Swimming St. Clair

The Route

2011-07-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

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 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.
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.

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 supplements. Nobody eats big meals on board, except our two lifeguards last year - who were eating everything in sight.
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.

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.

Gearing up...

2011-06-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

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.
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.

The numbers, please...

2010-08-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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.

Into the wind...

2010-08-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

In addition, we picked up Bill Baedke and his 3 person Seadoo, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This year something else happened that 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.

Jenny, 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".

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.

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 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...

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 the two things that got me back.

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.

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...

WE MADE IT!!!

2010-08-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

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.

I want to thank a number of people for making this possible:

The Veterans; Mike Stevens, Greg McDuffee, Mike Hutchinson, Derek Weaver, Greg Erne.

The Rookies; Blake Kenny, Jenny Birmelin, Peter Stevens, Dave Draper, Tim Ross, Billy and Sebastian.

The Crew; 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.

Organizations: 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".

Media Sponsors: - 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...

The donors: 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.

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.

Finally, 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.

LAST DAY!!!

2010-08-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

We've all been running around - getting the boat ready, getting snacks and food, getting our gear, etc. It is beginning to get crazy...

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Rickster...

2010-08-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

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.

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?

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.

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.

It's Sunday morning - 3 more days

2010-08-15T04:44:00.000-07:00

Now 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.

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.

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.

More later...

4 more days...

2010-08-13T05:45:00.000-07:00

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
More soon.

More bravado than brains...

2010-08-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Here we go again...

2010-07-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

OK. The week of August 16th it looks like we're going again. Same crew of guys, though several people have signed on to join us - we may need another boat. Last year's swimmers were Mike Stevens, Mike Hutchinson, Greg McDuffee, Greg Erne, Derek Weaver and me. Derek was the one doing the butterfly last year after about 6 miles - very discouraging. But, he also landed an article in the Master's swimming magazine, "The Swimmer", so we forgive him.

We are apparently in various stages of preparation - some of us have not been swimming a lot - others have been going almost daily. The rules are the same - we start at Harsen's island and swim until we hit the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club.

I may try to stay in the water the entire time this year - the last two years I have gotten out of the water every three miles or so and had a drink, etc. I'm never out for more than 5 minutes - but I am officially out of the water. Maybe this is the year I don't stop.

If you are interested - please email us. As I mentioned, we can probably use another boat, and if you are interested in swimming an endurance-oriented, though not exceptionally serious event, this is it.

I think we may have some PR help this year, thanks to Stephanie Green, who should be sending out press notices, etc. All we need is an event coordinator and we'll be official...

Any other help is gratefully accepted as well. And it reminds me, I'm going to go over my notes and see everyone who offered to take a role this year. And, of course, if anyone knows a good intern, we're always willing to train.

By the way, Rickie has been very healthy since January - knock on wood. We are hoping to keep the streak going through the entire year.

That's all for now.

He's home!!!

2010-01-29T19:58:00.000-08:00

Brought Rickie home yesterday. I spent two days on the couch in his room - the only really bad part of the U of M hospital. It is about 5 feet 10 inches long, and I'm about 4 inches longer than that...

But, Rickie was doing well, and this time none of the other ailments that often accompany an exacerbation, like weight loss or diarrhea or a fever was evident and he was already getting better, so we brought him home. They set us up very well, and to be fair, my wife now has the regiment down, so she knows which medicines to provide and when, etc. He still needs IV's, but she can now do that herself, so we can free up the bed for someone else's kid. For the first two days, Rickie did not like it, but after about the third day, he changed his mind. He went to school at the hospital with their in-house teacher, found some new friends (interns and volunteers) to play video games with him, and was generally feeling more comfortable. So, he asked if he could stay a couple of more days, but we had to decline.

Swam three miles today - first two were pretty slow, but then I started to feel better and did a 28:30. That is still very slow, but it's my third mile and I'm old...

We're all feeling pretty good right about now - Rickie's on he mend and home, and the sun was shining - even if it was 10 degrees when we awoke this morning.

Hanging in There...

2010-01-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

I am sitting with Rickie right now - trying to get him to eat more. One of the issues with cf is weight loss, and though Rickie is doing OK, we need to be vigilant about making sure he stays that way.

This is a great hospital. Volunteers stayed with Rickie almost the entire time I was gone for meetings today. I got back at 5pm, and he was playing football (Madden 2006) with one volunteer. As soon as he left, another young girl came in and has been talking to him on and off for the last hour or so.

We are eating right now - but it is tough to get him to eat. And when he does, theoretically, it doesn't "stick" inside - so he just passes it without getting any of the nutrients from it. He takes enzymes to break down the food, but he still needs to take as much in as he can. Another odd characteristic about cf is that the kids need as much protein and calories as possible. So "eating right" means eating as much as possible. It doesn't make sense to me entirely, but I have now been schooled by a number of people who I respect and who understand cf far better than I, so I am willing to go along with it.

