tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6273091579751654192024-02-18T23:47:48.017-08:00Swimming St. Clair - OUR 2014 TEAM!!!Tobias, Caty, Mike, Kirky, Watty, Glen, Tim, Cameron, Sara, Greg, Dave, Fares, Mike, Ric and Rickie... Not pictured, Jackie, Kelly and Easton.Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-84975723690480302812015-06-30T10:35:00.001-07:002015-06-30T10:40:37.971-07:00STARTING OVER... DOES ANYONE HAVE AN EXTRA BIG BOAT FOR THE DAY?Starting Over... Despite the fact that this is Swim #8!!, it still feels like each year we are starting over. So, this year, as we slog through the planing phases, we already have more than enough swimmers committed now - a month in advance. That has never happened - usually we are filling up the roster near the end. And our total of 16 swimmers represents only one new face, Larry Arreguin, who has been asking for a year to join us. Almost everyone from the last several years is returning!! <br />
<br />
But, we do need a boat. Usually we have more than enough boats and need to hustle to fill them with swimmers. this year? We have one boat that will carry 8 swimmers. We need one more that can carry 8 more swimmers. And we could use a Seadoo as well. They are absolutely awesome to have along.. If you know of anyone with a boat who would like to join this very loyal group of swimmers, please have them contact us. It would make a huge difference...<br />
<br />
And there is another difference this year as well - Fares Ksebati and Sara Franklin are both stepping up to help out. Fares is now officially helping with the special media and fundraising - while Sara is quarterbacking the effort. We are at the point where Mike Stevens and I can no longer do it all. We have had a great deal of help in the past, most notably Bruce Babiarz on PR and Dave Draper on arranging food, sponsors, etc., but having Fares and Sara on board is a huge relief. <br />
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I believe Fares may be taking over this blog in the future. So, hopefully the quality of the writing will pick up;-)Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-39827627516006345172014-07-22T14:21:00.000-07:002014-07-24T17:23:10.400-07:00WE MADE IT!!!<div style="text-align: right;">
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It feels better and better every year!!! 14 swimmers, 2 boats,2 Jet Skis and a kayak made it all the way from
Harsen's Island to the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club in under 8 hours. The
time wasn't our fastest, but we're all a year older now, so our handicap
is growing. Congrats to Watty Bernard for swimming the entire
distance. The rest of us contributed an average of something like 4
miles each in our relay across the water. I did manage to hit the
average of 4 miles, in spite of a bum shoulder and a dislocated elbow (4
weeks ago). There were a number of injuries the day of the event as
well - Glen Fayolle cutting his hand - BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED - on zebra
mussels on the harbor bottom while diving to retrieve a pair of
prescription glasses... then Tobias smacked his nose on the back of the
Jet Ski climbing out of the water.<br />
<br />
This group just keeps getting better - every year we hang to most of the folks from the previous year and add a few. Luckily, we are adding younger folks - who seem to share a common link in that they were either alumni or friends of alumni of the Wayne State swim team. This is thanks to Derek Weaver, who was one of our original group, and who set the pace for recruiting new members. Now if we could just get Derek back in the water... So, this year we welcomed Kirky, Caty, Tobias, and Cameron to our "Swimmer's alumni"...<br />
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<b>THANKS</b> <br />
<ul>
<li>First, thank you to our <b>generous donors</b>. Without you, there is no event.</li>
<li>Next, thank you to the <b>Grosse Pointe Yacht Club</b> for hosting us, but more importantly, for putting up with us, for providing their facilities, and for generally acting like the class act they are. Everybody there is gracious, from the Club Management to the pool crew and to the security guys. </li>
<li>Thanks to <b>Brownie's on the Water</b> (just past10 mile on Jefferson Ave) for again hosting our "post-event" dinner. We have begun looking forward to Brownie's almost as much as the swim itself.</li>
<li>To "<b>SWIMSPRAY</b>" for sponsoring our social media work as well as giving us our swim caps, and just for their support in general - including the article they posted in their company newsletter. </li>
<li>Finally, thanks to <b>Premier Protein</b> for the AWESOME chocolate energy drinks. We have a tendency to fight over any that are left over after the swim. Honestly, love these things - I am drinking one right now...</li>
</ul>
And finally - thanks to Mike Stevens at Corporate Fleet Services in Detroit. Every year he supports us by bringing his boat. This year he brought 2 boats!!! And he even let me captain one of them while he swam!! Hard to express how grateful we all are to you, Mike. <br />
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Thanks again to all who were involved. As Greg McDuffee - one of our swimmers - said yesterday - "I look forward to this more than Christmas". Amen - so do I...<br />
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More later along with a link to more pictures, etc. <br />
Ric Geyer <br />
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Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-44007227979385966552014-07-20T20:33:00.001-07:002014-07-20T20:36:46.246-07:00Tomorrow is the day...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimilBvFIVNGfocL60Fhj88BbqtzW4IGA9tJkNReH-wui7X-VMK4cXNxryB65oHxYMxs-nu0wsGnpO7c8nAHgxM5slLKLQt9I0fjgLe0IwBy1O6a6mWYJLJgti7yu1qnBD_Ht_yrOPv7e8/s1600/Lake+St+Clair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimilBvFIVNGfocL60Fhj88BbqtzW4IGA9tJkNReH-wui7X-VMK4cXNxryB65oHxYMxs-nu0wsGnpO7c8nAHgxM5slLKLQt9I0fjgLe0IwBy1O6a6mWYJLJgti7yu1qnBD_Ht_yrOPv7e8/s1600/Lake+St+Clair.jpg" height="285" width="320" /></a>It's TOMORROW!!! It seems to come back so quickly each year. Just went down to the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, stood on the docks and looked off to the NNE to see if I could spot Harsen's Island. It was clear today, but apparently too hazy to see the Island. The lighthouse you can make out is the St Clair Lighthouse. Our destination is several miles past this lighthouse and several miles (at least) to the north... So I guess at 14 miles you start to deal with curvature of the earth... A scary thought,given we are going to swim that distance tomorrow.<br />
A young store clerk asked me if me if I had heard of the guy last year who swam from about where we are starting, and went all the way to downtown Detroit - dragging a rowboat full of bricks. The problem I have with her asking me about him is that continuing to talk about that episode will only egg him on. And the last thing we need is another load of bricks moved from Harsen's Island to downtown Detroit. Personally, I thought he should have dragged a rowboat full of bathtub gin from Canada to Detroit. At least that would have been historically relevant.<br />
So, we're off. Up at 6:00am - at the docks at the Yacht Club at 7am, then we're enroute by 7:45. Arrive at Harsen's Island and in the water by 8:30... More to come...<br />
PS. I think the elbow I dislocated about 4 weeks ago feels a LOT better. Swam for the first time in 12 days today; 3/4 of a mile - seemed like it might be OK. Hurt a little, but nothing really serious. So we'll see how far I can get tomorrow. If I can get 3 miles, I will consider it a success... Oh, and don't tell my doctor... She would not be pleased..<br />
Ric Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-63080749041330651012014-07-07T19:24:00.003-07:002014-07-07T19:24:44.428-07:00Gearing up - and wearing down...So, about two weeks ago I was trying to move a 300 pound counterbalance used to anchor a portable basketball hoop my son and I were putting up. my son. I couldn't move it at first, so I positioned my feet, leaned directly over it, found a couple of hand holds, and really leaned into it.. That is, until I heard three distinct popping sounds in my right elbow. I immediately released my grip - a searing pain went through my right arm - seemingly centered on my forearm. I thought it was broken, but was able to move it again within about 10 minutes. The doctor says there are no broken bones or torn ligaments, but I am disturbed by the fact that this is the first time in my adult life that I have been injured by simply "trying to move something"...<br />
<br />
<br />
So, that's my current excuse, and the reason that though I was training on earnest up to 2 weeks ago, I have not been able to swim since. Last year our 'injury to swimmer ratio' was nearly 1.5 to 1, with the old guard shouldering most of that burden... This year I think we're down closer to 1 to 1, so basically, we're in great shape...<br />
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More later...<br />
<br />Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-53283785629145560852014-07-06T22:09:00.000-07:002014-07-07T19:25:26.880-07:002014 - The Year of the Waterspouts?OK -<br />
2011 was the year of the flies (and the 103 temperatures).<br />
2102 was the year we got pounded all day by 3-4 waves.<br />
2013 was relatively calm - nice weather - great group - great time. <br />
2014?? Let's hope we don't have another one of these - here is the waterspout sighted on Lake St Clair on July 3rd.<br />
<br />
So, as of right now, we have 14 swimmers, one boat, two jet skis and a kayak... We are certain another boat will materialize - which is good, because we need one to get everyone to the drop off point and cannot take 14 people on our current boat.<br />
<br />
We
have commitments from all of our original 2008 group - and the majority
of folks who have joined us since. This year will start off the same
as before - hopefully we'll carry the current south near the mouth of
the freighter channel - last year we covered the first mile in less than
15 minutes - aided by a solid current coming out of the north channel
headed for the Detroit River in the south. This is great for a couple
of miles, but then we turn and cross the fat part of the lake - and if
the winds are as they normally are, they are coming directly at us from
the southwest. This anomaly cuses 2-3 foot choppy waves that are hard
to time, with the result that we get pounded for almost the entire 8
hours. Generally, everything dies down around noon, and we get some
break from the wind and the waves, but generally, it feels like we're
working against Mother Nature the entire time.<br />
<br />
The 9 Mile Tower
is out beacon for much of the swim - we can spot it right at the start,
but yo can't see it from the water for another couple of hours. Then
when you do spot it, you can swim directly at it for 2-3 hours, and when
you look up again, it looks as if it has not changed in size. It is a
huge character builder...<br />
<br />
But when I think about what
we're doing out here, the trip gets a little easier. Rickie is such a
trooper - he cranks that vest up every morning and every evening for 30
minutes - plus he does his nebulizer breathing treatments twice a day as
well. I was trying to imagine how it must be to be in his shoes - 12
was tough enough for me with out having to put up with CF at the same
time. But he does a great job - sometimes I wish I could do it for him -
it doesn't seem fair - and then I remember the "life isn't fair speech"
that I have given him so many times. Still you wonder exactly how this
"gift" will work out for him. How will it change his life? How will
it affect his quality of life? Someone once said that she was "glad it
was Rickie" when she was told he had cf. She went on to say that her
son would "never be able to handle it", and that Rickie "was the only
kid" she knew "who had the bearing and the strength to put his shoulder
down and pound through it." It was actually a wonderful, if not
bittersweet compliment. <br />
<br />
Still, I wonder how I could have
been carrying this thing tucked inside my DNA without ever knowing it.
