Lesson that I should have known better, Always check your goggles for leaks before starting the swim!. I had to deal with leaky goggles for first 1+ miles. I felt like going back the the start after the first wave and getting my back ups, but thought it would mess up my timing chip etc. So I dealt with it and eventually they stopped leaking somehow. Just really threw off my rythem.

That was really not a big deal in total race picture though. I was simply undertrained at this distance. the first 3 miles felt ok, but I was never as fast as I thought I should be or had trained at prior. My first loop was 36:00 and I was thinking more like 30:00 before hand. Those loop times just got progressively slower. Some of it had to do with the tough currents we faced on long backstretch, but I was also just getting tired.

I also had no idea what to do regarding nutrition/hydration. I went in telling myself go by feel. I didnt stop on the frst loop as we had cool air temps and water was 74 so felt good. I decided to stop after 2nd loop and get something to drink. It took about a minute or so to swim over to the dock and get someone to hand you your bottle. But I already knew my time would not be good. I stopped on loop 4 and this time took my only gel. Lesson learned, it would have helped to have 2-3 gels, maybe even one tucked in my suit. My last stop was after 5th loop and that was just to regain my composure for last loop. You couldnt reach bottom at the dock or hold on so it was new for me to tread water and drink etc. No big deal though.

I tried to draft a few times and since there were only 50 or so people spread out over a mile loop, there simply wasnt that many people to catch. They were either slower swimmers early on from other distances who started before me or they past me like I was standing still. On the last loop I actually gave it whatever was left for the final 15 minutes. I knew I would be close to 4 hours and at least it would be a moral victory to not see a 3 instead of a 4 in front of my time. Only left it with 10 seconds to spare...

I simply need to do more long OWS on the weekends. The most I did was about 5k and that was with 2-3 breaks mixed in. I need to bump it up to a few 5-6 mile swims. Also need to go by time since I wasnt really prepared for 4 hours, more like 3 and that would have still been a challenge. Also need to check goggles before hand, that was a stupid mistake that & should know better. Just lazy not wanting to go for practice swim and then have to wait on cold beach.

I was so happy to be out of the water I just sat for a while. Almost everyone was gone anyway as earlier waves were done quite a while before. Did manage to get 2 burgers and they were amazing.


Training, maybe tough current, but that effected everybody. One thing I also have to get used to is a bruised ego. Unlike a 5k run or sprint tri, these long distance swimmers are ALL really good. I am definately a noobie to it all and very humbling to say the least to see where I ranked out. I think there were some DNF's out there that day, but they were not listed in results.


Good race as there are not many in South Florida and they had the course well marked and with plenty of support along the course with kaykers/paddle boarders etc. Very safe course as well. I would do it again and will look forward to improving my time for sure.