Sunday 7 September 2008 - LJRWS Gatorman

Today was my slowest 5K ever. It took me one hour and 23 minutes to finish, and to tell the truth I was only supposed to go 3 miles, a tenth of a mile short of a true 5K. I was happy enough with the time though since I did swim this distance, not run it. My intention with moving up from the La Jolla Rough Water Swim mile was two-fold. First, I wanted to see if I could actually swim that far in competition in the open ocean. Second, I wanted to gain experience for the Half Ironman Triathlon in April and a possible Ironman down the road. Both purposes were satisfied.

Fortunately the water was warm and the swells weren't too bad. The start was crazy with what I heard to be 575 swimmers, all going off at once. It was a giant churn for a good 500 yards before it started to thin out. This was a good experience for Ironman competition, where usually around 2000 people start from the water.

Once the swimmers began to spread out I tried to settle into a rhythm while aiming for the Scripps pier. In trying to line myself up to swim straight, I aimed for a spot on the hillside beyond the pier that was easier to see. You never know if you're successful when you're trying to swim straight. Before I got half way to the pier I had nobody around me. It makes you doubt yourself.

A couple of times I ran into big clumps of kelp but, like everyone else, just kept going. While I was out there with no one around me, suddenly a girl appeared and swam across my path. I had to chop my stroke and adjust. Then she zigzagged in front of me again. Then it happened a third time. Was I going crooked or was she? I'll never know. It was just amusing that it happened in the middle of nowhere with no one else around.

Finally the pier started to look bigger and I was getting closer. I caught an occasional glimpses of what I hoped were the orange and yellow balloons marking the turnaround point. As I got close to the pier my thoughts went to my brother, Slade441, and his story of sneaking onto this closed pier and jumping off of it in his youth.

The water was choppy a few hundred yards before the pier and was worse heading back to the Cove. All the way back it was hard to get more than a few strokes going before getting knocked around a little and having to try to find my form again. It made it hard to be efficient and strong, which is part of the challenge of a rough water open ocean swim. There are no lines on the bottom, no walls to do flip turns, and no lane lines or gutters to keep the water smooth.

The trip back was similar to the swim out, only in reverse. Once again I took aim, this time at a tall building that lined me up with the Cove. As I swam, the crowd disappeared and I was on my own again. I wondered if I had veered too far out and so, changed my target. Soon one of the lifeguards on a paddle board waved at me and pointed. I stopped and he told me to head out farther, the opposite of my original correction. I thanked him and kept going. Soon I rejoined a crowd of swimmers and we headed for the Cove.

Once your hands touch the sand twice as you get to shallow water you stand up and run, or walk, to the finish line. I took about 10 steps, crossed the line, and then had to hold on to something to keep from falling over. After swimming that far I had no balance, which concerned the volunteers who kept asking me if I was okay. It just took a few seconds to be able to stand up without staggering sideways like a drunk.

Without knowing my place or final time yet, I'm happy with the result. I learned from the swim and accomplished what I wanted. Yes, lots have people have done this swim. But until now I haven't. I feel a sense of personal accomplishment, similar to after completing my first marathon last June. And it's another step towards a successful 70.3 Half Ironman.