craig Strong, leading up to this event. Todd made his beach landing on Sunday in 13 hours and 35 minutes. I’ll have more details as well as an extended interview/blog post on this in the future.
Way to go, Todd!!!
70F lake temp…calm, clear water…amazing skyline. Yes, you REALLY should have been out there!
The water temperature is still a scorching 70F with no thermoclines. And if it wasn’t for the rapidly diminishing sunlight, I wouldn’t have believed that it’s officially autumn. So what are you waiting for? Get on out there before Mother Nature changes her mind!
Beginning of swim
End of swim
Here’s a great Ladder #1 stunt to round out the summer of 2009!
(Video credit: Diver Dave)
Every so often cities such as Chicago, Evanston, and Wilmette will close down their beaches due to higher than normal bacterial counts. Have you ever wondered why that happens?
In this podcast, we speak with Todd Connor who is a candidate for Commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Be sure to listen in as we talk about the history of the district, how it operates, and why we should be concerned about who’s watching over Lake Michigan.
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Saturday’s swim started a bit late. I got out there at 6:30am to check out the sunrise, but our magnificent personal star was hidden behind a wall of clouds on the horizon. So I waited until close to 7:00am until it made its grand appearance. During this time I chatted with Jonathan, a new swimmer out at L1 for the first time (and Lake Monster #32!).
The water temperature came in at a perfect 70F but the swim area was pretty chaotic. Gone were the halcyon conditions of perfect calm just a few days earlier. Instead, Jonathan and I had to navigate some pretty ferocious chops on the way to Oak Street Beach and back. And I had to turn on the burners to keep up with him since he’s a pretty fast swimmer!
But the sun was out in force that morning, and Ladder #1 once again proved to be a magnet for early morning fun and revelry. A surprise appearance by “Bogart” and “Johnson” gave me my puppy fix for the day. And Dave showed up a bit later with the inner tubes – which helped me finally earn my first Ladder #1 sunburn of the summer. Too bad I had to wait until last weekend to get it!
Final summer sunrise
The author with Bogart
It’s his town…we just live in it
There’s a great article on Active.com you should definitely check out: Swimming Around the World: Open Water Destination Races.
However, the one on my short list is the Sandycove Island Challenge in Cork, Ireland. It’s taking place this weekend on the other side of the pond. Anyone interested in getting a Chicago contingency together for their 2010 event?
This weekend the Alliance for the Great Lakes is coordinating its annual September Adopt-a-Beach at all of Chicago’s beaches.
As luck/chance/fate would have it, Laura, one of our Ladder #1 regulars, will be down at Rainbow on 77th – the same beach where Paula started her trans-Lake Michigan swim last month. As a site coordinator, Laura organizes the beach cleanup efforts at that particular beach.
I participated in the Adopt-a-Beach program last summer, and I can relate first hand that it’s a great program run by a fantastic organization. So if any of you wish to volunteer your time for a great cause (and have lots of fun with other swimmers and lake aficionados), just show up at Rainbow Beach (77th and the Lake) at 9:00am Saturday, September 19, 2009.
NOTE: If you can’t make it down to Rainbow Beach, this event will be taking place at all beaches from 9:00am – 12:00pm.
When the mercury read 67F at 5:30am, I knew that this would turn out to be a perfect late summer morning. And the foggy ride through the park out to Ladder #1 just added to the overall anticipation (suspense?) of the impending swim.
Carol and I watched the sunrise as it crested over the fog bank, and Ann showed up shortly thereafter to catch the show. I took the official water temperature which came back at an incendiary 71F!
The swim was a straightforward out-and-back in just my jammers, and I wasn’t cold at all. Although I say this a lot, you really should have been out there this morning. It was one for the ages!
Late summer splendor
Self-portrait at water level
Carol in action
I had a kayak lesson this evening that involved practicing a self rescue. Since I was already soaked – and since the LPBC is very close to Ladder #1 – I decided to get in a quick swim.
The water was choppy but very pleasant with water temperatures around 68F. I swam out about half way to the buoys and did some back-and-forth sprints parallel to the shore.
Although the water was quite clear, it was pitch black beyond two feet of depth and made me think of two things: 1) Paula’s overnight swim last month, and 2) how happy I am that there are no marine predators lurking around in Lake Michigan.
Foggy skyline at night
