Sunday, August 29, 2010
"Big Swim" a Big Success!
Conditions for this morning's one-way, tide-assisted swim could not have been more perfect for the nine swimmers who set out from West Neck Beach, accompanied by Nancy Reycraft in her kayak! Unlike the tempest of the last several days, the water today was flat and calm, and the cloudless sky was clear and beautiful as Rob Martell and Ken Longo (the "Lewis and Clark" of the West Neck Pod who pioneered the route we swam today), Cathy Kabat, Adam Acerra, Gae Polisner, Sue Robinson, Armand D'Amato, Bonnie Millen and I left West Neck Beach on an outgoing low tide shortly after 7:00 a.m. We headed north to “the sailboat at the end of the Causeway” and then, instead of stopping there as we usually do, continued northward, past the “second sailboat,” reconnoitering at Fort Hill Beach – directly opposite that great, hulking concrete channel marker that looms in the middle of the harbor. 
Three swimmers left the water then and were ferried back to West Neck Beach by Armand. The rest of us continued northward -- where Cold Spring Harbor widens as it approaches Long Island Sound, the open water becomes even more spacious, and the distant horizon seems infinitely far (as far as that channel marker used to!). We swam as far as the last dock just short of the Lloyd Neck Point, then returned to Fort Hill Beach, where three more of us somewhat reluctantly left the water for the drive back to West Neck Beach. Gae and I “high-fived” each other, congratulating ourselves and each other on having finally swum as far as that channel marker – and beyond!
Rob, Cathy and Ken decided to forgo a ride back and swim the rest of the way to West Neck Beach, apparently earning them Neptune and Salacia’s blessing: The tide having turned in the interim, they got the benefit of a tide-assist in both directions – a swimmer’s dream! Adam, Gae and I saw them as we drove back along the Causeway to West Neck Beach – swimming strong, sure and fast, each leaving a long wake behind them like the tail of a comet. Tired as my poor arms and shoulders were, I regretted not following in their wake...Next "Big Swim"....! Until then, it’s Back in the Salt on Tuesday at 6:15 a.m.....
Friday, August 27, 2010
Welcome to the Laundromat...
Friday was Laundry Day at West Neck Beach, with a medium-sized load of 7 swimmers being tossed and tumbled in the agitator between the still-outgoing tide and a brisk northwesterly wind, making the wash-cycle out to the sailboat one of the roughest of the season! The rinse-cycle back, with the turning of the tide and the wind at our backs, was somewhat calmer (though far from the "delicate" setting). Hopefully tomorrow will be "ironing day" and the water will be smooth and flat like it's been most of this season. Speaking of which...with the air temperature this morning dropping to a cool 58 degrees, and the water temperature down to the low 70's (71 degrees according to Newsday), it already feels like the season is waning...
It's back to the laundromat tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 8:00 (a smaller group is going out at 7:00). See you in the Soap -- I mean the Salt!
It's back to the laundromat tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 8:00 (a smaller group is going out at 7:00). See you in the Soap -- I mean the Salt!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
"The sun'll come out....tomorrow!"
Persistent heavy rains and generally dreary weather threw a wet blanket over this week's planned open-water swims, sending some of us back to bed and others back to the YMCA pool...a venue that Nancy Lipira and I had not visited since the start of the open-water swimming season on Memorial Day weekend!
It was great to reconnect with our long-lost "Chlorine" buddies, most notably Coach Bob Miller and HUMS blogographer Mike Engel, along with a dozen or so of the "usual suspects," and Nancy and I quickly fell into the routine of repeated sets of 100's on increasing intervals -- but for us "Saltines" the contrast between the pool and the open water was dramatic....Accustomed to swimming in water that is by now in the low- to mid-70's, I found the 84-degree temperature of the pool to be something of a challenge. 
Even more challenging was the "turn at the wall" after every 17 strokes or so, as compared to the “turn at the sailboat” after three-quarters of a mile....! And with about a dozen Masters swimmers churning up the fast lane, forming a nearly continuous nose-to-toes loop, I found myself yearning for the spaciousness of open-water swimming, where I am comforted in my solitude by the occasional glimpse of another brightly colored cap over the crest of a distant swell....!
The weather report for tomorrow and the upcoming weekend is for clear, sunny skies, so I plan to return to the open water tomorrow for my "morning constitutional" and resume my almost-daily swims at West Neck Beach. (I'm particularly looking forward to this coming Sunday's "one-way swim" -- see the August 19th post.) Still, I feel a chill in the morning air these days, and the water temperature seems to be dropping rapidly, and I sense that the end of the 2010 open-water swimming season is approaching...As I contemplate the inevitable return to the pool, or "closed-water" swimming, I am reminded that it was in that pool, during those long winters, doing those endless interval sets, chasing swimmers who were faster and stronger than me, that I acquired the skills and technique and endurance that make my open-water swims feel so effortless and blissful. So while I'm hoping to continue swimming outdoors well into November(!), the first snowfall won't really break my heart. Besides, there's always cross-country skiing!!
