It took me way too long to post this recap, but finally here it is.  After swimming SCAR in 2017 and having so much fun there, I eyed the 7 stage, 120 mile, 8 Bridges swim down the Hudson River as one of my next challenges.  The dates didn’t work our for 2018, so I waited until this year.  It was all the easier to sign up with the 2019 Mercer Island Marathon Swim being moved a little earlier, allowing for more of a break between swims.  I was ever so glad I signed up for 8 Bridges.  The swims were every bit the challenge I was looking for, and New York Open Water is a first class event organizer.  It was a privilege to spend a week with such fantastic people.  There were so many positive experiences during my week long journey, and it’s a shame that they have been largely overshadowed by the shock of what transpired at the end of Stage 6.

I don’t want to write much about what happened after Stage 6, but I would be remiss to leave it out completely as it was such a heartbreaking experience for me, as I’m sure it was for so many who were there.  For those reading this post who had not heard, one of the Stage 6 swimmers, Charles Van Der Horst, went underwater at the finish and didn’t resurface.  His body was recovered a few days later.  Tragic.  I scoured the web for everything I could find regarding Charlie and the life he lived.  There are so many wonderful posts out there sharing memories and tributes to Charlie.  Whatever I could write here would pale in comparison.  I suggest you all take a few minutes to Google Charlie or look him up on Facebook to read all about this great person who met his unfortunate end under the George Washington Bridge.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I’ll focus the rest of the post on my positive experiences from 8 Bridges, of which there are many.

Stage 1:  The Islands

Rip Van Winkle Bridge to Kingston Rhinecliff Bridge

18.3 miles

On Saturday morning, June 8, I arrived at sunrise to the meetup location for those of us leaving cars near the stage 1 finish at Kingston Rhinecliff Bridge.  I took the few extra minutes to take a good look at the Hudson River and reflect on the swims I was about to attempt over the next week.  I was a bit nervous going into this first swim.  I had decided after my Mercer Island Marathon Swim that I would try all stages of 8 Bridges butterfly.   At least I would try until I failed a stage (spoiler:  I did), after which I would just swim how I felt.  This first stage was going to be my first open water marathon swim butterfly since Lake Powell back in September.  I had done quite a few long distance butterfly workouts in the pool, including a couple 10K sessions, but open water is always a bigger challenge as you through in winds and waves and the colder temperatures.  During my workouts leading into 8 Bridges I was feeling a bit sore around my left elbow of all places, and I was concerned this might cause me an issue during the week long event.

We took a bus up to Catskill.  Bus rides for these types of swims always feel longer than they should, but are a reminder of just how far a swim we have ahead of  us.  Upon arrival, I made my preparations for my first swim.  I met my assigned kayaker, who would be with me for all the stages except stage 5, and gave him my instructions.  Of note, I instructed my kayaker that I wanted him beside me throughout.  This was a change from prior butterfly swims where I had my kayaker out in front of me.  I decided to make this change for the following reasons, mostly as lessons learned from my Lake Powell swim.

1. The kayaker is better able to see how I’m doing and make sure I’m okay.
2. Likewise, I’m better able to see my kayaker and make sure he’s doing okay.
3. I’m in better position to communicate with my kayaker should I need to.
4. While I’d prefer not to do it, turning my head to the side every once in a while to keep sight of my kayaker isn’t too much of a hindrance.
5. It is much easier to keep a pretty consistent separation between me and my kayaker.  With the kayak out in front, there had been times where I’ve found myself swimming faster than I probably should, I guess as some sort of attempt catch up after I felt the kayak was getting too far ahead.

After an orientation meeting, the swimmers headed out to board our host boat for the 7 stages, the Solaris.  The Solaris is an all solar powered, 44-foot tour boat – no fossil fuels are used to operate.  I wish all swims such as this could be blessed to be accompanied by such a boat.  So quiet.  So clean.  It is an amazing boat.

After a short boat ride to underneath the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, I joined the other swimmers in jumping into the river.  The water was 68 degrees.  So warm, compared to the 60 degrees of Lake Washington from two weeks before.  After a quick countdown, we were on our way.

The swim went fantastic.  I felt solid the entire way.  Weather was very calm.  The only hitch I can remember occurred very early on, when I got both arms tangled in some grass that it brought me to a brief halt to get untangled.  There was quite a bit of debris in the water, but mostly small things that were just a minor nuisance.  The elbow I was concerned about was a non-factor.  It took a lot longer for me to catch sight of the ending bridge than I expected. One common piece of advice given to the swimmers was to not look ahead at the bridges because they are so much further away than they appear.  Swimming butterfly I’m looking at them with every stroke, but I particularly enjoy that, admiring the bridges from afar while they very, very slowly get bigger.  I finished in about five and a half hours, which was a little faster than I expected.  Overall, it was a very successful swim.

