1...errr...3.1 down

I jumped in the lake around 7:25 AM on Sunday morning, with about 6 hours of sleep and after having deployed a new web site, to swim my first 5k. Let me say a few things before I discuss the race...


1) When I signed up, I somehow got the idea that this was a 2.4 mile swim from the sign up page.
2) I trained by swimming up to 4,500 yards.


What I learned a week before is that the course was designed for 3.14 miles - or 5000 meters. Yep, I was feeling woefully unprepared. My crazy prior 3 weeks at work didn't help much, and I also tapered off too early, I think.

What I learned during the race was that I could swim the full 5k. I was tired at the start, at the end I felt great!

The first mile was pretty easy, getting into the groove. I had some course issues as I let myself drift off to the side by following others until the first bouy. I got back into it and stayed pretty close to track after that.

I was doing a good time at about the 1.6 mile point. 50 minutes. During the next half mile, I kept running into shallows and weeds. People kept standing up in front of me and I'd work to either maneuver around them or slow down.

After that point (which I thought was the 2 mile point!), I felt a bit cocky and decided to pull hard. Big mistake. We started to have a headwind, kicking up the waves a bit on the lake and adding a good bit of resistance. At about 2 miles (now that I look at it!), I felt like I had enough. I thought about where I was and decided that I would just keep trying for the next bouy. There were points where I couldn't even see the next bouy. I decided to put my head down, relax, and take long strokes. I counted strokes so I didn't get too disheartened by the lack of progress I seemed to be making on the course.

Then the beach finally appeared! Then the last bouy! Then the finish line! It was mine if I could just relax and keep going!

When I finally made it to the point where I had to stand up, I felt like I almost couldn't. I couldn't get enough leg to run it out, but I managed to. The clock was broken, but my watch showed somewhere in the 1:40 range.




I can say I did it. 3.1 down. 3.1 to go. If any of you are at Big Shoulders, I will see you there!