As a result, Rickie can eat ANYTHING he wants. Ice cream, junk food, sugar, etc. Whatever it takes to get calories in his body... McDonalds is considered health food for him...

I didn't swim today. I'll go tomorrow. Sitting here makes me want to get in the water and just pound out the laps. It is interesting to me that my reaction to all this is to want to swim even more - not sure how that was learned or how you can teach it. I am starting to get antsy because I missed today. And of course, my back telegraphs me little signals that tell me I need to be in the water soon.

I read recently where people who are unemployed or underemployed are in greater danger of getting unhealthy because of inactivity. The theory is that the depression that often accompanies underemployment causes a lack in desire to stay healthy. Wow. I think swimmers really skew these numbers. Seems to me a lot of people I know who swim do more rather than less in periods of anxiety or stress. The perfect balance - sort of...

Exacerbation...

2010-01-26T20:57:00.000-08:00

Exacerbation is a term which is applied to cystic fibrosis (cf) patients when they are going though a "problem period". It is not out of the ordinary, but they are also to be avoided if at all possible.

Rickie is sleeping just across the room at Mott's Children's Hospital at the University of Michigan. He has been doing very well of late - partly because of the luck of the draw with his particular strain of cf and partly because my wife and I together are extremely vigilant about his treatments, his medicines, and his health in general.

Three days ago we began to notice the cough. Two days ago it became persistent, and we called the doctor. The first nurse suggested we put him on antibiotics and if he didn't get better in a week to take him to our primary care physician. After about 12 hours of listening to the cough get steadily worse, my wife called again, this time insisting on talking to Sue, the nurse we have worked with in the past. The difference is that Sue listens to my wife and uses her information in an intelligent, purposeful way. She said to bring Rickie in - and have him tested immediately. His breathing tests were very low and his x-ray shows material in his lungs. Even in a world class facility, you must continually be your own medical advocate.

Had we listened to the first nurse, Rickie would have sunk far lower in the next 6 days. Instead, he's going to be getting better starting soon, instead of waiting for the disease to take its toll.

So, we should be out of here in no time - like 10 days to 2 weeks and then Rickie will be fine again. We love this Hospital and Dr. Nasr, the woman that runs the pulminary section (and Sue, as I mentioned).

As for swimming, I swam earlier today - 3 miles at a 28:30 pace. It went very quickly. For the record, we have a great swimming clock at the DAC (Detroit Athletic Club - www.thedac.com). It is a wall-mounted scoring clock with large red numbers. I can see it clearly during my first breath after my flip turns. It has clearly spoiled me (as has the DAC in general)...

I thought a lot about Rickie when I was in the water today. It sometimes doesn't seem fair to me that he has to go through this. But then I realize that it is what it is and that the best we can do is to keep loving him, and keep working with the national cf organization to find a cure, which is where this blog comes in. We will be running our fundraiser again this year, in the first or second week of August. Our goal is to have 2 chase boats and perhaps 10 people swimming. With the exception of the carpal tunnel brace on my right arm and numbness every morning in both arms, I am absolutely ready to go right now. It is funny - the older I get, the more hurt I play.

And as long as I am on that topic, there are a number of people who know what I mean. There is a woman who is a fabulous glassblower near Detroit who suffered a horrific accident and who just keeps pounding away, regardless. She is an inspiration to me and to others. Another guy I just met in his late 50's at the DAC, has broken or torn everything you can break or tear and he just keeps going. He climbed Kilimanjaro last year, expects to climb more this year and is competing in triathalons until his achilles gives out - again. But he doesn't stop. I tell my kids that when you get older, you learn how to get around the injuries you have. "Don't you hate the fact you can't run like you used to, Dad?". "Yeah, but that's why I swim distance now. I found something I can still do."

We joke about wheelchair races when we're 90. I can see laying incapacitated in a bed at 100 - looking over at my roommate and competing with him by seeing who can lift their head more times. I can't imagine ever giving up. Slowing down? Maybe. But stopping? NEVER.

If any of you Masters swimmers have gotten this far, please consider joining us next year. As swims go, this is pretty easy, actually. Both these first two years, we have all gotten out of the water every 3 miles or so for a 5 minute break. "This ain't the English Channel, boys", says our captain, Mike Stevens. I may try to do it non-stop this time - we'll see. But typically, the other swimmers do anywhere from 4 to 8 miles along with me, in 1.5-3 mile shifts, though I expect at least two others to do the entire distance this time around. The hardest part is the flies, I am told, which is the real reason I do the entire distance.

