By Staff Writer
An open water swimmer on Lake Washington since 1998, Hydrogen’s president recently shared his thoughts about his annual “100-mile goal.”
This year Rick Peterson once again began his summer of open water swimming on May 15th, when water temperatures average about 55 degrees. By the time his season winds down around September 15th, water temperatures will have reached a “scorching” 70 degrees.
Rick began writing down his 1.5-mile swims several years ago, and that’s when the idea to set the annual 100-mile summer goal was born. Last year he logged 103 miles. The year before, 108.
While for most of us, summer memories are usually associated with roasting marshmallows or sitting poolside, Rick shows us the world through an athlete’s eyes: “When I get to 100 miles, I feel like I’ve really taken advantage of, and fully enjoyed, our PNW summer.”
His route offers close-up views of boats, bald eagles and amazing waterfront homes, including the impressive residence of Starbucks Founder Howard Schultz. And he’s made a few friends along the way: one couple loves it when Rick pauses for a chat. They’ve even invited him to join them for a glass of wine—wetsuit and all.
Rick describes his swims as “a one-hour meditation” and uses the unplugged time to focus on form: from water conditions to navigation, breathing patterns and more. But perhaps most important, even for a swimmer at his skill level, is the ability to manage fear in the open water. “Maintaining a ‘quiet heart’ in the face of whatever is surprising me can be a challenge. It’s kind of spooky not seeing anything in the water and then suddenly, out of the blue, bumping into a frisky dog swimming out from shore to greet me!”
As of June 22, Rick is 27 miles into this summer’s goal. You don’t need a wetsuit to cheer him on, just head over to Madison Beach one of these evenings. If he’s there, just give him a nudge.
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