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Hey, I just did my first 10K!

curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

Last Tuesday I finally swam my first 10K. I was going to post something here to announce my achievement but I definitely picked the wrong week considering the main event that was going on at the same time. In a sense, it was kind of inspirational and humbling at the same time. I thought of @ssthomas swimming while I was doing my little swim. I think she was at mile 50 or so when I started my first mile. So I thought I’d wait a little while before posting my modest achievement.

But I still want to post that I finally swam my first 10K! I am actually excited about it because I have spent a lot of time learning, training and planning for this. I want to thank everyone who either directly or indirectly offered words of advice or encouragement to me. I also learned a lot on the West Coast MIMS about pacing and general attitude from @jaimie that I applied to my swim.

We have a nice long lake with a park at the top and a park at the bottom. I got it in my head a while ago that it would be really cool to swim the entire length. As it turns out, it’s just over 10K, so it would be a great point to point swim. In figuring out the logistics, I couldn’t figure how to schlep a kayak up to the start, then how to deal with it at the finish etc. In doing a little research, we stumbled on the Oru Kayak, which is a neat folding kayak. We realized that we could use a ride sharing service, throw our gear and kayak in the trunk, leave our car at the finish and ride up to the start. So we were completely self-contained and it all worked out great.

This was an absolute freelance swim. I used MSF rules except I think I broke two of them. One, I didn’t use an observer because I didn’t really care and I figured a 10K really isn’t that big a deal to the marathon community. Second rule I broke was with regard to a support kayaker. Yes, I had my wife join me. It has been recommended to not use your wife in this role, but I know that she would jump in front of a train to save my life, so I felt pretty comfortable with her in the boat. She is a really good navigator and I think her fierce glare scared off any jet ski that approached within a half mile.

Regarding the swim. Before I did it, I was training up with ever-greater distances. At a certain point I started to think that the barrier for me was mental. And even during the first half of the swim, I was thinking it was more mind over matter. As time went on it started to become more of a physical effort. I finished reasonably strong, but man, was I ever tired. This is the first swim I’ve done where I really felt like I had worked hard.

End result was 10.86 km in 3:18. When we got home, I took a shower. As I put deodorant on, I felt a slight sting under my arms. Chafing! That’s when I realized that now I’m an actual MARATHON SWIMMER !

Tagged:
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Comments

  • JustSwimJustSwim Senior Member

    @curly Sarah Thomas started her journey to this week with her first 10K. Slippery slope. ;-0
    http://www.espn.com/espnw/life-style/article/18750386/weekend-warriors-sarah-thomas-pushing-limits-open-water-swimming

    ViveBenerosemarymintwendyv34curlytortugassthomasdpm50Bridget
  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member

    @curly - my wife paddles for me a lot. She's the person I prefer just to be paddling for me. Everyone's relationship is different, but for us, we work well together at stuff like that

    curlyssthomasdpm50
  • Sarah4140Sarah4140 DenverMember

    Good job! I swam 2 10ks last summer--my first. This summer has not gone as planned--including 2 surgeries--but always next year. Congratulations on your achievement!

    curlyssthomasdpm50
  • wendyv34wendyv34 Vashon, WASenior Member

    Nice! <:-P

    curlydpm50

    It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.

  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member
    edited August 2017

    Thank you for the thumbs up. I'm pretty happy that I accomplished my goal. I hope I'm slightly inspirational to us beginners.

    @JustSwim That's a great article about Sarah. Don't worry about the slippery slope, her swim is so far out of my range that I think I am safe from slipping... Although I did start with some 5K's last year and now I'm at 10K. Could be a problem...

    @timsroot It's been interesting having her paddle with me. I have really gotten used to it and it's very comforting having her as my paddler vs. someone else. There is that unspoken connection that works very well between us. I have had to make some compromises in my training as she is not as hard core on this whole thing. But I've managed to coax her into going out on some days when she didn't want to and once she's in it, she is a stud. (Studette?)