Seriously, I do it because it helps me prove something to myself, it gives me something to keep my mind focused on, and it makes me think I am doing something to help my son and those afflicted with cystic fibrosis. I don't like feeling helpless, and this makes sure that doesn't happen.

So, to Mike Stevens, Greg McDuffee, Mike Hutchinson, Derek Weaver and Greg Erne, I say thanks again for helping me feel like I am making a difference. And thanks to everyone else for your moral and economic support. If you'd like to help build the medical fund for Rickie's health care costs - that's great. If you'd like to donate to the national cf organization (www.cff.org) to help find a cure, that's great too. It's all good.

2010-01-18T18:05:00.000-08:00

Finished December - made the 75 miles for the month, then took a little break. It's the 18th of January and I'm only at 20 miles - I'll end up for January between 40 and 50 somewhere. Having a little problem with what appears to be carpal tunnel or something going on with my arms - mostly my right arm. Doesn't hurt too much when I swim, but certainly makes typing tough.

Not much to report - Rickie is doiong extremely well, by the way. He made it through the flu season (or at least the first part of it) without major mishap - although everyone else in the house was sick at some point. We all got our flu shots at a neighborhood medical clinic in Detroit, off Mound and 7 mile. One of the nicest experiences I've had in a doctor's office. The people were wonderful, and there was NO line...

So, no swime flu here, apparently, but we've had every other kind. Stomach, respiratory, etc. Well, it's over now, and I'm back in the water. I am seasoned enough now to know that I can't get back at it for at least a couple of days. Even after I feel fine again, I need to wait one or two more days - or I can relapse. Have done that many times before..

Hope everyone is well.

End of the month push...

2009-12-27T19:15:00.000-08:00

December 27th - 4 days left in the year, and if I am to hit my new personal best of 75 miles in the pool, it means I need 12.5 more miles. I swam 3.5 miles tonite. December is typically a big month for me - and I wanted to set a personal record in 2009, so hopefully this is it.

Looking forward to getting into the lake earlier this year - I'd like to try some colder water - still can't understand the thought of swimming in 60 degree water - I have been in 59 degree water - as I recall I lasted about 3 minutes... My understanding of the channel swimmers is that they swim in 61-62 degree water. I can't fathom being able to do that. We'll see this spring. Lake St. Clair gets pretty cold - I'd like to see if I could get in before it warms up completely. Anyone else interested?

We are beginning to plan the event for 2010 - first or second week of August. Hoping to miss the hail this year - and hoping we don't get the waves in our faces again. I think we're going to have more people involved this year - the US Masters group is writing an article about the swim - and I have already had several calls. If anyone wants more info, leave comments - hopefully we'll get back to you promptly.

All the best - and I wish you the best in the new year.

December update...

