Did about a mile in Prospect lake today. 70 degree water felt so comfortable. Big group, very nice lake. I have to remember to add some pictures here.
I'm still a little sore from Monday (big surprise) but it felt nice to be able to get back in the water so quickly.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
8 bridges
I'm trying to write up my experience on stage 3 this monday. It is taking me a while because at first I kept falling asleep at the keyboard. I always get very congested after a long swim and I usually need to wait a whole day before I can get the kind of dead-rock sleep that I want after an event like that.
I feel like I should have a whole post or maybe a series of post where I talk about how amazing the organizers, support crew, and kayakers are at this event.
All I had to do was swim.
I feel like I should have a whole post or maybe a series of post where I talk about how amazing the organizers, support crew, and kayakers are at this event.
All I had to do was swim.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
8 Bridges Stage 3
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Camp Jewell trail run
Who: Camp Jewell YMCA
What: 5k trail run, part of their strong kids campaign
When: Saturday, June 15
Where: Camp Jewell Colebrook CT
Why: Because wifey wanted a 5k
I got to sit this one out because I don't want my legs to be sore for my big swim tomorrow. Wifey lined up for the race while the little guy and I played around in a wiffleball stadium known as the thunderdome.
They were doing music and announcements from the top of a little tower by the aforementioned thunderdome. When I heard them start playing "the eye of the tiger" I grabbed the little guy and walked over to the finish line. The official clock read 20:38 at that point. Wow, tough course. Wifey came in 4th woman and 18th overall finisher. She got a medal for winning her age group. Then we got to go down the giant slide.
What: 5k trail run, part of their strong kids campaign
When: Saturday, June 15
Where: Camp Jewell Colebrook CT
Why: Because wifey wanted a 5k
I got to sit this one out because I don't want my legs to be sore for my big swim tomorrow. Wifey lined up for the race while the little guy and I played around in a wiffleball stadium known as the thunderdome.
They were doing music and announcements from the top of a little tower by the aforementioned thunderdome. When I heard them start playing "the eye of the tiger" I grabbed the little guy and walked over to the finish line. The official clock read 20:38 at that point. Wow, tough course. Wifey came in 4th woman and 18th overall finisher. She got a medal for winning her age group. Then we got to go down the giant slide.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Lake Garfield
Met up with the folks from massachusetts for a wednesday swim. The thermometers disagreed about the temp. One said 62 the other said 66. We swam just about a mile. I'm not very well calibrated on temperature but I think it was less than 66. Anyway I had to bundle when I got out.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
My Great, or at least Pretty good, Chesapeake Bay Bridge swim
Once, in college, I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane. The scariest part of skydiving, for me, was not hesitating at the airplane door at 12,000 feet counting to three (actually 2 a little trick of the instructor's) The scariest part was looking out the window at about 6,000 feet and thinking that was already pretty high. Standing on the beach at Sandy point State park waiting for the start was fine. But riding the shuttle bus over the bridge actually got me pretty nervous.
Rule number one: Do not let the bridge psych you out.
At Sandy point park we had real bathrooms instead of just porta-potties. I had plenty of time to grease up and get ready. The race director said the water temperature was 76 degrees. Nearly everyone was wearing a wetsuit. To be fair I think it was a little colder out in the middle. In this case a little colder might have been 72. I don't think of myself as an anti-wetsuit guy. So far I've done all my swims without, but some people don't and that's ok. But at 76 degrees I'm amazed that some 85% of the swimmers are still wrapped in neoprene on a fine sunday morning.
The course stays between the two spans of the bridge for nearly the whole distance. The tide pushes you first to the left and then to the right. This mostly wasn't a problem. Post race emails indicate that the current was very strong. I didn't really notice while I was swimming but It might have had an effect on my swim time.
The tide may have been pushing me around without me really thinking about it. I started following more or less the left span of the bridge, moved out into the middle around the halfway point, and then found myself over towards the right for the last mile and a little more.
I had heard terrible things about the cuisinart start. This is the largest open water swim on the east coast and we start in two waves of around 300 people. It really wasn't that bad. It was very crowded and took a long time to open up but the other swimmers were very polite about all that contact. I have already been to a few races where much smaller groups resulted in worse starting conditions.
At Sandy point park we had real bathrooms instead of just porta-potties. I had plenty of time to grease up and get ready. The race director said the water temperature was 76 degrees. Nearly everyone was wearing a wetsuit. To be fair I think it was a little colder out in the middle. In this case a little colder might have been 72. I don't think of myself as an anti-wetsuit guy. So far I've done all my swims without, but some people don't and that's ok. But at 76 degrees I'm amazed that some 85% of the swimmers are still wrapped in neoprene on a fine sunday morning.
The course stays between the two spans of the bridge for nearly the whole distance. The tide pushes you first to the left and then to the right. This mostly wasn't a problem. Post race emails indicate that the current was very strong. I didn't really notice while I was swimming but It might have had an effect on my swim time.
The tide may have been pushing me around without me really thinking about it. I started following more or less the left span of the bridge, moved out into the middle around the halfway point, and then found myself over towards the right for the last mile and a little more.
I had heard terrible things about the cuisinart start. This is the largest open water swim on the east coast and we start in two waves of around 300 people. It really wasn't that bad. It was very crowded and took a long time to open up but the other swimmers were very polite about all that contact. I have already been to a few races where much smaller groups resulted in worse starting conditions.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Swim
Who: The Great Chesapeake Bay Swim run by Lin-Mark sports
What: The Chesapeake Bay Swim
When: Sunday, June 9, 2013
Where: The Chesapeake Bay right under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Why: Because the open water season is finally open
What: The Chesapeake Bay Swim
When: Sunday, June 9, 2013
Where: The Chesapeake Bay right under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Why: Because the open water season is finally open
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