END-WET 2013

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Comments

  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    I just booked the Plaza Motel for $65/night. Looks close to the race start and other hotel. Mostly good reviews on TripAdvisor. If I survive this swim I could probably sleep face down on the ground anyway,,,:)
  • FrancoFranco Chestertown, MDCharter Member
    I have a reservation at Guest House but may move if it is sold out. I don't hear very well but I really don't want to have to worry about a drunken wedding party, convention or kids sports team making noise all night before the swim.

    Rumor has it that LBJ takes all of the ice as well.
  • Leonard_JansenLeonard_Jansen Charter Member
    I can't get in to the Guest house! Have tried a few times over the last couple of months...will try some others..

    It's probably the Australian accent - they likely think you're a terrorist.

    The Plaza Motel is actually a tiny bit closer than the Guest hotel to the start (an easy walk or kangaroo hop) and there were several people in the race last year who said they stayed there and had no problem. Of course, none of them were terrorists, either, so your mileage may vary.

    I haven't booked yet. I couldn't organize a 3 house paper route and usually end up doing everything last minute.

    And yes, all the ice is MINE, MINE, MINE!!!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

    -LBJ

    “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” - Oscar Wilde

  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    I think I'll go to the Cabela's the night before and buy a whole lot of ice. And a gun.
  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    I'm getting a little nervous!! My longest swim so far is 12,000 yds. Haven't had time for anything longer!
  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    My longest so far is 10KM. So I know what you mean...

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    Just got my plane tickets. Thank goodness I had enough miles to get roundtrip DC to Grand Forks for $10. w00t!

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member
    IronMike wrote:
    Just got my plane tickets. Thank goodness I had enough miles to get roundtrip DC to Grand Forks for $10. w00t!

    Damn. That's a lot less than I paid. But at least I'm getting to go.
  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    In driving and ill probably use a couple of hundred bucks for gas :) (petrol)
  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member
    In driving and ill probably use a couple of hundred bucks for gas :) (petrol)

    I'd enjoy the drive, I think, but I don't have enough vacation for two days up plus two days back
  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    I'll only have to take two shifts off work. It looks like 11 hours each way from here
  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    @chickenosea, did you find a webpage for the Plaza Motel or did you just call them?

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    No website, I just called them
  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    I officially got nervous last night.

    It looks from the event site thar like we've each been assigned crew, which is lovely. I'm assuming I won't be able to squeeze 12 hours of feeds onto a regular kayak so am thinking if getting one of those orange ISHOF inflatable things to tow behind the kayak with extra stuff in it. Anyone tried one of these?
  • Leonard_JansenLeonard_Jansen Charter Member
    I officially got nervous last night.

    It looks from the event site thar like we've each been assigned crew, which is lovely. I'm assuming I won't be able to squeeze 12 hours of feeds onto a regular kayak so am thinking if getting one of those orange ISHOF inflatable things to tow behind the kayak with extra stuff in it. Anyone tried one of these?


    I don't think you need to do that. Last year they had a resupply point at about 14 (?) miles and took stuff up to that place for you. I had about 6 or so hours worth in the kayak and then picked up the rest at the resupply point. Since you are driving (I think), bring a cooler for the resupply point - I had to go out and buy one at the last minute.

    -LBJ

    “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” - Oscar Wilde

  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    Oh great, thanks!
  • @ChickenOSea
    I have one of those orange ISHOF thingies if you want to borrow it. When do you leave? Coming out to lake to swim before?
  • Leonard_JansenLeonard_Jansen Charter Member
    @ChickenOSea, @timsroot, @IronMike, et al -
    Call me a punk, but I've had to cancel my END-WET participation. I'm having some stomach bleeding like that which almost (literally) killed me 2 weeks after END-WET last year. I decided that it would be both selfish and irresponsible of me to try this and, if I had another serious bleed during the race, endanger someone's else life in dragging me out. I also had to cancel out of 8 Bridges for that reason. Sorry to be the Judas Goat and lead you into this and then duck, but... Hope to meet you all some other time, like at the 3C swim in September if I heal enough.

    -LBJ

    “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” - Oscar Wilde

  • FrancoFranco Chestertown, MDCharter Member
    Sorry to hear LBJ. Get well and hope to see you at C3.
  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    Bummer. Hope you get better soon!!
  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    What's the C3 swim?
  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    Huh
  • Leonard_JansenLeonard_Jansen Charter Member
    What's the C3 swim?

    http://www.shoreswim.com/

    A 15 mile swim around Cape May, NJ on 14 September. It's put on by Jason Malick of this forum.

    Thanks all for the good thoughts.

    -LBJ

    “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” - Oscar Wilde

  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member
    Leonard, sorry to hear about your stomach. I've had stomach issues of my own over the last few years, but thankfully nothing that bad. Hope it heals up soon enough.