Let's hope we can leverage our health information so at least we'll know
the risks we face. <br />
<br />
Looking forward to another wonderful
morning crossing - the boat ride across the lake to the drop off point
at Harsen's Island before the swim is exhilarating. It is unique for me
- I don't have this feeling at any other time of the year - except the
morning of the swim, sitting up front in the bow- watching the water and
the waves, and thinking about what is to come.Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-24628237265237898072013-08-20T04:21:00.002-07:002013-08-29T19:52:54.437-07:00We made it!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7Y9n5Ukzx4PqRXzI8NoarncqGscQ7o_2fE1W3XniHl-fGCs9S4A-LQTByHxtC64VjjSfIXwDKUzBUunJZ2GCOxnytMogAJ_yNlIcF346avhrn4oKBfvz8rQIQ8ASIwysvzB3551aykY/s1600/IMG_1571.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7Y9n5Ukzx4PqRXzI8NoarncqGscQ7o_2fE1W3XniHl-fGCs9S4A-LQTByHxtC64VjjSfIXwDKUzBUunJZ2GCOxnytMogAJ_yNlIcF346avhrn4oKBfvz8rQIQ8ASIwysvzB3551aykY/s320/IMG_1571.JPG" width="320" /></a>First, to all of you who supported us, sponsored us, captained our boats, swam with us - we thank you. In today's crazy, self-centered world it is refreshing to see the
commitment of folks getting together to support a cause. And it is even
more exciting to be a part of that effort.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7Y9n5Ukzx4PqRXzI8NoarncqGscQ7o_2fE1W3XniHl-fGCs9S4A-LQTByHxtC64VjjSfIXwDKUzBUunJZ2GCOxnytMogAJ_yNlIcF346avhrn4oKBfvz8rQIQ8ASIwysvzB3551aykY/s1600/IMG_1571.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MeYK6rj7m__xLGy-sesZexpr5wWG_J0NVOaaWWTtt6EbQNFL21VclEvIH8LVE4VKU6EgNax2uYsYzYswK5igmNo-g0zWd3dBLRZRpHbp4FTeW42_lVMLaVC1RI4yh6zB7hZm9VSu-u0/s1600/IMG_1574.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MeYK6rj7m__xLGy-sesZexpr5wWG_J0NVOaaWWTtt6EbQNFL21VclEvIH8LVE4VKU6EgNax2uYsYzYswK5igmNo-g0zWd3dBLRZRpHbp4FTeW42_lVMLaVC1RI4yh6zB7hZm9VSu-u0/s200/IMG_1574.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our destination is barely visible directly behind the boat...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On our way to the yacht club, at 6:45am, the sky was gorgeous - the sun was a brilliant red and the reflections on the light clouds looked spectacular. The old sailing quote came to mind, "red sky in morn, sailor's take warn, red sky at night, sailor's delight", but it didn't seem to hold true today - the weather was perfect. There was almost no wind, the temperatures were ideal and we never spotted on insect of any type. Conditions were ideal. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZxdEoY2iOlZTzvczMNZErG90CsHhLzJjeejbdXAB0yPbiZ6CJN2WoRtc2r7qaMQxTGU_py75m8mwgX7Ts2NtgyL0sWHwrpKyuE58J_qgvP4y0ECoJnph6R6onRQZpxDze1gmiYLDDKc/s1600/IMG_1601.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZxdEoY2iOlZTzvczMNZErG90CsHhLzJjeejbdXAB0yPbiZ6CJN2WoRtc2r7qaMQxTGU_py75m8mwgX7Ts2NtgyL0sWHwrpKyuE58J_qgvP4y0ECoJnph6R6onRQZpxDze1gmiYLDDKc/s200/IMG_1601.JPG" width="150" /></a>We left the dock at a few minutes after 8am with 2 boats, 15 swimmers and one inflatable Zodiak. We arrived at Gull Island at 8:25 and were in the water at 8:37. We started on the east side of Gull Island this time, which partly explains the fast time. We caught the old channel current for a mile or so, then turned west to aim at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. The winds that we expected from our previous 6 swims never materialized. It was nicely wind free...<br />
<br />
With two boats this year it was easier - if you were tired, you had a couple of choices - though one boat typically stayed with the faster swimmers, and the other with the rest of us...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9a6LjwFGoh_46YvycCL_l62iCNqtYjpjhVSQFd1Xk0lIQGScgPqtKnrSoB5UilwdMg_XT9jXznK_TARvWttqCkgditAvGLCD2UfXon4mEG356tJdDWBETwuxyVSOEMBc4Crm2Ng8Juo/s1600/IMG_1581.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9a6LjwFGoh_46YvycCL_l62iCNqtYjpjhVSQFd1Xk0lIQGScgPqtKnrSoB5UilwdMg_XT9jXznK_TARvWttqCkgditAvGLCD2UfXon4mEG356tJdDWBETwuxyVSOEMBc4Crm2Ng8Juo/s200/IMG_1581.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMS1m7dDAsfQYizFhFtPELSn2fdI8mi6DfiFu2KApI0dbvlmR9HrjQylsmAuthxYyf9N1u-n1x8qw1vX2UE2H9dzUHd4qsWoLSZltMLaL9N9iE-gsTq6Rbp3BB3DXyuwlgtHwAv8IJFQ/s1600/IMG_1589.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMS1m7dDAsfQYizFhFtPELSn2fdI8mi6DfiFu2KApI0dbvlmR9HrjQylsmAuthxYyf9N1u-n1x8qw1vX2UE2H9dzUHd4qsWoLSZltMLaL9N9iE-gsTq6Rbp3BB3DXyuwlgtHwAv8IJFQ/s200/IMG_1589.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0L6ef3qCeTj2xCOC4I4br7gtHPlJcWIRaw7pwJLMdOXGSf3wY5uuRcrRl4gNBK1evYMTiWdFNqG9mS3mbdoX3iTJPLkkEoFD-NlGUhvEQwVoyXD6FL-FCprHOluLvArGh98WEuKg5XQ/s1600/IMG_1597.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0L6ef3qCeTj2xCOC4I4br7gtHPlJcWIRaw7pwJLMdOXGSf3wY5uuRcrRl4gNBK1evYMTiWdFNqG9mS3mbdoX3iTJPLkkEoFD-NlGUhvEQwVoyXD6FL-FCprHOluLvArGh98WEuKg5XQ/s200/IMG_1597.JPG" width="200" /></a>Typically, a swimmer will start out and do as much as he/she can, then get out and rest for a half an hour to an hour, depending on the swimmer. Swim another couple of miles or so, and repeat. It would stay like this until the end. The final mile or so is the hardest, even though it is so close to the finish. A slight westerly wind had kicked up, we were tired, and you have the frustration of seeing the tower at the Yacht Club appear close, but then not get larger until the very end, when it seems to suddenly loom over you... The faster swimmers finished at about 3pm off the pier at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. We met immediately afterwards at Brownie's on the River for our celebratory meal. Great day - in total we swam just under 100 miles.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiiGlQZKx0uyjnbTRujBJevBWIjjb_acbqSjyvEH4VcnkrQJ8Iv2kOw0n4D3v2Wg0TG8QLUWpoPvtdfI9-PgGdaBLlaTWno0mX3j8E-NIyDlAnQPApvYSCG8AEOJle_rCyj3i6R2BBKA/s1600/IMG_1594.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiiGlQZKx0uyjnbTRujBJevBWIjjb_acbqSjyvEH4VcnkrQJ8Iv2kOw0n4D3v2Wg0TG8QLUWpoPvtdfI9-PgGdaBLlaTWno0mX3j8E-NIyDlAnQPApvYSCG8AEOJle_rCyj3i6R2BBKA/s200/IMG_1594.JPG" width="150" /></a>Our rookies this year were Casey Browning, who swam the entire course, Watty Bernard, who swam 95% of the course, the last 10% of it with leg cramps; and finally, Vince Brennan - who stepped up and not only swam, but also captained the second chase boat.<br />
<br />
More later - pictures to follow. Look for us on Facebook...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
By the way, if Paypal is not your thing - you are not alone... Several people have asked for an address for donations. <br />
<br />
Ric Geyer<br />
105 Swanton Hill Ct.<br />
Decatur, Georgia 30030 <br />
<br />
I moved down here 2 years ago, to follow Rickie, who moved down here with his mother. Both Rickie and I miss Detroit (and Grosse Pointe) and get back a couple of times each year. The news from the private sector in Detroit is fabulous - even if the political news is less than stellar...<br />
<br />
All the best<br />
<br />
Ric Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-74749585499559836292013-08-13T21:02:00.001-07:002013-08-13T21:02:41.867-07:006 more days - almost there...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-teR0OgDZBs79RCqn3qipPKX5uKb8DoLrYDiAAT0sVTfxqXw3ZQJ3W7L20dvynk85ABGYXGVGb8uIvVOew6V5gGKv6VLycHm7fjDoldA2RVoM1KBL2OUdTMbsF94YbzrAR-8AZkznNg/s1600/2010_08_17+043+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-teR0OgDZBs79RCqn3qipPKX5uKb8DoLrYDiAAT0sVTfxqXw3ZQJ3W7L20dvynk85ABGYXGVGb8uIvVOew6V5gGKv6VLycHm7fjDoldA2RVoM1KBL2OUdTMbsF94YbzrAR-8AZkznNg/s200/2010_08_17+043+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
OK. It's Tuesday evening. We are now down to 6 days before we go... It looks like we're up to two boats and 13+ swimmers? These are both records - this thing continues to grow. Every year, we get a couple of new folks, and mostly people just keep coming back. This really is a great day - one of those "pause and reflect" days. A time to remember each successive year - what you were doing the year before, etc. A milestone of sorts for each of the swimmers. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSDLp85SCNEY76ZGFBmCzCJCVlQHWBjJIJrjZ5zylGECMxPHnPjIIudQ-PxE1B_0GhvcE3PUDLk_Sku2mtI_8xiQ1SmCzWdW2DCNNhs7C1A8-wix2i6HX40NiuNY_clF1K4ZvIqi16EA/s1600/2010_08_17+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSDLp85SCNEY76ZGFBmCzCJCVlQHWBjJIJrjZ5zylGECMxPHnPjIIudQ-PxE1B_0GhvcE3PUDLk_Sku2mtI_8xiQ1SmCzWdW2DCNNhs7C1A8-wix2i6HX40NiuNY_clF1K4ZvIqi16EA/s200/2010_08_17+017.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_C31nEz2e0QbQfX1Ib1Ia86sbEWlKzc-A4k0rtZgIzN3bRG8rhU1ZF_qUtU7uJBwpAOKzAaTfh-Myx-KWum4v2Y3mKSMQIfwygauQKIFoaDR_C0-I4wglbtTjdqHsXV_XIuFLq_QzXo4/s1600/DSC_0437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_C31nEz2e0QbQfX1Ib1Ia86sbEWlKzc-A4k0rtZgIzN3bRG8rhU1ZF_qUtU7uJBwpAOKzAaTfh-Myx-KWum4v2Y3mKSMQIfwygauQKIFoaDR_C0-I4wglbtTjdqHsXV_XIuFLq_QzXo4/s200/DSC_0437.jpg" width="200" /></a>Here's our schedule. At 7am (or so) we arrive at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club (GPYC), who have been our gracious hosts for 6 years in a row now. Special thanks to Fred Mihalik, the pool facility manager and a renowned swim coach. He has always been there to help us,m and we appreciate it. We're generally in the boat by 7:30, and headed to Harsen's Island. The feeling of the boat at speed, smell of the water, the excitement of the swim and just having a chance to meet up with everyone again makes this one of my favorite parts of the whole day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXM8A7mbp-G8NrqGLupRLPAZSoVph9Ddpw9BMiGf4V8dusNPN2V16XL0Z3LL-P1yDSX2SsZgOlKIIIdQGYXgJXVspDhqlOBE04E_GMZV1oomNljLeQdtIGnMTyjLKfZ8GModeFqaIe2ac/s1600/2010_08_17+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXM8A7mbp-G8NrqGLupRLPAZSoVph9Ddpw9BMiGf4V8dusNPN2V16XL0Z3LL-P1yDSX2SsZgOlKIIIdQGYXgJXVspDhqlOBE04E_GMZV1oomNljLeQdtIGnMTyjLKfZ8GModeFqaIe2ac/s200/2010_08_17+028.jpg" width="200" /></a>We're in the water by about 8am. B<br />
y about 8:30 we're between the South Channel lighthouses and heading for the open bay. At this point you can begin to make out the tower at Nine Mile Road. This the tower that will look exactly the same size after swimming for 4 more hours - at times it is maddening...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUDacaW6S0q_RGuuVNiyoCLFiicRAx7AsCrQhYySk37iNjuLKjA_Um5FCZPB2OzqRgfIM6sGksumMfOO6nHcGPiBTaUaMNu7okeDUFWyP_FKHz0qAWaYvGsiq4Ydzlq5ouXzUQPbtPZQ/s1600/2008_08_12+092+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUDacaW6S0q_RGuuVNiyoCLFiicRAx7AsCrQhYySk37iNjuLKjA_Um5FCZPB2OzqRgfIM6sGksumMfOO6nHcGPiBTaUaMNu7okeDUFWyP_FKHz0qAWaYvGsiq4Ydzlq5ouXzUQPbtPZQ/s200/2008_08_12+092+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a>And so it goes - for 8 hours... It isn't as hard as you might think - although when the waves are coming directly at you, it gets old pretty quickly. It is just a grind it out kind of day, but it is invigorating and a day I look forward to every year. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8AGh9fsYltK8t0ldwHVddNk5zS9WLQYv2-Vbpo2FU0IrhMB9rmnvb34y4-B73rqvmZosJHzxpaYKc5jlnvF6bn5cDTa5CMRBz-pJLVY2QCUQ-evm-8kPF9aTi-vLi3v6ly-F7NxBe2A/s1600/2010_08_17+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8AGh9fsYltK8t0ldwHVddNk5zS9WLQYv2-Vbpo2FU0IrhMB9rmnvb34y4-B73rqvmZosJHzxpaYKc5jlnvF6bn5cDTa5CMRBz-pJLVY2QCUQ-evm-8kPF9aTi-vLi3v6ly-F7NxBe2A/s200/2010_08_17+008.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
FINALLY, somewhere around 4:00 or so we are nearing the shore. When you are beginning to get close, it is tantalizing - it looks as if you could sprint the rest of the way, until you realize there is still a mile and half to go... But toward 5pm, we see the following site from the water - the Tower at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club.<br />
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And then its off to Brownie's on the River for drinks and dinner, and a place to sit down and relax. <br />
