"Halloween Swim Deemed 'Too Scary'!"

Editors Note: The following story and photos are from Carol Moore -- intrepid reporter for the Huntington Masters Swim Team and author of the oft-imitated but never duplicated emailed "water-log" messages. Thanks Carol!

Well, the headline for this morning's aborted open-water swim should read, "Halloween Swim Deemed 'Too Scary'!" As you know, I'm not particularly spooked by a little wave-action, but there was a wicked squall bearing down on West Neck Beach this morning, with a southeasterly wind howling across the water and roiling up white-caps as it met the incoming tide.

The sky was dark and brooding over the water, and then the rain began, even as the sun was burning through the clouds further west.

It was altogether a weird and spooky scene! I may be getting senile, as Nancy says, but I'm not CRAZY, so I finally gave up the ghost and headed for the Y, joined by Tim, who agreed with me that this Halloween swim promised too much "trick" and too little "treat"! As for tomorrow, the weather forecast is looking a little better, so it may be worth a try. If you have insulated booties and/or gloves (I just bought mine this week), you might want to bring them....That water felt COLD this morning! Happy Halloween, everyone! -- Carol

Does running a marathon push the body further than it is meant to go?

With the New York City Marathon only days away, the New York Times published an interesting article today written by TARA PARKER-POPE and entitled The Human Body Is Built for Distance.

If you're a runner, (I know, I know -- this is a SWIMMER's blog... BUT, we have a LOT of swimmers who are also runners and vice versa!), and, if you're a runner whose ever been injured running, (that's ALL of you!), then...

CLICK HERE to read "The Human Body Is Built for Distance".

Bob Miller Takes 1st Place in 2K Bermuda Swim

Here are the swimmers coming into the homestretch during the 2009 Round the Sound Swim in Bermuda -- if you can't spot Bob in this picture, (above), then check out the photo right below as Bob accepts his FIRST Place Trophy! And, oh yeah, the dapper guy in the white shirt standing next to Bob and admiring his FIRST Place Trophy... well, he just happens to be the Governor of Bermuda. So not only is Bob winning some pretty impressive races, but he's also hanging around with some pretty powerful people. Is President Obama next? We know he likes to swim!

While we anxiously await a "first-person" report from Bob, we are happy to be able to report that he came in 1st Place in the 2K Bermuda "Round the Sound Swim" for swimmers 60 and over, on Sunday, October 18, 2009.

Bob's time for the 2K was 39:10 which actually beat 10 of the 13 male swimmers in the Masters Male 40 to 59 age group and would have given him a 2nd Place finish in the Open Male 20 to 39 group. Quite a win for Bob -- no wonder he's smiling!

SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, December 6, 2009

I know, I know! It seems like we were just swimming outdoors mere days ago at West Neck Beach... and some of us were... and some may still get in a few more Open Water Swims before these 40 degree nights set in for good. But no matter how you count it, Sunday, December 6, 2009 is NOT that far away. And, that Sunday starting at 11:30AM we will have our ANNUAL "Y" Swimmers Brunch.

This years Brunch will be a gala affair at Nocello's Restaurant in Northport on 25A and Waterside. Cost will be no more than $30 per person, (probably no less but certainly no more than $30), and will include Nocello's FULL Sunday Brunch Buffet PLUS a Champagne toast and softdrinks, tea, coffee etc.

As usual, the Brunch is open to Huntington area Swimmers, Runners, Bikers and their fans (ie. spouses and significant others!).

Thanks to Tom Haack for setting up the 2009 Brunch -- and laying out the cash to hold our place! In the next few weeks, we'll set up a sign-up sheet at the "Y" -- all you have to do right now is -- SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, December 6, 2009 (11:30AM Nocello's Restaurant).

Bob's "Surprise" Birthday Party

Does he look surprised? I'm not sure as rumor has it that Bob got wind of his "Surprise" Birthday Party at the Black Forest Brew Haus in Farmingdale on Sunday, October 11, 2009. But, "Surprise" or not, he does look happy!


Unlike his usual taciturn demeanor, Bob was happily chatting-up all his friends. (equating Bob and "taciturn demeanor" is a good example of irony!).

"Oh wow, I even get a Birthday Cake..."

"Are they going to want me to blow out all these candles?"

"Here's where we see if all that Hypoxic Training really helps..."

After the cake and all the good Birthday wishes, we asked Bob if he would mind posing with the group. He said "sure, no problem" but either the message got garbled in translation or the fact that it was Bob's 60th Birthday celebration got to him for lo and behold, Bob took his 60th Birthday Group photo with the Red Hat Society. Doesn't that just beat all?

October 4, 2009 Open Water Swim at a Foggy West Neck Beach

(Editor's Note: Thanks to Carol for this emailed description and pictures -- the WaterLog Group just keeps on swimming!)

The water at West Neck Beach was still shrouded in a dense fog at 8:00 this morning (pictures below), but at least it was warmer than it had been on Friday -- the air temperature was a practically-tropical 63 degrees and the water temperature probably somewhere around 60 degrees....Ken and I were joined in the swim (from beach to buoy?-what-buoy? and back) by Jim Imhof (making his 2009 debut in October swimming), and the Roger Clemens of open-water swimming, Rob Todd, who announced his retirement from OWS last Tuesday, and came out of retirement on Sunday to round out our foursome.

Little did we know, Rob had nothing on under that wetsuit, as we learned when he emerged from the water at the end of the swim, stripped-off wetsuit strategically wrapped around his nether regions, and commenced backing carefully out of the water towards the showers (I assume in deference to me, the only woman there). I swear, there is never a camera around when you need one! Nevertheless, that is an image that will live in my memory long into my rocking-away-on-the-porch-of-the-old-folks'-home days. Rob's unabashed comment: "You have no idea how good that felt!" That of course prompted Ken (the former and now-dethroned King of Naked on the Beach) to propose that we all shun bathing suits for a truly natural OWS group swim -- sometime next season, I'm guessing. Stay tuned for posts of a Pod-wide skinny-dip....Or not! Swimming again Wednesday? Anyone? -- Carol