I Dare You ... to Swim in the Chicago River

Swimming in the Chicago River requires two things you had as a kid but lost in adulthood. 

Courage and a sense of adventure. 

Here a short video clip of what could be to inspire you to be that kid again - https://vimeo.com/207736689

We have now been told by scientists (e.g. Argonne Labs) and the US EPA the water in the Chicago River is in good shape and while not perfect isn't much different than other urban waterways and frankly not that much different than water in Lake Michigan, the water we drink.

What the City of Chicago however continues to say is that its toxic, but what they really don't say is that its not and they prefer not to spend further capital to improve the water and enforcement of existing discharge laws and infrastructure upgrades.

Swimming in Lake Michigan while it appears to be safe is a 'play it safe' move. But we all know that's not life, life if messy and comes with risks (which we are all too our public officials try to legislate away). Lake Michigan has the exact same bacteria as the river and from time time the City discharges directly into the lake (our drinking water source) when it rains too hard like this fall 2017.

But life happens. Risk as simple as slipping on ice stepping off a curb in the busy city to walk across the street, flying, driving a car, riding your bike on the Lake Shore bike trail, walking along the new River walk (where there are little to no safety life rings and ladders in case you fall in).

I get it that certain people are afraid, including our government officials, but that's in part what we pay them to do for us, protect us. They're asking us (the organizers of the swims) the tough and right questions doing their job as the public should expect.

So whats risky?

Perhaps the City should focus on preventing more risky behaviors like gun deaths. Lets get some common sense in allowing the river swim like the chicago marathon or triathlon. Its an opportunity to further highlight the billions of dollars already spent on the riverwalk.

Besides who wants to spend $3M on a river condo to hear its "toxic" and see poop floating by?

I think we get the point, now be leaders like most other cities are already doing New York, Boston, San Francisco, etc.

Making a difference ... the hard truth about attitude in swimming

Swimming in outdoor lakes and rivers is one of life’s most pleasurable experiences, even transcending (some say) the sensations of being in the womb. 

The meditative power and calmness of swimming (even in races) affects deeply the mind and body processes as proper technique is learned, focusing on relaxed head down strokes, long body rotations and relaxed breathing patterns one can swim for hours.

But what cannot be taught is emotional resilience in the water or put another way "Gratitude". Ones underlying nature or personality shines through very quickly when open water swimming in dealing with a challenge or adversity. It strips away the professional and politically correct varnish. "It seems in this you either have it or you don't" and its rare to find an open water swimmer without it. 

That was until recently...

"I witnessed two reasonably fit middle aged tribes-athletes (which by the way has nothing to do with this commentary) finish an open water swim, stand-up, look at their $1000 GPS watches as they unbuttoned their wetsuits, squishing their toes in the warm sand and begin to bitch about their time being too fast? This perked up my ears as its usually the other way around. So I stood by within ear-shot listening...

Astounded they were not congratulating themselves for swimming really well or at worst shortly concluding maybe they miscounted the number of laps swum or forgot to charge their $1000 GPS watches they concluded "the course must have been short, we got ripped off". 

The two continued to complain as they walked up the beach insinuating somehow they "got cheated" by having the course be too short while failing to recognize around them this was a charity swim event, it was 70f, clear sunny morning and they had just swum in a clear blue/green lake with not a ripple. 

Shocked to what I was witnessing, I stood feet away mesmerized by the emotional weakness of these two "competitors" lacking in gratitude but also in the fact they had spent thousands of dollars on equipment, suits, and who know what else and could have just swum another lap.

The lack of emotional intelligence demonstrated that morning I will bet cripples these two extending into their physical swim ability and likely elsewhere to compete at a higher level. 

I wish I could have video tapped the scene and shown you here, it brought together the physical and emotional traits needed to be a winner in life.

Attitude is everything. Swimming is so much more than a race (and don't get me wrong I love to race) but with both ...

One Stroke at a Time

Resurrecting the 100 Year Old Chicago River Marathon Swims

Swimming the Distance: How Do We Get from Here to There?

Last summer, 11 intrepid individuals jumped into the Cal-Sag Channel as part of the Cal-Sag Plunge. This monumental occasion signified that the more than 100-year history of the river as a sewage canal is over and recreation in, on, and along the water is here to stay. 

But is the river really safe enough for swimming? Who says so?  And how do they know?

Please join Friends of the Chicago River, along with other water quality experts, policy advocates, and urban swimming champions as we explore these questions and discuss how to make swimming in the Chicago River system a reality.