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<br />Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-12090740584749490482013-07-31T19:27:00.002-07:002013-07-31T20:28:24.648-07:0019 more days...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiemf6whUgph0otVJk2GGKm-irUeue0pdSpz5b_cLI_pwehcdSSSMFMSI2p-fquPVue-IgN1mMHPmCrEhLtO5oYXXudacT3N-enkDeR1MV84qQt9KdGJbsFGXfoyeQjiScK2gpN7ua5FQE/s1600/Brownies+Logo1+%25283%2529.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiemf6whUgph0otVJk2GGKm-irUeue0pdSpz5b_cLI_pwehcdSSSMFMSI2p-fquPVue-IgN1mMHPmCrEhLtO5oYXXudacT3N-enkDeR1MV84qQt9KdGJbsFGXfoyeQjiScK2gpN7ua5FQE/s200/Brownies+Logo1+%25283%2529.tif" width="188" /></a>OK. Now we're getting down to the wire. Good news today - "Brownie's on the River" has agreed to come on board as a sponsor (thanks to the help of our own Dave Draper). Brownie's has been our after swim meal spot for several years - they have always been friendly and supportive and now it's official. Please check them out - they are an institution on Lake St Clair just north of Nine Mile Rd. It is also a great place to party on the weekends. Just a great spot - with excellent food. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqVdEdVjR2KFB_HsYuqvl9NYZuHwetisW9zB4MZxGvqx3syGvKHFozGd5nZIg9dRADQDGB5Tk1GTovE_I-JW1Z_dyl-MX58aTQkPqTweYrU2NGQaQHE_76Pg_PNbFH8z9X-GzKdsxht0/s1600/Premier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqVdEdVjR2KFB_HsYuqvl9NYZuHwetisW9zB4MZxGvqx3syGvKHFozGd5nZIg9dRADQDGB5Tk1GTovE_I-JW1Z_dyl-MX58aTQkPqTweYrU2NGQaQHE_76Pg_PNbFH8z9X-GzKdsxht0/s200/Premier.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
Also new this year is Premier Nutrition. They offer food and beverage products that are great-tasting, have
compelling functional benefits and appeal to a broad range of people
pursuing healthy lifestyles, including old guys swimming across lakes. We will be carrying their products on board and using them during the swim.<br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
offer food and beverage products that are great-tasting, have
compelling functional benefits and appeal to a broad range of people
pursuing healthy lifestyles. - See more at:
http://www.premiernutrition.com/#sthash.PoAo97XQ.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
We
offer food and beverage products that are great-tasting, have
compelling functional benefits and appeal to a broad range of people
pursuing healthy lifestyles. - See more at:
http://www.premiernutrition.com/#sthash.PoAo97XQ.dpuf</div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUf8MkKOznSjmMMR1WkUwaBgRdhEov1xFOZvT-QMe18qfwBt6cEAlEFJqDcyV93hh0f9qgoZNSudd2QKMuZO8dUNpRM_xG3lC6KrWUkNkcyNtrBcr6qq6o_b26VhTqaSS1w49UpJOyjEo/s1600/20100812-fl-bm_me-lake_swim01+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUf8MkKOznSjmMMR1WkUwaBgRdhEov1xFOZvT-QMe18qfwBt6cEAlEFJqDcyV93hh0f9qgoZNSudd2QKMuZO8dUNpRM_xG3lC6KrWUkNkcyNtrBcr6qq6o_b26VhTqaSS1w49UpJOyjEo/s200/20100812-fl-bm_me-lake_swim01+%25286%2529.jpg" width="159" /></a>Just wanted to put another picture in here about why I do this. Rickie is my guy - and my hero. He is starting to get into swimming himself - and recently did back to back lengths of the pool in 25 seconds. I was extremely impressed. He is going with us again this year on the boat - and he can't wait. The picture shows the Detroit Athletic Club pool - one of the finest clubs in the country. Before moving to Atlanta, I swam probably 2000 miles in that pool. It was my therapy when we learned about Rickie's cf. In the beginning you just don't know what the disease is like or what it will mean. So I swam - a lot. Great exercise, great therapy, and if you're lucky enough to be at the DAC, great pool...<br />
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I'll report soon on the other swimmers - assuming they want to be reported on. More later. Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-87700909421622017912013-07-25T19:36:00.000-07:002013-07-25T19:36:16.201-07:00It's getting close - just over three weeks left... For some reason this one feels more difficult than the rest. Maybe because I'm another year older. Maybe because my shoulders are toast after swimming, maybe 2000 miles in the last 6 years. But, I am looking forward to another great crossing. Saw an article where a guy was fined $500 for swimming across the Detroit River. The fine was levied because he crossed a shipping channel, which seems odd, because sailboats can cross shipping channels without penalty, and they aren't terribly fast either. <br />
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I'd like to welcome my friends from Atlanta as well as our old friends from Detroit. If you're from Atlanta, you will soon be able to donate to the CF Center for Excellence (Emory University). They are building the preeminent CF center in the country (you fans of U of M's Mott's Children's Hospital can question that assertion) and have been excellent to Rickie. I have just agreed to sit on the Community Board of the CF Center. In addition, in partnership with the Center, and with the CF Foundation down here, we are hosting a "Hack for CF", which is a hackathon focused on cf. "Hackforcf.com" will be up shortly for more information.<br />
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If you have any questions, on the swim or on the "Hack for cf" please feel free to email me at "ric @ 4731solutions . com. <br />
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All the best, Ric<br />
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Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-82174872077651292622013-06-20T20:36:00.001-07:002013-06-20T20:36:17.801-07:00Getting back, maybe... Just did two miles last night for the first time in probably 3 months. Got sucked into pacing someone at 45 second laps for a while - that hurt, especially with the shoulder,. But it feels like I can stroke around it. Starting to get psyched about doing this yet one more time. Have been picking up new swimmers for several weeks - we may be around a dozen folks now. Probably need another boat or a couple of Seadoos if anyone is interested... Still love the story about the guy swimming east to west across the entire lake (20+ miles) through the shipping channels around August 6th? Wish him luck. And hope he gets medical attention after the race. Seriously, there's something wrong with all of us to want to go 14 miles into the wind, but to go 20+ miles across the lake dragging a boat with 2,000 pounds of bricks? Wow. There's really something wrong with that guy. I mean, you can't ever piss a guy like that off. Because if you do - I don't think he'd ever get over it... In fact, I may just stop right here, and wish him luck, crazy or not.<br />
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Another trend we are facing is a continual dropping of the average age of our participants, which is neither surprising nor comforting to us old guys... We will now have probably 4 or 5 20 year old machines keeping pace for us. Last year, Fares was doing 20 minute miles in the middle of the course. I can barely sprint that fast. But then, I am probably 30 years older than he is...<br />
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For me, the perfect day would be clear skies, 80 degree air and 70 degree water, a gentle NE wind, and a dozen massage therapists waiting at the finish line... Seriously, we will make arrangements for any massage therapists that want to come down to the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club and help out around 4pm or so on the 19th...<br />
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Last year was the year of the flies, hopefully we will find a better theme as we proceed through this year's crossing.<br />
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All the best,<br />
RicRichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-1710699631542879462013-06-06T18:17:00.004-07:002013-06-06T18:17:58.259-07:00I had almost forgotten...Got back in the water today for the first time in 2 months. Swam 1/2 mile - part of that was kicking. Both my shoulders are little sore, but it was so much fun to be able to do even a half mile. Yes, I did race a guy - what is up with that? I felt pretty good and didn't push it, but it is clear that I still have my speed (what little I had). Looks like we're going to go in August - we took a vote and August 19/20 seems to be the day... <br />
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More later...Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-42849107624338973772013-06-02T19:13:00.001-07:002013-06-02T19:13:12.866-07:00#6 is on the horizon...#6 is shaping up to be the most interesting swim of all. First, we have some eager new talent waiting to get into the water, which is good. Next we have a few repaired swimmers who are ready to go. And finally, my own shoulder, after several thousand miles, has apparently decided to tear (or something...). It is the old rotator cuff internal impingement, arthritic degeneration diagnoses. I think I'm just a little tired. If it wasn't for the pain, I'd be sure of it... I am in rehab, and seem to swim OK, but haven't put on a lot of mileage in the last 2 months (OK, like nearly zero...). <br />
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Besides feeling like a lump, I am also painfully aware of the lack of endorphins that kick in every time I'm in the pool chasing down swimmers on other lanes (or being chased). There is something magical about what happens to you as you bear down and decide to catch someone in the pool. First, you mentally calculate how many laps it would take to catch them, then you calculate if your body will hold out for that many laps. If the math works (although it is questionable because of the oxygen starvation that is already occurring) you crank it up and go. The problem is - what do you do when you've caught them. Do you quit? Hardly - that is unquestionably in poor taste. You need to put on a few extra laps to confirm the pace you were able to sustain. Of course, you didn't calculate that in the beginning and as you continue, various parts of your body seem to begin shutting down. And understand - there is a good chance that the people I'm racing aren't even aware we're actually racing, but whatever... At my age, it's still a race...<br />
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So, because I am missing those endorphin rushes, I feel as if I am missing a major portion of my life... I tried to take up running - only to remember why I quit in the first place. My back can't take it... Bicycling may help - did 21 miles last weekend. Any other ideas are welcome...<br />
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Oh, and it appears we have someone else taking on Lake St Clair. In early August, someone is planning to swim 22 miles dragging a rowboat filled with 2,000 lbs of bricks. This from a guy who has swum each of the great lakes, and is expecting to take 30 hours to get across Lake St Clair. Curious to see which direction he'll go, and how he expects to bisect the shipping channel. Freighters cut through those waters at 20+ knots - I'd hate to be in the channel when one of them comes through. At any rate, we wish him the best. That is a heck of an accomplishment. And way stupider than what we're doing...<br />
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We'll continue updating this site as we approach our date - which is expected to be late July. Anyone want to volunteer, or even join us in the swim? Let us know - we can use a Seadoo or two. I think we'll have 10 swimmers and 2 boats this year. And nobody has to drag any rowboats with bricks - I swear... And if Jenny, our English Channel, record setting swimmer shows up again, we'll all just try to keep as close to her as we can. Which for most of us.will only occur in the boat on the way over to Harsen's Island...<br />