Stage 2:  The Lighthouses

Kingston Rhinecliff Bridge to Mid-Hudson Bridge

19.8 miles

Sunday morning came, and it was time for Stage 2.  Several had told me the previous day that they thought Stage 2 was the toughest.  It is tied for the longest stage, and comes right on the heals of the 18.3 miles Stage 1.  The morning preparations went the same as the previous day, but there were definitely more concerns among the participants about finishing this swim.  I was concerned as well.  I felt good, but I didn’t know how well I would swim.  In SCAR 2017, my butterfly pace dropped quite a bit with each consecutive day of swimming.  Two years later, I am better trained and my recovery times have improved, but I still figured my pace would drop – it would just be a question by how much.

A couple event organizers suggested after Stage 1 that I scrap the butterfly for Stage 2, or else there was a chance that I wouldn’t finish.  That gave me much to think about.  I had no reason to doubt their judgment.  That night, in looking at swim times from prior years, I decided that I would stick with butterfly for Stage 2, and I believed I could make it.  However, I imposed on myself a time limit of 8 hours.  If at any point during the swim it looked as if I couldn’t finish in 8 hours, I would switch to freestyle.

The preparations the morning before the Stage 2 swim went very much like Stage 1.  Indeed, this stage swam very similar to stage 1.  Right from the outset I could tell my pace wasn’t as strong as it was at the start of the prior stage, but I still felt really good.  The conditions were once again very calm, and it was a very enjoyable second swim.  For the first two thirds or so of the swim there was nothing for me to really focus on straight ahead – the first swim wasn’t too much better, but it had a few land formations that I could swim towards.  Here, for much of the swim I was just looking straight down the river.  I know I missed much of the scenery to be seen to either side of the river.  I think I would have enjoyed it more had I swum freestyle from the start.

I started to figure out in my head that I might not make my self-imposed 8 hour cutoff for butterfly when I reached the boat club opposite the FDR National Historic Site Viewshed roughly 5 miles from the finish.  Still, I pushed on, knowing it was going to be close.  With the river narrowing as much as it did, I figured the tidal flow would be stronger for the last stretch, which didn’t bode in my favor as the tides were about to turn against me.  I didn’t know for sure if that would be the case.  Through it all, I definitely enjoyed this final 5 mile stretch of the swim a lot more than the rest of the swim, simply because I was so much closer to the shore and could see a whole lot more of my surroundings.  I measured my progress by how long it took to pass boats in the marina.  I think that gave me a little boost, to actually have clearer evidence as to how fast I was swimming, but there was still a long way to go.

There are actually two bridges at the finish to Stage 2.  The first is the Walkway Over the Hudson, which for the purposes of 8 Bridges doesn’t count as a bridge, and is about 900m from that is the true finish under the Mid-Hudson Bridge.  As I was approaching the walkway, I could tell looking at the shore that my progress had decreased significantly as the tide had definitely changed.  At my 6.5 hour feed, I was convinced I wasn’t going to finish within 8 hours.  It was then just a matter of figuring out when I would make the switch.  I continued butterfly for just a little bit longer, before eventually deciding enough was enough.  I flipped to my back and did a few strokes backstroke as I told my kayaker it was time for me to switch it up.  I’m sure it caught him by surprise.  My goal to finish all the stages butterfly was over.

Against the current, the difference in relative speeds feels so much greater.  When I switched to freestyle, I felt like I was suddenly swimming downstream.  I was going so much faster, like 5 times faster.  It was a weird feeling.  The currents were so strong, and the final stretch in particular between the two bridges took quite a long time, but the time also felt like it was flowing so much faster.  That final 30 minutes of the swim felt more like 10 minutes.  As I passed a few swimmers near the finish I wondered how hard it must have been for them to push forward.  The last stretch must have felt like forever to them, while to me it went by quickly.

I finished in just over 7.5 hours.  I firmly believe I could have finished that butterfly, but it would have been a long, slow go, and I would have been testing the race directors’ patience, so I’m happy I didn’t give it a try.  I think what I did worked out pretty well.  I gave butterfly a good try, but when it came time, I switched to freestyle with no regrets.  I’m very pleased with how everything turned out.  Stage 2 was done.  Now I had to decide what to do on Stage 3.

