Chesapeake Bay Bridge Swim 2008

Here's a recap of yesterday's swim.

Pre-race:
I was a bit tired (we all know how I feel about 6am), a bit nervous, and somewhat excited. I will admit that I did have second thoughts, one of those can I really do this - type moments... what if I didn't train hard enough and all that... Definitely was thinking that this was one of those events that seemed like a good idea several months ago, but not so much at the moment. Anyway, got to the park and ride in Kent Island and got on the bus over to Sandy Point. It was nice to talk to people on the bus - most of which were having similiar doubts, but also hearing from some of the veterans about the nuniances of the race (which side of the bridge to stay to and when, etc). I was a little more at ease by the time I arrived at the registration tent - got my number, cap, timing chip, and all that stuff. The water looked very calm - almost glass like, no white caps anywhere... you could sorta make out the other side. I also, learned that I did not overpack - I was a bit concerned about bringing a bookbag with my wetsuit, water, gels, etc... but everyone else had a similiar amount of gear. My nerves calmed as the start neared.

Mile 1 -
The first mile went by really quickly - maybe because of the excitement because I definitely wasn't going all that fast. The start was a bit rough - not as bad as a tri start - but still got hit and swam over more times than I would have liked. I still felt good and strong at this point.

Mile 2 -
This one was a bit tougher. The current was pushing me to the left and I kept having to correct myself and swim towards the center to avoid going outside of the span and getting DQed. But, I didn't want to go too far to the right because the bridges curve left and I wanted to use the current help keep me to the left, since just after mile 2 the current changes directions and pushes you right. So this mile was a bit more difficult. I was starting to feel tired and a bit de-hydrated. Luckily there was a refreshment boat at mile 2.

Mile 3 -
This was my favorite mile. I was refreshed from the water/gel stop at the end of mile 2. There wasn't much current to fight or swim against or with. I was surprised to arrive at the mile marker so quickly. There was supposed to be a refreshment boat at this mile marker as well - but I didn't see it. Although, honestly I was still feeling good so I doubt I would have stopped.

Mile 4 -
Passing the third mile marker and beginning the 4th mile, I still felt good. I was swimming strongly and smartly - drafting as often as possible. Then about halfway through - I found myself being pushed to the right a lot quicker than I was prepared for. About 4 other swimmers near me where having a similiar problem... we all kept having to swim against an increasingly strong current to avoid being DQ'ed. And when you have already swam over 3 miles, it seems all the more difficult. The saving grace of this last section was that the spans were closer together giving the illusion of progress as I passed them. Finally, I reached the end of the bridge - only .4 to go - the end of the spans served as the 4th mile marker. I swam through the last span and turned left.

The final .4 -
You could see the finish line and all the people waiting. That was the only redeeming quality of this last .4 miles. The water was very warm, my arms and legs were tired, and I was getting increasingly warm in the wetsuit. After a few strokes, I decided to follow suit and walk this last part. In hindsight this probably wasn't the smartest idea - a) it took longer, b) the water was gross, and c) without the water surrounding me the wetsuit was suddenly an oven. 3 hours and 18 minutes and 29 seconds after starting, I emerged from the bay and crossed the mats. I was grateful for the volunteers that helped me get my arms out of the wetsuit and took my timing chip off my ankle. Grabbed some water and the bag of race goodies, and proceeded to find mom and dad. I was pretty much shaking from exhaustion and getting hotter by the moment.

Post-race -
Once I had the wetsuit completely off, I started to feel a bit better. Had half a gross chocolate fudge cliff bar (no offense to cliff bars - I usually like thier products) and a lot of water. Still shaking - got to my recovery drink thingy and started to feel better as my sugar and hydration levels began to normalize again. Walked to the car with mom and dad - at this point all I wanted was to sit in air conditioning. Stopped at Dairy Queen because mom and dad were starving, had a chicken wrap - even though i wanted a slushie (with the recovery drink thingy you aren't supposed to have sugar for about 30 minutes - to avoid spiking). Finally about an hour or so after finishing I started to feel normal... had a Rita's water ice - yay sugar! Pretty much sat around the rest of the afternoon - went to bed pretty much right after dinner and ibuprofen.

Today I feel pretty good. A bit stiff in the mid back and arms, but I would consider doing the race again. =)