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All the best - hope to see you out on the water... Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-59275888272890161162012-07-23T07:55:00.001-07:002012-07-24T11:04:35.174-07:00#5 is in the books...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvaA2fjlbDSjROomwr0h50BgVc6BzHNydPM7-Z9Ygp_SALwCqDtpniw7iU6AmS5DorSrVSktfAL9tlpDlae7TdmWx79rMMiQxdaaq7vCeBbcSPXuU1Vn3Y7_2qtdd5ERM8QGmd-VisG0/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvaA2fjlbDSjROomwr0h50BgVc6BzHNydPM7-Z9Ygp_SALwCqDtpniw7iU6AmS5DorSrVSktfAL9tlpDlae7TdmWx79rMMiQxdaaq7vCeBbcSPXuU1Vn3Y7_2qtdd5ERM8QGmd-VisG0/s200/1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfpXtRXbDZFLbbt5PY8PY36FvSb-8k8g4JuEnS9JIdn_CIf8u_1E3xq-yKVBQs007Fw4B3jyp-gyFQUqCYEYX3qClvozsrxEhQLY1vw6fLst0fCZWea9w8QTtci8lvptWcW0waK7Rglc/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfpXtRXbDZFLbbt5PY8PY36FvSb-8k8g4JuEnS9JIdn_CIf8u_1E3xq-yKVBQs007Fw4B3jyp-gyFQUqCYEYX3qClvozsrxEhQLY1vw6fLst0fCZWea9w8QTtci8lvptWcW0waK7Rglc/s200/15.jpg" width="200" /></a>So, in spite of the swarm of black flies, 102 degree temperatures and the ever present southwest winds, we managed to successfully cross the lake. The heat wasn't as bad as you might imagine, but the flies were worse. And the waves? Well, let's just say that next year the consensus seems to be that we'll swim with the waves - even though they most often move in the opposite direction of the current. According to our captain, the surface water will be moving towards the Northeast, and hopefully it will be moving faster than the current we need to overcome. We all hope he's right...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hwEgVAuu7Asd3Np0vex-Z8xR71iAGVRkGpcWp_UrvSd2-2-K0dSB6mSCaAXcv2ZiJ1kHptwJjzc4Nj76Ngwb-Pt73fUYEUfdI3AXJ2hHE1cPQBIzZdaVjJIWYru0PIr4BJd7xHQDOug/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hwEgVAuu7Asd3Np0vex-Z8xR71iAGVRkGpcWp_UrvSd2-2-K0dSB6mSCaAXcv2ZiJ1kHptwJjzc4Nj76Ngwb-Pt73fUYEUfdI3AXJ2hHE1cPQBIzZdaVjJIWYru0PIr4BJd7xHQDOug/s200/5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBKsF6UmY3_hnLe2yfCjZ3xYKaIQJHf9bPLgAQss5aptxHZbmvn49o4JhevSZVELS49gDS60X6ACYUFgAhBfi3AUWBC27bEcNeKOQjTJ6i1e3HaqdEcjEElSJ8LSeivVWZIXa1qZEKH8/s1600/60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBKsF6UmY3_hnLe2yfCjZ3xYKaIQJHf9bPLgAQss5aptxHZbmvn49o4JhevSZVELS49gDS60X6ACYUFgAhBfi3AUWBC27bEcNeKOQjTJ6i1e3HaqdEcjEElSJ8LSeivVWZIXa1qZEKH8/s200/60.jpg" width="200" /></a>This year started ominously, with calls for 102 degree temperatures and thundershowers. Luckily the rain never materialized, and we settled in to an otherwise great day. We had 2 new swimmers this year - Fares Ksebati and Sara Hughes. We lost a few of our regulars to injuries and work this year. We figured that with the exception of the rookies, we had about 2 good bodies between us, given the number of sore shoulders, bad backs, ligaments, tears, sprains, and even hernias among us. This is not for the faint of heart.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3kUHyz0FnkWbBCkcEAdx4TEACDzkv6iA_1n_v9inIs4oQToeS0E2y6YP04iU-69vuAD2CCJA47QrqSNuPsoSi9YAHM8Q5GjCgjanZQoenpTe92Fh3cH18KNretyhIHvd_MdMSW2alB0/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3kUHyz0FnkWbBCkcEAdx4TEACDzkv6iA_1n_v9inIs4oQToeS0E2y6YP04iU-69vuAD2CCJA47QrqSNuPsoSi9YAHM8Q5GjCgjanZQoenpTe92Fh3cH18KNretyhIHvd_MdMSW2alB0/s200/22.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYX99bKe4I0G7WAfu3X44wCza6LB-uDGoEntqRcix9YPuCVGvgR0ROARefS8y_kyJSFod51wIfPhBh78V1IKcD-RPDeGoB7m7tXqgB1gWzm9nClFhzbSmZtVmu3cn73pkKUqsnMQNoTJQ/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYX99bKe4I0G7WAfu3X44wCza6LB-uDGoEntqRcix9YPuCVGvgR0ROARefS8y_kyJSFod51wIfPhBh78V1IKcD-RPDeGoB7m7tXqgB1gWzm9nClFhzbSmZtVmu3cn73pkKUqsnMQNoTJQ/s200/16.jpg" width="200" /></a>Three of us started the swim, and then we traded off during the crossing. In the photo you can see the small inflatable we had this year instead of the Seadoos. It was great to have it, but the Seadoos were still my favorite. They were there instantly when you needed them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP99SogLA27Y-5hdZf-KVXeyflVg9mg3OT6Ucl93b3JKnHxwwJwGUmJqSqt7XRywQDUHGXBTXENGovlbPmmqG_b3nE7pIpYLrWGAw_h8jvErTyQ9PfcT0_GyGIY-27hdfQ9I_C9n_VWLA/s1600/80.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP99SogLA27Y-5hdZf-KVXeyflVg9mg3OT6Ucl93b3JKnHxwwJwGUmJqSqt7XRywQDUHGXBTXENGovlbPmmqG_b3nE7pIpYLrWGAw_h8jvErTyQ9PfcT0_GyGIY-27hdfQ9I_C9n_VWLA/s320/80.jpg" width="320" /></a>Though the photos don't seem to convey the power of the waves, it felt as if you were being swamped on every stroke. This year they were gentle rollers, but even if you timed it just right, it always felt like you were getting smacked every time you hit the other side. Several swimmers again attempted the breaststroke, or would swim underwater into the biggest waves, but it makes for a much longer day...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KbQxyvxbJn0KO3LhGxVFDCI_q-_7bTrzFm_8NOCBviaz9YNt-7KxxbkWnTIwcOMdzsIO7h73byvNjHji1M2VXsU3lExhZl1Pmh695TXgvxMadOJV_C-UkNOvDznJzCqA9pcGR8I_p5c/s1600/75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KbQxyvxbJn0KO3LhGxVFDCI_q-_7bTrzFm_8NOCBviaz9YNt-7KxxbkWnTIwcOMdzsIO7h73byvNjHji1M2VXsU3lExhZl1Pmh695TXgvxMadOJV_C-UkNOvDznJzCqA9pcGR8I_p5c/s200/75.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWG5xK2uFoKk37nf28rkecr-COF2ieFqmYYeLVFaUI9wYS8uOfByXT10VDBxroK6jQ7_-JLjTkjRZk0xstGxmj3TXmbFAo_P1VEEp4lftTjnDDvyAqb-e2f_OvPFNu26OZ_KCVezkjMY/s1600/337275_345429405531764_816994850_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWG5xK2uFoKk37nf28rkecr-COF2ieFqmYYeLVFaUI9wYS8uOfByXT10VDBxroK6jQ7_-JLjTkjRZk0xstGxmj3TXmbFAo_P1VEEp4lftTjnDDvyAqb-e2f_OvPFNu26OZ_KCVezkjMY/s200/337275_345429405531764_816994850_o.jpg" width="200" /></a>It was just another long, tiring, wonderful day. I swam probably 7-8 miles this year, way down from my typical mileage. Several swimmers swam more mileage, and just about everyone swam more than they expected. Once you get into a rhythm, it just sort of happens. We all swam a number of legs - getting out when the waves had battered you enough. One of our issues is the difference in speeds - Fares at one point seemed to be at about a 20 minute mile pace, which is incredibly fast. Most of the rest of us were slugging it out somewhere around a 30+ minute pace, although Sara turned out to be a very strong swimmer as well. So it was always refreshing to get in the boat and watch the faster swimmers crank it out. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxChl3sTjjxVsGEFInmf5uXqOvDzZO7V8s5tOlb8Wn9zUvXALMGVG0kZagHqVGONX7phzLImIUlcOgQCiZoRmdQG3Wk5T6ZKeVRZdq0VHWUALHPC3-OJryP1RcTHkj1_2gFjrvwniM9Ig/s1600/487223_345431638864874_408479900_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxChl3sTjjxVsGEFInmf5uXqOvDzZO7V8s5tOlb8Wn9zUvXALMGVG0kZagHqVGONX7phzLImIUlcOgQCiZoRmdQG3Wk5T6ZKeVRZdq0VHWUALHPC3-OJryP1RcTHkj1_2gFjrvwniM9Ig/s200/487223_345431638864874_408479900_n.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7SLsvzZY3pzhP4Y_8ew1B-ClBQHDpgE-5KUI8CyPOstOw7Pwr4diyF-jEBZSLpw-raXlPtPlY-Jqj60gNYNQ9st0p5y_cWwmJYeu9gZhFSchED-zDe9BqUbMeKk4mLvTCDrIzE4PYgU/s1600/243655_345430438864994_766655383_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7SLsvzZY3pzhP4Y_8ew1B-ClBQHDpgE-5KUI8CyPOstOw7Pwr4diyF-jEBZSLpw-raXlPtPlY-Jqj60gNYNQ9st0p5y_cWwmJYeu9gZhFSchED-zDe9BqUbMeKk4mLvTCDrIzE4PYgU/s200/243655_345430438864994_766655383_o.jpg" width="200" /></a>In general, swimmers are in great shape, and it shows. The picture shows one of our swimmers entering the water in perfect form... Rickie had a blast and was able to get in and swim with us for a couple of short stretches. His health is great, but it requires a lot of attention on our part, and diligence on his. He still does his vest twice a day and takes a variety of medications. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4xJgNaCMAmn4pmF9-bWXU_O2lgxBErzGp4m9cVfQb7u-SkaXHSGKXakfM9g2-bP1itDsd7q1oiHSos7VKjC8ACVH0ydP3vBeP21DbJkfw3JKzS8enhSIa4InpmY5d3th5-CqOBRvOjw/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4xJgNaCMAmn4pmF9-bWXU_O2lgxBErzGp4m9cVfQb7u-SkaXHSGKXakfM9g2-bP1itDsd7q1oiHSos7VKjC8ACVH0ydP3vBeP21DbJkfw3JKzS8enhSIa4InpmY5d3th5-CqOBRvOjw/s200/4.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveQfrRcReiuqxLTFqRodUvY31jm3OVYfR51dSwXbKWop3UfUdcZRjkZ1ECa0XekBM-EpaFOIYlp4kv_b1qBnDnBjRXrgfm_9VwEKVTTdhH6Nnb0XHHy9bLtzrxJQ1C99I7hxqDCuSot4/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveQfrRcReiuqxLTFqRodUvY31jm3OVYfR51dSwXbKWop3UfUdcZRjkZ1ECa0XekBM-EpaFOIYlp4kv_b1qBnDnBjRXrgfm_9VwEKVTTdhH6Nnb0XHHy9bLtzrxJQ1C99I7hxqDCuSot4/s200/20.jpg" width="200" /></a>The beauty is that because of the continuing work by the Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation, his health and his numbers are staying in a great
place. I often wonder how it must feel to be in his shoes. He takes it
all in and nothing seems to slow him down. He attacks life with a
vengeance - which is part of the reason he will always be one of my
greatest heroes. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnr4bKM82U4ekUm6uP8cyVU__x6YtHAogoOJa_qNZa3XLI31Y-zqoLdoxxZ80UPssDy1Aej5cVF7ivZFPuedK73xzlesEKajR6xi2x7dPf_pOqpldOSjHE3bvbVvX0hg4_2KLv5YwltM/s1600/151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnr4bKM82U4ekUm6uP8cyVU__x6YtHAogoOJa_qNZa3XLI31Y-zqoLdoxxZ80UPssDy1Aej5cVF7ivZFPuedK73xzlesEKajR6xi2x7dPf_pOqpldOSjHE3bvbVvX0hg4_2KLv5YwltM/s640/151.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THE 2012 SWIMMERS</td></tr>
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Thanks again for all your support. It means everything to us.Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-67179768921477426542012-07-05T12:37:00.003-07:002012-07-06T09:40:56.524-07:00Two Weeks Out...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqr04jLvCx77iq2NAJmVRnUi1gBOaVJTuDf60MCotGsyyHXwCJLah5enjLsqkmJu9MVrQ5hfnhcDeQdugwvmClcODmTw96ohK1Iia4VyRSbFAJK1lET4b5nh5kmPXsIH6roPLV3K2dmMk/s1600/DSC_0464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqr04jLvCx77iq2NAJmVRnUi1gBOaVJTuDf60MCotGsyyHXwCJLah5enjLsqkmJu9MVrQ5hfnhcDeQdugwvmClcODmTw96ohK1Iia4VyRSbFAJK1lET4b5nh5kmPXsIH6roPLV3K2dmMk/s200/DSC_0464.jpg" width="200" /></a>This time will be a little tougher...<br />
Turns out we don't have the Seadoos we expected. They are on a motorcycle trip to Montana during the swim. We have arranged for a second boat, but not having those Seadoos around will make it a little more uncomfortable. Here we are before the start - laying out our strategy - or just telling jokes... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL44hyphenhyphenXqySpujOClzWmUpSFTLtacEhNClm70CI-SMCSzkF2AMMzD1vFOP-Kh8GZrPFoQs4OVR45Lfeqobku30F86VcS6u3zmkLGYAKE-691NSZHTzmcG0LVR6EjnwQUTsqbNZ489JWY_Y/s1600/DSC_0592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL44hyphenhyphenXqySpujOClzWmUpSFTLtacEhNClm70CI-SMCSzkF2AMMzD1vFOP-Kh8GZrPFoQs4OVR45Lfeqobku30F86VcS6u3zmkLGYAKE-691NSZHTzmcG0LVR6EjnwQUTsqbNZ489JWY_Y/s200/DSC_0592.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Last year was a very good run. We did have trouble at the outset, with 10-15 knot winds directly in our faces. Swimming 14 miles on calm water is enough of a challenge - but swimming into whitecaps is too much.So we made the decision to head due west and pick it up closer to shore, hoping to get protection from the wind. We all climbed back in the boats and motored west. Our new course proved to be about 2 miles shorter, or 12.2 miles.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg1gcupFzs086nz-wvHY2pqbfHInofO-MkrWH_nguXhmbvu4bmLrz0dQxeraJYh2PQ4Tzf3axfvXqKA7YhYoGvFZx50G2YYj9pLK79AkvgFDmEY-zjk6Kwsu_auvWfKRr1jyvlDdhPWc/s1600/DSC_0610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg1gcupFzs086nz-wvHY2pqbfHInofO-MkrWH_nguXhmbvu4bmLrz0dQxeraJYh2PQ4Tzf3axfvXqKA7YhYoGvFZx50G2YYj9pLK79AkvgFDmEY-zjk6Kwsu_auvWfKRr1jyvlDdhPWc/s200/DSC_0610.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
So we climbed back out and started our swim in earnest. As you can see from the photo below, our time (Jenni's time) was astounding for the conditions. Just over 12 miles in just over 6 hours is not rocket fast, but into the wind and waves we faced was very impressive. Jenni was the only one to make it the entire 12 miles. The rest of us all clocked at least 6 miles, with Blake Kenny and I both logging 10+ miles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-o-t4cQ-4rmJ0Hi7w7huEsUjdDbfRJ0uO-k_E2sy52qlMtQN7KOAnWxRPKXy6JhWigOOiTUhYg_Vepz3GH3zJOjiDW9Pe5d3d5LW2jP7HgMDpw-_JFPz536oddPqut9jslBmMFyXiGBk/s1600/DSC_0598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-o-t4cQ-4rmJ0Hi7w7huEsUjdDbfRJ0uO-k_E2sy52qlMtQN7KOAnWxRPKXy6JhWigOOiTUhYg_Vepz3GH3zJOjiDW9Pe5d3d5LW2jP7HgMDpw-_JFPz536oddPqut9jslBmMFyXiGBk/s200/DSC_0598.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenni - nearing the finish</td></tr>