Speakers include David Barra, New York Open Water; Jessica Dexter, Environmental Law & Policy Center; Willie Levenson, Human Access Project; and David St, Pierre, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. A panel discussion will follow.

Click here for the summit agenda. 

Chicago River Summitt

Chicago River Marathon SwimRenewal of a Chicago Athletic Tradition
 

The Chicago River is a vibrant and dynamic venue combining a working river, world class architecture, recreation and city landscapes pulsing through the heart of Chicago like an artery of greek god, Poseidon, Olympian, God of the Oceans, and king of the sea gods. 

This venue creates the opportunity for the city to return to its world class athletics involving swimming that was exceeding popular in the early 1900's. The bridges and shoreline create a natural viewing area for hundreds of thousands of visitors, tourists along the shores like a “stadium” built for economic and corporate business interests.

So we will see if the vision can become a reality.

History

Begun in 1908, the Chicago River Swim capitalized on the bustling downtown and athletic events of the day. These swims took place during what is considered by many to be the most polluted periods of the river, before it was turned to the Mississippi and still discharging into Lake Michigan. Yet today even Lake Michigan has water quality challenges that everyone swims in without thinking twice.  Yet the river suffers from the mystique of un-educated fear and factual reporting of being much cleaner according to many.

Today, building on our community’s history, strong work ethic, and as national transportation hub for commerce, organizations have come together to expand an already successful regional swim series by adding a series of swims to the Chicagoland area to reinvigorate a century old river marathon swim tradition.

The river swim rain-child is the idea of recognized open water swimmers Doug McConnell and Don Macdonald. With each having a swimming pedigree spanning the English Channel, Tampa Bay, Boston Harbor, around Manhattan Island, Kawa'i channel, and National Masters Championships they are more than qualified experts in a sports growing so fast it has recently been added to the Olympic stage.

Capitalizing on recent successes in water quality, community environmental awareness and economic development forged by other partners, Doug and Don saw the opportunity to focus on the Chicago River as a sporting venue.

We believe Chicago will once again be the epicenter of urban aquatic athletics (i.e., swimming, kayaking, canoeing, etc.) offering River and lake swims similar to events hosted around Manhattan Island 29 miles, New York; Amsterdam’s canal swims 1-5 miles; or Boston’s Light House swim conducted for over 100 years 8 miles among others.

River Athletics

Anecdotes tell us Chicago has hosted many famous Olympians such as Johnny Weissmuller, Buster Crabbe and that venerable sports club like the Illinois & Chicago Athletic Club hosted events as early as 1908.

Chicago's first great swimmer, H. Jamison Handy, won a bronze medal in the breaststroke as a member of Central YMCA Olympic squad in 1904. Handy improved the crawl with an underwater exhaling technique that brought him record-setting national championships between 1906 and 1909. During the 1960s, Hinsdale Central dominated state pool competitions producing Olympian and world record holder open water champion John Kinsella also an English Channel swimmer that later attended Indiana University swimming for James ‘Doc’ Councilman with Mark Spitz and Gary Hall Sr.

CHICAGO MARATHON SWIM News Clip

Silver Loving Cup Has Been Presented by W. H. Thompson of Illinois A. C.

News Reprint. CHICAGO, Aug. 9, 1910 — One of the richest prizes ever offered for an event of Its kind is the $1000 silver loving cup that has been donated by William Hale Thompson, the first president of the Illinois Athletic club of Chicago, as a perpetual trophy to be competed for by swimmers in the annual Chicago river marathon, which will take place on August 13. Rules for, the race are made, especially stringent this year, a rigid examination by physicians being mandatory before swimmers will be allowed at the starting point. Contestants failing to pass the examination will be barred, and those showing signs of any weakness whatever during any part of the race will be compelled to retire from the competition at once. The marathon is to be held under the auspices of the Amateur Athletic union and Is open to all registered athletes. The course, decided upon officially at a meeting of the Illinois Athletic club athletic committee, will be from the Chicago life savings station to Jackson boulevard on the river.

River Marathon Swim – Concept

The event is in the earliest of planning stages, with many questions to be answered and approvals sought but the possible athletic and economic outcome is without question a potential milestone to the arteries that have been for 100 years diseased with pollution, congestion, and mis-use as a sewer that is until recently. 

We envision a nominal 5k (2.4 mile) swim commencing in the south branch at Ping Tom Park located in the south loop, China Town area at the new river kayak, canoe and recreation basin launch. Proceeding North approximately 1.5 miles along the right hand side of the channel turning into the main stem branch heading East toward Michigan Avenue. The planned exit will be in the Riverwalk area where accessibility has been built into the river bank.