    @Sarah4140 Thank you. Sorry to hear that this year hasn't gone quite how you wanted. I think one of the aspects of this sport that I like so much is that you really have to take the long view. In my many years of swimming, I've had times where I haven't been able to swim for one reason or another. At the time it seems like I'm out of the water forever. Looking back, it was a bump in the road. Enjoy your down time and know that you will be swimming again with a renewed appreciation for what you can do.

    @wendyv34 Thanks Wendy. I might make it over to Coleman next week. I'll say hi if I see you. I will be swimming slow. I still felt a little tired on my swim yesterday. I can't imagine how tired you feel after the big distances.

    timsrootdpm50evmoSarah4140JustSwim
  • tortugatortuga Senior Member

    Outstanding!!

    curlydpm50
  • glennglenn cape town SAMember

    well done curly. next you'll be aiming for 15km and then 20km:) enjoy it

    hopefully i'll get to a 10km next year sometime

    curlydpm50
  • allanl16allanl16 Miami, FloridaMember

    Congrats Curly!!!! So glad you absolutely crushed both mental and physical barriers. The former can really get to you regardless if you've been putting in the training. Way to go!

    curlydpm50
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    @tortuga Thanks! Outstanding sounds so great. It made me smile.

    @glenn I think I'm going to stick with the 10K limit for a while. I've got to get used to that distance before I get bold enough to increase. Good luck on getting to your first 10K. It's quite a milestone. I will have fun driving along the lake. Before the swim I would look at it and think, "Wow, that's a long way" Now I will drive along and go, "Wow, that's a long way... but I just swam it!"

    @allanl16 Thank you. I don't know if I crushed the barriers, but I definitely climbed over them. It's fun to think that the barriers were similar to the thoughts and efforts when I started working on 5K's. Now, I knock off a 5K like it's nothing. I'm looking forward to the day I can say that about a 10K.

    dpm50evmo
  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber

    Very well-done! A 10k is a significant distance, so please don't diminish your achievement by comparing it to mine! Anyone taking a step toward conquering a fear or pushing themselves a little further than before is huge in my book, whether it's 1 mile or 100 miles. A 10k is far, no matter who you are. I remember the fear and triumph in planning for and then completing my first 10k. It wasn't that long ago that I don't remember it very clearly!

    And for what it's worth- my husband has been on almost all of my major swims. I couldn't/wouldn't do it without him. It's like you said- there's just a connection with your spouse that is reassuring. I KNOW Ryan would never let anything bad happen to me. He knows when I'm just being a weenie or when something is really wrong. In these last two long swims, I'm not sure what I would have done without having a few private moments with him to just check in together, without anyone else. I also take my mom on these adventures, so I break all the rules. :-)

    timsrootevmodpm50pavlicovcurlyrosemarymintwendyv34StephenMaryStellajendutKate_AlexanderBridgetCarly
  • ToadToad Member

    In honor of @ssthomas amazing swim I too looked to push my limits a bit this weekend, unfortunately the 110 degree heat index combined with 85 degree water put a halt to my 10k aspiration at something north of 6k. But I will prevail with training and experience (Relatively new to Texas, and its heat).

    @curly , congratulations, not a small achievement by any stretch. FYI my wife paddles for me as well.

    dpm50ssthomascurly
  • dpm50dpm50 PA, U.S.Senior Member

    Woot! Woot! As Sarah rightly says, be proud of your swim! My first masters coach would head his work-out sheets w "Do the best you can do. Don't worry about what others are doing." I don't always remember to follow that advice, nut when I do, it's a good swim day, even if, as happened a month ago, I finish last. For me, each swim is a learning experience, including the less successful ones. And I actually count the aforementioned last place swim as a success, because I finished in choppy, rainy, windy conditions 3 days after an ER visit for a kidney stone. (Well, hey, I'd already made travel plans and felt better, so why not!)

    I think success is an individual thing. Each of us is on a journey unlike anyone else's.

    And, btw, @ssthomas, many congratulations on your century! Wow!

    curlyssthomasKate_Alexander
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    @ssthomas Thanks for the kind words. You are one of the people who offered great words of encouragement as I worked up to this and I appreciate that. I just finished reading your account of your swim including the hair raising apres-swim section. We can compare that to my account of after the swim, which follows... There was the shower and the slight sting from the deoderant. (Gosh!) And then I ate a BLT and some ice cream. Well, that's it...

