A Long Swim Weekend- RECAP

Last year I completed my first 25K swim.  While this should have been a 15.5 miles it ended up closer to 17 miles due to being pushed out into the Bay.  So it was with the desire to come back to prove a point that once the Bridge Swim opened I signed up and raised the bar a little.  For the 2014 version of this race I was determined to complete the 25K and the 5K the following day.  It was crazy, why with the memory of 10 hours in the water still fresh in my mind would I desire to do it again in a year.  A year of this race looming!  But I signed up for back to back swims for 2014 (and Patrick agreed to complete the 10K Bridge Swim) and here we are days after the swim events.
As I began training for this event I picked up hours and laps in the pool, hopeful to get some open water swims in before the big day.  Open water swims would not happen this year, in fact the finally opportunity for an open water swim was canceled due to weather conditions.  Prior to that due to cold weather, rip currents, and waves we were unable to get in any open water swims.  Instead we settled for the pool- laps after laps after laps.  Patrick worked up to five miles in the pool and I hit just under eight.  This was going to have to do, as pool swimming is boring, tedious, and will make you go crazy beyond four hours! 
With training done to the extent able we were facing race day. 

On Saturday, I woke up dawned my suit, packed up my wetsuit, waters, nutrition, and other miscellaneous gear.  Patrick packed up the kayak and other support items for our friend, Cheryl, as she would be my water support.  You see when swimming 25K you are required to supply your own kayaker to follow you around for the day and make sure you don't die.  This was Cheryl's second year so I knew I would survive!  On our way to the start line we actually drive over the bridge, seeing and evaluating the water.  On this morning the waters were calm (they would also be cold).  Five of us were racing that day, 3 men and 2 women.  The racers talked, stared at the water, aided our support team, and overall just tried to take deep breaths, at least that's what I was doing.  Cheryl was in good spirits, given that I had made her get up before the sun, I was nervous, Patrick was trying to manage and organize all of us. 


We stood through the safety meeting and then lined up on the water's edge for the start.  Once given the "go" we all walked out into the water.  No seriously, a slow swimmer march through the water until it was above waist high.  You see when you have 15 miles of swimming ahead of you don't rush the water like you would in a triathlon.  On this day we would respect the calm waters.  We would slowly slip into the waters trying to disguise ourselves as sea life, in hopes the waters will remain calm and not see us as a threat.  About 20 yards in we took our dive into the water one at a time.  Him, then me, then him, then him, then her (she was slightly delayed I would later find out due to kayaker issues).  

Upon making it out of the protected marina I began to edge up and pass the only swimmer ahead of me.  During my time spotting I watched his green kayaker slip further and further out of my view.  I also watched the swimmer with the yellow kayaker follow beside me, then slink back.  Then the realization can to me, "I am in the front.  what if I don't know where we are going?"  All those speeches about not just following the runner in front of you on a trail run came to mind.  I wasn't worried about me, just worried about those behind me. (One fun fact in this area the waters get shallow.  I stood up at one point after brushing the bottom.  Both Cheryl and I simply laughed.)
I rounded the first buoy, out from the point where a large home loomed.  As I made this turn we were in more open water, meaning the wind and tides began to take their affect.  I watched as house after house drifted by, it is amazing what you can see at water level.  This was also where I hit a patch of seagrass- never fun.  I made it to the second buoy, this would be a u-turn point and we would one by one follow back towards the point and towards he bridge now.  As we turned I asked Cheryl for the location of each kayak color.  she quickly identified them for me and we set back out.  This time as I saw each color pass- yellow, red, green- they were not drifting off behind me, they were fighting to get in front of me.  I had now lead out this first leg of the race.  Upon nearing the point buoy the yellow kayaker came pass.  I knew he was a strong swimmer so I had only pride rushing through my mind, as I had held him off for this long.  Before reaching the mouth of the marina the red kayak would come pass me as well.  In my mind again I was okay.  I was having a good swim and I knew it.  And let's be honest I knew at this moment that while these guys may be passing me the other woman was behind me still trying to catch up.    

