I think any and all followers of my blog know how much I freaking love Swim the Suck. Maybe if another swim had been my first longer-than-marathon-distance then maybe I’d feel the same about it. But I doubt it. There’s just something about Swim the Suck.

Is it Chattanooga? Perhaps. Sure seems like a nice place, what little I’ve seen of it over two StSs. It’s hilly and green, two great things for a city. It’s got an airport, which is a plus. And it’s got beer, including local beer, which was excellent. But that’s not it.

Is it the swim? Well, it very well may be the swim. Hard to get a nicer, softer intro to something beyond 10K. The river is very welcoming. Even when the dam doesn’t release much, or any water, you’re still going in the right direction. And wow is it ever scenic; plenty to look at as you float on. But that’s not it.

Is it the t-shirts? No, but they sure do rock. Always different, and none of them white (I hate white t-shirts!). I only have two and I love them both and take care of them. Both beautifully designed and soft fabric. Simply wonderful. And I intend on collecting more over the years. But that’s not it.

It must be the finisher gift, yes? No, but I also love (cherish?) those. Karah, the race director, finds a local artist every year and has him/her design something for everyone. To include pilots! In 2012 it was “fish on a stick” or a unique piece of pottery. This year it was coffee mugs. All different! It was a helluva time trying to decide on which one, but I think I chose well. But even with these unique gifts, that’s not it.

It’s the people! This swim is like a family reunion. Everyone is so happy to see everyone else. And if you don’t know someone yet, you’ll know them while waiting in line to enter the water, your feet in pain standing on the lego-esque tiny rocks. You’ll meet them wearing your Swim the Suck paper crowns the Friday night before. You’ll meet them and hug them and cheer them in to the finish. You’ll meet them while taking pictures with them enjoying the beer.

It’s the people. So many volunteers to make this swim run. A minimum of 115 kayakers! I say a minimum because, at least in my case, I had two, my aunt and uncle having brought their tandem kayak down to TN to escort me, and I know of at least one other swimmer who had two kayakers with him. Then there’s the safety cover. I have no idea how many kayakers and SUPs that involved, but there were many. And the safety boats. I think three? And their crews. The set-up, the guys watching over the kayaks in the morning. The guys who marked our arms in the morning and took our ‘after-swim’ bags to the finish for us. The folks who provided the food and directed us to our parking spots.

It’s the people! The faces you’ve only seen on FB. Friends you made on social media, through swim groups years ago, friends you’ve written to and shared pains and joys with over the years, and finally meeting them in the reals.

And it’s the race director. One of the nicest people you’ll ever meet and certainly one of the most dedicated to marathon swimming. Karah Nazor deserves more credit than she gets for continuing to hold one of the most successful open water swims in the world. How she’s managed to keep this thing going is just amazing. She is probably responsible for more people successfully transitioning to their first beyond-10k-distance marathon swim than any other race director out there. She is vital to this community and I hope she understands how much we all love her for what she does for us.

In the coming days, I’ll write up more on this swim and my preparation (or lack thereof), my experiences, compare it to 2012, and lots more pictures. Stay tuned, dear reader(s)! Now I’m off to take more ibuprofen.