Okay, I decided no for the Eagleman Half Iron. The reason was pretty simple really, I just wasn't willing to drive myself crazy trying to find the time to train and you can't fudge a Half Iron distance. A Sprint possibly, an Oly, maybe, but Half Iron no way, so I said no. I surprised myself with my decision, but was happy with it when all was said and done.
Two weeks ago my husband and I went out to San Francisco to do the Sharkfest Swim from Alcatraz. Quite frankly I was on the fence about that race until the minute I jumped out of the boat. Heck even when I hit the water I was second guessing, but I did it.
Let's rewind a bit here, we got to San Fran and it was glorious weather wise. It was 68 or so, no humidity, just wonderful. I got acquainted with our area, we were just a few very short blocks from Aquatic Park, where you picked up your packet and timing chip race morning and the race ended.
We got in on a Thursday and spent the day wandering around, Friday morning we went for our long run since we were going to miss it with the swim on Saturday. We wound up running 12 miles over the Golden Gate Bridge. It was beautiful, I saw a pod of dolphins frolicking beneath me as I crossed over, it was really something. Anyway, we finished up the run, and decided to go for a swim in Aquatic Park to get ready for the race the next day. I had heard tale of how cold the water was, and Brad thought it would be best to get in and know for ourselves. So we grabbed our wetsuits and headed over to swim. Brad went first while I sat with our stuff. Then it was my turn. I suit up, head over to the water's edge and I spy an older woman, perhaps mid 70's or older, in a bikini with a neoprene swim cap and a sun bonnet on. I politely asked if she had any tips for a green horn like me, a newbie to cold water like this, how to handle the initial HOLY SH*T this water is cold feeling. She laughed and we chatted for awhile. I like to think of her as the hint God sent for me to at least try this race out....I had been asking for a little divine intervention for the two weeks or so prior, anything that would let me know if I should even try this race or not. Lo and behold, she came to me the day before, with her words that still ring in my ears....She asked me if I was doing the Alcatraz race and I was honest with her. I told her I had my doubts, I doubted my ability to swim the distance, in the cold like that. I wasn't sure, I was scared of the sharks and the sea lions. She listened and nodded and said to me "Why on earth wouldn't you at least try it? There is plenty of support staff in kayaks, if you get in and decide it's not your day, roll on your back, put your arm in the air, and get help. Even the pros need help every now and again you know Sweetie." How true was that?? My mind was made up for the most part, I would at least try...
Saturday morning and the alarm is trilling in my head. Time to make the donuts, I get out of bed and into my swimsuit. We grab some breakfast, get our gear and head down to the race start for our timing chips and t-shirts. We meet some of the nicest and most interesting folks while we are waiting to walk to the ferries that will bring us behind Alcatraz. People giving tips on how to race the race because they have before, people from all over, France, Australia, England, Germany, Italy, every single state from the USA being represented. It was really something to experience. Then they start the parade of swimmers, 800 of us or so, to the ferries. Did I mention I am unusually quiet? You can always tell if I am nervous in a bad way when I don't say anything. When I get nervous about something silly and I know I really shouldn't be nervous, I talk a lot, yammer, yammer, yammer, make myself laugh at stupid stuff,hahahahaha, and go back to yammer, yammer, yammer then hahahaha, you get the idea. When I am really nervous over something big, I get stone quiet and stone faced. No expression, no mirth, nada, nothing, niente...
So I get on the ferry with my husband. We find a friend of ours who has done this race before and besides being a very nice person, she is one heck of a swimmer. She senses my nervousness and promises me I will make it and be okay. From someone who has done this race before, and in 36 minutes, I take her word. She obviously knows what she's talking about right? They start giving a briefing "the beaches to the north and south of the Bridge have been closed because of Great White sightings" stood out and everything else, I didn't hear.
Next thing you know, we are pulled behind Alcatraz, where the prisoners were once upon a time released to the prison grounds, and they are calling for us to line up to jump in. Three across, and whee! Into the water you go! It's about a 10 foot drop my husband said. Maybe it's so you piss yourself silly going down to warm yourself up when you hit the freezing water! Anyway, I think my husband saw the pure abject terror in my eyes because when we were up, he grabbed my hand and BANZAI! Off the boat I went. He said when my head popped back up, the look in my eyes made him duck, he thought I was going to punch someone! We started scrambling to the line of kayaks that made up the start, then we heard the first horn toot. That was the one minute warning. My husband offered to swim with me, but I told him to race his race and go on ahead, I would make my way. Then came the longer TTTTTTOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTT!!!! Off we went! Holy crapoli, can you say speed bag at the gym? Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots? Naked oil wrestling?? No, not really, just seeing if you were still with me...It was the most physical start to a race ever, my strategy? I stopped, let the tools pass me, got into my rhythm, and started my 1.5 mile trek. I have to admit, I stopped once or twice and turned around, amazed that Alcatraz was disappearing behind me more and more. I was struck by the thought, I am escaping, I am doing what many men died trying to do, and I was surviving.
I was never happier when I saw the boat with the huge orange buoys at the entrance of Aquatic park getting close enough to touch. Then it happened. I thought either a shark chomped my left calf or I got a bad leg cramp. Turned out to be the latter and I scoured through my head trying to remember what Brad said to do in case that ever happened to me. The first thing was DO NOT panic. It hurts like hell, yes, but don't start flailing and going crazy. I could have called for help, but I was at the entrance of the Park. The race was a mere 400 meters or so to the finish. I was not giving up! So I swam with one leg, there was a guy with one leg swimming, I thought that I could do that too. And so I did, I kicked with one leg only until the cramp started lessening, then I relied heavily on the rotation of my body more then my kicking to cut through the water. Before I knew it, I was at the beach, I stood up and whammo, fell to one knee, got up, fell to one knee again. It was a lot like Sr. Electa's First Holly Communion practices without her clicker, genuflecting before the Lord I was. Someone ran over and hoisted me up, I went up the few stairs, across the timing mat and TA DA I was done.
I finally found Brad through the throngs of people and we decided to go eat breakfast at our Hotel. That was the best darned bowl of oatmeal I have ever eaten. I did nothing for the rest of that day. I watched a movie while Brad slept and we planned our route for the bicycle ride we planned for the following day, through the Marin headlands, to Saulsilito, the Red Wood Forest, over the Golden Gate and back. That is a blog for another day though. I am tired all over again just thinking about my swim. But I escaped, I conquered the Rock and my fears, don't know which one was more satisfying...
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