Wild Fish One Mile Swim - SwimOther

Took almost a full minute and a half with an initial water panic. I hadn't even heard such a thing was common until after the race, and had never experienced that before. It was a combination of too many arms and legs flailing causing greater chop to the first buoy, getting kicked in the side early, and tasting (*yuk!*) salt water for the first time in years mixed with a little leftover petrol from the race volunteer jetskis.

After regrouping, I was able to pull through the pack and encounter enormous patches of seaweed that I wasn't sure if I should swim over or through or pick up and throw to the side. When I got some caught in my nose piece, I accidentally ripped my goggles off my face and had to tred to put them back on at which point they leaked for the second half of the race.

I was surprised to pass people, and it felt great to gain on the dolphin like wet suit folks who I feared would be blowing me by!

Rough start, but easy finish. Excited to do another!

Taking a real warm up would have helped avoid the initial open-water panic and loosen up the muscles instead of doing it in the first couple hundred meters.

Better fit on goggles is also an essential for next time.

Guzzled two bottles of water then drove out to Salem Beer Works for a couple beers and to get out of my bathing suit. In the ladies room the amount of seaweed and twigs, etc. was comical, down to a tiny crab leg falling out of the top of my suit.

I'm still a little wary about wet suit swimming, but if it'll help keep out the sea gunk, I might want to look into that!


First-timer anxiety. Unavoidable.


Great race - I'd do it again! Or perhaps even take on the double-loop for the two-miler next year.