2009-12-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

Several pieces of good news here... First, I think we are getting started pretty soon planning next year's event. Greg Erne has offered to get into the fundraising process early this year, and be an even bigger help than he was last year. Next, we are going to be featured in the US Master's Swimming Magazine for January. This was arranged by Derek Weaver, one of our swimmers, and with the help of Laura Hamel, we were able to put together a small article explaining what we do and why. I have read Laura's draft and it is awesome. She is a great writer, as you'll see. Finally, I was named Distinguished Athlete of the Year at the DAC (Detroit Athletic Club). This is no big deal, but I do get a kick out of the fact that it took untilk I was 54 to get this kind of athletic honor. I was nominated largely on the strength of my being able to navigate Lake St Clair from Harson's Island to the Grosse Point Yacht Club twice (in two years) without drowning. I also managed to swim a shade over 500 miles in 2009 in the DAC pool to lead the Club's annual mileage contest. I didn't intentionally get into this to crank out the mileage, but now that I'm doing it I hate to stop. My goal for December is always big (for me) - this year I am trying to do 75 miles - which is 2.5 miles every day of the month (except Christmas, I guess). This may sound like a lot, but there are Masters swimmers doing 150 miles plus each month, and even my young friend Derek swims something like 10 miles a day as a part of the Wayne State swim team. Of course, I am 54 years old, and Derek is barely 25 or something. But there are are other older masters swimmers doing some pretty incredible mileage. And to be fair, I am not what I would consider a great swimmer. I can swim a long way, but I am not going to win any races. Some of these masters can swim more miles faster, and consistently.
But, as they say, I do what I can, and for me that means averaging about 45 miles/month. It is therapeutic, healthy and invigorating. And I need to say, at least twice in my life my lower back was so bad I was effectively disabled - I couldn't go for more than a week without it going out and incapacitating me. And I love to work hard - construction, etc. It was debilitating - I had to find a way out of it. My chiropractor suggested running in place in a pool, which I did at the Detroit Yacht Club (on Belle Isle) back in the mid nineties. It was extremely helpful, but I hated it - I couldn't wait to get better. But I didn't get better for a long time, and after a while it got so that I was very used to getting in the water, but I didn't like the running in place deal.
So, one day, I remember thinking I would try to lean forward a bit and propel myself for several laps. That was the start. I ended up quitting smoking and swimming more and more. A couple of years later, the first month that I swam 25 miles I thought I was on fire!! 44,000 yards!! I couldn't imagine doing more than that. And then I came to the DAC and met a couple of guys who kept pushing me and pushing me. At one point I couldn't see how Jim C. could do 1.5 miles 3 times a week - with a hip replacement!! And he beat me consistently. He also taught me how to flip turn over the next 5-6 years. But nobody motivated me more than George H. George refused to lose to me when we swam - EVER... I worked very hard for at least a year before I could beat him. I distinctly remember the first time I clearly beat him. We started at almost exactly the same time, and I was about 3 lengths behind him. I chased him the entire 35 laps - passing him in the last lap. It was exhilarating, and I was hooked. I owe a lot of my endurance and technique to Jim C., and certainly to George, but also to a handful of other members who help out with "clues" about what I could be doing better.
On another day, I swam my second fastest mile, and watched Mike B. pass me 4 times in the process!! I did a 26:22 and he smoked me. It is amazing to watch truly good, efficient swimmers. For those of you who are not great swimmers, the key is being as efficient as possible in the water. Never do anything that would hinder your process. It sounds so simple, but after 10+ years and a couple thousand miles, I learn something almost every time I'm out.
My training regime is pretty simple - I swim 2.5 miles in 70 to 75 minutes, period. I try not to stop and to keep up a good pace. I generally swim faster as I get into the workout. My last mile is most often my fastest.
There are any number of people who will tell you that this is definitely not the way to train, and I am certain they are correct. But for me, when I start doing 50's, 100's, etc., and alternating strokes and hitting faster times for shorter distances, I seem to pull muscles and have injuries more often. As it is, my arms and upper back are sore almost all the time. Occasionally I will go through a week or two when I'm not sore, but that hasn't happened in a while. Right now my right arm is numb from typing, etc. My genetic history seems to include a good deal of arthritis and bone issues, so I just keep going. Sometimes I take Motrin, but mostly I just keep going. If anyone has any good ideas out there, let me know. As therapy it is unparalleled (for me), but it would probably be even more fun it were less painful... Every time it gets tough, I think of Rickie, and I just keep going...

Lake St Clair

2009-10-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

Here's the lake - with a loose approximation of where the currents are (the thin blue lines). You can see that they tend to run into the center of the lake - which is OK, and that they cross the shipping channel - which is not OK. The small stars are the two old South Channel Lights that we crossed in front of at the start of our swim. The thin dotted line is our approximate course. "Approximate" means that we were hoping for more or less this path, but... The first year we ended up 3.5 miles off shore and had to come straight in. Ouch...
The good news is that all six of this year's team have agreed to go again - in 2010. And we have picked up another 4 swimmers already - and expect more after the article appears in the US Master's Swimming Magazine (Jan/Feb) issue - thanks to Derek Weaver, bottom left in the picture. He was the one who came in 4th in the 100 free at the US Master's Long Course Nationals two days before our swim. He is also the one who was doing the butterfly for much of his swim in the lake. For Derek, this is a chance to swim like a wildman for short bursts without flipturning at the end of the pool. For the rest of us, the name of the game is survival. C'est la vie...
We are anxiously looking forward to next year's swim already. If anyone has any questions - please leave your email info on the blog.

More from the swimmers!

2009-08-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

Another viewpoint from our first timer Greg Erne...

Wow, what a memory Ric has. My recollection was "shoot, darn, ouch, cold, yucky seaweed, was that an alligator with a musky in its mouth?, cant pee in this damn suit, shoot, darn, ouch, how the heck does ric keep going? i need fins next year, i'm hungry, what kind of a show-off does butterfly on a long-distance swim - I won't show him up right now, did my arm just fall off?, there is that alligator again - but with a jobbie nooner in his mouth - serves him right for skipping work, i sure hope that is seaweed i just swam through and not ric's recent meal, how come i cant catch up to these guys, i didnt realize that the 9 mile tower was so small - oh its not it is just miles away, shoot, darn, ouch, okay - this is ridiculous...and lastly - what a great event - and everytime i think I am tired i just think about someone with CF and the above compaints go away"

We Made It Again!!!!

2009-08-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

First, I need to say that this is one man’s version of the events. I just wanted to put some thoughts down to herald our effort. And I want to thank our team - they are great friends, great swimmers, and a heck of a lot of fun to be around. And I am happy to say that I made it the entire length – again… At 54, hey, I’ll take it.