Stage 3:  The Hudson Valley

Mid-Hudson Bridge to Newburgh Beacon Bridge

13.2 miles

I guess the pressure was off after Stage 2, and from that point on I set out for each swim with the primary objective to have fun.  For Stage 3, I decided at pretty much last minute that I would treat it similar to what I did at the Mercer Island Swim.  I would swim fly up to my first feed at the hour mark, then freestyle the rest, maybe switch to fly at the end.

Preparations went much the same as before.  The start times for these swims kept getting pushed back a little bit later, which was welcome as it meant I could sleep in a bit more each day.  Some of the other swimmers from the prior stages were mentioning they were feeling a bit sore from the prior swims, but I honestly had no soreness whatsoever.  I do train pretty much every day, and I have swam a large number of marathons over the previous years, so I think that’s a big reason for my quick recovery times.  It doesn’t hurt that I’m still relatively young.  I noticed the forecast for this day called for slightly more wind and a little bit cooler temperatures, but not all the much different from the prior two days.  It looked like it was going to be yet another good day for a swim.

Holy cow this third stage felt very fast.  Each feed came up sooner than I expected, which I guess is an indication of how much less energy I expend swimming freestyle, as much as I like to think that I’m putting the same effort when I do fly versus free out in the open water.  I definitely work harder when I swim fly.  It isn’t much for a short swim, but the difference gets magnified the longer the swim.  It turned out I also enjoyed swimming freestyle in the river so much more than fly; there simply was so much more to see and enjoy along the shore than what was out in front.  After 5.5 and 7.5 hours of mostly fly the first two stages, the Stage 3 swim of 4.5 hours of mostly free felt really, really short.  It is strange to call over 4 hours of swimming short.  I almost didn’t want to get out at the end; I was feeling so good.

Stage 4:  The Highlands

Newburgh Beacon Bridge to Bear Mountain Bridge

15.0 miles

To me Stage 4 was the best stage to swim in terms of scenery.  From the start I could see up ahead Storm King Mountain on one side and Breakneck Ridge on the other, and to swim up to and between those two points was pretty cool.  Then we got to swim around West Point.  That was really awesome, and made me wish I could see better with my prescription goggles.  I was glad this day that I primarily breath on the right, as that’s where West Point was as I swam by.

I decided to reverse what I did in Stage 3:  start out freestyle the switch to butterfly near the end.  Looking at race results from prior years, I figured Stage 4 would take me between 4.5 and 5 hours, so I decided to make the switch at the 4 hour mark.  This switch was to take a moment to swim with the leaders for a change, vs swimming from the rear as I had done in each of the prior stages.  I had good company up front, as there were two other swimmers who were keeping pace, and they actually pushed me to swim a bit harder than I would have by myself.  Unlike the other days, there was quite a bit of wind that created some choppy conditions, but the chop was pretty short lived, and the wind was mostly a tailwind, which made for some pretty fast swimming.  Actually, it made for some really, really fast swimming.  When I fed at the 4 hour mark, I looked forward for the Bear Mountain Bridge for the first time all day.  I expected it to be still a ways away, to line up with how long I expected the swim to take.  I did a double take when I saw the bridge was basically right there, at most a mile away.  It was quite disappointing actually, as I was feeling really good on this swim, probably the best I felt so far, and I was particularly enjoying all the scenery around me.  I didn’t want this swim to end so short. I did swim fly to finish.  I swam a bit slower than normal, with a slower, more deliberate turnover.  I was trying to milk the swim for just a bit longer.  I finished in 4 hrs, 10 minutes, about 30 minutes faster than predicted.  This was a fun swim, and I really did wish it could have lasted a lot longer.

Stage 5:  The Hudson Valley

Bear Mountain Bridge to Tappan Zee Bridge

19.8 miles

There was a day off between Stages 4 and 5 to allow more rest going into the longest swim of the event.  This gave me more time to think about how I would swim this stage.  I was intrigued with going back to swimming all butterfly, I guess as some sort of redemption for what happened on Stage 2.  However, following how much fun I had on Stages 3 & 4, swimming butterfly was less appealing, and any thoughts I might have had were quickly dashed when the event organizers announced that I would be starting in the second, faster wave, an hour behind the other swimmers, so they were expecting me to swim freestyle.  Of course I wasn’t stuck with that assignment, but at the same time I had no strong conviction to request an earlier start.