    @Toad Holy Cow! 110 degree heat?!? I think I would catch on fire. And that water temperature sure didn't help. Do you swim without a cap in those kind of conditions? It sounds like you will have better luck in December when you get to human temperatures. Or maybe Texas doesn't work like that...

    @dpm50 I kind of wish that I had a coach that emphasized that more. ("Do the best you can do. Don't worry about what others are doing.") When I was a youngster I would race. I wouldn't do the best I could do. I would do a little better than whoever came in second. I often wonder if I would have been a better swimmer if I did the best that I could. Now I do the best I can do. And I wholeheartedly agree that every swim is a learning experience.

    evmodpm50ssthomasflystormsBridget
  • bluemermaid9bluemermaid9 Boca Raton, FL, United StatesSenior Member

    @curly - Congrats on your first 10K! Finishing that first 10K is like giving yourself permission to try other amazing swims in amazing places and to meet amazing people. All of a sudden there are so many possibilities! Isn't that a great feeling?

    wendyv34curly
  • JaimieJaimie NYCMem​ber
    edited August 2017

    @curly - congratulations!!! So glad you had a great swim and love that you did it all with a portable kayak and a ride-share back. The definition of traveling light! :)

    dpm50curly
  • @curly, way to go! Crossing a milestone is such a great feeling! English Channel soon???

    curly
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    @bluemermaid9 Thank you. You were one of the first people to send me some info regarding training and also offer words of encouragement as I started my journey. I appreciate that.

    @Jaimie Thank you again. As I mentioned, I learned more from you than you will ever know. The portable kayak and ride-share was my inspiration and innovation and I hope others can use the idea. It is a great minimalist approach.

    @Camille Thank you. You are correct, it's a great milestone and I'm quite proud. It also allows me to better understand what an incredible achievement it is to do a swim like the English Channel. I think I will state for the record that I will never swim the English Channel. It is so far, so cold and so hard, that I can't even begin to think of doing it. If in future years I am proven wrong, you may cheerfully point out this posting...

    dpm50
  • mjstaplesmjstaples Atlanta, GA, USSenior Member

    This is huge! Way to go @curly! Next stop 10 miles!

    ssthomasdpm50curly
  • wendyv34wendyv34 Vashon, WASenior Member

    Once you've done it a few times, it doesn't seem so daunting...and you can probably swim a lot further than you think you can right now. :)

    ssthomasdpm50curly

    It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.

  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber

    curly said:

    I think I will state for the record that I will never swim the English Channel. It is so far, so cold and so hard, that I can't even begin to think of doing it. If in future years I am proven wrong, you may cheerfully point out this posting...

    If you knew how many times I've said I was "never" going to do something, this statement would scare you very, very much. :-)

    SoloJustSwimMoCojendutcurlyCamilleBridget
  • KatieBunKatieBun CornwallSenior Member

    So, so delighted for you. Huge well done. My first 10k is still recent enough for me to remember what a jump it was from previous swims. Many congrats. :-)

    curly
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    You guys all seem to be enablers. Now I'm really concerned... what have I gotten myself into here?!?

    OK, I will revise my statement. I will never "attempt to swim the entire Atlantic Ocean". Too many Portuguese Man O' War attacks from what I hear... ;)

    ssthomas
  • curly said:
    You guys all seem to be enablers. Now I'm really concerned... what have I gotten myself into here?!?

    Yes, we are enablers but in the best sort of way :). As others have said, swimming further than you have ever done before is something to be proud of, no matter what distance. Yesterday, I successfully completed 20 bridges (28 miles around Manhattan) as part of a two person relay. The first open water race I ever did was about 10 years ago in the Hudson and as was half a mile at most. I actually got to swim past that exact same spot yesterday and if anyone told me that 10 years later I would do a 2 person relay I would have said they were crazy. But through the incredible support of the swim community I gradually increased the distance and 1/2 mile became one mile, which became 2 miles, then 4, then a 10K ... Your comment about wondering what you got yourself into made me laugh, since I was thinking that yesterday. In one of those perfect soundtrack moments, our boat passed by a park where there was some sort of event with a DJ. As the Talking Heads song "once in a lifetime" was blaring through the speakers I joined David Byrne in singing "and you may to yourself, my God what have I done!"

    curlyCamilleIronMikeBridget
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    DavidW said:

    curly said:
    You guys all seem to be enablers. Now I'm really concerned... what have I gotten myself into here?!?

