So the Seliger Swim, which I just discovered and blogged about, is about a five-hour drive from Moscow. The swim offers several options, including a 5K and 10K. I signed up for the 10K, figuring that would be a nice “long” swim prior to my Manhattan attempt.

As far as I can tell from the race description, this looks to be the route that the 10K will take:

The lake itself is a series of lakes, and learning that, my mind began to wander. Hmm…how long could I go in this lake?

Or maybe this?

I’ll have to check out that lake this June and see what possibilities there are. I’ve already excited the organizers (I’m the first American to sign up…Jaimie? Come join me!), so I’ll try to get with them during the swim and ask about possibilities in the lake. Maybe finding an escort boat would be easy? Who knows. Would be exciting to do something big here before I leave à la lake Issyk Kul.

I’m terribly excited that the Russians have embraced open water swimming. When I was last here I had found out about a nautical mile swim somewhere between St. Petersburg and Moscow (perhaps in this same lake?) and attempted to contact the organizers to join the swim and never got a response from them.

But now, the Russians have swims all over! Including lake Baikal! (I’m definitely doing that one next year.) Also all the way out in Vladivostok. I put that on my 2018 list!