Stage 5 is the same length as Stage 2, but there’s less of a current assist.  To maximize the completion rate, Stage 5 starts against the current, several hours before the tide change, which also calls for a much earlier start time, so no sleeping in a bit for this stage.  The first few hours of this swim is spent hugging the shore, seeking protection from the northward flow.  There’s a bit of strategy involved.  Do you hug the shore to seek protection from the current or go for a shorter line against a stronger current?  I didn’t have a strategy of any kind – I just trusted my kayaker to guide me.  I had a new kayaker for this stage.  My kayaker on all the other stages was given the day off on his birthday, though he still kayaked this day as a rover, and he filled in my new kayaker on what to expect, so the transition was seamless.

It was kind of strange to watch from the boat as the first wave was getting started.  The boat is so crowded and full of activity on the way to the starting line, and then gets so quiet once most of the other swimmers jump in.  It’s such a big contrast.  As the first wave started their swim I was getting really anxious to jump in.  It didn’t help matters that I found myself needing to pee.  It was a huge relief when my time finally came and I could jump in to, ahem, relieve myself.  I was actually just finishing my pee when the countdown started to send me off.

For the first few hours of the swim we were swimming in some really shallow water close to the western shore, though it was still far too murky to see the bottom.  At one point early on, I took a stroke and hit my left hand on a rock that was maybe 6 inches from the surface.  When I lifted my head up, my thighs struck the river bottom, which couldn’t have been more than 12 inches from the surface.  I called out to my kayaker that I was beached, and proceeded to seek deeper water away from the shore.  I floated for a bit, allowing the current to push me back, as I navigated myself sideways a few feet until I found deep enough water to be comfortable swimming forward.  The shallow water was a nuisance, but at least it was mostly mud, so I didn’t really scrape against anything – just a minor nick on my left hand from the initial contact on that rock.

The weather report for Stage 5 called for quite a bit of rain and lots of wind.  Up until this point there had not been much wind to speak of.  It seems Stage 5 decided to live up to its name as The Beast.  Things were pretty calm when I first hopped in, but it wasn’t long into the swim that the winds came, blowing across the river from the east.  There was apparently quite a bit of rain as well, though I don’t really notice the rain while I’m swimming.  There were a few moments where the winds would die down, but they were blowing for most of the swim.  They picked up in intensity later in the day, or maybe it just felt that way as I fatigued.

I think it was about 4 hours into the swim that I met up with the first wave swimmers.  I decided to throw in some butterfly as I swam past, though this was not my normal marathon butterfly pace.  I did short bursts of some pretty fast butterfly.  The fly gave me a better chance to look forward to get a feel for how the field was spread.  I was actually quite surprised how relatively bunched up the swimmers were this late into the swim.  I think these short burst of butterfly also helped me pick up the intensity of my freestyle a little bit.

The chop was getting really intense as we approached the wider section of the river.  Pretty soon after I passed the last of the first wave swimmers, the chop really started to pick up.  So much so that I thought the river felt more like an ocean as the wind was generating some really big waves.  My kayaker soon told me during a feed that we would shortly be crossing from the west to the east side of the river.  I took that as a sign that I should increase my intensity to battle against the waves, especially since the crossing meant swimming almost directly into the wind.  When it came time to cross, I was prepared, and I concentrated on stretching out my stroke, trying to feel the water more and time my strokes to the rhythm of the incoming waves.  It proved to be a rough crossing, but I loved the challenge.  I take a strange enjoyment in battling the elements and taking whatever they throw at me.  I wondered how the swimmers behind me would fair.  I figured these winds might prove too much for some of them, and I was hoping that most would be able to push through.  It turned out that most did persevere.  I think at the end of the day I was happier for them than I was for my own swim.

During the crossing I could make out the Tappan Zee Bridge.  The end was close, though I knew there was still a long way to go.  I starting to ponder when I was going to switch to butterfly, as I knew in those conditions I just had to finish up with some fly.  To me, swimming butterfly pairs well with harsh conditions.  It’s as if the conditions are demanding me to push myself harder, and there’s no better way for pushing myself than to bring out the butterfly.  I ended up deciding I would wait until I was close enough to the finish to have a somewhat clear view of the underside of the Tappan Zee.  As I approached, I periodically tilted my head slightly forward as I took a breath to sneak a peek at the far side of the bridge, all to try to decide when I was close enough for the final push.  The chop died down considerably as I neared the finish, which was kind of a disappointment, but nevertheless I continued with my plan as the bridge crept closer.  It wasn’t too long before I brought out the butterfly,  I started out swimming much faster than my typical open water pace, hoping I could hold it to the end, but I misjudged the distance and it wasn’t too long before I found I couldn’t keep it up.  I settled for a slower pace for the remainder of the swim.

