Canada Day Challenge - Swim

Sooooo, as usual, struggled initially. BUT settled in more quickly than normal, so that was good. I was feeling comfortable about 3/4 to first buoy, so maybe 400m? I worked at keeping my stroke slow and easy. I seemed to be doing well staying on course.

Around the first buoy and there was a little bit of contact, but not too bad. I was keeping pace with another woman. She surged a bit ahead so I drafted a little bit. As we went around the 2nd buoy, there were about 4 of us swimming side by side, all kind of keeping pace. There was something very...cohesive about it. I can't quite describe it, but it was like there was a singleness of purpose (duh, get to the finish line). It was quite lovely. Then all of a sudden, we all spread out. I don't know if I went a bit off course, or they did, but all of a sudden they were all gone.

So we pass the third buoy, and now I seem to be having a bit more trouble keeping a straight line. I was working on picking it up a bit, and trying to really focus finishing on my stroke, but I kept drifting either one way or 'tother. I just kept making corrections where needed.

Round buoys four and five, and now I have sort of lost the course. We are now swimming directly into the sun, and the last buoy, just at the finish chute, is yellow. There is another orange one ahead, but I am a bit confused as I thought we were heading in, and we are supposed to keep the buoys on our right??? Ohhhhh, there's the problem. There are actually two beaches, and we are headed for the second. Ok, pass the orange buoy, then head for the yellow one. I think I added a little on here as I went a little wide of the buoys in my confusion.

Swam as shallow as I could, then stood up and ran over the mat. I didn't look down at my watch to press stop until I was past the mat and partway up the beach, but when I did, and saw that I was still under 40:00 I was happy!



I was pretty happy with this. It was partly a 'remind myself that I can do this distance', partly a fun thing. I would like to do this again next year. I'm still very unsure when it comes to pacing in the open water. Pacing on the swim period, I guess. I need more practice with that...

Had some snacks, then headed off.


Fun race. Last year apparently it was cold, rainy and foggy...I'm glad it was so nice this year!