See you in the Salt!
It was great to reconnect with our long-lost "Chlorine" buddies, most notably Coach Bob Miller and HUMS blogographer Mike Engel, along with a dozen or so of the "usual suspects," and Nancy and I quickly fell into the routine of repeated sets of 100's on increasing intervals -- but for us "Saltines" the contrast between the pool and the open water was dramatic....Accustomed to swimming in water that is by now in the low- to mid-70's, I found the 84-degree temperature of the pool to be something of a challenge. 
Even more challenging was the "turn at the wall" after every 17 strokes or so, as compared to the “turn at the sailboat” after three-quarters of a mile....! And with about a dozen Masters swimmers churning up the fast lane, forming a nearly continuous nose-to-toes loop, I found myself yearning for the spaciousness of open-water swimming, where I am comforted in my solitude by the occasional glimpse of another brightly colored cap over the crest of a distant swell....!The weather report for tomorrow and the upcoming weekend is for clear, sunny skies, so I plan to return to the open water tomorrow for my "morning constitutional" and resume my almost-daily swims at West Neck Beach. (I'm particularly looking forward to this coming Sunday's "one-way swim" -- see the August 19th post.) Still, I feel a chill in the morning air these days, and the water temperature seems to be dropping rapidly, and I sense that the end of the 2010 open-water swimming season is approaching...As I contemplate the inevitable return to the pool, or "closed-water" swimming, I am reminded that it was in that pool, during those long winters, doing those endless interval sets, chasing swimmers who were faster and stronger than me, that I acquired the skills and technique and endurance that make my open-water swims feel so effortless and blissful. So while I'm hoping to continue swimming outdoors well into November(!), the first snowfall won't really break my heart. Besides, there's always cross-country skiing!!
See you in the Salt!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
"To the 'Second Sailboat'....and Beyond"!
Good luck to all of the Pod swimmers who are participating in the upcoming 23rd Annual TOBAY Triathlon and Tri-Relay in Oyster Bay on Sunday, August 29th! For those who are not, and who are interested in a little "change-up" from the usual buoy-to-buoy or beach-to-sailboat swims, Explorer-in-Chief Rob Martell will lead Pod members that morning in a one-way, tide-assisted swim from West Neck Beach north to Fort Hill Beach (1.25 mile), and for those interested in tacking on a little more distance, on to Lloyd Neck Point for a longer (2.5 mile) swim, with a return to Fort Hill Beach.
In his prior explorations of the "northern frontier," Rob has been known to tuck his sneakers into the rear of his bathing suit (talk about "junk-in-the-trunk") so that he can run all the way back to West Neck Beach from Fort Hill Beach! For those who don't share Rob's ambition and/or super-hero qualities, auxiliary Pod member and avid open-water swimmer and triathlete Armand has graciously offered us parking space for several cars in his driveway adjoining the Fort Hill Beach Association so that we can ferry one-way swimmers back to the parking lot at West Neck Beach (after walking a short distance from the beach up the road to Armand's property).
DEPARTURE TIME for this expedition will be at 7:00 a.m. from West Neck Beach in order to take advantage of the outgoing tide (dead-low tide is at 8:40 a.m.), so if you're interested in participating, plan to arrive early enough to suit and slather up and be in the water by then! Swimmers looking for a one-way ride back to West Neck Beach should e-mail me (Carol Moore) at CLMooreEsq@verizon.net before Friday, August 27th so we can make adequate transportation arrangements.
NOTE THAT Rob Martell cautions that the water is rougher and the currents stronger as you approach the mouth of the harbor where it meets the Sound, so bear that (and your swimming ability and experience) in mind in determining whether and how far you plan to swim.
See you in the (Northern) Salt!
In his prior explorations of the "northern frontier," Rob has been known to tuck his sneakers into the rear of his bathing suit (talk about "junk-in-the-trunk") so that he can run all the way back to West Neck Beach from Fort Hill Beach! For those who don't share Rob's ambition and/or super-hero qualities, auxiliary Pod member and avid open-water swimmer and triathlete Armand has graciously offered us parking space for several cars in his driveway adjoining the Fort Hill Beach Association so that we can ferry one-way swimmers back to the parking lot at West Neck Beach (after walking a short distance from the beach up the road to Armand's property).
DEPARTURE TIME for this expedition will be at 7:00 a.m. from West Neck Beach in order to take advantage of the outgoing tide (dead-low tide is at 8:40 a.m.), so if you're interested in participating, plan to arrive early enough to suit and slather up and be in the water by then! Swimmers looking for a one-way ride back to West Neck Beach should e-mail me (Carol Moore) at CLMooreEsq@verizon.net before Friday, August 27th so we can make adequate transportation arrangements.
NOTE THAT Rob Martell cautions that the water is rougher and the currents stronger as you approach the mouth of the harbor where it meets the Sound, so bear that (and your swimming ability and experience) in mind in determining whether and how far you plan to swim.
See you in the (Northern) Salt!
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