Cold Water Training Turns Into Cold Water Challenge
Andy Davis, Liz Fry, Jim Bayles, and Kevin Lederer swim from jetty to jetty like a postman does his mail routes.Over and over again, the quartet train while doing a 2.6-mile loop from jetty to jetty at Penfield Beach in Fairfield, Connecticut.
Davis enjoys his training course so much, he wants others to join in. He created the Cold Water Challenge to be held on November 2nd when the water is expected to be somewhere south of 60ºF (15.5ºC) and perhaps as low as 55ºF (12ºC).
“Jim and Liz introduced me to cold water swimming several years ago,” explains Davis. “We like to get the most out of swimming outside in the Long Island Sound during the year before heading back to the pool. Typically we go from mid- to late April to early November. We‘ve swum in water as cold as 50ºF (10ºC) which is our personal threshold.”
Which is probably why the little state of Connecticut is considered the English Channel capital of America.
“This year is our inaugural Cold Water Challenge race. We are offering both wetsuit and non-wetsuit divisions, but the weather and water temperatures will have a definite impact on who will attend. We will have high-quality engraved trophies for the top 6 non-wetsuit swimmers, and for the top 3 wetsuit swimmers. Wetsuit swimmers will start 15 minutes behind non-wetsuit swimmers.”
Copyright © 2013 by World Open Water Swimming Association
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.
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