7:30am – The Boat…

Mike Hutchinson, Derek Weaver, Greg McDuffee and Greg Erne and I met Mike Stevens on his boat at the dock at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. We were joined by Richard Mishler, one of my partners at 4731 Consulting who came by to wish us luck. As fate would have it, we had an extra spot on the boat, so Richard joined us on the trip. We got all our gear on board and left the harbor at 8:00am headed for Harsen’s Island. The sky is overcast, the waves are pretty quiet and obviously there isn’t much wind at all. The weather report had called thunderstorms all morning… Seriously, weather forecasters must not get out much – they weren’t even close… The trip is 25 minutes, and we arrived without incident. The only hard part is watching the shoreline completely disappear in the distance. It makes you feel pretty insignificant – and brings into mind the idea that Lake St Clair really should be considered one of the Great Lakes. It also makes you question your judgment about swimming all the way back…

Mike Stevens recommends that we start at the southern tip of Harsen’s Island, and swim to the South Channel Lighthouses. Then from there, we’ll head southwest directly towards the Nine Mile Tower, located off Jefferson about a mile or so north of the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. The idea was that this year we would swim across the lake currents near the top of the lake and then use the shore currents to help us slide down the shoreline, staying no more than a mile or so offshore.

8:48am

Four of us get in the water: Greg Erne, Mike Hutchinson, Derek Weaver and me. We toast Rickie and our own bravado, say goodbye and start swimming. The sun is threatening to come out for good, the clouds are receding, and the water feels great. It was probably 73 degrees at the start, and ranged from 69 to about 76 on our trip. The water is smooth, there are few if any waves, and we’re swimming with the current. About 40 minutes later we’ve reached the second of the South Channel lighthouses and take a photo break for a couple of minutes. Personally, these little breaks are tough for me, because it is far easier (for me) to swim than to tread water, especially with a steady pace.

As we get ready to go we look back and see how far away the Harsen’s Island shore appears. It would not change for the next 2 hours or so… One of the frustrations to overcome in a long swim like this is the notion that you can swim for an hour or two, and your landmarks sometimes appear not to have changed at all. This is especially true of the shoreline itself, or of large landmarks like the 9 mile Tower that would later appear almost never to get closer during the middle 3-4 hours of the swim.

10:20am

Our first official break – we all get out to rest and to replace a couple of the swimmers with fresh bodies. I always feel best right after one of these breaks – the other swimmers speed me up a bit, and I feel a sense of their energy. I rest for 5 minutes, gulp down an energy packet (“GU”), drink some Gatorade and dive back in. Hitting the water is always a shock… And the temperature can change immediately. Frequently you’ll be lulled by some really warm water, and just as you’re getting comfortable you’ll hit a pocket of what feels like ice-cold water that nearly takes your breath. It’ll wake you up fast…

11:45 – second break. I can’t really explain what happens between breaks. My mind is thinking about everything and nothing at once. Most of the time I am trying to make sure I swim relatively straight to get maximum efficiency out of my effort. I am still feeling pretty good at this point. I am focused mostly on keeping the boat in sight (to my right) and making sure I don’t run into whoever is swimming next to me. We don’t look up much – there really is no reason. At water level, you can’t see anything but water anyway. I think about Rickie, about the guys I am swimming with, about my wife and family, about the economy, etc. Occasionally I look over and see Derek - he’s doing the butterfly, for crying out loud…

12:50 – Suddenly, Mike Stevens calls us into the boat. North of us, a pocket storm is passing through. It is small circle of dark clouds, which would probably be OK by themselves, but they are dropping lightning onto the lake. It is hard to tell which direction the clouds are moving, “severe weather” warnings have been issued and the National Weather Service is calling for potentially dangerous weather. We mark our coordinates and immediately head for shore. On the trip in we never did get wet or even any serious wind, but the Weather Service is right often enough to always listen to their advisories. We’ve been swimming 4 hours and have probably 6 miles left. It is hard to stop…

1:45 – We wait for a half hour at the GPYC, and suddenly the weather passes us or dissipates or disappears, and we get an all clear from the Weather Service. Mike Stevens declares we are going back out… Derek has just finished a huge hamburger and French fries from the GPYC concession and head back out. The rest of us went the fruit and liquids route. At his age (24?) the food doesn’t even affect him, and he is a pretty decent swimmer. The night before he had just returned from the US Masters Swimming Long Course Championships, where he placed 3rd in the 400 freestyle competition. At 2pm we’re back in the water.

3:00 – The times get a little more fluid here, but it’s always the same - fresh swimmers, quick break for nutrition, then back in the water.

We change swimmers roughly every hour. At each stop, we all get out. I always get back in, along with at least a couple of other guys. Some of them have put in serious mileage as well. We decide not to have more than three in the water at any one time – we get spread out too far and it is too hard to watch all of us. More GU, more Gatorade. I am getting pretty tired. And apparently I am turning to the left a lot. My left shoulder seems a little sore – I can’t quite find the stroke anymore that keeps it from hurting. But, the weather is decent, and I enjoy looking up and watching the sun and the clouds each time I take a breath. At one point the boat takes off – to go collect some trash on the water.