    ... As the Talking Heads song "once in a lifetime" was blaring through the speakers I joined David Byrne in singing "and you may to yourself, my God what have I done!"

    What a great moment! Very cool what you have done with your ever increasing distances.

  • amkonetamkonet Columbus, Ohio, USAMember

    I just did my first 10k, too!

    Yesterday was Swim to the Moon, so it wasn't solo, but it was glorious. I way under-trained, and wasn't sure I'd make the 5k two hour cut off. I was solid on training until about May, when my job experienced major upheaval, and changed dramatically. I was lucky to hit 2200-2500 yards/week (not a typo) over the last three months, and forgot to even be excited and check in here. I ended up finishing in 3:46, which I'm pretty gosh darned happy with. My first words when I got out? "I want something longer!"

    I've been under a huge amount of stress at work, and also have some personal stuff going on that includes several important people in my life with terminal illnesses, and the water plus the time in my head was cathartic and exactly what I needed. Today, my shoulders and core are incredibly sore, but in that "hurts so good" kind of way.

    I'm so glad I found this community, even if I disregarded basically every piece of advice that I so eagerly sought!

    ssthomasevmoSoloDavidZak
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    @amkonet Congratulations! Amazing that you were able to do the 10K after completely blowing up your training plan. That would make me nuts, plus I would have probably bagged out, so I'm impressed that you just went for it. Sorry to hear that you are carrying so much extra with you. Hopefully the swim lightened your load a bit.

    Also, an aside to @Niek I'm afraid that you have underestimated my complete dislike of cold water. English Channel is for the far less faint of heart. You will see me in three years in a nice temperate body of water. And please, you guys, don't tell me that you said that about cold water before you started doing ice miles. I really really really don't want to go colder, just longer...

    ssthomas
  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber

    curly said:

    And please, you guys, don't tell me that you said that about cold water before you started doing ice miles. I really really really don't want to go colder, just longer...

    I did. :-) My first 10k was in 72-74 degree water. I got cramps I was so cold. Now, I might melt! I thought the EC was out of my reach after being cold at Catalina. But, 2 years later, I had no issues with the water in The Channel. And 3 years after that, we swam the length of Loch Ness in September and I punched out an ice mile in November. It just seems like one of those things that if you work on it, you get used to it more and being cold just doesn't bother you as much. And being able to swim cold opens up a lot of options for really cool swims. I still prefer water over 60, but anything over 50 is doable for a while (even if it hurts a little).

  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    cut it out... OK, I will admit that I was one of those little kids that was blue because the lake was so cold that only an idiot would be out playing in the water. But now I'm adult and mature and all...

    ssthomasflystormsdpm50
  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member

    amkonet said:
    I just did my first 10k, too!

    Yesterday was Swim to the Moon, so it wasn't solo, but it was glorious. I way under-trained, and wasn't sure I'd make the 5k two hour cut off. I was solid on training until about May, when my job experienced major upheaval, and changed dramatically. I was lucky to hit 2200-2500 yards/week (not a typo) over the last three months, and forgot to even be excited and check in here. I ended up finishing in 3:46, which I'm pretty gosh darned happy with. My first words when I got out? "I want something longer!"

    I've been under a huge amount of stress at work, and also have some personal stuff going on that includes several important people in my life with terminal illnesses, and the water plus the time in my head was cathartic and exactly what I needed. Today, my shoulders and core are incredibly sore, but in that "hurts so good" kind of way.

    I'm so glad I found this community, even if I disregarded basically every piece of advice that I so eagerly sought!

    Congrats @Amkonet! Good swimming with you! Damn sure I would have topped 4 hours without the motivation.

