GregInTheWater
GLASGOW OPEN WATER SWIMMING COACH
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Here is a copy of a talk I gave on Wednesday 2 October 2013 as part of a swimming yarns program. There were nine speakers, and I was fortunate enough to be one of them. The night raised money for cancer research, and was held at the Woolloomoolo Bay Hotel in Sydney. It was a fantastic evening with some great yarns told around the theme of my first time. THE FIRST TIME… Read More
Another summer weekend in New York, and another open water swim race. I had entered a swim run by CIBBOWS at Coney Island, known as Grimaldo’s Mile. I had been swimming with the CIBBOWS group on weekend mornings since I arrived in New York, and I found them a warm and welcoming group of open water swimming enthusiasts. The race is named in honour of Grimaldo Medrano who was a New York City… Read More
Mid July in New York City, and the second swim of my summer was on. I had competed in the Brooklyn Bridge swim in 2011, and had achieved my best ever placing. As such this swim has a special place in my heart, and besides it is a good excuse to take three months off work and travel to the city that never sleeps. I had done quite well in the Statue… Read More
That’s right. The Statue of Liberty in New York. The one that was a gift from France to the USA to celebrate 100 years of US Independence and opened in 1886. The one that is there to welcome immigrants from the Old World as they sail into New York Harbour on their way to Ellis Island: “Keep ancient lands your storied pomp” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your… Read More
Each year a swim is held in New York that circumnavigates Manhattan Island. Sounds easy swimming around an island. Except this swim is 45 km long if you swim in a straight line, and the winner took seven and a half hours to finish. This year’s event was held on 23 June 2012, and I was there. Well when I say I was there, that does not mean I swam in the… Read More
So the 2012 season is now over. What was my progress over the season? Well to recap in 2011 I had competed in six races with a total distance of 13.4 kms, and I struggled to finish some of those races. For distance covered in Australia I was ranked 1,398 out of 43,462 and in NSW 509th out of 17,154. For the oceanswim handicap series in 2011 I did three swims for… Read More
We had been planning a trip to New York City for a few months, and my research had revealed a swim under the Brooklyn Bridge was to be held while I was there. I was intrigued by the course and the reputation of the waters around New York of being quite dirty. I had read of the exploits of Shelley Taylor Smith swimming the marathon round Manhattan swim and coming across bodies… Read More
Hi. My first post to this or any blog. Wonder who will read it? So I swim in the ocean, the harbour and rivers and race against others. Sometimes I swim well and am happy with my results. Other times I am relieved just to finish. Mostly I enjoy my time in the water and the challenges presented by water that is constantly moving. It sure makes a change from swimming in… Read More
GregInTheWater 