Swimming is Fun!

For the past few years, while doing Ironman Training, I have only been swimming once or twice a week. I have been shifting that in the past few months, now I’m swimming 5-6 times a week. I am getting faster which is a good thing, because now my long swim pace is getting faster but doesn’t feel harder. I love that.

I swam in a 2.4 mile race last Saturday at Lake Travis. I didn’t really know what to expect in terms of time or who else would be there. I knew that Carrie would be there, because she is getting ready to do a 4 mile swim in Lake Austin. How cool is that, a woman who used to be last out of the water in triathlon (as she describes it) to training to do a 4 mile swim. Her husband was there too, Ali, John, Tammy, Christine, Alissa, I had no idea so many friends were swimming it too…..YAY! Dina came to support Tammy so that was fun to chat with here pre and post race and good on her for getting in post race to test the waters.

While we were waiting for race time, I notice that Jennifer….a really strong swimmer was at the race. Yay! I have not kept up with her in long races in the past, but figured I had been swimming a lot so would just wait and see.

After our morning chit chat and pics, we meandered to the downright balmy 86 degree water. Not my favorite, but it is what it is. Did a little warm-up and swam to the start. The course is a two loop course that includes a swim around the cove for the last quarter mile or so. Horn went off and I found myself on the feet of some guy. We were a little too far to the right of the buoys, but I liked his draft. Finally, we moved over and we were on course, but were now swimming next to each other. As we neared the buoy for the turn around to get back to the cove, I noticed some tapping on my feet, so I did breast stroke around the buoy and let the tapper pass me, it was Jennifer. At this point, we were now in a pack of four; two dudes, Jennifer and I were splitting up the drafting. As we turned into the Cove, I lost my draft….poop! At the half way point, I looked at my watch and saw 27:30. I thought, NICE! Off to catch them, midway to the turn around I was back with the pack and hanging on. Back to the cove, and we are getting close, half way around the Cove, and Jennifer starts moving really fast, CRAP…..guess I will too, we turn out of the cove and I try to sneak by her on the right…damn she saw me, edged into the rocks nowhere to go. Damn she’s smart! Ok, so we all think the finish is a run on land so the three of us (we dropped one of our pack), jump up to run out of the water, but officials are yelling at us to swim through the start buoy. Crap, she dove towards the finish with the other guy and I right on her feet. Did I mention that some kid beat us all by over four minutes. The race was so much fun, it’s always more fun to win, but I had so much fun pushing the limits and figuring out the drafting in the water. Our times were around 52:30. I forgot to stop my watch right away.

After the race, breakfast with the Carrie, Shawn,and Christine! Perfect Morning and then home to nap….the week had caught up with me and I was planning a long swim in Barton Springs for Sunday morning.