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Jenni is a machine. In fact, after the first two miles, I was still feeling pretty good. Even though I couldn't see any other swimmers, I felt my speed was excellent. That is, until the Seadoo came by and picked me up - they had to get me back up to the front - Jenni was 1/2 mile ahead of me. Humbling experience...<br />
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So, here's how it works...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixADkgOo0k_X9UCoeJg-o4qyoNKdU1YtWbjdvohsESxlWDUWCxocfdSWnUwR_Hq_iuPA4i8NZnNN3ZyDIr-p2zu6dUd5zw043eJwW-Peuuk9Zp8v9yY0RWa9CTpcQBp3uCXEKzxgK2XkM/s1600/DSC_0468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixADkgOo0k_X9UCoeJg-o4qyoNKdU1YtWbjdvohsESxlWDUWCxocfdSWnUwR_Hq_iuPA4i8NZnNN3ZyDIr-p2zu6dUd5zw043eJwW-Peuuk9Zp8v9yY0RWa9CTpcQBp3uCXEKzxgK2XkM/s200/DSC_0468.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
We start at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club at about 7:20am. We motor to Harsen's Island (just south of it, off the west tip of Gull Island) and then about half of us get in the water. The first half mile is exhilarating. We usually stop at the two South Channel lighthouses, which were markers for the original channel through to Lake Huron, which was located to the west of Harsen's Island. You can see them both in this picture. But sometime in the 1800's (two centuries ago?), a new channel was dredged out on the east side of Harsen's Island which carries all the freighter traffic now. The two lighthouses have been ravaged by the wind and water, but have been rebuilt and saved as historical sites. They are certainly worth motoring out to see.<br />
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From the lighthouses, we head southsouthwest, aiming at the nine mile tower just off Jefferson Avenue. It is an apartment tower, but for us it is a beacon. We look at that structure for almost 5 hours. You can swim 2-3 hours directly at it and it looks exactly the same size. It is aggravating, but very helpful to us as swimmers. Normally you can't really see anything because of the waves, but if you lift your head way up, you can catch a glimpse. It is nice to know that if you ever lost the boat, you'd have a marker to follow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4sbR9sK9bj0Nel8fJZoNaxBHw9Sd-znoKLPWrJBFyOlsZcWGoyghv2a9i5u63ZWDhO-ZGvDb418GtncY66oRauZ_PehWHFdHLoDtlhRdGkW7pmKy2ES_3FyB9JdKkH0x2pXfA8amEc4/s1600/DSC_0621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4sbR9sK9bj0Nel8fJZoNaxBHw9Sd-znoKLPWrJBFyOlsZcWGoyghv2a9i5u63ZWDhO-ZGvDb418GtncY66oRauZ_PehWHFdHLoDtlhRdGkW7pmKy2ES_3FyB9JdKkH0x2pXfA8amEc4/s200/DSC_0621.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrIK7GJNbUmGqY0vlOoNAikmUB7qvN8y_upQUL5YULkbj9Ze7Ba4dFB7OOvdLifBDn9LsGd9T6EobxcyBfCI6s0-Ey6-qX9iU8cL3lstFcjfW7-skLQNFSOwmaESyFm4t25DQ1ky3OO0/s1600/DSC_0557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrIK7GJNbUmGqY0vlOoNAikmUB7qvN8y_upQUL5YULkbj9Ze7Ba4dFB7OOvdLifBDn9LsGd9T6EobxcyBfCI6s0-Ey6-qX9iU8cL3lstFcjfW7-skLQNFSOwmaESyFm4t25DQ1ky3OO0/s200/DSC_0557.jpg" width="200" /></a>Every 30 minutes or so, someone will signal that they want to come in. And if you're tired, you take a break. We swap swimmers back and forth all the time. If you're not tired, or if you're just trying to gut it out for a while longer, you stay in the water and wait for the next call. The Seadoos were great because if you ever got really tired, you could raise your hand and one of them would come out and pick you up. They were awesome, and a real confidence builder for a lot of folks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-qogU4lTSwO5BxHCZjGpJ75AaahaXbyT8V_Es8QS2iEy6oyo70c1ZpIcDolzJRXqOZqak5f89CRx0JVkwGirfM5fo_uXhkSMfjNkf_WkcNsRC5Vfm_mecB6lEih1CmLgTvROb4ip_fg/s1600/DSC_0503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-qogU4lTSwO5BxHCZjGpJ75AaahaXbyT8V_Es8QS2iEy6oyo70c1ZpIcDolzJRXqOZqak5f89CRx0JVkwGirfM5fo_uXhkSMfjNkf_WkcNsRC5Vfm_mecB6lEih1CmLgTvROb4ip_fg/s200/DSC_0503.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi124R1A7D1lIJ3qOSD7Dfd1qQMOK35Mkgr83f0K3uZDFqxFPiYmRl50nvs8MlxQGs1hSVHxaAuZU9DcelsHBh7Zlw7sma_F1MMYwun4xcJYNoyokgXo7nTRakfmuBeGLeAM0TnfrUvUYE/s1600/DSC_0588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi124R1A7D1lIJ3qOSD7Dfd1qQMOK35Mkgr83f0K3uZDFqxFPiYmRl50nvs8MlxQGs1hSVHxaAuZU9DcelsHBh7Zlw7sma_F1MMYwun4xcJYNoyokgXo7nTRakfmuBeGLeAM0TnfrUvUYE/s200/DSC_0588.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiDx68RbaahdcVoJbmhyphenhyphenBZ69e7DtOcIEfS1_GIrWGa9diGFWbbdHzNm1dbd729dmbJT9SpGXW2qLqMrlrHp9Za4VE8v4t3i328X5D3mWJa34ypv07Djx2PqA6uuWPpS-08iPg-9rK5zM/s1600/DSC_0589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiDx68RbaahdcVoJbmhyphenhyphenBZ69e7DtOcIEfS1_GIrWGa9diGFWbbdHzNm1dbd729dmbJT9SpGXW2qLqMrlrHp9Za4VE8v4t3i328X5D3mWJa34ypv07Djx2PqA6uuWPpS-08iPg-9rK5zM/s200/DSC_0589.jpg" width="200" /></a>That's pretty much the way it is the whole day. You swim until you're tired, then get out and get a drink or an energy bar or fruit, etc. And while you're out in the boat, depending on the wind, you battle flies. If the wind is coming on our nose at 10 knots - it is horrible for the swimmers but great for the people on the boat because the flies are very manageable. But if the wind is coming from our backs at just a couple of knots, which would be perfect for the swimmers, it is brutal for the people on board. The flies can get aggressive and obnoxious. And if the wind is just right, they are everywhere...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Dvq5glsPj9vRZ3w5VN1wdCVrAuA4bwmZbP0YgwZhwHsMwkakmli5oK328bzpFEXakhRXKuahl7NaQzAPxesbIrqPWidR7kv0_SIIgqCG3rkjmHdJuXSO9H_lL-yYxAHuAIEy0-dHSKg/s1600/DSC_0479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Dvq5glsPj9vRZ3w5VN1wdCVrAuA4bwmZbP0YgwZhwHsMwkakmli5oK328bzpFEXakhRXKuahl7NaQzAPxesbIrqPWidR7kv0_SIIgqCG3rkjmHdJuXSO9H_lL-yYxAHuAIEy0-dHSKg/s200/DSC_0479.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
But there is something about being on the water all day that is invigorating. It's the water and the wind, and the camaraderie of being around people who are all volunteering for something. There are no egos, no problems, no issues that last longer than about 30 seconds. What people who haven't yet spent a lot of time on boats don't realize is that the captain is the supreme being on board. What he says goes. At least in theory.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdA6VVf3UsdCuAsv6oZOIGGScbEJJtByG883hveI46s-tNsO7qVYU9CXLo9_VqpjKD6gdvuMF57KUihXsZTwMnGSYg8QfAXGJ03Z-6Ifgbv1zeB3CZehtRtfM4kwJNoqtMMt3qDKBCwk/s1600/DSC_0423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdA6VVf3UsdCuAsv6oZOIGGScbEJJtByG883hveI46s-tNsO7qVYU9CXLo9_VqpjKD6gdvuMF57KUihXsZTwMnGSYg8QfAXGJ03Z-6Ifgbv1zeB3CZehtRtfM4kwJNoqtMMt3qDKBCwk/s200/DSC_0423.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwl8fT6FlsmC3Qoq8NTP31JESA-u77ODYqaBaODOkmIJymV_cxnQf2h1QQ3Nx7cnbhmHFaC3AUVMfnS9y9oNzQjTGVTTVkBy01i06fNHljv5xuA3McFqiUSIfShvjRUNDtYNUNHkHiuz8/s1600/DSC_0504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwl8fT6FlsmC3Qoq8NTP31JESA-u77ODYqaBaODOkmIJymV_cxnQf2h1QQ3Nx7cnbhmHFaC3AUVMfnS9y9oNzQjTGVTTVkBy01i06fNHljv5xuA3McFqiUSIfShvjRUNDtYNUNHkHiuz8/s200/DSC_0504.jpg" width="200" /></a>But with our captain and crew, it is an awesome day. We get tired, we get cranky, we swim until it feels like your arms are going to fall off, we run into patches of water that are just frigid, we swim through seaweed, we get bit by flies, we run out of water and fruit... And we have a blast. It is hard to explain, but I wouldn't miss being with these people every year. It has become like a marker in my life. No matter how everything else changes and no matter how crazy everything seems to get, we always swim across the lake. This is our fifth year, and I think a pivotal one. We only really talked about 5 years of this. We'll let you know how we feel after we finish this one...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKd1THI_cKTBJC5N9q4nZNew4GxP14d_Z0JPRNEXlmk5HhpfEKD3F2LPCJPJAcKMNocYMgXJMqH2m40qZLLxU-WBGOdf6lVQfSTD5uCM8EoK9dGxDf7pv5pSJviUqTOpnLEpe_OAVoqvk/s1600/DSC_0624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKd1THI_cKTBJC5N9q4nZNew4GxP14d_Z0JPRNEXlmk5HhpfEKD3F2LPCJPJAcKMNocYMgXJMqH2m40qZLLxU-WBGOdf6lVQfSTD5uCM8EoK9dGxDf7pv5pSJviUqTOpnLEpe_OAVoqvk/s200/DSC_0624.jpg" width="200" /></a>But before I close, I'd like to mention a couple of other things. First, Mike Stevens has stepped up every year for 5 years with a wonderful boat that comes stocked with water, drinks, food, etc. He does this year after year and then on top of that we give him grief the whole day.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-Uq8v-IF38k4LuYwQY1w1O2JyPXydiLOdFU1svSjyBsY5qG9nhIbAht9TUcp6snnCoWCyHw0CcOvmOeoSGymjYONV7P4cKhmG5S4v94F7_bL6dpdNn7AIxoUdhxv8Nn8Lbd9OAq3BDY/s1600/DSC_0421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-Uq8v-IF38k4LuYwQY1w1O2JyPXydiLOdFU1svSjyBsY5qG9nhIbAht9TUcp6snnCoWCyHw0CcOvmOeoSGymjYONV7P4cKhmG5S4v94F7_bL6dpdNn7AIxoUdhxv8Nn8Lbd9OAq3BDY/s200/DSC_0421.JPG" width="200" /></a>His company, Corporate Fleet Services, has been our lead sponsor ever since the races inception, and we thank him for that. And this year, we've picked up a second sponsor, so thanks to the SwimSpray folks for helping out as well. And on behalf of the whole team, we'd like to thank you for your support.Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-45253527854812259392012-06-19T19:49:00.001-07:002012-06-19T19:51:17.872-07:00<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">5th Annual
SwimmingStClair Fundraiser</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">To those of
you who have been following us and have been active fundraising participants,
“We Salute You”. Without you this doesn’t work - we appreciate your
continued support. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">On Tuesday,
July 17<sup>th</sup>, <span style="color: #1f497d;">2012, </span>a small group of
adventurers who clearly exhibit more persistence than brains will again attempt
to swim the length of Lake St Clair, beginning just south of the Old Club on
Harsen’s Island, and ending at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. Normally I
would say, “if the weather cooperates”, but our last 4 swims have each brought
unique weather-related challenges, so I won’t bother. However, I will say
that if the wind once again comes out of the southwest, it will make for
another challenging year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Our chase
boat will again be donated and captained by Mike Stevens, who will also be one
of the swimmers, though this year Mr. Blake Kenny may also be “with
boat”… They, along with the 4 crazed Seadoo pilots, will stay with us as
we make our way on what was last year a weather-shortened 12.5 mile, 7 hour
swim. Our hope is to make it the entire 14.2 miles again this year. We are hoping to avoid the driving rain, lightning and hail that
characterized 2009’s swim, and the relentless winds coming out of southwest
that pounded us in 2010 and 2011. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The purpose
of our effort is to bring more attention to those afflicted with cystic
fibrosis and to raise funds for Rickie’s Medical Trust Fund. Rickie, who
is just about to turn 11, was diagnosed with cf on October 12<sup>th</sup>,
2007. Cf is a hereditary disease that attacks the lungs and the
pancreas. It eventually blocks air flow in the lungs, and can also block
the ability of the body to pull necessary nutrients from food. The good news is
that the national cf foundation is making tremendous progress in developing
medicines – the average lifespan of cf patients is now nearly 40 years, up from
about 17 years less than 25 years ago. The bad news is that it is still a
deadly disease. The lesson is that we all have to be our own patient
advocates – it helps good doctors make better decisions. Please click on</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <a href="http://www.swimmingstclair.com/" title="http://www.swimmingstclair.com/"><span style="color: windowtext;">www.swimmingstclair.com</span></a> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">to learn more. If you can donate
to Rickie’s Medical Fund, it would be appreciated. If you are interested
