Happy Hour Hookah Style

First day a success after a long day of traveling. Checked in to Empress Zoe Hotel (a great place of operations), went for a short walk around Sultanahmet with stop for kebab and pide. Took a short rest and then Happy Hour hookah style with Turkish tea/coffee and raki. Light dinner for and bed for a full day tomorrow(today)

Turkey Bound

At Logan with Spencer G. We are ready for our Turkish Adventure. A quick dip in the Town Pool before hitting international waters/pools!

Father's Day

Late afternoon solo trip to the Town Pool for the inaugural summer plunge!

Cloudy and overcast with lots of hesitation of even weather to go or not but I did--and I am glad I did. The pool may have been colder than jumping in the Boston Harbor yesterday. 

It was a good Father's Day treat. 

Happy Fathers Day to my great dad and all the other dads out there.

It was also pool #22

 

Jim Doty Memorial One Mile Swim

Yesterday was a gorgeous day in Southie at the L Street Bathouse!

Swam in the Jim Doty Memorial Swim. Jim was an older New England open water swimmer that reinvigorated open water swimming in the Boston harbor and the Boston Light Swim. He died last year. I never met him. This swim is hosted by his family in his honor.

There were about thirty participants with a good mix of wetsuits and non wetsuits. I was sixth overall and third wetsuit swimmer.

I swam with some of my MIT friends, Katie, Elaine and Jonathan. Oh yeah and swam with my new Budgy.

Fun afternoon activity.

Budgy Debut

Peace

Elaine, Me, Katie, Jonathan

Budgy Smuggler

Check it out. I got my new suit for the open water season!

It may have the look of the vintage Speedo that Mark Spitz wore in the 1976 Olympics but it's actually a Budgy made in Australia.  A great way to represent the US of A during the Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim in Istanbul.

Hope to break it in this weekend in Boston Harbor.

Gotta love the name!

#21-Chelsea Piers, Stamford, CT

A well planned business trip to MSWM in Purchase, NY allowed for a swim in pool #21.  I heard about the pool from our good friend NW when they visited during Memorial Day weekend.  Chelsea Piers, Stamford is the newest outpost for the NYC athletic/activity center on the Westside overlooking the Hudson.  The facility opened about a year ago, on the grounds of the old Clairol corporate campus. It is a fabulous place with two ice rinks, a gym, basketball courts, a kids a activity center and a huge gymnastics area. The drop in fee was a bit pricey $35-but worth it!

I swam by myself for 3600 yards.  It was a bit boring on my own but I persevered.

Searching for #22...

We Are The Champions!

Other breaking swimming news.  The Tide reigning State Swim Champs got their state rings this week. They look great--lots of bling!

The rings came just in time for the senior boys to wear them tonight at graduation.  It will be a very happy and proud night for all seniors and the Tide mens team. Two state champs under their belt during  their high school career.  Off to new adventures with grounding of many great qualities learned in The Tide Tradition.

Open Water...Dirty Water

Well this week I finally hit the open water!  On June 1st it was the 5th Annual Charles River Swim. I have signed up for it for several times but have always been thwarted by "the dirty water" and the organizers canceling the swim.  This year the water was clean enough to hold the event. It was a mile swim that started by the Fiedler footbridge and went between the Mass Ave Bridge and the Longfellow Bridge. I did ok. My sighting was off and I went way wide of the third buoy.  I got third in my age group-eh.  Below is a pic of my and my pals I swam with E2, KT and Dr. Bob.  Oh and I wore my special Birthday suit from the Wishers. Scandalous.

Today, I also took the first swim in Walden Pond. No wetsuit and the water felt great. I did an out and back twice. Shannon beat me to the Pond this year....