Finishing Stage 5 was definitely the highlight of my week.  There’s something to be said about how being thrown harder challenges just make the accomplishment all the more worth it.  This swim threw at me the obstacles I was looking for, to test myself against the elements.  That moment just after I passed the bridge, when I was treading water and looking backwards up the river where I had just swum, was definitely the best I felt that day, maybe the best I felt the entire event.  It was a great feeling to cap off my best swim of the week.

Stage 6:  The Palisades

Tappan Zee Bridge to George Washington Bridge

15.7 miles

After conquering The Beast, I felt extra confident going into Stage 6.  I was still feeling strong, and the later start time once again allowed for much appreciated extra rest.  The vibe amongst the swimmers going into Stage 6 definitely felt much different from the other stages.  The forecast called for another windy day, with slightly stronger winds than we had the previous day.  There were a couple like me who had pushed through Stage 5 and were preparing for another day against challenging conditions, but it was mostly new faces who just came out for this stage and perhaps also Stage 7.  Those who swam Stage 5 were preparing ourselves for more of the same conditions, while the others worried about what was in store for them, not knowing what to expect.

I decided to swim Stage 6 mostly free, with a tiny bit of fly at the beginning.  The swim proved to be a rough one.  The winds were definitely the strongest they had been all week and the chop was especially rough for much of the day.  The waves batted me around a bit, but once again I reveled in facing the challenge.  I could tell looking at the shore that we were getting a particularly good push from the current. This was my shortest swim out of all of the stages in terms of time, but it sure didn’t feel like it as it was definitely more of a struggle against the chop.  The skies were clear and I could see quite far into the distance.  I kept noticing the buildings getting taller and taller as we got closer to the city.  Eventually I noticed the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge crossing the Harlem River, and I reminded myself that I entering a stretch I had swum before when I swam 20 Bridges in 2017.  The winds calmed down considerably about then, which made it easier for me to look ahead and sight the George Washington Bridge.  I felt the current was particularly strong as I approached the finish, switching to backstroke to better appreciate being under the bridge that I had driven across several times.

On board the Solaris, I made it a point to be more active in congratulating swimmers as they came in.  I knew from that morning that nerves were pretty high, and the conditions were extremely rough, so I wanted to make sure I recognized each swimmer’s accomplishment.  I was busy helping out on the boat when I notice some activity with a police boat under the bridge.  Of course this was for that unfortunate incident I mentioned at the start of this blog.  At the time, I knew something had happened, but at the time I had no idea the severity.

Back on shore, there was a lot of excitement as swimmers, kayakers, and other volunteers shared some good BBQ to celebrate the day.  It was great to spend some extra time with everyone involved.  It wasn’t long after I had eaten that David Barra spoke up to make an announcement.  I immediately hugged the woman next to me to brace for the news, but I knew what it was before David even said one word.  I knew it was Charlie that did not return from his swim.  It was such a heartbreaking moment to hear the loss of one of us.  I somehow managed to avoid crying as my heart filled with sadness.  It was definitely an eyeopening experience.  To their credit, I think NYOW handled the situation with the utmost professionalism and respect, and I am forever grateful for all they did and all the support they offered in such a tragic situation.

Stage 7:  Liberty

Canceled

I went back to my hotel room already suspecting that Stage 7 was likely to be cancelled.  Sure enough, I got a call that evening confirming the cancellation, and it was the right thing to do under the situation.  I spent much of that evening and the next day texting friends back home about what I knew and mining Facebook for all the posts regarding Charlie, realizing just how close the open water community really is.  I am very appreciative to all those who reached out to me.  Seeing all the tributes to Charlie and all the shared condolences, I feel so much more honored to be a part of the open water family.

What’s Next

It took me so long to get this recap for 8 Bridges posted that I’ve already completed what I had next up on my calendar.  I just returned from a long trip that involved two great swims.  The highlight was the 36K Capri-Napoli swim in Italy, followed up by meeting up with friends for my return to the Portland Bridge Swim.  I’ve already had so many questions about the Capri-Napoli swim that I hope to post a recap for you all very soon.

Until then, I hope you all are doing great.  Happy Swimming!