in learning more about the disease, or in donating to the Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation, please click on</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <a href="http://www.cff.org/" title="http://www.cff.org/"><span style="color: windowtext;">www.cff.org</span></a>. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There is a way to donate money on
behalf of the Metro Detroit Chapter in Rickie’s name if you’d like to do that
as well. Either way, thanks again for your support and interest,
especially in today’s economy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">2011 was a big year for one of swimmers – Jenny Bermelin, who took on the
English Channel three weeks after she swam with us, and became the first
Michigan woman and the fastest American woman in 2011 to successfully cross the
channel. We are very proud of her, and wish her the best – she is unable
to make our swim this year because she is due to give birth in less than two
months. Actually, she is still considering swimming with us anyway.
This is why we call her “La Machine”. Please click on <a href="http://www.jennybirmelin.com/"><span style="color: windowtext;">www.jennybirmelin.com</span></a>
to read about her incredible exploits. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Please pass
this on if you know someone who might be interested. And if you come across someone else who has cf – please ask them to contact us. We’d like
to get them hooked into the fabulous assistance network provided by the
National CF Organization, a model for charitable organizations
nationwide. They can help, through medical research, through financial
advising and through working together, but individuals need to contact
them. </span></div>Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-11244884906153926942011-07-10T10:54:00.000-07:002011-07-10T12:08:52.047-07:00The Route<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbG-fk2Cu0bwsFGffmOamajkRhg2OniZ94ND1qodngcVFULx21hqSY3bjeNs2dXTjE2-ul1AfCPC_zRvI8XYBKBBom2zDMmKFzDN9aNyjURx-TXfKCqbEN5AEtUeP078RcRoBit1NMRE/s1600/Lake+St+Clair+Summary+map+2011.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbG-fk2Cu0bwsFGffmOamajkRhg2OniZ94ND1qodngcVFULx21hqSY3bjeNs2dXTjE2-ul1AfCPC_zRvI8XYBKBBom2zDMmKFzDN9aNyjURx-TXfKCqbEN5AEtUeP078RcRoBit1NMRE/s400/Lake+St+Clair+Summary+map+2011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627790444970456882" border="0" /></a>We are getting much closer. The swim has been pegged for July 26th, just over two weeks away. We'll leave Grosse Pointe Yacht Club (the light blue star on the bottom left) at 7:00am and head for Harsen's Island ( the red star). We should arrive there before 7:30 and start our swim before 8:00am. The two small yellow stars are our first goals - the South Channel Lights, built in the 1800's and recently updated. Our intended path<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUDacaW6S0q_RGuuVNiyoCLFiicRAx7AsCrQhYySk37iNjuLKjA_Um5FCZPB2OzqRgfIM6sGksumMfOO6nHcGPiBTaUaMNu7okeDUFWyP_FKHz0qAWaYvGsiq4Ydzlq5ouXzUQPbtPZQ/s1600/2008_08_12+092+%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUDacaW6S0q_RGuuVNiyoCLFiicRAx7AsCrQhYySk37iNjuLKjA_Um5FCZPB2OzqRgfIM6sGksumMfOO6nHcGPiBTaUaMNu7okeDUFWyP_FKHz0qAWaYvGsiq4Ydzlq5ouXzUQPbtPZQ/s200/2008_08_12+092+%25282%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627796617496620338" border="0" /></a> is the heavy dotted line. The other lighter dotted line is the shipping channel - we need to ensure we do not cross this. Freighters can cruise at close to 30 knots, and they can't slow down or stop in time even if they could see us. The lighter lines represent the water currents in the lake. The solid line is the international border.<br />Rickie is going with us for the first time. He is nine - he won't be swimming, but he has agreed to be the first mate - and help out during the trip. He will also take his Game boy; 8 hours is a long time to be in a boat traveling at about 2 knots.<br /><br />If we end up with two boats, we could take as many as 15 swimmers, plus the support personnel we use. We'll take some food, but mostly energy drinks, bars and suppl<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIuXNdXvP0tnAMmCpKsCsXTVifC-D_eXjEiRepDCnXnulRmZMMRiZ94xYNRqi66qhV_8HFa9tLadk1WAFVSM0Uw3yduHjjZxfwdctxnOd9-3IQ_HeJ_me8KsQ_BWGNMykSBTArK6BfCc/s1600/2010_08_17+043+%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 101px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIuXNdXvP0tnAMmCpKsCsXTVifC-D_eXjEiRepDCnXnulRmZMMRiZ94xYNRqi66qhV_8HFa9tLadk1WAFVSM0Uw3yduHjjZxfwdctxnOd9-3IQ_HeJ_me8KsQ_BWGNMykSBTArK6BfCc/s200/2010_08_17+043+%25282%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627801049118248770" border="0" /></a>ements. Nobody eats big meals on board, except our two lifeguards last year - who were eating everything in sight. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vTzX1g38vbMxDN0zkErpPyaz_TI-Bxn1KgycMkh3-F_uCV76zQA5GmjUj8jXkYNKvlm6GV4jI7ruRyGR45t6EG-WlyYt3p_-yMszKmyRtbzHTDK5uhVqtNPjUX0C6LY-oW3FOJHt2Xs/s1600/dsc_0348+%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vTzX1g38vbMxDN0zkErpPyaz_TI-Bxn1KgycMkh3-F_uCV76zQA5GmjUj8jXkYNKvlm6GV4jI7ruRyGR45t6EG-WlyYt3p_-yMszKmyRtbzHTDK5uhVqtNPjUX0C6LY-oW3FOJHt2Xs/s200/dsc_0348+%25282%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627801803387816498" border="0" /></a><br />Most of us wear triathalon type suits, but several of us just wear swimming trunks. Water temp runs from 65 to 72, and though this is much cooler than a typical swimming pool (80 degrees) it actually isn't too bad.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaKY5sMTIPqnqu08MA6MsEhNyAsrMD_l4yA9xaDdRX8B-HpWvGesbi1pRAZsbiGLTJCtFKVjglB7oA9NIGexMkF4IiT9wEc4EWiP72Nh8-Wgw82UcHC2kXmKtCsis3xKrKhhG1Yv2tuk/s1600/2010_08_17+039+%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaKY5sMTIPqnqu08MA6MsEhNyAsrMD_l4yA9xaDdRX8B-HpWvGesbi1pRAZsbiGLTJCtFKVjglB7oA9NIGexMkF4IiT9wEc4EWiP72Nh8-Wgw82UcHC2kXmKtCsis3xKrKhhG1Yv2tuk/s200/2010_08_17+039+%25282%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627802590828917618" border="0" /></a>One of our swimmers, Jenny Bernelin, is using this as a tuneup to her English Channel swim later in the summer. We refer to Jenny as "La Machine" for her persistence and swimming prowess - she is the standard we all try to emulate. I will highlight the other swimmers in the entries to come. Please check back soon.Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-28370674659191261062011-06-18T10:05:00.000-07:002011-06-18T10:19:53.566-07:00Gearing up...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jxJuEw_VFV3EPmBnGnZADAtahZ0Big2jnGMg-S-TC9Pnw9hFMyTAnRRi8HxmXgQM-ao17uPWDsTczkRCqZ_Ll1qIoDH0cIHGQ1_h1XgRr7_86xj9T0hbfE3hT2s4fhZ2oQtA4MIsEKc/s1600/20100812-fl-bm_me-lake_swim05.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jxJuEw_VFV3EPmBnGnZADAtahZ0Big2jnGMg-S-TC9Pnw9hFMyTAnRRi8HxmXgQM-ao17uPWDsTczkRCqZ_Ll1qIoDH0cIHGQ1_h1XgRr7_86xj9T0hbfE3hT2s4fhZ2oQtA4MIsEKc/s320/20100812-fl-bm_me-lake_swim05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619610461860742194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Well - we're gearing up once again. This has been a trying year - a lot has happened. Clearly the economic situation has gotten to huge number of people. But during the week of the 25th of July, we will again attempt to brave the 14 miles of water between Harsen's Island and the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. Last year we had 13 swimmers, a wonderful boat (Thanks to Captain Mike Stevens) and a 3 man Skidoo that proved to be a life-saver. And we also had 10-15 knot winds on our nose the entire time. The resulting 1-3 foot waves were a nightmare - but we made it, finishing in 8 hours and 40 minutes. And, we learned how far it was for the first time, thanks to Jenny Bermelin ("La Machine") who carried a Garmin GPS . Jenny, by the way is hoping to join us again this year as a tuneup for her English Channel swim attempt later this summer.<br />We are praying for Northeast winds - or something close - I don't think we can make it through SW winds another year. If you are interested in helping out - or swimming - or donating - please check back here in the coming days/weeks to get an update.Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-25610075771947176772010-08-18T20:10:00.000-07:002010-08-18T20:20:16.014-07:00The numbers, please...OK. One of our swimmers, Jenny Birmelin, carried a Garmin GPS device while she swam. The resulting maps and stats are fascinating. The most interesting thing to me are the elevation numbers, which claim she climbed and than fell by about 38 feet during the swim. Where do they get the ability to look at elevation in the middle of a 14 mile swim? How can they be this accurate? I believe the 38 feet is a rounding error, but the numbers are still incredibly impressive. What the Garmin device doesn't portray, however, is the pounding she (and all of us) took while making this swim.<br /><br />I swam a mile today - probably a 29 minute mile, which is moderate for me. My shoulder is still very sore, but I can find a stroke where it doesn't seem to bother me. I keep telling myself that means it is the correct stroke. And swimming in the pool is absolutely cake compared to the lake. The comparison to yesterday is astounding. <br /><br />And I watched the wind sock on the lake change around a bit, but get as far over as eastnortheast, which would have made our lives much more enjoyable yesterday, and would have taken at least an hour off our time. See "http://connect.garmin.com/activity/45052156" for the detail stats.Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-49991951970934380532010-08-18T08:05:00.000-07:002012-06-19T19:55:06.450-07:00Into the wind...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6v8f0-TCuc8zce6fgm5oRdwz6zWfyvSiLY-QSFLsCRwG7lFKfimu75G7ag1c1GHcgh0wVih_jcpp69CVG6yqc592the8vlSZzGUDoWUqFXEwEmIGddV1yICTJnWJ_g4JXGox2FfXZ1mk/s1600/2010_08_17+001+%282%29.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506780516296601474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6v8f0-TCuc8zce6fgm5oRdwz6zWfyvSiLY-QSFLsCRwG7lFKfimu75G7ag1c1GHcgh0wVih_jcpp69CVG6yqc592the8vlSZzGUDoWUqFXEwEmIGddV1yICTJnWJ_g4JXGox2FfXZ1mk/s200/2010_08_17+001+%282%29.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 117px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 155px;" /></a>We started at 8:45am and finished 14.21 miles and 8 hours and 40 minutes and about 125 energy bars and drinks later just off the seawall at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVcTsJ2NckmecbHwxt0me02tW6h5AWs6j6TiU9Iiwe_L15qKNOcTzhBZ-JRlown3EVBOEdfcqWAhYoBAhh14KNGTtrJvKbyLPlA6wO_WTsMagFef2ZLipo4xFnUVfWhl40qf5MuZqsG4/s1600/2010_08_17+006+%282%29.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506779002427378706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVcTsJ2NckmecbHwxt0me02tW6h5AWs6j6TiU9Iiwe_L15qKNOcTzhBZ-JRlown3EVBOEdfcqWAhYoBAhh14KNGTtrJvKbyLPlA6wO_WTsMagFef2ZLipo4xFnUVfWhl40qf5MuZqsG4/s200/2010_08_17+006+%282%29.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>Mike Stevens brought a SeaRay40 - a gorgeous boat that was more than capable of handling the 13 swimmers we took on. We expected 11, but Derek showed up at the dock with 2 lifeguards who both resembled Michael Phelps - so we took 'em with us.<br />