    My ride had something come up, so they won't be able to make it until a bit later now. My flight is scheduled to fly into Grand Forks and land just before 11PM. I have a room booked at the Guesthouse. Will anyone there have vehicular accomodations who can help cart me around, at least back from the airport and to the start line on Saturday? Thanks.
  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    11pm the night before the race? Ill have a car but get in around early afternoon the day before the race
  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member
    11pm the night before the race? Ill have a car but get in around early afternoon the day before the race

    My flight gets in Thursday night. I should have specified. Sorry.
  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    Oh. It seemed a bit late!!! I won't be there yet, but can ferry you to the start.
  • molly1205molly1205 Lincoln, NebraskaSenior Member
    @Leonard_Jansen, I totally signed up for this because of you. I'll curse you every mile. But, still wish you a speedy recovery and am sorry for your stomach woes. Can't you come watch and host a post-party or something?
    @timsroot- if you don't get an airport escort lined up, hang tight and we'll be there at midnight to pick you up.

    Molly Nance, Lincoln, Nebraska

  • Leonard_JansenLeonard_Jansen Charter Member
    Good luck to everyone that I suckered..errr.... convinced to do this. You WILL have a good time, you WILL make it and you WILL feel like the biggest studette/stud after you do!

    -LBJ

    “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” - Oscar Wilde

  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member
    Managed to get sick this week. Home from work today. Hoping for a quick recovery.

    We'll see how or turns out.
  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    I signed up of my own accord...packed and ready to drive up tomorrow. Looking forward to it, except unhappy that Leonard and IronMike won't be there. I'll be swimming with a disposable waterproof camera. I think.
  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member
    @Leonard_Jansen you didn't tell me that there was mini golf in the lobby here at the guest house!?!? That is critical information i should have known about
  • dc_in_sfdc_in_sf San FranciscoCharter Member
    Good luck and have a fun swim to all doing this tomorrow!

    http://notdrowningswimming.com - open water adventures of a very ordinary swimmer

  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member
    Good swim. I wouldn't call it easy at all, but putting the river near flood stage makes it as easy as possible. The winner and second place were somewhere just under 7 hours, the top 10, I think, were all under 8 hours. Our push was somewhere around 2 mph, which helped a lot.

    Near the end of my race, I had the luxury of following the canoe being paddled by Martin Strel. I'm pretty sure I got faster at that point. My paddler did a good job, but I'd have preferred my wife had enough vacation to come paddle for me. Oh well.
  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    Congrats to all! END Racing announced that 100% finished. That's awesome!

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • FrancoFranco Chestertown, MDCharter Member
    Fun swim and great group of people.

    100% over two years is pretty impressive for this swim especially considering there was no qualifying requirement other than signing up.
  • molly1205molly1205 Lincoln, NebraskaSenior Member
    I loved this swim! I finished in lucky 13th place with 8:01. If I'd had a watch I would have pushed it a little harder to break 8 hours, but no regrets. This is a fantastic event with wonderful people. Swimming with a current is where it's at :-) Grand Forks is a great little college town with warm, friendly people. The race organizers and volunteers put on a fantastic weekend of fun. I especially enjoyed our meet-n-greet reception at the Harvest Bakery and watching the documentary on Martin Strel in the Firehouse theater. And, it was so nice to catch up with marathon swimmer friends and make new ones. This is a must-do event for people who want to see how long their shoulders will last.

    Molly Nance, Lincoln, Nebraska

  • Leonard_JansenLeonard_Jansen Charter Member
    Congrats to everyone, especially the ones foolish enough to listen to me and enter. Job well done!

    Now I can say it: "Neener, neener, neener - told ya so!"

    -LBJ

    P.S. @timsroot - Sorry about not mentioning the indoor mini-golf. I wanted to leave something as a surprise. Also, did you get one of the bakery's semi-sweet, sea salt chocolate chip cookies? I thought that might be a good surprise too, even though I suspect they lace those things with crack - God, they are GOOD.

    “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” - Oscar Wilde

  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member
    P.S. @timsroot - Sorry about not mentioning the indoor mini-golf. I wanted to leave something as a surprise. Also, did you get one of the bakery's semi-sweet, sea salt chocolate chip cookies? I thought that might be a good surprise too, even though I suspect they lace those things with crack - God, they are GOOD.

    I'm not a really big chocolate chip cookie guy, but the snicker doodles were really good.
  • caburkecaburke Charter Member
    Congratulation to all the finishers! Can anyone provide a link to the results please?
  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member
    caburke wrote:
    Congratulation to all the finishers! Can anyone provide a link to the results please?

    I don't think they've put official results up yet. Karen Zemlin won in 6:58, with Jen Schumacher 3 seconds behind. All starters finished.

  • molly1205molly1205 Lincoln, NebraskaSenior Member
    Also, did you get one of the bakery's semi-sweet, sea salt chocolate chip cookies? I thought that might be a good surprise too, even though I suspect they lace those things with crack - God, they are GOOD.

    Oh.My.Goodness those cookies were the best I've ever had! Must be made by Angels because they are so heavenly!

    Molly Nance, Lincoln, Nebraska

  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member
    Some words from the race director about next year's swim:

    http://www.endracing.com/node/119
  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    Wow. Freaking wow.

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

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