4:00pm - It is getting harder to get “clean air” – I keep taking in water because the waves are kicking up and shifting direction, but things are generally manageable. McDuffee frequently swims on my right side, and is as steady as a rock. When he is in the water, I mostly just keep an eye on him. He seems to watch the boat and somehow also stays with me, in spite of my frequent left turns. It’s the same thing with Hutch, who swims on my left, except for the fact that I find myself nearly running into him all the time.

5:30 – It has suddenly gotten very difficult to breathe. The waves are now coming out of the southwest directly into our path. Clearly the wind appears to have clocked 180 degrees in a very short time. I am aware of the different direction of the waves for only about 20 minutes until suddenly I hear the guys on the boat screaming at us to get out of the water. Greg McDuffee, Derek Weaver and I all swim hard to get to the boat, but have not completely gotten on board when the rain hits. It is pelting us, and the wind has suddenly and unexpectedly elevated to about 40 mph. But what is most interesting is the hail. I have been caught in a hailstorm before, but never while swimming in a lake. We all manage to make it on board just in time to hear Mike Stevens yell, “That’s all she wrote, boys. We’re done!!! At this point we’re about ½ a mile away from the mouth of the harbor. Mike is the self-appointed President of the Lake St Clair Swimming for Rickie Sanctioning Board. We all cheer and shake hands. It is really a great moment. Then we all come forward, and huddle together near the wheelhouse as we make our way to the harbor.

By the way, I must say that I feel partly responsible for the hail. At about a mile out, I realized I was having some difficulty. With the waves, I couldn’t get any power in my stroke, and I was working so hard to get air on each breath I was losing what energy I had left. So, I figured that I’d say a little prayer, get the winds to die down, or the waves to settle down a bit, and we’d be all set. But hail? Never even thought of that one…

I am the luckiest guy in the world. Rickie continues to be healthy and we have been blessed with great medical care at the University of Michigan’s Mott Children’s Hospital. We have had great support for our little swim – including this group of seven guys on the boat who have offered their time and resources (and energy) to train for and swim in this effort two years in a row!! And we’ve already had several people offer to help us next year. We all made it, we have a great story to tell, and some really great people have supported us. Now – if you happen to know any others with cf who want someone to talk to – please send them to us. It’s always easier when you’ve got friends…

4:30 UPDATE

2009-08-11T13:38:00.001-07:00

Two and a half more miles!

UPDATE!!

2009-08-11T12:55:00.001-07:00

The storms came from the north with lighting, so the guys had to stop for a bit...

They are continuing on strong, they're on mile 11 as of 4pm. They are soooo close!

8 Hours and counting!!!

2009-08-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

Last year getting into the water!

After their swim we are there to welcome them!

As of 10pm this evening the swim is on! Of course our weather changes very quickly so we'll see in the morning how it looks!

Starting point - Harsen's Island

Path - swim between the two South Channel Lighthouses, and head for a spot just north of the 9 mile tower. Once we get close to the coast,
we will stay about a mile offshore and swim south to the Grosse Point Yacht Club (GPYC). We will get out at the breakwall by the GPYC.

Timing: - at the GPYC at 7:30am; on the boat at 8am. Boat to Harsen's Island before 8:30am, begin our swim by 9am.
- 7 hours in the water equals 4:00 pm finish at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club.
- 8 hours in the water equals 5:00 pm finish at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club.

7 Swimmers - Ric Geyer, MIke Hutchinson, Greg McDuffee, Mike Stevens, Derek Weaver (all 2nd year, all met at the Detroit Athletic Club)
- Greg Erne, Pete Stevens (1st year rookies...)

Tom Trainer - Gen Mgr of the GPYC - if you need permissions, etc. He is expecting you guys at some point.

We are hoping that at least two of us to swim the entire distance, the others will all swim legs of the distance

Funny story - last year we would have gotten coverage, helicopter, the whole deal, but Kwame Kilpatrick resigned that day - pulling all the news people. This year we're hoping Bing stays put, and Monica's already resigned...

This unfortunely is not a spectator event...although we would LOVE to have a lot of people at the finish, we're not quite sure if the GPYC will allow that.

Thank you for your support, next year we'll try to have an event at the finish!

Our Purpose

2009-07-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

Our family and friends are holding our second annual “Swimming St.Clair” event in honor of our 7 year old son, Rickie. Rickie, who turns 8 in August, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in October, 2007. Cystic fibrosis is a disease that causes the creation of thick mucus that forms in the lungs and pancreas. This substance makes it increasingly difficult to breathe and to assimilate vitamins and nutrients from food.

