Marathon Swim
26.3 Miles
July, 1993
This is my first fundraiser. After the World Championships in 1991 when I was 40 years old, at least as a FINA Swimmer, I decided that I was not going to get any faster, and I didn’t want to compete anymore in a pool. Therefore I have decided to dedicate my swimming for a higher purpose. It still allows me to practice hard, which I enjoy, but also give something back to society through the sport I love.
My first attempt is to swim, kick and pull 42,000 meters in a 25 meter pool, a marathon. Well, the distance is actually 50 meters longer than a marathon, but, what the heck. As it is my swim, I can get out of the pool in order to go to the bathroom, touch the bottom of the pool, between sets of changing equipment, and I can “cheat” by using equipment. I am asking people to pledge. As I do not know if I am going to make it, I ask that if I do, that any pledges be doubled.
I have picked a weekend in July, with the permission of the club and coach, for maximum exposure. Trina will handle publicity. We shall see if I can swim that far in one day.
I prepared for this swim by training up to 21,000 meters in one practice. Most of the practices on the weekend were in the 15,000 to 17,000 meter range. I have rested this past week. We shall see.
Country Club of New Canaan – Outdoors – 25 meters
1 X 1000 Swim: {200 Free, 200 Back, 200 Free, 200 Back, 200 Free} 1,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Kick with fins 1,000 mtrs
1 X 2000 Pull with tube and paddles 2,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Kick with fins 1,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Swim: {200 Free, 200 Back, 200 Free, 200 Back, 200 Free} 1,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Kick with fins 1,000 mtrs
1 X 2000 Pull with tube and paddles 2,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Kick with fins 1,000 mtrs 10
1 X 1000 Swim: {200 Free, 200 Back, 200 Free, 200 Back, 200 Free} 1,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Kick with fins 1,000 mtrs
1 X 2000 Pull with tube and paddles 2,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Kick with fins 1,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Swim: {200 Free, 200 Back, 200 Free, 200 Back, 200 Free} 1,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Kick with fins 1,000 mtrs
1 X 2000 Pull with tube and paddles 2,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Kick with fins 1,000 mtrs 10
1 X 1000 Swim: {200 Free, 200 Back, 200 Free, 200 Back, 200 Free} 1,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Kick with fins 1,000 mtrs
1 X 2000 Pull with tube and paddles 2,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Kick with fins 1,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Swim: {200 Free, 200 Back, 200 Free, 200 Back, 200 Free} 1,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Kick with fins 1,000 mtrs
1 X 2000 Pull with tube and paddles 2,000 mtrs
1 X 1000 Kick with fins 1,000 mtrs 10
1 X 500 Swim: {100 Free, 100 Back, 100 Free, 100 Back, 100 Free} 500 mtrs
1 X 500 Kick with fins 500 mtrs
1 X 1000 Pull with tube and paddles 1,000 mtrs
1 X 500 Kick with fins 500 mtrs
1 X 500 Swim: {100 Free, 100 Back, 100 Free, 100 Back, 100 Free} 500 mtrs
1 X 500 Kick with fins 500 mtrs
1 X 1000 Pull with tube and paddles 1,000 mtrs
1 X 500 Kick with fins 500 mtrs 5
1 X 500 Swim: {100 Free, 100 Back, 100 Free, 100 Back, 100 Free} 500 mtrs
1 X 500 Kick with fins 500 mtrs
1 X 1000 Pull with tube and paddles 1,000 mtrs
1 X 500 Kick with fins 500 mtrs
1 X 500 Swim: {100 Free, 100 Back, 100 Free, 100 Back, 100 Free} 500 mtrs
1 X 500 Kick with fins 500 mtrs
1 X 1000 Pull with tube and paddles 1,000 mtrs
1 X 500 Kick with fins 500 mtrs 5
1 X 500 Swim: {100 Free, 100 Back, 100 Free, 100 Back, 100 Free} 500 mtrs
1 X 500 Kick with fins 500 mtrs
1 X 500 Pull with tube and paddles 500 mtrs
1 X 300 Swim {100 Free, 100 Back, 100 Free} 300 mtrs
1 X 200 Swim Forward and Reverse IM, last length butterfly! 200 mtrs
TOTAL 42,000 mtrs
Comments
I decided to start raising money for Juvenile Diabetes as a tribute to my father. I talked to my brother David about it as he was already diagnosed with cancer. I felt that there were so many cancer funds, that I wanted to honor our father. This is my first attempt to raise money. I know it is something I want to do as I am not really excited about swimming only for myself. I do not know where this will lead, it will depend on how successful this swim is.
I decided on a pattern of swim one thousand, kick one thousand with fins, pull one thousand, with tube, buoy and large paddles, at least at first, and then go back with another one thousand pull, one thousand kick, and start all over again. This is a 5,000 set. I continue to do this for the entire day.
I started at the deeper end of the pool as this was closest to the bathrooms and also further away from where most people sit. To help keep track of each 1000, I would change what I was doing at a set interval. For example, I would breathe towards the pergola down, towards the pergola going back, then towards the putting green going back down and the putting green going back up: (right side, left side, left side, right side). Also, we set up the pace clock. I was able to hold pretty close to 1:20/100 meters with my pulling gear. For the kicking I did 200 free, 200 back, 200 free, 200 back and 200 free. I figured I could keep count for 200 or 8 lengths.
At the 25,000 mark, I asked the swim coach, Kevin, to have someone watch me a bit as I was getting tired. At the 30,000 mark, I was unable to concentrate as well, so I cut the sets from 1000s and 2000s to 500s and 1000s. For the last 2000, I went to all 500s. I wanted to end with swimming and no toys. I also wanted the last length to be butterfly as I always warm down with one length of no breathing butterfly for two reasons: no breathing for a length, and butterfly, as it may be the only time I swim the stroke in the entire practice.
The last lengths of butterfly and breaststroke felt so good because the arms moved differently than when swimming freestyle or backstroke. During the day, we raised well over $10,000 during the swim, which was fantastic. I got a nice ovation at the end of the swimming, and had a great dinner, as it was the Wednesday Night buffet at the club.
Later, I learned a lesson: whatever any one wants to give is fantastic. The problem was that when I asked people to double their pledge if I made it, it rubbed some people the wrong way. As I rewrite this, I remember that one person never donated again, perhaps due to me pressing him to complete the doubling of the pledge.
I think I thought that I will try another fundraiser next year. Perhaps not on the Wednesday, but in the fall as I started to get ready for winter swimming with the kids on the New Canaan Y team.