Swim the Suck 2012

IronMike

Still a bit off, but I thought I'd start this. I know there are some forum members who'll be taking part. For me, this'll be the longest so far. I am looking forward to it, especially after hearing so much good about last year's event from @evmo.

SDCOTTEN

I'm looking forward to participating as well. This will be my first official marathon swim. I'm equal parts excited and terrified.

WaterGirl

I'm looking forward to participating as well. This will be my first official marathon swim. I'm equal parts excited and terrified.

Ditto! Except the training is so terrifying, I don't have time to worry about the swim itself.

I hope I can see at least one other swimmer for most of the event. I get a big boost from seeing another human being in the water. It makes me feel like a dolphin in a pod vs. the last of the species.

IronMike

You'll see me for a few minutes before you pass me, so no worries @WaterGirl!

Franco

This is a great event and you should be excited. Karah and her band of volunteers are some of the nicest people you will meet. I am fortunate to be returning for my third visit to this event. While no open water event should be taken lightly, conditions tend to be favorable. I think that with the number of entrants this year, you should have people near you most of the swim regardless of your speed. I look forward to meeting all of you. I am hoping my pilot Taylor will be back to guide me again.

Sharko

A gaggle of South Enders will be there to reconnect with our lovely friend Karah...Unfortunately Karah tells me that my proposal of an inner tube float with my coolabear may not work since last year there was not much current...well maybe next year I can float-it!!!

nvr2late

I will enter the Swim the Suck next year. I was so impressed by the background of all of the swimmers who have entered this year. Incredible athletes, every one. Good luck to those of you on the blog who are entered.

IronMike

Karah sent me the list, so here are the participants in StS 2012. Unsure how many of them are forum members.

Whitney Bacalman, Chattanooga TN USA
Randy Beets, Greenville MS USA
Jeffrey Berridge, Indianapolis IN USA
Chris Bolick, Lenoir NC USA
John Brackett Stuart, FL USA
MaryBeth Brown, Indianapolis IN USA
Bonnie Brown, Woodside CA USA
John Carlson, Herndon VA USA
Jennifer Carlson, Herndon VA USA
Amy Charley, Charlottesville VA USA
Craig Charley, Lexington VA USA
Mitchell Cobb, Lookout Mountain TN USA
Scott Cotten, Fairview NC USA
Kenneth Curl, Wilkesboro NC USA
Trey Danks, Chattanooga TN USA
Suzanne Dods, San Francisco CA USA
Jim Dugan, Worthington OH USA
Kathryn Filley Brown, Novato CA USA
Karah Nazor Friberg, Chattanooga TN USA
Amy Frick, Chester VA USA
Shawn Gleason, Downers Grove IL USA
Edwin (Ted) Gregory, Camp Hill PA USA
Ali Hall, San Francisco CA USA
Norm Hantzsche, Richmond CA USA
Patty Hermann, Houston TX USA
Zane Hodge, Greenwood MS USA
Amanda Hunt, Naperville IL USA
Jan Johnson, Indianapolis IN USA
Gail Karabatsos, Wilkesboro NC USA
Timothy Kennedy, St. Petersburg FL USA
Katie Kenny, Scottsdale AZ USA
Gary Labine, Toronto ON Canada
David Landry, Nashville TN USA
Shirley Loftus-Charley, Afton VA USA
Annie Loveless, Chattanooga TN USA
Daniel Loveless, Nashville TN USA
Dana MacCorquodale, Signal Mountain TN USA
Bridget Elizabeth Mallon, Atlanta GA USA
Lucy Manheim, Fairfax VA USA
Randy Marchman, Fairfax VA USA
Denny Marshall, Ringgold GA USA
Susana Martinez, Colonial Heights VA USA
Jack McAfee, Kennesaw GA USA
Hallie McFadden, Signal Mountain TN USA
Hank McGovern, New London NC USA
Megan Melgaard, Atlanta GA USA
Robert Mog, Huntsville AL USA
Kevin O'Keefe, San Francisco CA USA
Andrew O'Mahony, San Ramon CA USA
Jeremy Ollerenshaw, Alpharetta GA USA
Chris Palfrey, AUSTRALIA
Penny Palfrey, AUSTRALIA
Carl Pearl, Savannah GA USA
Steven Pohnert, Vienna VA USA
Franco Prezioso, Bel Air MD USA
Mina Rhoden, Novato CA USA
Victoria Rian, Indianapolis IN USA
Katy Sahm, Indianapolis IN USA
Richard Schoenborn, Palm City FL USA
Jenny Smith, Ooltewah TN USA
Mark Spratt, Indianapolis IN USA
Martin Strel, Mesa AZ USA
Emily Sutterfield, Little Rock AR USA
Michael Tyson, Washington DC USA
Anne Wanner, Hixson TN USA
Allison Ware, Antioch TN USA
Maggie Watkins, Isle of Man
Jason Watson, Broadlands VA USA
Haleigh Werner, Olympia WA USA
Jeff Williams, Newburgh IN USA

slowmo

I was slow to sign up this year and didn't get in but happy to see that it has become a popular event in the few short years that it has been up and running.

IronMike

The scary thing is the big-timers on that list. Martin Strel, the Palfreys, Karah N-F, Katie Kenny. Probably more pros on that list I should know...

