Thanksgiving is coming up and here is the schedule for that week. (Monday and Tuesday 6:30am) – (Wednesday, Turkey Day, Black Friday and Saturday 7:45am) Yes, we swim on Turkey Day, and the turnout is typically good as most folks want to justify stuffing themselves later that day. Please no camping out for the Black Friday Swim, our specials really suck this year, so no point being first in the water.
Well, today was a red letter day for the lake swim, as the official winter swimming season has started with the water temp dipping below 70 degrees for the first time this fall. A cool, but very swimmable 69 degrees with an air temp of 55. I should point out to those that are saying they are in the I survived 55 club, this refers to water temperature not air temperature. Another little fine point of entry into this exclusive club is that you have to do the swim sans wetsuit, ouch! We had a good turnout today with several folks still off their medicines, which allowed them to swim without wetsuits. The hot tub is fixed (I tremble as I write this because I don’t want to piss off the hot tub gods) so you can count on a toasty warm finish at the end of your swim.
At underwater hockey practice I met an New Zealand player Moss Burmester and invited him to the lake swim. He took me up on the idea, and I asked him his swimming experience. He said he had swam “some” in the past. I asked his best event and he said the 200 fly. When inquiring his time he said 1:54. Which I initially thought was a yards time, but no, he was referring to meters. To make a long story short he placed 4th in the Bejing Olympics in the event and has been a former world short course champion. Needless to say he set the 30-34 record without much difficulty (even though he’s not been swimming for the last 8 months).
Please check out the website http://www.getlocalfl.com and send to your friends that are visiting Orlando and looking for stuff to do. The site operator, Mike Black, is a Lucky’s Lake swimmer, as well as his dad. He has been kind enough to list Lucky’s Lake swim under the Health category. Lots of fun things to do in central florida.
I have had some recent questions regarding wetsuit use, how to size them and where to buy them. For real men and women, who have no idea what I am talking about, wetsuits are the black sausage skins that you will see all the wimpy folks trying to squeeze into before the swim, when the water temperature drops below 84 degrees. Since my wetsuit advice comes dripping with a dose of sarcasm, I thought others my have a better perspective regarding this sort of recommendation (I will withhold your names if you wish to respond anonymously). Please feel free to post your comments on the blog with any wetsuit advice.
Congrats to Jay Madigan who celebrated Veterans Day by swimming 10K. Of course, I received no photo documentation, so you decide whether to high five him or not.
Winter season is here! Water temp is 69 and all the silly people still swim. Please note in the back row that if you put a wetsuit on too tight around the abdominal fat it will cause your arms to pop up and swell.
Olympian and former world champion Moss Burmester from New Zealand (I believe that is a bit west of Zephyrhills) set the new 30-34 age group record with a time of 14:51 He is one heck of an Underwater Hockey Player too. The guy on the left.
Congrats to Howard Holt for scoring his yellow cap.