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In addition, we picked up Bill Baedke and his 3 person Seadoo, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OEGy0Jxr6YFdKgRlGbd8Mt-0-Zy8WsA_gJv_FDI_tGeYKV8R7IbfBtVm2MoCL2yjoju4dW_yDtN44cLGRzV2x1VCC6MYQmseRI6DoEPpglJyYHg6ZmpanrghKIQlh3i3y4yfvjxfqe8/s1600/2010_08_17+038+%282%29.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506778526660097586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OEGy0Jxr6YFdKgRlGbd8Mt-0-Zy8WsA_gJv_FDI_tGeYKV8R7IbfBtVm2MoCL2yjoju4dW_yDtN44cLGRzV2x1VCC6MYQmseRI6DoEPpglJyYHg6ZmpanrghKIQlh3i3y4yfvjxfqe8/s200/2010_08_17+038+%282%29.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 141px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 184px;" /></a>which proved invaluable for the effort. Bill was able to corral all the swimmers who would get separated from the pack, which ended up being me quite often. Though I can swim a long way, it appears I can't swim straight very far and Bill helped to keep me on track.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSkudgSdzP7J8X5Mhw2WPa8CfXTvzJ-Bcm7s16TNdXg7RN9k1C9c9wGCFn_o5CC9nV3ZzoQ3yVYicCM5j5iJXS0SHNv6wft1wRnUo6kYNv7i-eH-mLPf1BcCIJjCz5rDOSMk5H-bjFd4/s1600/2010_08_17+020+%282%29.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506780946026751250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSkudgSdzP7J8X5Mhw2WPa8CfXTvzJ-Bcm7s16TNdXg7RN9k1C9c9wGCFn_o5CC9nV3ZzoQ3yVYicCM5j5iJXS0SHNv6wft1wRnUo6kYNv7i-eH-mLPf1BcCIJjCz5rDOSMk5H-bjFd4/s200/2010_08_17+020+%282%29.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 141px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 183px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8sU2Co1jt6I08F5eR-YRMXGu6whf2Al4t8T-JZ6GU19I8KyqiQvbuvmnieviwhlEwMRY0GvkSLpAizJTBtMxjLUxjffgNNU9yKiMLcN-5HLp4bqGEVnGPAIuTeNnKg40TtTcozoIcjNQ/s1600/2010_08_17+027+%282%29.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506781431490567906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8sU2Co1jt6I08F5eR-YRMXGu6whf2Al4t8T-JZ6GU19I8KyqiQvbuvmnieviwhlEwMRY0GvkSLpAizJTBtMxjLUxjffgNNU9yKiMLcN-5HLp4bqGEVnGPAIuTeNnKg40TtTcozoIcjNQ/s200/2010_08_17+027+%282%29.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 138px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 183px;" /></a>The weather looked great - it was warm, the skies were clear and there was no sign of rain. The boat trip over was uneventful, but gave us a great opportunity to take photos, plot strategy, eat, etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5a8WGygK3d2bwdPbmiQfditF2KpxvNIjgqV2f9EFU4aMgm_f9lB0jHxG4a55QkYrNGmJ6kag0Gg-dB7SkS0Q6vfhICR_O4IWEeKxoVlTO90u7kQFPpEKknDreQnVExoN-ALCkwHSeMHg/s1600/2010_08_17+043+%282%29.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506781943226280482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5a8WGygK3d2bwdPbmiQfditF2KpxvNIjgqV2f9EFU4aMgm_f9lB0jHxG4a55QkYrNGmJ6kag0Gg-dB7SkS0Q6vfhICR_O4IWEeKxoVlTO90u7kQFPpEKknDreQnVExoN-ALCkwHSeMHg/s200/2010_08_17+043+%282%29.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 101px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a>Unfortunately, once we arrived at Gull Island, there was a steady 10-15 knot wind out of the southwest. Once we got out into the lake, the resulting 1-3 foot waves came directly at us and gave you the sensation of climbing up a 14 mile hill using only your arms. Whenever you would breathe, you'd come back down on the next stroke and slap the water - sometimes so hard your ears would ring. This happened to each swimmer on about every other stroke. Our ears are still ringing - its like getting slapped on the side of the head 10,000 times.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqE-5DraIWRR8Js57052-trkZdvlE-l6sw1aDr_lRTI-M-OhGvCmiSW-xL2qdNZL3gQ5dTjHpiptlL0wRJHJ-WwdCFHABkvJLm10K59dlS2a-Fk5Utq8NXiJryZzAF1B3mqcEQdDB2ZA/s1600/2010_08_17+059+%282%29.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506779880351754546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqE-5DraIWRR8Js57052-trkZdvlE-l6sw1aDr_lRTI-M-OhGvCmiSW-xL2qdNZL3gQ5dTjHpiptlL0wRJHJ-WwdCFHABkvJLm10K59dlS2a-Fk5Utq8NXiJryZzAF1B3mqcEQdDB2ZA/s200/2010_08_17+059+%282%29.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 138px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>10 of us started the swim together, and after the first couple of miles we developed a pattern of about 6 people in the water at once. Again this year, almost every swimmer swam further than they had committed. The waves got bad quickly, and at the second break I had to come out of the water for a quick break. I was feeling disoriented and couldn't keep the boat in sight - even though they were traveling generally in a straight line.<br />
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Jenny and the lifeguards were setting the pace - with most of the rest of us somewhat bunched together at the rear. Bill and his Seadoo were close to us for much of the swim - proving a general feeling of comfort and a life-line to the boat, which almost always seemed far away.<br />
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This year something else happened th<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHi1o8Hi5Sd7_JTD8sVDZAZMeY7ByH4xbI5SmzCPV7FhEk-ZVVNDgmI337xldn4Fth1lN9KgVzmTNdp4FWelpZSyEW8UVqYryzULb9PzEHBSdPz0U71upsZBTCrXnOdRVbEJ-wUcHStg/s1600/2010_08_17+069+%282%29.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506782340825407666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHi1o8Hi5Sd7_JTD8sVDZAZMeY7ByH4xbI5SmzCPV7FhEk-ZVVNDgmI337xldn4Fth1lN9KgVzmTNdp4FWelpZSyEW8UVqYryzULb9PzEHBSdPz0U71upsZBTCrXnOdRVbEJ-wUcHStg/s200/2010_08_17+069+%282%29.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 158px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a>at was different - I handed my distance crown to Jenny Birmelin. I got out of the water briefly several times in the first 3/4 of the swim, but after the 10 mile mark I took three 15-20 minute breaks, ending up at a distance of about 12 miles.<br />
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Je<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJubvJJ73qGTIw6xQM6S0gQaX-GrvNfEg-7p2TNBvRPz2jDWRd3evtez8cOt5euFzE5X4BVUidjmhe1qHI6oiDiR102SrFGYEjbu83y5WCcrGjrIIWBRdeScgmC3gy0s9LkP1Q3vMhyphenhyphenag/s1600/2010_08_17+039+%282%29.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506779505468188834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJubvJJ73qGTIw6xQM6S0gQaX-GrvNfEg-7p2TNBvRPz2jDWRd3evtez8cOt5euFzE5X4BVUidjmhe1qHI6oiDiR102SrFGYEjbu83y5WCcrGjrIIWBRdeScgmC3gy0s9LkP1Q3vMhyphenhyphenag/s200/2010_08_17+039+%282%29.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>nny, on the other hand, stayed in the water the entire time, taking energy supplements and water about every 45 minutes or so. Here is a woman who has done numerous open water races and swims, including recently the Alcatraz swim, who can now add this 14.21 mile swim to her record of achievements. She was a rock - in an extremely difficult situation. It was honestly the hardest thing me or any of the other swimmers has ever done - including Jenny, who we now refer to as "La Machine".<br />
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The swim itself gets murky in the middle. It was just a tough, slug it out day. At times you'd get very frustrated with the waves and try to punch your way through. But they would always win. Sometime you could catch a little rhythm - for about 3 strokes and then you'd get slammed down on a wave and your ears would ring again. Pete seemed to be successful at doing the breaststroke, because he could go under the each of each wave, but that made breathing much more difficult and is a very tough way to get 14 miles.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4j4dtuyeyBdLVW23z96VqoLhIwboC3KTcIcjP2gAprPKtb_EzySmZi8_rYZ3AhDKNRRVLoJRtYaTEXJ50kbCYVoIMe-1_mKDmmHXDZepITwlQzLhRAWOAHhIpANO3BIcY5jyJDuN5Zo/s1600/2010_08_17+041+%282%29.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506783877378882850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4j4dtuyeyBdLVW23z96VqoLhIwboC3KTcIcjP2gAprPKtb_EzySmZi8_rYZ3AhDKNRRVLoJRtYaTEXJ50kbCYVoIMe-1_mKDmmHXDZepITwlQzLhRAWOAHhIpANO3BIcY5jyJDuN5Zo/s200/2010_08_17+041+%282%29.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 133px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 178px;" /></a>Everyone was supportive and very helpful. It was a great, supportive, agreeable group. No one got upset about anything, no one complained about anything but the relentless waves, and no one took offense to the kidding that goes on<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQxy6ZWI9zKTaZu9vugg4CWXP80H5_Qcs1ENqIZzvSe3uMhoppVtV78Oq0DkfdRv30sOFmTuP9iqY4n5ttbHWK5bwSBFf9vIXSRw2ih1ppaGa9NzJqDzBzICOJw4YMZxAXypyNKiZx9g/s1600/2010_08_17+033+%282%29.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506784105578537666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQxy6ZWI9zKTaZu9vugg4CWXP80H5_Qcs1ENqIZzvSe3uMhoppVtV78Oq0DkfdRv30sOFmTuP9iqY4n5ttbHWK5bwSBFf9vIXSRw2ih1ppaGa9NzJqDzBzICOJw4YMZxAXypyNKiZx9g/s200/2010_08_17+033+%282%29.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 141px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 183px;" /></a> all day. It would be a perfect team building exercise if you could find a group of execs who could all swim. And it would make a hell of a reality show episode...<br />
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This year was little frightening for me personally. Everything seemed generally OK until the final 3/4 of a mile when I took on a mouthful of water, and then 30 seconds later got slammed with another wave. I couldn't catch my breath for what seemed like an eternity. 200 yards from the boat and by myself, I struggled to get air. Slowly, I was able to force air back into my lungs one small gasp at a time. Finally I got my wind back. After a couple of minutes I was able to continue swimming, and I finished the swim about 30 minutes later. I would say keeping calm and thinking about Rickie were t<span style="font-size: 100%;">he two</span> things that got me back.<br />
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We finished at about 5:30pm - thankfully the waves subsided for about the last 1/2 mile. Overall this was our most difficult swim to date. It will be known as the "year of the waves". I don't think we'll head into the wind again. If we get out there next year and face the same kind of wind, I think we'd make the decision to go from South to North, ending up at Gull Island instead of starting there. But that is difficult as well, since the Lake has about a 1/2 knot current that heads from the shipping channel and Gull Island down to the Detroit River.<br />
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We'll have better pictures soon. Check back in the next couple of weeks. Thanks again for all the support, encouragement and donations. It certainly is a great way for all of us to restore our faith in the human race and the ability of all of us to come together for a common cause. Now, if we could just fix Detroit...Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-39968019198060447612010-08-18T06:59:00.000-07:002010-08-18T10:26:06.080-07:00WE MADE IT!!!At 8:45am we jumped into the water at Gull Island. 14.21 miles, 8 hours and 41 minutes, and about 125 energy drinks and bars later, we ended up at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. In the interim, we had the toughest, most rewarding adventure yet. We swam the entire distance into the wind and the 1-3ft waves that came with it. Check the next blog entry for details on the swim.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I want to thank a number of people for making this possible:</span><br /></span> <ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Veterans;</span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Mike Stevens, Greg McDuffee, Mike Hutchinson, Derek Weaver, Greg Erne.</span></span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Rookies; </span>Blake Kenny, Jenny Birmelin, Peter Stevens, Dave Draper, Tim Ross, Billy and Sebastian.</span></span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Crew</span>;<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Bill Baedke and his Seadoo, Vanessa Denha-Garmo and Stephanie Green for their wonderful PR assistance. They did an outstanding job of getting us recognized. Vanessa was especially amazing - I recommend her highly. </span></span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Organizations</span>: The Detroit Athletic Club for their fabulous facilities, award-winning staff and constant support of our effort; and the Grosse Point Yacht Club - especially Fred Mihalik - for providing our starting and ending point and for their gracious support on the day of the swim. And thanks to the US Masters Swimming organization, for their national article in "Swimmer". </span></span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Media Sponsors:</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>- We'd also like to thank our media sponsors for their coverage and articles: Fox2Detroit news, the Detroit News (Candice Williams), Paul W Smith and his crew at WJR, WDVD (Blaine and Allyson) in Detroit, and the Detroit Legal News. And finally, thanks to whoever sent the helicopter which hovered over us for 20 minutes near the finish. It certainly got our attention...