Before passing under the bridge the water turned to glass.  I watched the water off my arms drip on the water's glass top.  The sun was high now so it looked like crystal's dropping in to the water.   When I would spot forward I could see my hand break the surface.  It was so surreal, I had never been in the water for this swim and it be so calm.  This calm would end upon moving to the other side of the bridge.  It was a different world over there.  One of current, chop, and darkness.  Again this year we were pushed out in to the Bay, although not so far.  We had to make a swim back in to the final buoy.  Upon reaching it Cheryl and I made a plan to stay up towards the shore.  As I found out from another swimmer we should have stayed even closer in order to have avoided more of the current.  But we made this final turn still third of five.  Now it was time to push even harder.  I was here at the final leg of this race; here in the spot where last year the shark was spotted; here where the next hours would make the difference in being able to call this a good swim.  The bridge grew larger and larger.  I was overjoyed to be under the darkness of the bridge, while a scary place this place was nearly the end.  From here I saw no other kayaks, I didn't know where they were, I didn't care.  I flung my arms one after the other.  The sail boats now grew larger and then passed.  Cheryl who had supported and protected me through out this day was now all smiles, telling me to just keep going.  I looked up to see the beach, the tent, the flag, and a pair of orange board shorts.  Cheryl pushed out in front of me.  Arm over arm.  The sand below me grew closer, but I was not going to walk out as I had walked in, I no longer needed to be disguised, the water was free to know that I was an imposter who had conquered.  I pushed my arms closer and closer to my body.  I was in about a foot of water, unsure if my legs were ready to stand.  In this moment I could hear Patrick (the orange board shorts), I could hear Cheryl, and a few others cheering.  In ten steps I was across the finish line.  7:41:14!!!  I shook the hand of the man who was in front of me- the only one in front of me.  It turns out the red kayak did not take the shoreline back, instead they got pushed out to the bay a little more than me, giving me an opportunity to pass.  following my finish would be the red kayak, the green, and then what had started as the blue but was not red 2.   I was over joyed at me accomplishment, going from the last finisher the year before to the second this year was pure joy.  I hugged my support- Cheryl first as she had been on the water with me; then Patrick as he has always been on this journey with me.  
After this swim I was feeling good.  It was the night that got me.  I knew I had another race awaiting me at sunrise.  In the night my shoulders and back tightened.  But I was going to do these 3 miles.  
Patrick and I set up the kayak on the finish side of the bridge.  Patrick would be swimming the longer distance of there and back.  I caught a ride to the shorter distance side.  Upon waiting I stretched, focused, and questioned the barge parking at "shark wharf".  The race director was over on our side after setting off the 10K swimmers.  Now I knew Patrick was in the water.  He was out there.  Headed towards me.  The 5K swimmers entered the water, one by one down a ladder onto the mucky sandy bottom.  We walked through the chest high water to the start line.  I now wished I had worn my wetsuit. Oh well, it was too late now.  
And we were off.  I felt slow.  The bridge crept by, light post by light post.  All I wanted to do was finish.  After the bridge hump I noticed the change in the current, tides were shifting.  The water began to become cool, then cold.  Since my hands were numbing, my teeth chattering, and I don't recall feeling in my feet, I was pretty sure I was on the brink of hypothermia.  The only choice was to push on.  The marina was there ahead of me.  All I could do was to push on.  As I entered the marina one more time I copied my maneuver from the day before, willing my arms up and over one stroke at a time.  The sand again became familiar and close.  I stood in the last few feet, sooner than I had planned.  Again within a few steps I was over the finish line.  Now I wanted to go back out, back to Patrick.  But I needed to get warm.  
I grabbed a few things from the Jeep, including a sweatshirt, forgetting sunscreen, and headed back out into the bay. 
As I was heading out passing other swimmers, offering one of them support and water, I noticed another barge coming up.  One of the jetskiers told me there was one racer back and that he may be pulled if he didn't make it past the bridge hump in time. I kayaked faster.  the barge past between me and the swimmer who was at the pontoon boat.  After the barge passed I hurried faster to the swimmer.  Patrick was in the water.  The pontoon riders informed me that since the barge had passed Patrick would be able to swim on.  And that he did.  Patrick pushed out the remained of his swim.  About 300 yards shy of the marina Patrick was joined in the water by 2 dolphins.  As many of you are now thinking, "How cool!" I was actually thinking, "was that for sure 2 dolphins?"  It was.  The popped up about ten feet to my right as Patrick was to my left.  As quickly as I saw them pop up on my side they popped up ten feet to the other side of Patrick.  Patrick would later talk about seeing something swim under him, but figuring it was his shadow.  He also heard them, closer than just their clicking in the distance.  Patrick pushed out the last of the distance strong against the current.  Upon entering the marina Patrick was cheered on from not only me, but the pontooners, the sailors, and the shore bystanders.  Patrick pushed into the shallow waters, standing at about knee high.  He took first in his age group and had a good overall time for the distance.  
After this weekend Patrick has informed me, he is glad for his achievement and he is no longer wishing to swim extended distance.  I on the other hand am interested in the possibility of a 30K.  
(Oh, but Patrick may be swimming another long swim next year in Charleston.)    

Just Keep SWIMMING!!