Today is the Summer Solstice. Get out and enjoy it!

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Unlike in some municipalities, swimming is celebrated and encouraged in Zurich, Switzerland. The Limmat river, which runs right through the city, is one of the best urban “swimming holes” around. The city has built pathways on both banks for easy pedestrian access, and there plenty of ladders to climb in and out of the river. Plus you can jump and dive off of the foot bridges for a quick dip on a hot day.

But perhaps the best manifestation of Zurich’s swimophilia is the annual Limmatschwimmen, where the city allows participants to commandeer the river for an afternoon and float down the Limmat en masse. I don’t know about you, but this certainly looks like a lot more fun than doing a 5K or 10K run for a cheap t-shirt and a goody bag filled with useless advertisements!

Just a quick reminder. Registration for the fifth annual Point to LaPointe Swim to Madeline Island is now open. The 2.1 mile event will take place on August 7, 2010 in beautiful Bayfield, WI, and I guarantee it will sell out!

Also, I would highly recommend you make your lodging arrangements now. High summer in Bayfield is about as close to heaven on earth as you can get. And many people book their hotel reservations there a year in advance – and have been doing so for years. Don’t miss out on this awesome Lake Superior swim!

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?

I got this message from Dave yesterday, and we spoke about it again this morning. PLEASE read this and spread the word about the need to keep the ladders intact during the year!

*** RED ALERT ***
As we all know all too well … The summer of 2009 never arrived as promised and very very soon the Chicago Park District will pull all of the swim ladders at Oak Street Beach…. With a lot of phone calls I was able to find the new and improved person who is in charge of them, Mr. Larry Moser. His phone# (312) 746 5561

Seeing that he has yet to return my calls, I have left a message trying to convince him to leave them in.

1) If someone one slips and falls in this winter, it’s a long cold swim to try to get out
2) Many people continue to swim in the fall, winter, and spring
3) The fire and police scuba squads use the area for training and rescues, and they use the ladders
4) The city can save money by not removing the ladders and re-installing them the next year
5) The winter ice has not damaged Ladder #1 over the last 10 years, and it has stayed in year round
6) The new ladders at Montrose are welded in and cannot be removed

*** Hopefully if all of us call to plead our case they might leave in the ladders…
Call now and do not wait or you might show up for a swim next Tuesday and find all of the ladders gone….

Diver Dave
Ladder #1
Oak Street Beach

The Chicago Shoreline Marathon takes place this Saturday, August 29. It is Chicago’s premier kayaking/paddling event, and it attracts competitors from around the world.

There are three events scheduled:

25-Mile Marathon – An open water paddling race competition that starts at 9:00am in Calumet Harbor and races northward along the entire shoreline to Leone Beach (near Touhy Avenue)

8-Mile 2-Beach Race – A loop course covering approximately 8 miles and running near shore from Leone Beach to Montrose Beach and returning to Leone Beach

4X 4-Mile Relay – A 4-member team event starting on Leone Beach with each paddler completing one 4-mile leg of the race

Check it out!

Be sure to check this out over the weekend:

Chicago Triathlon Multisport & Fitness Expo
Location: Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave
Friday, August 28 | 3:00pm-9:00pm
Saturday, August 29 | 9:00am-5:00pm

You can get some pretty good deals on all sorts of swimming, biking, and running gear. Plus I’m sure there’s lots of free stuff as well!

In case you missed it, I conducted a special seminar Wednesday early evening for the June Monthly Meeting of the Chicago Triathletes Unite! Meetup Group. We had a great turnout – about 15 swimmers showed up – and the weather and water conditions were absolutely ideal. Here are some of the key points we discussed:

- The “inner game” of open water swimming (attribution of physical states, “catching” emotions, deconstructing the fear/anxiety response)
- Preparing your body for colder water immersion (cold water “priming,” mammalian dive reflex)
- Water entry scenarios (beach, pier, ferry boat)
- Treading water and sighting
- Special scenarios (choppy water, currents, drafting, swallowing water)

Special kudos go out to Jill Lambert for organizing the Meetup group.

As some of you might already know, I’m a big fan of Chicago Endurance Sports. I’ve had the pleasure of training under the direction of co-founder Mike Norman since I began my endurance sports hobby (obsession?) in 2004, and I can tell you that they offer some top notch programs – plus they’re a lot of fun, too!

Mike and crew have just introduced a new class on open water swim training that might be of interest to some of you. It’s a 3-week session that begins Wednesday, July 1st (6:15pm -7:30pm), and it covers topics such as:

- Stroke technique tips for Open Water vs. Pool
- Tips for practicing indoors
- Sighting skills & technique
- Equipment tips & tricks (wetsuits, goggles, etc.)
- Drafting technique and practice
- Starts
- Turns & negotiating buoys
- Exits
- Racing strategies
- Race specific training

One of the coaches is former World Champion Open Water Swimmer, Erica Rose. So it looks to be a fantastic program.

Check it out!

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!