</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The donors: </span>And finally, and most importantly, to all of you who have supported this effort. Many of you have donated to Rickie's Medical Trust Fund, which will provide him with much-needed financial support when his medical bills get out of hand. But many of you have also provided donations to the local chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (www.cff.org) which supports people and programs all over our region. Next year we will put together a tax-free fund that will be used primarily to assist the University of Michigan's Mott's Children's Hospital and the Pulminary program under Dr. Nasr, whose doctors and staff have been so instrumental in putting Rickie on the path to good health.<br /></span></span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Finally, I'd like to thank the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This national organization works tirelessly to find a cure for CF. Three of the medicines Rickie takes daily came directly from this organization. They are one of the best run, most well organized disease oriented non-profits in the country and they deserve your attention and support. Even if you are not affiliated with them, you should check out this organization that has been written up in the Harvard Business Review as a model for others to follow. Dr. Robert Beale's "venture philanthropy " concept is what the strategists refer to as 'disruptive' in its ability to change the way new drugs are funded. They are worth your time.</span><br /></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;">Finally, </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Rickie says awesome job!! And he also says he’s in for next year – wants to ride in the boat. Thanks to all of you from the bottom of our hearts. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span>Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-91545869516512227922010-08-16T11:15:00.000-07:002010-08-16T11:35:25.991-07:00LAST DAY!!!We've all been running around - getting the boat ready, getting snacks and food, getting our gear, etc. It is beginning to get crazy...<br /><br />No swimming today - though I may just get in the water later and relax. We have also had a great response from the media - thank you all so much. Fox 2 this morning with Cam Carmen; Grosse Pointe Cable - thanks to Dave Draper; Radio station 96.3; the Detroit News; and tomorrow Paul W. on WJR. It's amazing how people are getting involved.<br /><br />And the 11 swimmers? These 4 guys - Mike Stevens, who is both swimming and captaining the boat, Greg McDuffee, Mike Hutchinson, and Derek Weaver will have done all three crossings. This will be Greg Erne's second crossing, and this year's rookies are: Blake Kenny, Jenny Bernwin (swimming the entire distance), Tim Ross, Dave Draper, and Pete Stevens.<br /><br />It's a great group - and I am looking forward to the ride over and the start. That's as far as I get - after the start, I figure it will all work itself out. We'll have almost everyone in the water for the start, swimming from Harsens/Gull Island to the old south channel lights. At that point the boat will pick up 5 of the swimmers and the rest of us will keep moving. Then every mile or so, we'll swap out the relay swimmers and Jenny and I will stay in.<br /><br />It turns out we'll be swimming right into southwest winds, which are the prevailing winds for this course. We'll have to see how that affects us, but swimming with the current into 15 knot winds is not a recipe for a smooth swim. But hopefully the weather will cooperate. We could all use some wind at my back right about now.Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-46987187424644166662010-08-15T21:02:00.000-07:002010-08-15T21:34:09.178-07:00The Rickster...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTss46wF8k6kl6hU_yuou9t65bTo88KL1wG3_ggFkeYLu1vE764pcqG935na21Z6n17W3rKTXEcNPNdeKF9u3RdIul3ewmtxm46_gb-rJ88Yjd_pgDP3Wr9mgKOIIhRWq_6UdH8ab67xk/s1600/2010_08_15+076+%282%29.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTss46wF8k6kl6hU_yuou9t65bTo88KL1wG3_ggFkeYLu1vE764pcqG935na21Z6n17W3rKTXEcNPNdeKF9u3RdIul3ewmtxm46_gb-rJ88Yjd_pgDP3Wr9mgKOIIhRWq_6UdH8ab67xk/s200/2010_08_15+076+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505854885140139234" border="0" /></a>Here is Rickie. He is the guy we are all fired up about for this swim. He is a normal, very active boy - he just turned 9 a week ago. He likes Pokemon, military games and playing soccer. He has been very healthy lately - his last PFT's (pulminary tests) came back almost normal. But this normalcy comes at a cost - each day he takes close to a dozen pills and endures two separate half hour breathing treatments, which include the ingestion of four different medicines through a nebulizer. In addition, he is checked over by a visiting nurse once a month and goes back to the hospital to be prodded and poked 2-3 times a year. And, in the first two years of his diagnosis, he also spent at least 10 days a year in the hospital. He was fitted with a port that allows him to receive IV fluids, etc directly into his chest as opposed to trying to find veins in his arms all the time. Five months ago he spent 3 weeks getting intensive doses of antibiotics, but thanks to his port, he was able to avoid the hospital and stay home much of this time. <br /><br />A reporter for the Detroit News asked me recently why we had set up a Medical Trust Fund for Rickie. "Is it really necessary?". "Will he need a lung transplant?". How many people actually get them? How many people in Michigan have gotten them? <br /><br />It is hard to explain to someone who has no idea what it is like to wake up one day and find out that your child is diagnosed with something as severe as Cystic Fibrosis. The decision to set up a fund was not a casual decision. It was as deliberate as the desire to make it across the lake every year. For those who are lucky enough to go through life without living with issues like this - that's great. But for people who have lived the uncertainty and worry that we have come to expect, things like this are easy answers. You do what you can. It may not be the best answer, but it sure beats the pain and frustration of doing nothing. <br /><br />And next year, we will be setting up a 501 c(3), so we can help the University of Michigan's Mott's Children's Hospital and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation do what they do best - which is to make life better for kids like Rickie. More on that later. Right now we need to focus on the swim - and figure out where the article is that the Detroit News promised to print.Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-67107826760074636062010-08-15T04:44:00.000-07:002010-08-15T05:16:44.656-07:00It's Sunday morning - 3 more daysNow it's just a waiting game with the weather. I tend not to check it a lot anymore - it seems to change so frequently - it is often different than what it reads. So, we sit and wait, praying for no wind on Tuesday.<br /><br />I tried some new energy supplements yesterday - Clif "Shot Blocks". I think I will take them with me on the swim. The difficulty is getting food or drinks into the water - assuming we are staying in the entire swim. I may change my mind, but I'd like to try and do the whole thing. We'll see. I have a lot going on in my life right now, and I don't know if I need the added pressure of making the swim non-stop. Usually I get out of the water every 3-4 miles for a 5 minute break. On the other hand, if I can make it, it would make it that much sweeter.<br /><br />Looks like we have 9 other swimmers this year - and there are others that wanted to join us. It is getting more important for us to find help to organize the event - if anyone is interested, please get back to us.<br /><br />More later...Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-40708913217184380552010-08-13T05:45:00.000-07:002010-08-13T06:03:10.874-07:004 more days...The preparations continue to progress. We are up to 9 swimmers, so we may need another boat at this point. Mike Stevens is again providing the boats, which is huge for us. We have gotten a fair amount of media - and a number of other outlets have promised to help as well.<br />We all seem to be kicking up our mileage - I did some 4 and 5 milers recently, though I haven't managed to get in the lake yet. All I remember at this point is how cold it feels. I don't wear a wet suit, so it gets chilly every now and then - the water temp bounces around a bit, from 65 to 72 last year. On the plus side, sometimes the cold spots are invigorating enough to instantly wake you up. <br />This is the time when you occasionally think to yourself - "Wow - can I really make it this year? My shoulder is sore, I'm old, and it is a long way"... But then I think about Rickie and the commitment on the part of those other swimmers who are joining us and the nervousness dissolves into determination. <br />The comraderie is the thing that keeps me coming back. Everyone who has been a swimmer in this event has commited to coming back this year. Friends are everything - they keep me going during these crazy times. Thanks again to all the swimmers for their support and commitment. <br />If you'd like to join us, please email me at ric[at]4731.com. We can also use someone who can help us organize and potentially grow the event. This would likely be an internship or volunteer position.<br />More soon.Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627309157975165419.post-20667568062926916792010-08-06T17:22:00.000-07:002010-08-06T18:00:20.280-07:00More bravado than brains...We are now 11 days out and we've picked up another 2-3 swimmers. We've decided to try and do a practice run in the lake sometime next week - 2-3 miles, hopefully with a kayak escort. <br /><br />We may need two chase boats this year. There are more swimmers who want to take part in the swim or the relay and one boat may not be enough to handle all of us. If you are interested in a description of the event - check out the old blog entries from the end of last year. <br /><br />People ask us why we do this. I think it all comes down to the boat ride over to Harsen's Island from the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. We're all a little nervous, and we're trying to calm each other down. Like last year, when Greg Erne was telling Derek about the alligators in the water. Or when we told someone else that if they were too slow, we were leaving them behind. Or "you're only scared because you can't see land anymore". Reassuring comments from good friends. <br /><br />You can smell the fish and the water, and the mist comes off the lake every time the bow hits the waves. As you watch the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club tower disappear, you realize we're out here a ways. The boat ride, at 25 knots takes a little over a half hour. Once we arrive at the southern end of Harsen's Island, we take 15-20 minutes to get suited up and then we take off. Some of us don't wear anything but a suit, goggles and a cap - others are covered in neoprene for flotation and have all the gear. Goggles are critical - I always use goggles and am amazed when I see people who don't. It makes swimming much more comfortable. We typically have 2-3 guys in the water at all times. We stop every now and then to get people in and out of the water. So far, I have managed to swim the whole thing both times. I expect to do the same thing year. <br /><br />I want to thank all of you who have looked at the blog and who have donated either to Rickie's Medical Fund or the the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Cff.org is a fabulous organization - they are annually ranked at the top of the Charity Navigator lists and is extremely well run. But for me, the proof is in the fact that Rickie daily takes multiple medicines that have been developed by Dr. Beale, the President of the organization. They are relentless in their pursuit of a cure - and we are hopeful they will make even more progress this year.Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062553418174144171noreply@blogger.com0