The good news is that CF is supported by a national organization that is second to none in their pursuit of a cure for this disease. Partly because of the CF Foundation, medicine continues to make great strides, and we are more hopeful than ever for a cure.

The bad news is that we have yet to find that cure and because it took our doctors 6 years to diagnose what we consider to be an obvious problem, Rickie is already feeling the affects of the disease. As of this year, the State of Michigan tests all children at birth, and this is a tremendous step forward. Had Rickie been tested at birth, or had Rickie’s pediatrician either listened to us as parents or thought enough to do a simple sweat test, Rickie would be much better off at this point. It points out the absolute need to be your own patient advocate. Medicine continues to improve, but personal advocacy helps good doctors make better decisions. Luckily, we have found Dr. Sami Nasr, at Mott's Children’s Hospital who runs the Pulminary Specialties Area at the Hospital. She is amazing, and Rickie is drastically improved since meeting her.

We dedicate this swim to Rickie and using the proceeds of the event to establish a medical trust fund in his name. This will help to defray the cost of his future medical expenses – which could be exorbitant. There is also an opportunity to donate to the cf organization nationally on our site – a wonderful organization.

The Swimmers

The swimmers are a group of volunteers, each committed to swimming either a segment, or the entire 12+ mile swim. At this point, there are two swimmers who have agreed to swim the entire distance and at least one other group of 6 swimmers who are going to swim intervals. Each swimmer will be assigned to a particular boat, which will pace the slowest swimmer. It is expected that we will have an EMT in each boat for emergencies – though we haven’t yet identified the EMT’s.

The Event

Our route takes us from Harsen’s Island, at the north of Lake St. Clair to the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club at the southeast end of the lake. My family and I are not members of either club, but both have graciously offered us their support and have agreed to allow us to use their facilities for our event.

Assuming favorable conditions, we will depart by boat just before 8am from the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. We will arrive at The Old Club on Harsen’s Island at approximately 8:15. Upon arrival at “The Old Club”, located at the southern tip of Harsen’s Island, we will make final adjustments and get one last injection of protein and carbs before beginning our swim.

At 9am we will enter the water at the southern end of Harsen’s Island from the Old Club Pier. We will swim out in the Middle Channel for several hundred yards, at the edge of the US/Canadian line, then head due west, cutting between Gull and Harsen’s Islands. This gets us away from the shipping channel, which passes just southeast of this point, and heads us towards the South Channel lights (actually, the “St Clair Flats Channel” range lights, originally built in 1859), twin lighthouses that mark the original shipping channel from Lake Huron through Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie.

The currents will push us south and east, so we need to hustle across this section or risk being carried across the US/Canada line and into the shipping channel. The international line isn’t nearly as daunting as the shipping channel – the fastest freighters can travel at nearly 20 knots and aren’t able to easily slow down or turn. Swimming through the shipping channel would be dangerous at best, so we will focus on staying comfortably west of both the US/Canadian line and the shipping channel, which runs nearly straight from Harsen’s Island to the Detroit River and which sees considerable boat traffic.

St. Clair is a tough lake to swim because of a unique feature of the lake – the current flows directly from northeast to southwest while the wind blows in exactly the opposite direction. This makes for very choppy conditions that make swimming a challenge.

After we’ve passed near the westernmost of the South Channel lights, we will be approximately 4 miles from the mainland, and we will begin heading towards the “9 mile Tower”, an apartment tower located at 9 mile and Lakeshore. This is a 10 mile stretch that we hope to traverse in a relatively straight line. Our final destination is one mile further south at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, located at 8 mile and Lake Shore.

Once we reach the GPYC, we will get out of the water, rest, and have a beer. No word yet on a celebration, but we are working on it…

Event Details

Name: SwimmingStClair

Website/blogs:

“SwimmingStClair.com” or “ForRickie.blogspot.com”

Date: Week of August 10, 2009

* Rickie’s birthday is August 10th, and we’d like to have it as close to that date as possible. We are avoiding holding the event during a weekend because of boat traffic, and we understand the Old Club (our beginning point) is closed on Monday the 11th.. Our target is Tuesday, August 11th through Thursday, August 13th. We need to determine a rain date – which would likely be one of the next two days.

Number of People:

* The group of approximately 10 swimmers that will set off in the morning would consist of perhaps up to 3 boats – one for each swimmer (individual) or group of swimmers (relay team). For two individual course swimmers and 2 relay teams, we will represent a group of 18-20 volunteers, plus any others helping with logistics, etc. (14 swimmers, 3-4 boat captains (and boats), 3 EMTs and 2 other volunteers). (Emergency Medical Technicians)

* Each team, boat captain and individual swimmer and fund raising volunteer can help spread the word about the fund raising.