    Never let a lack of training stop you from swimming an event !!!! That's my life. The event IS the training.
    Disclaimer:
    (Within reason, of course

    ssthomasIronMikedpm50
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    @Niek Ha Ha! You're killing me here... BTW, how do you pronounce your name? Neek, Nick, Niyeck?

    @ChickenOSea "The event IS the training". Now that is an interesting observation. I have been trying to decide whether to swim in an organized 10K in a few weeks. I've kind of been slacking recently, and the water will probably be colder than I like, but now I'm thinking of doing it. Maybe I will use it as a training opportunity.

    CamilleBridget
  • @ChickenOSea I was at Swim to the Moon as well! It was my second 10k, and I can honestly say I was a bigger ball of nerves the second time around!

    @curly go for the second 10k, I learned a lot about my training and what I can accomplish by taking on the 10k again.

    ssthomascurly
  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member

    ChickenOSea said:
    Never let a lack of training stop you from swimming an event !!!! That's my life. The event IS the training.
    Disclaimer:
    (Within reason, of course

    So true, both parts. I have swum events that I had no business even entering, and some of them I've even completed.

    curlyBridget

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    OK, you convinced me. I'm going for it.

    @IronMike Yes, you seem to just pile in and swim. That's pretty inspiring. I still can't believe you got in again after getting a free boat ride. Pretty impressive attitude.

    wendyv34ssthomasIronMike
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    Niek said:

    curly said:
    OK, you convinced me. I'm going for it.

    Niek said:
    curly 3 years tops. :))

    make that 2,5 years

    =))

    Ha Ha! You give me far too much credit. I think I will stick to getting better at doing 10Ks for a while.

  • BridgetBridget New York StateMember

    Niek said:

    curly said:
    I think I will state for the record that I will never swim the English Channel.

    Talk to you in 3 years time. :D

    Curly-- Great 10K!!! Mine was a huge goal this summer. :-) We did it! And you were fast!!! (I have hopes of fast someday.)

    So many have had great comments-- do NOT undervalue your swim relative to others. After my solo swim this summer, I've had many ask about the English Channel, also. I've sort of considered it in the past, but am also not planning on it. Honestly, it doesn't call to me. Lake George just sat there, practically in my back yard, beckoning. I really think that to do swims like these, they need to really draw you. The English Channel just doesn't appeal. I groove on the landscape framing the water, and hours of just a horizon isn't a landscape nor seascape I'm looking for. ;-) Many options!

    But keep going-- find joy! And only swim as fast as you can swim beautifully. Sloppy swimming is a waste of time and effort. :-D GO GO GO!!!!

    curlySoloIronMike
  • glennglenn cape town SAMember

    so I've just entered my first 5km ocean swim event in 6 weeks time. The longest I've done in the ocean so far has been 3km. Oh well, will be un

    curly
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    Bridget said:
    We did it! And you were fast!!! (I have hopes of fast someday.)

    As I may have said before, fast is relative. I love looking at the world records for various distances and think about how fast those guys go relative to me.

    But keep going-- find joy! And only swim as fast as you can swim beautifully. Sloppy swimming is a waste of time and effort.

    I sure agree with you there. It's really fun to watch someone who is expert at their craft. They always seem to look better, cleaner and smoother than someone who is not as good. I currently am working on my hand entry as my kayaker pointed out a flaw that I never realized. She knows nothing about swimming, but it didn't look right to her. I love my kayaker.

    flystorms
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    glenn said:
    so I've just entered my first 5km ocean swim event in 6 weeks time. The longest I've done in the ocean so far has been 3km. Oh well, will be un

    I'd imagine a 5K ocean swim presents a whole new set of challenges. I very rarely get to swim in the ocean. I've never done a long ocean swim, but I sure love to play in the waves. Good luck on your swim, I'm sure you will enjoy it.

  • glennglenn cape town SAMember

    thanks curly

  • DavidZakDavidZak Tiffin, OhioMember

    This is a really great thread, and since I just completed my first 10K as well, I'll share my experience here, too.

