I had planned on doing this open water swim. It was the pre-swim for the I Love the Tavern Tri in two weeks. All of this rain made the James look like it was chocolate milk instead of water, but one gets used to the soupy yuck I supposed.
We walked to the down river spot we were all jumping in to make it a 500 meter swim down current swim (which actually was 700 if you went to the dock instead of getting out where the kayakers put in which all of us did pretty much). Last year was a total fiasco. There was a crazy spike in the river level and current right as we were heading in for the swim for the race. There were more rescues then you can imagine, the 750M got shortened big time to maybe 400m when all was said and done it took so so swimmers like me 25 minutes to swim it. I had a friend who got so stuck in the current, it took her 45 minutes. Anyway, I like pre-swimming this course just to know I can do it. I like swimming this course because of all of the nifty things I get to pick off of my body when I take my suit off after a particularly murky swim like this, the things I do for entertainment! So we went to the possible new location for the swim start, and started by going in single file. I had the best swim I have to say. I wish I had my watch, because I'd like to say I finished the swim in 10 or so minutes. Now, don't go thinking I'm all Michael Phelps or anything, but the current was ripping us along and just WOW, I flew. I got out rather proud of myself and feeling strong.
At that point I probably should have said, Let's go hon! Of course Brad was out way before me. My confidence was soaring and I had a contact high of sorts, no rotting endorphins here! Anyway, we were given the option of staying for another round of swimming, jumping in and swimming up current for 10 minutes and back to the dock. Brad said he wanted to, and I figured what the heck? After the swim I just had, what's a measly 10 minutes into the current? Are you thinking this post will have an unhappy ending?? Sorry to disappoint Mr. or Ms. Half glass empty. I felt strong, even with all of the mass start kicking and elbowing that went on, I choppy stroked myself into that ripping current for 10 minutes, found a spot where I didn't get the crap kicked out of me and I almost kept up with the fastest people out there. I felt even better then before! My swim back took all of 3 minutes, literally, that's how fast that current was running, but I did move forward up current. I watched as landmarks passed, I sited like an alligator, I devoured that river like piranhas on an unsuspecting victim and got out leech free, ah, the perfect open water swim...
Now if this can carry over into tomorrow! I am still thinking maybe I hit my head on something shortly before I agreed to join the Marathon Training team again. Or maybe my twin from the other side of the sun, remember that from the Justice League how there was Superman and Wonder Woman et al from the other side of the sun whose costumes and eyes were black and they were all bad, crazy people, I digress, decided they needed to mess with me a little and put me up to this.
Who knows, all I can say is I hope the current moves me along for my run tomorrow, is all down river and leech free...
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