Future alternative distance swim events are being planned from 1 mile to 10 miles for different qualified levels of swimmers from triathlon to open water racers from entry points such as East Bank Club, Goose Island, or River City.

Each potential future event has its own conduct requirements, safety and planning needs to be well vetted with all stakeholders.  Combining swim events with other athletic events such as canoe and sculling races, traditionally held in the river offers other benefits to organizers.

Entry from Ping Tom Park, South Loop/Chinatown with participant access from nearby Redline trains and public support facilities makes this entry point ideal to support the gathering and start of such future events.

The view looking north to Willis Tower, offers swimmers a straight line course to warm-up and prepare for the busier and more confined walled channel.

View north from water level. You can see concrete embankments, both sides that are not to be approached. 

Bridges proceeding north in financial district begin potential public viewing but also have pilings to be avoided slightly outside of embankment areas. 

In this stretch facing north companies have water taxi service docks for commuters

View just before the intersection of south, north branches and main channel (wolf point) where course turns right (east) toward Lake Michigan. This entire stretch has low to water river walk for access/egress. Boats can pull up and dock here for bars so be aware of private small water craft.

The Riverwalk steps are the planned exit point.

Swimming the Distance: How Do We Get from Here to There?

Swimming the Distance: How Do We Get from Here to There?

2014 Don Macdonald's watchful safety eye looking over Doug McConnell swimming around Manhattan Island

Last summer, 11 intrepid individuals jumped into the Cal-Sag Channel as part of the Cal-Sag Plunge. This monumental occasion signified that the more than 100-year history of the river as a sewage canal is over and recreation in, on, and along the water is here to stay. 

But is the river really safe enough for swimming? Who says so?  And how do they know?

Please join Friends of the Chicago River, along with other water quality experts, policy advocates, and urban swimming champions as we explore these questions and discuss how to make swimming in the Chicago River system a reality.

Speakers include David Barra, New York Open Water; Jessica Dexter, Environmental Law & Policy Center; Willie Levenson, Human Access Project; and David St, Pierre, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. A panel discussion will follow.

Click here for the summit agenda. 

Chicago River Summitt

Conquering Hawaii's Biggest Waves

Don Macdonald kayaking down the face of a huge rolling wave crashing down on Doug McConnell

It's a few months since escorting Doug McConnell (A Long Swim) across the Molokai Channel, better known as the Ka’iwi Channel (or Channel of Bones) separating the islands of Molokai and Oahu.

Stretching 26 miles (42 kilometers) and plunging to a depth of 2,300 feet (701 meters), the Ka’iwi Channel has the reputation as one of the world’s most treacherous bodies of water.



Leaving at midnight in pitch black inky warm, with not even a house light from shore, we shoved off from shore Doug's red and green safety lights blinking away as the only visual contact between us, stars shining so bright I felt like Christopher Columbus knowing ahead there was an island yet to reveal itself after 18 hours of sun drenched paddling.

I knew that each human powered race across the Channel of Bones is regarded worldwide as the crowning achievement of the sport and it doesn’t give up easily.

Some 16 hours later, after calm seas and great swimming, mother nature unleashed strong winds following behind a tropical depression driving the seas to 12 foot.
The escort boat with a fly bridge would dip down in the trough ahead of us and disappear completely.

As evening fell, it became apparent mother nature had won this day. I leaned over to Doug and said ‘you have to let it go’, your sister and dad will understand and prefer you come home safe. I find in these swims when every ounce of energy is depleted and you are mentally destroyed, you must help swimmers (who are in a depressed state) to make these decisions with little coaching comments and suggestions to allow them to come to the right (and safest) decision. We abandoned the swim within a 1/2 mile of shore but facing jagged black rock walls, 10-foot surf to come ashore and darkness once again.

Before we left, I reflected on some recent history which left an impression and one that would live up to its reputation. The tragic loss of Hawaiian big-wave rider and waterman Eddie Aikau in the Ka’iwi Channel during the 1978 Polynesian voyage of the Hokule’a sailing canoe added to the mystique and revered power of the channel. After gale force winds and 30-foot swells disabled the Hokule’a, Aikau left the ship on his rescue paddle board to seek help for his stranded crew mates. His body and board were never found. Paddling has been a part of Hawaiian heritage since early Polynesians navigated thousands of miles of open ocean guided by nothing more than currents, wind and stars. Double-hulled sailing canoes were used to cover longer distances and single-hull outrigger canoes covered shorter, inter-island distances.

I am sure we will be back and if mother nature allows, we will be standing on the Oahu shore.