Ned Denison described Cork Distance Week for a CBS 60 Minutes Sports special when interviewed by Jeff Glor and produced by Alan Goldberg in 2017.
Now in its 16th year, all the cold water training held around Sandycove Island continues as is – under cloudy skies and a bit of rain (so far). Cork Distance Week (CDW) has gotten no softer or easier over the years as legions of marathon swimmers, channel swimmers, ice swimmers, and winter swimmers – and those who strive to call themselves such – continue to descend upon Cork in July.
This year, 78 hardened swimmers will become even more hardened, if that is possible. And in his endearing manner, Denison and a group of over 20 volunteers makes the workouts incredibly difficult and, therefore, desired.
Steve Sutton and his 18-year-old son Tyler Sutton [shown below] traveled over 8,300 km to participate in the 9-day CDW. They prepared from their home base of Zuma Beach in Southern California for this Irish hardening camp. They knew that people at CDW are “here to train for something big” including solos and relays across the North Channel, Fastnet, Irish Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, Bristol Channel, English Channel, and Lake Tahoe.
Serious folk intent on serious swimming in cold water.
Sutton writes, “I’m swimming with Tyler. We did about 8 km each day so far. But there are some point-to-point swims coming up, a 6-hour optional English Channel qualification swim, and a 4-stage Champion of Champions competition around Sandycove island (9 am > 5 laps + rest + 2 pm > 3 laps + rest + 4 pm > 1 lap). Workouts include a combination of both competition and some pace [work]. I’m swimming [side-by-side] with Tyler [so] I haven’t seen anyone else paired off – but I don’t know.
The biggest challenge among the swimmers is can people do 2 laps around Sandycove Island? or 3 laps? or 4 laps? or 5 laps in 2 or so hours at this temperatures of 12-13°C (53-55°F). The water is crisp and fresh, but I walk funny after 3 or 4 laps.
There are lots of jellies – I got a few myself, mostly on entry. I palm the jellies like a water polo ball and then push them through and out on exit or off to side. There are also little translucent ones, white ones, and dark ones, crabs on the bottom of rock shelves, bait fish, goats on Sandycove Island that watch us, and suspicious birds that monitor the swimmers.
There is an army of amazing volunteers that kayak ribs on shore, checking people in and out of the water. It is very safe and well run. The cooking is good and the feeding of swimmers after the swims is great with a large mobile sauna. Everyone who I have met is friendly supportive and shares stories.
The two towns here – Kinsale and Cork are different and both are lovely. The Kinsale people are very friendly and helpful. The scenery is green lush with amazing food; this is the culinary capital of Ireland with a robust pub life and great lively music and song, filled with enthusiastic rugby and football fans. Among the friendly local people, there are very knowledgeable sailors and inspirational seafaring folks, a rugged self-sufficient, community-oriented group of people live here.”
For more information on CDW, visit here.
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