This year I started in a bad spot, about 50 feet from the "point", about 4 rows back. This put me behind all the folks that ran fast to the water and then.... stopped... and tried to swim... and stopped. There was a long surf zone everyone had to skip through. I ended up behind a few people that were slower than me, and I had to stop to find a way through them. this is my third year doing this, toughest start yet.

Although I still love the mass start. It's just a seething mass, the noise of all those feet hitting the water is like a waterfall...There were a few (OK, a lot) of bumps and bouncing off people. After the first 100 yars, it cleared a little, as people started heading towards the end of the pier. At the pier, things started to pinch a bit, as people made the right hand turn. Last year, I was more aggressive and held my line. One guy and I battled it out for a few strokes. This year my heart wasn't in the fight. If someone wanted to be an asshole, fine, take the line, I'll just go around you :)

At this point, I had no idea how the hell I'd find my paddler. I figured I'd just swim, look up every now and then, look for the hat and white shirt, and if I didn't find her, oh well. Turns out, she saw me first, and was waving so I saw her on a breath. She took off and we slowly closed ranks. It was dicey for a while, since there were swimmers in front of her, and she didn't have a clear path, but it broke up soon enough.

I kept her so her calf was about my eye level. You can't really draft off a paddler, since there isn't a good wake formed. It's just for sighting and navigation. I still sighted a bunch, just to gauge where I was, probably could have done less of it. The nice thing was the board blocked out the houses, so I didn't have a frame of reference. I've always hated swimming, feeling like I'm nealry finished, and then inadvertantly seeing the mile house. Of course, my paddler said "half way there" when we got to the house. Ugh.

Katy was great though, gave me encouragement, pumped fists, a couple time updates. We need nonverbal communication though, because I'd have to stop and say "what?" thinking it was something important.

The BEST thing about having a paddler is that, unlike in year's past, no one swam across my bow. I hate when that happens. the boat keeps people at a distance.

I could tell it was a fast year, the Manhattan Pier was getting closer and closer. But I had no idea of the time. I thought I heard Kkaty say "35 minutes, fast" (turns out I was right) about 3/4 of the way through. Every so often I'd increase my cadence and power, but couldn't really hold it for more than 100 yards. A few times I just wanted to slow aand rest, but told myself "be patient, work hard, don't give up now, you can rest when it's over." I just concentrated on the "350" written on Katy's calf.

About 200 yards from the end of the pier, Katy started moving in, I followed for a bit and then hit the last buoy, and peeled off. I hit the pier a little outside of where I wanted to be, but I was still within 10 feet of the pilings. The right turn, then you can see the finish. I was working pretty hard. Saw a few folks on my left, no one on my right. Coming in, a cople small swells passed me, then I caught one for 50 feet or so, dolphined twice, then got up and... stepped in a hole. Stayed upright, looked up, saw 51:11 on the clock.

Holy crap, that's fast, I thought. I HAD to break the top 200..... In OWS, you can't really judge by year to year time becuase conditions are so different. Placement is a better indicator. I had been 213 and 208, wanted to break 200. At this swim you run up the beach and then into a finishing corral line, just like a 5K, and they take your wristband. My time of 51:24 was when I hit the line, race clock time by the time I got through thte line was 51:31. As you go through the line they give you popsicle sticks with your finishing place on it. I looked down and saw....... 253.

WHA? Take off 7 minutes and lose 50 places? Ah well, that's the name of the game. A friend told me later that the Senior Nationals were the same weekend last year, but this year fell on different weekends, so more fast people showed up. Another lesson (re)learned, all you can do is your best, can't control who is going to show up.

Waited for a few of my training buddies to come in, then helped Katy walk the board back up Manhattan Beach Blv to her car. ARode to a friend's house for a nice post swim brunch and storyu telling, then home for a well-deserved lie on the couch. I had had a long weekend, and I was feeling it.

Unless I really start concentrating on swimming and swim 5-6X per week, my swim is pretty much where it's gonna be, which I am fine with. I am fast in tris, but just above average with real swimmers.


This has become a tradition. I love this swim.