OptimisSport Distance Swim Challenge 4.8 mile swim - Swim

Total time is what I recall from the results, about 1 minute slower than my watch. Splits are from my watch

This is the second year for this race, volunteered last year, but wanted to race it this year. It snuck up on me though, especially since they moved it from Oct. to Aug. Didn't really train right, only had two 2 mile OW swims in the last month and a half, nothing longer. Other than that just my 2 X weekly masters, so I had decided not to to do it.

Until the Friday before, when I decided to do it. I figured it's four 1.2 mile legs, I could always bail any time, right? Have to say I was a bit nervous, it's been a long time since I entered a race wondering whether I could finish it. The furthest I have ever swum was 2.4 miles.... and that was nearly 3 years ago. I even posted here on BT as well as the USMS forum for input whether, given my training and the course, I should/could do it.

Plan was to take leg 1 very easy, leg 2 see how the arms felt, push leg 3 and go as hard as I could leg 4. The morning started out nice and calm, glassy seas, no wind, overcast and warm. It was still early enough to see the ferris wheel on the Santa Monica pier all lit up in the distance. I knew a couple people doing it, including an old high school buddy I had played water polo with and just recently caught up with on facebook. Honestly, he had done it the year before and was instrumental in getting me signed up and thinking I could do it.

Race started at 6:30, pretty much on time.

All splits are taken at the timing mats and include walking into and/or out of the water, as well as time taking in nutrition. I didn't do a single dolphin dive this morning.

Mile 0-1.2

This leg started just north of the Marina del Rey breakwater, rounded the Venice Pier,then came into the beach.

The horn went and a bunch of folks started sprinting into the water. Not me (and several others). It was the slowest start I've ever done. Literally walking.

Goal for leg 1 was just to warm up, to go at a pace that I didn't feel as if I was working. Started swimming, and about 1/4 way through I had worked my way up to the lead group. Not that I was swimming fast. They were swimming slow.

I just sat there behind the big pack, drafting my ass off and letting them do all the siting. I felt bad as the group was going so slowly I sort of creeped up onto the feet of the guy in front of me a bunch. There was a relay swimmer in our midst, it wasn't a very organized draft line, just a pack of people. But it was easy. REALLY easy. I started to think that if this was the pace, I could do well placing-wise. I recalled something that a coach said at packet pickup, like Ironman, doing well isn't necessarily about who goes the fastest, but who slows down the least.

Before I knew it, the big orange turn buoys came into view. We all turned right, and oddly the pack started breaking up as everyone seemed to take different lines to the beach. Once again hit the surf zone, got up, and walked to the turn. I wasn't about to incur the heart rate cost for running to the timing mat and back. Stood up and one of my friends was standing up at the same time, both of us just cruising.

Split - 32:30, pretty happy with that given the effort. Had water at the beach

Mile 1.3-2.4

This leg left the beach, went around the Venice breakwater (a minor breakwater), then returns to the beach at the ultimate finish, where you start the final two loops.

The pack had broken up, but I could see a short line of folks in front of me. Getting out and then back in was a little tougher than I thought, I had to repeat my mantra "keep the shoulders loose," as they were stiffening up.

Not much to report on this leg, except a couple locations I had no idea where I was supposed to go. Because we were coming to the loops for legs 3 and 4, there were 3 big buoys, but not lined up like other entries. One was in close, one was out far, then a third further off in between. I had to stop a couple times just to try to figure it out.

Couple this with my tendency to swim left, and I found myself further out to sea than others on my right. I could have sworn they were going to cut the buoy, but they were actually right on it, I had to swim in towards it a while.

I figured it out and found the right turn buoy. For some reason, there was a lifeguard off at an angle to the right, and people started swimming in that direction, when the flags/mat was dead ahead. Stood up and yep, there was my buddy coming in too.

This was my potential bailout leg, but I knew during this leg that I would be finishing it.

Split - 36:45. Can't explain this, why it took so long. I did stop for a gel and water at the mat, but that took a few seconds.

Mile 2.5-3.6

Going into uncharted territory here. We joined some swimmers that were doing the 2.4 mile route. This loop was a medium leg out, a long leg to the north, short leg toward the beach, then a medium leg back south, angling around the buoy to the beach. It was easy to break up the loop like this for me, bite sized chunks.

The first leg out to the far buoy was a LOT longer than it looked. And it's where my left shoulder started to hurt mechanically. Something in the joint. Which is to be expected swimming this long without training for it.

Again my left swimming tendency kinda screwed me, as instead of going straight I took this huge arcing course and added some yards.

Shoulder pain was mild, and started going away, so I felt like maybe I could push leg 4, and leave it out there. I was very happy to get to the beach. Had another gel, some water and gatorade.

Split - 33

Mile 3.7-4.8

OK, now I was REALLY in uncharted territory. My stroke completely broke down. Getting back out to the first buoy was tough. Rounded the buoy just behind another 4.8 swimmer, and decided to work the long leg as hard as I could to drop him. Even swimming left I passed him, then accelerated a bit to keep him off my draft.

Don't remember much except working hard. Coming back on the last leg I thought I'd try to hammer. Instead I decided to just survive. Plus my left tricep started cramping every pull. Coming up to the last buoy another 4.8 swimmer was drafting off a 2.4 swimmer to my right, a bit faster but wide of the buoy. The 4.8 swimmer came in to the buoy, and I snuck on the inside. He stopped and looked at me, then started swimming at a good clip. I thought for a second about challenging him, but decided that my original plan to survive and complete the swim was going to win over racing it. Problem was, when he finally stood up I recognized him as one of the people I had secretly wanted to beat, and he got me at the line by about :20

As I was swimming to the last buoy the thought in my head was "Sweet Jesus, the last buoy!!!" But while I was ready to be done, I didn't want the swim to be over. I was really enjoying it (even tho it was hard)

Split - 33:22. This included a long long long run through soft sand (OK, 100 yards), no idea why they set it up like that.

Other than the odd 2d leg, I was quite happy with the consistent pace, and to be able to hold 3 minutes off my HIM swim pace 4 miles in.

Train for it

I thought this was a well organized race, the conditions were perfect and there were plenty of lifeguards out in the water. I have a couple gripes about course set up and direction, but it's hard in a point to point to describe the end of a swim course.

I like the in and out aspect from a safety perspective. It allowed me to get long distance swimming in without feeling like I was in the middle of the ocean. But, while it was a break, the act of getting horizontal again after being on the beach was a lot harder than I thought it would be. And our conditions were ideal, if there were significant surf,it would have been MUCH MUCH harder, having to duck dive, dolphin, etc. Then again, that's open water ocean swimming.

After the race I felt the same sort of sense of accomplishment I felt after my first HIM or IM, it was something I didn't think I could do, yet I did it anyway. I went 100% further than I had ever gone in my life, and I think I did it well. I was very happy I decided to do this swim, and would definitely do it again