Sandycove Island, Kinsale, County Cork, IrelandOn Wednesday afternoon June 17th, I departed Chicago for Ireland (via London) to participate in Cork Distance Week, a global gathering of 90 or so Open Water Swimmers (+ about 30 committed volunteers!). This annual camp centers along the stunning southern coast of Ireland, at Sandycove Island. I returned to Chicago on Monday June 29th, having logged 57 miles/92 km of swimming, 101,100 yards/92,400 meters. I loved these nine full days of swimming and met some great people. For several years, I have wanted to attend CDW, and the stars aligned for me this year. For those of you that know me well, I can’t just pick up and leave whenever I wish. Thanks to Mark, Julia, Bill and Linda, Andrea & the NSMers for helping make my trip worry-free. Ned Denison has organized CDW annually since 2009 and puts on a terrific event. Besides as much swimming as you want to do, CDW offers great networking and social opportunities; I took advantage of as much of it as I could. I met several people that I had previously only known by name, as well as others unknown to me before. I arrived prepared, physically and mentally ready for a tough week and pleasantly discovered I was up to the task. I’ll go through each day’s swims, based on the issued schedule, not in major detail but feel free to ask if you want more than provided, then I’ll make comments on the overall experience: the good, the bad, the ugly. Finally, from the thousands of pictures from the CDW Group Chat, I selected a few to view at 2026 CDW Picture.    * My motivating thoughts during this 6-Hour Swim: Hour 1: Let’s Break this into Pieces. Do 2 laps then you get a feed. Hour 2: Now do it again. You’re already 1/3 the way through! You are feeling good, even with these wave conditions. Only 8 more opportunities on the outside. You can do this. Lean In. Embrace this chance. Hour 3: Two more laps done! Now you’re ½ way through! Ask for an Espresso Gel at next feed. Can you negative split this? Hour 4: Now we’re at Hour 4 and you have only one more morning swim left. I feel that Espresso Gel kicking in and it’s continuing to make me feel strong. These waves provide great training. Keep on kicking! I’m so grateful I’m here. Hour 5: Last feed. Everything has gone so well today. All my feeds went down and stayed down. Great preparation. Much appreciation to Liz, my feeder, and all the Kayakers, especially Peggy, who have been braving the elements with me today. I’m going to shoot for 12 laps. This will take me a little past 6 hours but I’m here to swim and put my CDW totals at 100+K yards and 47 laps. Never imagined these distances would be possible, while feeling so good. Hour 6: Rounding Corner 4 at 6:00 and powering into 30 mph/48KPM winds to the Slipway. Glad I feel so good – an unexpected end to a solid week of training. Arrive at 6:12 and help Peggy carry the kayak up to the road. I stayed at the Shearwater Apartments in Kinsale, via VRBO, with 4 others. This location was walking distance to the quaint downtown, and beyond; Sandycove Island was a short 5-minute drive away so we rented a car. Some intrepid participants rode bikes to and from their lodgings. I’m not that tough. My days began around 6:15am with breakfast, stretching, and my final gear prep, then leave at 7:10am to be at Sandycove by 7:20am to begin the daily 2-hour morning swim around the Island. Not once during the week did I feel cold during or after a swim. (We got very lucky with beautiful weather for most of the week.) After each swim, there were mountains of food: soups, croissants, sandwiches, fruit, butter, hot chocolate, and candy. One of the CDW Volunteers takes on the role of Catering Manager to arrange this twice-daily gastronomical consumption by 90 or so swimmers. WOW! did they take their job seriously. I never went hungry. After eating to one’s heart’s delight, everyone dispersed back to lodgings for brief rinse-offs, rest, walks around Kinsale, maybe more food, and whatever. (Whenever I returned from a swim, I got my gear together for the next swim, whenever it would be.) Around 4:10pm, we left again for Sandycove for a 2-hour evening swim. There are a few exceptions, as noted above, and several opportunities to do more swimming if one wished (I did a few times.) After the evening swims, my suitemates and I often shared the communal meal we had made between sessions. I also went out a few times as well. Around 9:15pm, I was settling down to bed. Nobody wears a wetsuit. This is a suit/cap/goggles-only crowd. For a more in-depth look if you're interested, here are some links: https://sandycoveswimmers.com/cdw-cork-distance-week/ https://www.openwaterpedia.com/wiki/Cork_Distance_Week During the first few days as I met lots of people, I keyed into the 3 types of CDW participants: Experienced Open Water Swimmers – Those who have been involved in the sport for a long time and know what they are doing. They come ready, need only to hear the directions once, assist without being told, and are happy to mentor those who ask for help. Strivers – Those who have not been in the sport for nearly as long but are working hard to improve and achieve their goals. I noticed 2 types of Strivers: Those who asked intelligent questions and were open to taking in the experience from others, and Those who had it all figured out. The former won my respect hand over fin while the latter looked me up and down with a sneer, thinking, “Well, maybe you’re saying that swim I’m doing was hard for you but it won’t be hard for me because I’m a lot better than you.” The better ones observe and model the experienced swimmers and take the more challenging routes when given such opportunities. The lesser ones tend to talk about their upcoming swims as if they are fait accompli. They would do better to ask questions, consider more options, and respect the odds. Posers – As defined by a plethora of sources, a "poser" (or poseur) is a term for someone who pretends to have an identity, skill, or interest they don't genuinely possess. They usually adopt superficial traits or aesthetics to impress others or fit into a specific subculture. These participants pose and pretend to fully participate at CDW. They will go back home and regale vastly exaggerated stories to unknowledgeable NARPs of how much they swam and how hard it was but for those of us who bore witness, we know what happened in the arena. A few examples include:
I was reminded several times by an experienced friend, “It’s not your Pig, not your Farm.” I kept my mouth shut, did not engage, and reminded myself that I was at CDW to swim. The emerald green scenery on each and every swim captivated me; never a dull moment. The water was of excellent quality at all times. At low water, all swimmers got the chance to do some “weed whacking,” swimming through major kelp beds. Think of it as going through the “Skirt” at the car wash. Once I realized these weeds had nothing in them that was ‘gonna get me’, I simply powered through them. High Water meant swims of smooth sailing. The only concern was to factor in the directional wind and be careful not to get slammed into the rocks and reefs surrounding the island. I played it conservatively, swam wide more often than not, and avoided any Rock Bites during my time at CDW. I could go on and on – I won’t. CDW truly was a great experience for me and I’m very glad I went. If you’re interested in attending, reach out for more specifics. Please feel free to share this information with anyone who may be interested.
Best Fishes, Marcia Cleveland July 4, 2026 www.DoverSolo.com
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