Proceeds:

* Proceeds from the event are being used to fund either Rickie’s Medical Trust Fund or the Nation CF Organization. The reality of this disease is that Rickie will likely need a lung replacement at some point in his life, and the purpose of the trust fund is to help prepare him financially for that day. Alternatively, the National CF Organization is a 4-star ranked (Charity Navigator) organization that has received international attention for its efficient processes and its development and implementation of the strategy of venture philanthropy. Three of the four medications that Rickie takes were developed by this organization. They are one of the best disease-oriented charities in the world, and we are proud to be associated with them.

We have a date!

2009-07-17T09:23:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update to let everyone know of the date of the big swim! August 11 and if by chance it rains August 12th. Ric choose August 11th because Rickie's birthday is August 10th and he thought that would be appropriate.

More information coming soon!

I'll be filling in for Carrie as she is totally busy with a lot of exciting things.

Thanks, Carey (Rickie's mom)

Welcome Aboard!

2009-06-20T04:09:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for information regarding Swimming St. Clair, a clearly energetic and ingenious fund raising idea brought to life by Ric Geyer to bring attention to cystic fibrosis and build a medical trust fund for his son Rickie, you have arrived!

And if you arrived at our Swimming St. Clair website, there is a good chance you've probably met Ric Geyer. Ric, 54, is an entrepreneurial father of six, a Master Swimmer, and as I recently discovered, a Master Delegater.

Ric has known for three years that his eight year old son, Rickie has cystic fibrosis*.

*If you would like more information about cystic fibrosis, your best bet would be to head over to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation where you can find an easy to understand explanation of cystic fibrosis along with a page of frequently asked questions.

The reality of cystic fibrosis is that kids like Rickie typically need a lung replacement at some point in their lives. The purpose of the trust fund is to help prepare financially for that day. Or, if you would like to support the national cystic fibrosis organization we can easily point you in that direction.

Back up, let me introduce myself. My name is Carrie, a writer who has been blessed with the gift of taking creative liberties. One liberty I have already starting implementing is that I will try very hard not use capital letters when I refer to cystic fibrosis. Capital letters, like exclamation points should only be used when deserved. I think cystic fibrosis already has way too much power!

So now you've met Ric. And me. I'll tell you more about the family later.

I've known Rickie and his family for about a year and a half. I've talked to them on the phone, exchanged snail-mail, e-mail, pictures, and life stories. And this week I left the safety of my own little city in Wisconsin and traveled via train all the way over to Grosse Pointe Michigan to meet Rickie, Carey Sue, Ric, Gavin, Chelsea, Hannah, Ali, and Chloe. Seriously, this is probably the bravest thing I have ever done. It doesn't compare to Swimming St. Clair or having cystic fibrosis but I am definitely out of my comfort zone.

I've been working on this blog for a few days and I didn't want to have it revealed until it was all cool and amazing and hopefully I would be able to dazzle you with creative brilliance and you would want to cheerfully donate to this spectacular fundraiser. However, Ric won't let me wait until things are all super duper before I go public. After all, cystic fibrosis didn't wait until Rickie Geyer had his act together.

Have you met Rickie? He is Ric's youngest son and the driving force behind Swimming St. Clair. At first glance, Rickie is a regular kid. Extremely regular. Like blending in with the crowd kind of regular. He's just Rickie. His parents made that decision. They didn't want him to be known as Rickie, the kid with cystic fibrosis. Eight year old Rickie does everything my eight year old Harrison does. Sports, bikes, die cast cars, ninjas, all the usual guys stuff. In fact, to the untrained, it would be difficult to notice a difference. In fact, Rickie's mother Carey and Ric searched for years before they received their son's diagnosis.

So when Rickie's parents are determined not to let the disease dictate the definition, reality is that Rickie is just Rickie. He's Rickie the Cub Scout, Rickie the Super Hero, Rickie the Video Gamer. Rickie Geyer, who happens to have cystic fibrosis.

Now let's get back to why you are here right now. Last year Ric, along with five other men, swam across Lake St. Clair to raise awareness of cystic fibrosis and to build a medical trust fund.

My job is to keep you informed and entertained. I'll be updating the site regularly with more information as the event gets closer. You'll have a chance to meet the swimmers and an opportunity to ask them questions about their preparations.

In the meantime, I've included pictures that I've taken of Rickie during my visit. The last picture is of almost eight year old Rickie with my two youngest kids, Harrison age eight, and Haley age six.

We are very close to adding the information that will allow us to add the ability to donate via PayPal.

Be sure to bookmark this site, come back often, ask questions, and give. If you can't afford to give financially, we will gladly welcome your time or your talent!

P.S. If you navigate your way towards us today, could you take a second and leave a comment? I'd love to make sure people know where we are!