This event is in honor of someone who used to be in charge of the Ocean City Beach Patrol. These guards to an amazing job every summer with the huge crowds that show up on these beaches.

Once I finally got registered and body marked, there were volunteers from a local church handing out water, had a couple of bottles of water....chatted with a variety of other swimmers. Some were former guards (one from 1958 and another who guarded many years some under the man the race is named for)

The race was divided into 2 separate events, there was a 400 meter swim named for Captain Craig's wife (I really should have just done that one) and the 1 mile event. We got some instructions, they walked the 400 meter people over to their start line and the remainder of us 1 mile folks boarded a tram to take us to Division Street.

I didn't get to see my husband when the tram left, but I did see one of my daughters and the kids from camp as the tram pulled out. Trams drive up and down the boardwalk all the time cause a lot of the tourists in OC don't want to walk the 26 blocks from one end to the other so people were trying to get on the tram with us and the driver had to tell them no, this was a special event. Ultimately the tram deposited us at Division Street and we ran across the beach, got in and got used to the surf again. By this time I really needed to relieve myself but there wasn't time to find a bathroom and get back to the beach.

This was the first time I ever did a swim with a beach start, I knew it would be different.....it was fun. I tried to stay towards the back cause I was hoping once I got in the water I could take care of that need to pee.....Nope, I got in and a giant wave knocked me on my butt taking off my goggles, I stood up to dolphin dive after fixing my goggles and another wave came right behind it knocking me on my butt again.

I made it out to the start bouy and was doing okay....not great cause that section was against current. I thought once I got out in the open I might be able to pee,......nope, can't pee and move. I soon realized that I was not going to be doing freestyle most of the day. I was tiring easily, even with all my swimming all week at Assateague. I think most of those swims had been 300-400 meters out with a little breast stroke then freestyle back with the current....

So I just kept doing what I could, I would freestyle until I was tired then switch to breast, a bit of side stroke or backstroke then repeat the process. Passed the first bouy then just before the halfway bouy I called out to a paddle boarder to ask if I was at least halfway yet. She pointed out the bouy and told me I was almost there. I asked her if she was my race angel.....she said yes. I smiled, ha, I wasn't panicking at all, not in the least bit nervous of the ocean swimming like I know I have been pre swim in any other race before....but I knew I would be fighting to finish what I started.

I rested on her board a bit and continued on, she paddled close by me to give me a bit of navigational assistance because with some of the swells I would lose sight of the bouys. Commented that I had never done so much breast stroke in my life!! At the 3/4 mile she told me to rest a bit then power it on in. I did rest to work a cramp out of my foot. Told her she was getting a mention in my race report. I never did get her name....or a picture. I wanted a picture of my race angel for the report.

I powered it in. My last 400 meters were the best I swam the entire race. Passed the last 3 markers (flags for Ocean City, Maryland then USA) No breast stroke....no back stroke. Just swim, pay attention to the other paddle board guards to make sure I was lined up with the exit flags on shore. Ran up the beach and got my "popsicle stick" indicating 75th place. I was surprised that there were swimmers behind me.

I met my goal, I wasn't DFL (surprisingly) and the guards on paddle boards didn't pull me out of the ocean.

Wear the darn wetsuit
Swim more freestyle

I stood on the beach trying to catch my breath and one of the EMS guys was watching me pretty close. My rescue inhaler was in the car...I wasn't wheezing, just breathing hard after the effort.

Still want a potty....my husband is in a hurry to get back to Assateague so we left Ocean City with 2 of the 3 kids with us and myself all wanting a toilet. We pulled into the campground and I made my husband stop at the first loop bathhouse I bolted out of that car to the bathroom so fast my kids were laughing.


Limited ocean swim experience dealing with the ocean swells


There were awards that my husband didn't want to stay in town for. A local restaurant had given all participants a coupon for $5 off their meal but I didn't get to go. We walked back down the boardwalk with me wrapped in a towel 14 blocks to the car.

The event started late because the guards that were both volunteering and participating didn't get off duty until 5:30 and they had to travel in from a variety of locations around Ocean City, then there was a little coordination difficulty between ending the 400 meter event and beginning the mile one so far down the beach.

If I had been able to access the online registration prior to the race it would have been nice, but they had a lot of walk in registrants and plenty of forms/ clip boards and pens to keep the lines moving.