Chicago was good to me again this year. I went to compete in the Chicago Shoreline Marathon for the second time and successfully defended the title I won there last year.

This race really has an iconic appeal to it as it works its way along the shoreline of the majestic Chicago skyline. It's a long one, a marathon in its own right, but it seems to fly by as you work your way from one beach stop to the next. All too soon the race is over.

Added to the sightliness of the city is the people of the city, particularly the paddlers, not to mention the paddlers from surrounding areas. What friendliness and enthusiasm! The way in which this group interacts it makes you feel like you're at home; it also makes it hard to leave. They all possess a hospitality which makes you feel welcome; and this value seems inherent in the city of Chicago too. I must also bring to the fore the enduring efforts of Tim and Kristin Flentye. They are a beautiful fantastic couple who are pulling out all the stops in putting this race together. A huge thanks to them.

Back to the race....
Usually the wind will be at your back, but this year there were some really strong Northerly winds forcing the race organisers to make a course change. 42kms into a 15-20knot headwind is a difficult task for even the best paddler, so sending the entire field off into those kind of conditions would've made it near impossible for most. Most commendable though was the new course as it still encompased the spirit of the race which is the City's shore.

We raced out and back; towards the City and then back again; downwind and then headwind. Yes, coming home into the wind seems different, but funnily enough, with the added element of beach stops and the many breakwalls along the shore it makes the paddle back as enjoyable as it is hard. However, the run down with the wind was world class with some fantastic bumps pushing us along. I really really had a lot of fun.

There was a bit of racing to do though. Amongst the field were South Africans "new kid" Sean Rice and "old hand" Barry Lewin, as well as Aussie Adam Mckane The usual headwind then downwind combo would've made race strategy pretty predictable; stay together until the turn and then bang it home. But now, with good runs going down and then having to work back into the wind you have to think a bit more and be well aware of your capabilites. I thought of it as a 30km solo effort and gambled that I would have enough gas in the tank to work into the wind by myself. I had a great race. Seond across the line was Sean Rice and third was Barry Lewin.

So I guess I'll be back next year! The USA trip is really a lot of fun with some great paddling to be done; it makes it hard to stay away.