ChickenOSea

That's a huge number of swimmers compared to 2010 when I did it. Hope it's still got the same ambience because that's why I'm going! Should be fun

IronMike

Looking forward to meeting you!

WaterGirl

The scary thing is the big-timers on that list. Martin Strel, the Palfreys, Karah N-F, Katie Kenny. Probably more pros on that list I should know...

You forgot Mike Tyson

SDCOTTEN

Oh, and don't forget Scott Cotten who hopes to be a marathon swimmer after this event : )

WaterGirl

Katie Kenny is in the same boat. Well, hopefully not in the boat. She hopes to be able to swim the whole way.

IronMike

WaterGirl wrote:

Katie Kenny is in the same boat. Well, hopefully not in the boat. She hopes to be able to swim the whole way.

You and I will, @watergirl, one way or the other, we'll finish that race by our own power! I'll be doing it for the beer at the end...

Sgleason

Looking forward to the suck. Open water swimming begins this week for me in Chicago.

Sgleason

Where are most of the 50 swimmers staying on suck weekend?

ChickenOSea

I stayed on the Delta Queen and it was really quirky and fun. I might go there again.

Sgleason

Sounds interesting. I will check it out.

Franco

I stayed at DQ first year and it is a nice experience. Convenient for pre-swim and if not familiar with city. I had a master cabin with wife and it was still pretty tight. I was solo last year and bid through Priceline and got Days Inn Rivergate for $45. Not as nice as DQ but probably more practical with fridge and micro. DQ is a little tight for mixing feeds. If staying 2 nights, DQ would probably be my recommendation if first time in Chattanooga. If you plan on getting to airport or on road after race, it won't matter much where you stay.

@ChickenOSea,
I'll be staying in Hyde Park 2 weeks prior to swim. Hoping to get in a practice at the Point. Will contact you in September.

ChickenOSea

Franco wrote:

I stayed at DQ first year and it is a nice experience. Convenient for pre-swim and if not familiar with city. I had a master cabin with wife and it was still pretty tight. I was solo last year and bid through Priceline and got Days Inn Rivergate for $45. Not as nice as DQ but probably more practical with fridge and micro. DQ is a little tight for mixing feeds. If staying 2 nights, DQ would probably be my recommendation if first time in Chattanooga. If you plan on getting to airport or on road after race, it won't matter much where you stay.

@ChickenOSea,
I'll be staying in Hyde Park 2 weeks prior to swim. Hoping to get in a practice at the Point. Will contact you in September.

Super! I had my own little bunk cabin on the DQ and loved it. Had a great meal in the boat's restaurant. Don't remember having any issues w feeds (I probably didn't take much)

Sgleason

2 weeks of training in Hyde park, I love it.

Sgleason

What kind of mileage are people putting in now for the suck? I swim @10 miles a week. No long swims yet.

Sgleason

Priceline is your friend. Is Chattanooga really busy on the swim weekend with the outdoor festival.

IronMike

ChickenOSea wrote:

I stayed on the Delta Queen and it was really quirky and fun. I might go there again.

I've emailed them and asked about openings and have gotten nothing back. Thanks for reminding me.

WaterGirl

What kind of mileage are people putting in now for the suck? I swim @10 miles a week. No long swims yet.

I'm probably on the high side for mileage. Right now, I'm around 13 miles/week. That's mostly high-intensity, low volume during the week and a long swim on the weekend. Earlier in the year, my overall yardage was much higher, but intensity was lower.

I know a lot of people who have done 10-mile swims this year with much less preparation. (All of them better swimmers than I am.)

Sgleason

Very nice! So I guess I better bump it up.

IronMike

Phew! That was close. Almost had to pull myself from this race. My original kayaker fell through, but thankfully my uncle has agreed to escort me. Yeah!

ChickenOSea

They have volunteers though. I was just going to rely on whoever they found for me...

SDCOTTEN

Those of us who registered late (Early March) had to provide our own yacker and yack.
I'm just happy to have gotten in.

ChickenOSea

Ohhh I see. I think I was first in. Phew

heart

I really, really want to do this in 2013, and am looking forward to race stories from the October 2012 protagonists.

SDCOTTEN

Getting excited for my first marathon swim, one week out!

ChickenOSea

Can't wait to get there!!!

IronMike

I'll be the one wearing black trunks.

caburke

Look out for Tim Kennedy. He's 55 years old, a great guy and a great swimmer. Good Luck Tim from all your friends in St. Pete!!!

ChickenOSea

I'm wearing the silver suit

IronMike

So. Much. Fun!

ChickenOSea

Loved it, despite the post swim allergy attack. No idea how long it took me

SDCOTTEN

I had a great time. It was fun meeting you all. 1st marathon swim done!

IronMike

@ChickenOSea, I think we did it around 4:42-ish.

ChickenOSea

Oh cool, then there was definitely current!

IronMike

Results are out! You should have them in your email.

4:44:39 for me. Well under my goal of 5 hours. Thank God for current...albeit, only 6000cfs.

SDCOTTEN

Got em, very happy with a 4:33.

IronMike

Started composing my race report. Part I on my blog now. (Link below)

IronMike

Anyone here doing this in 2013? I just registered yesterday.

evmo

nvr2late

Ironmike, I am number 6 on the wait list. Wow that filled fast. I must have been in the pool, doing my New Years Day long swim, while the smart ones were signing up! I am hopeful that I will get in, if not, I will try in 2014.