Swim for the Potomac 10K

IronMike

I'll be at National Harbor (in Maryland) this Sunday doing a 10K. Anyone else?

http://www.swimforthepotomac.com/

timsroot

Sounds like a cool swim. If I had the money lying around for a plane ticket, I'd be up for it, but alas...

Franco

Mike,

I couldn't find info on course. Is it eight times around on a loop course?

I also saw a time limit of 45 minutes after first finisher. That would have been a 2:55 time limit last year.

Did you happen to ask about those two things?

I could probably make it but most likely would pass if course is eight times around.

timsroot

One thing, looking at the swim info, that I find odd, is that USAT guidelines govern use of wetsuits. USMS has pretty clear guidelines on the use of wetsuits. If USMS rules govern the event, why do USAT guidelines apply for this? I think that the guidelines are close, but it still seems strange.

IronMike

Boy did I learn some lessons on this swim! Here's my report.

BTW, very few wore a wetsuit in the 10K. But, you gotta see it from their standpoint. It was sooooo chilly at 70 degrees.

http://mtheads.typepad.com/10kmarathonswim/2012/09/most-important-post-race-write-up-youll-readever.html

bobswims

I loved the title of your blog entry. It sounded like you swam into a perfect storm and lived to tell about it and swim another day. But the question remains: why only 2 pints? (that should get people reading your blog).

tortuga

Anyone know when registration will open for this event? I've emailed them twice with no response.

IronMike

@tortuga, it normally takes quite a while before you hear back from them. I wouldn't worry.

If registration for 2014 is anything like in the past years, don't expect to see it until a couple months prior.

tortuga

Thanks IM

IronMike

Registration is now open for the 14 September running of the Swim for the Potomac 10K. Also available are a 3K and 5K. Come see the (U.S.) nation's capital and swim in a great event.

http://swimforthepotomac.com/

SharkPointFromMD

I was wondering when that would open up! Registered for the 10k -- figure it will be a good training swim before To the Bridge and Back 10 miler. Thanks for the announcement, IM!

IronMike

Good luck, @SharkPointFromMD. If it is anything like last year, it'll be 6 laps. I hope to God for your sake it is not like 2012 which was 8 laps.

SharkPointFromMD

How was the current and overall conditions when you've done it?

IronMike

Pretty flat and neutral. Only time I felt anything was when a boat went by.

tortuga

Anybody know a good place to stay nearby to the race?

OnceaRunner

The National Harbor has several really nice hotels, restaurants a peep store and Ben and Jerry's so you should be all set!

I have stayed at the Loft there and the Convention center on several occasions and both are quite nice.

I'm thinking about doing one of the events but not sure which one just yet.

tortuga

Thanks OR. What's a peep store? Sounds dirty. ;o)

danswims

https://www.peepsandcompany.com/locations/national-harbor

IronMike

@tortuga, staying at Nat'l Harbor is nice for race morning, but otherwise boring and away from EVERYTHING. If you'll have a car or a bike, staying in/around Old Town Alexandria will give you access to metros and buses and much more to see history-wise as well as more options for food and entertainment.

tortuga

Thanks all. I'll be staying at Hampton Inn in Nat'l Harbor. Won't have time to play much, I have an ocean race in Wrightsville Bch, NC Sat and need to get back home Sun after the Potomac swim.

IronMike

Enjoy the swim(s)! Don't eat/drink at the restaurant right on the pier where you'll be swimming. Nice outdoor seating but the service is terrible. There's an Irish pub a few blocks from the swim. Nothing better than a Guinness after a long swim!

tortuga

I just heard that they cancelled the swim leg of the Nation's Triathlon this weekend due to sewage levels in the Potomac. Anybody know of the probability of SftP cancellation next weekend? When they might decide? I have a 7hr drive and $200.00 hotel room I'd like to avoid if we can't swim.

IronMike

@tortuga, keep an eye on your email. Denis is good about emailing. You could email him at info@waveoneswimming.com

IronMike

Congrats @SharkPointFromMD for your awesome 10K time. Holy crap, nice and fast. @tortuga, I'm not sure your true name, but congrats anyway, assuming you swam.

SharkPointFromMD

Thanks @IronMike! I was pretty happy with that, especially since it's my second open water swim. Feeling a bit more optimistic about the 10 miler I crazily signed up for.

tortuga

I only finished 6K ( Need to put in some speed work. They don't call me tortuga for nothing.

@IronMike. They started closing the course (sending folks to the dock) at about 2:20 but the results don't indicate if participants completed the race or not. Previous years show how many laps completed. Needless to say, I was disappointed in my performance as well as the late start/early cut off of the race.

IronMike

That was my first year, @tortuga. Course time and lack of enough prep on my lower back. That race is my Moby Dick. I hope to someday complete the 10K.

@SharkPointFromMD, you'll have no problem with your 10-miler! Funny, I did my first (and only so far) 10-miler a month after my DNF (epic fail according to the kids) at Potomac 10K. Completed it no problem.

dudleymv

@SharkPointFromMD I will be doing the 10 mile next Saturday as well, see you there! I thought about doing the 10k this year, but stuck to training in the James with a few other friends doing the 10 Mile Bridge and Back.

HeatherF

For anyone thinking of signing up for the Swim for the Potomac 10K on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, I have some info about cut off time. It sounds like it has been an issue in past races and particularly last year. I would need about 3:15 to 3:30 to finish. The race info says it is approximately a 4 hour cut off. I emailed the race director. This is what he told me: "We moved the start time up to 7:10 AM and with go to at least 11AM. This will provide 4 hours if needed. Last year conditions were fairly windy at times which made for a slower course. We are also reconfiguring the course to eliminate some of the laps. It is always our intention to provide enough time for everybody to finish." I will probably try it as my first 10K, but I'll be upset if the swim gets cut short, unless it is for safety reasons. Thanks for the info from prior races.

IronMike

@HeatherF, Denis is a good dude, and he will let you finish if you're on your last lap. The city makes him clear that harbor by a certain time, so he's working against that.

bluemermaid9

Thanks, @HeatherF and @IronMike, for the info. I was thinking of signing up, too, and was concerned about the cutoff time. Seems like it would be more beneficial to RD and swimmers for the RD to state the start time and duration, rather than adding 75 mins to the first swimmer's time. I think more people would sign up if they knew they have 4 hours rather than an amount of time based on something completely random. What if Sharon Van Rouwendaal shows up??? In that case the race would be over in 3:15 and I wouldn't make it, but I possibly could at 3:35.

JSwim

In 2014 they started the 10 K last, instead of 1st. (Based on the pre-race info, it wasn't supposed to be that way, but it was.) I was the last one stopped at 2:43 after 8K. The online results for the 10 K that year do not indicate how far anyone swam... When I got out the buoys were being picked up behind me and the organizers were almost finished packing up. That part of the dock was virtually deserted. I was very surprised. No one asked how many 1 K laps I had done. I do believe that the fastest guy(s) swam 10K. There were swimmers slower than me who did fewer laps, and obviously faster swimmers who did more laps. So some of the results are not indicative of speed.

The swimming itself was a good experience. It was my first attempt at a 10k. The weather was great, the water clear and cool. But, I was very unhappy to have to stop for a very preventable reason. I got burned there once, I have no desire to try this event again.

tortuga

JSwim said:

The swimming itself was a good experience. It was my first attempt at a 10k. The weather was great, the water clear and cool. But, I was very unhappy to have to stop for a very preventable reason. I got burned there once, I have no desire to try this event again.

I had the same experience that year. The event seemed to be focused on the local kids' clubs which is great, however, the 10K was very disappointing. The area is difficult to get to and hotels are very pricey. Not a venue I will repeat either. Hopefully, they have fixed the bugs in the system by now.

bluemermaid9

I swam the Potomac 10K this weekend and had a very good experience! We started at 0715 and the course closed at 1115, so the swimmers did have a full 4 hours to complete the race, which I truly appreciated. The course was a simple rectangle in a very protected area. It was a small event, so I had a very pleasant swim, even when the 5K swimmers went by. I would certainly recommend the race for first timers.

IronMike

bluemermaid9 said:
I swam the Potomac 10K this weekend and had a very good experience! We started at 0715 and the course closed at 1115, so the swimmers did have a full 4 hours to complete the race, which I truly appreciated. The course was a simple rectangle in a very protected area. It was a small event, so I had a very pleasant swim, even when the 5K swimmers went by. I would certainly recommend the race for first timers.

How many laps this year to complete the 10k?

Franco

Congratulations @bluemermaid9 !

It is good to see the positive changes for this swim. I have always been hesitant to recommend this swim when asked because I hadn't been given much positive feedback in the past. It is probably the only swim of 10K+ nearby that I have never done. I was always concerned with cutoff time the way it was previously set up. I will have to look at it for next year.

I look forward to response to @IronMike question regarding number of laps. I thought it was as many as eight in the past which I didn't find very appealing.

IronMike

Franco said:
I look forward to response to @IronMike question regarding number of laps. I thought it was as many as eight in the past which I didn't find very appealing.

Yeah, the first year I tried it (2012?) it was 8 laps. Way too many.

bluemermaid9

@IronMike and @Franco: Having read the feedback for previous races, @IronMike 's race report, and @HeatherF 's timely post, I decided to give the race a go and was glad I did. The changes were indeed positive, so I figured I'd share my experience. This year the course was 6 laps.

Franco

Thanks @bluemermaid9 . Six laps is better than eight but probably about five more than I would want.

Kevin_in_MD

@Franco, I have done three races there, they do a decent if unspectacular job.

They have a cove there that is relatively well protected so it is resilient to weather. The loop course is good for beginners in particular.

For us in Central Maryland, the races are easy to get to. Traveling on Saturday or Sunday morning is quite easy, and it's right off the beltway.

On the bad side, they overcharged me for registration and haven't replied to my emails asking to rectify it, that's my biggest problem with it.

Also, there are no awards or any other type of recognition at the end. You just kinda go home.

If they get back to me and refund the overcharge, I'll do some of their races again. They are decent races, and hey, it's not like we have all that many chances for open water racing.