    First, to @curly - congratulations and amazing accomplishment. I broke my ankle two summers ago (in three places...trimalleolar fracture), which took a year to heal. It forced me in the water at that point. Had lessons from local Y as a kid but that was it. Like starting from scratch. Doing a marathon had always been on my bucket list (and wanted to walk one for about 10 years, injuring myself twice during training over that time), and a few months after swimming and starting to get the hang of it, I found out you could SWIM a marathon, and the fire was lit. I did some research and found Swim to the Moon in Hell, Michigan (lol...I'm from Ohio so this seems appropriate). Started training six days a week and then added Masters earlier this year. I connected with triathletes here in the area, and I swim with them for open water fun. Like some have said here, Swim to the Moon was awesome. Some of my triathlete friends did the 5K and loved it. I am definitely doing the 10K next year - so, PLEASE COME. We do a pre-race dinner and post-race lunch. Much fun. You are heartily invited. It is so much fun. My time was 3:47, which for me was a huge accomplishment. My biggest hurdle was making sure to make the first 5K cutoff in under 2:00, which I did (1:51). When I see 3:18 for 10K, I think that's amazing, and I hope to be there in a couple of years.

    In addition, the journey has helped me lose more than 65 pounds, get to a normal weight, and be in better shape and health (just got my bloodwork back) than I have ever been in my life - at 47 years of age. In addition, I love swimming daily. It's my stress management and zen meditation. I'm addicted. The events are fun focus points, but if I didn't love the daily training "grind" (which I do), I wouldn't do it. I also love the fact that guys and gals 20 years my senior (and more) are kicking my a**, which means I could be doing this for a looooong time, and I never hurt as a result (other than some soreness on occasion).

    I agree with @Bridget about needing to be drawn. After my 10K, I didn't feel the draw, but a week later, after I started settling into a normal training routine, Swim the Suck started pulling on me, and I'm committed. I am planning on training and doing that one in October 2018 (another invite to you!), provided I can successfully register (which tops out notoriously fast on February 1). That's 10 miles. After that, if I still love it, Key West (12 miles) in 2019, and then who knows? I'm trying to not get ahead of myself...lol. I won't cement Key West in until I do the Suck, it goes well, and I am drawn again.

    Final note - I love the community of long-distance (marathon) swimming. I've done two 5Ks here in Ohio this year as well and started getting to know Ohio swimmers. Made a new friend at Swim to the Moon, with a Chicago swimmer, who has done In Search of Memphre (25 mi), End-Wet (36 mi) and others. She's done the Suck and loved it (which also cemented that race for me for next year). I look forward to getting to know more people on here as well.

    curlyChickenOSeaIronMike
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    @DavidZak What a great story! And I agree with Niek, you've got plenty of time. Swimming is the best sport for us as we all age. I did a 5K race mid summer. I was almost the fastest oldest swimmer. Except for the fact that a 67 year old guy beat me by about a minute! He is an outstanding local long distance swimmer and has been at the top of his game for years. Look up Alan Bell if you want some inspiration. There were a number of well over 60 year olds in the race and I think the oldest was 71. That was non-wetsuit division. I'm sure there were a pile more 60+ year olds in the wetsuit division.

    Just like size and gender, age is not a defining factor in marathon swimming. Water is a great equalizer...

    DavidZak
  • DavidZakDavidZak Tiffin, OhioMember

    curly said:
    Look up Alan Bell if you want some inspiration.

    Just did. Love it :)

    canadianbusiness.com/lifestyle/qa-alan-bell-open-water-swimmer/

  • dpm50dpm50 PA, U.S.Senior Member

    Great article! I don't think I could do a 10k swim w/out a feed stop.... but I don't see myself swimming a 10k in 1:44 either.... booking it!

    DavidZak said:

    curly said:
    Look up Alan Bell if you want some inspiration.

    Just did. Love it :)

    canadianbusiness.com/lifestyle/qa-alan-bell-open-water-swimmer/

    DavidZak
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    Hey, I just swam my second 10K!

    I figured I’d just tack this on to my original post otherwise things would get a bit ridiculous. Anyway, after a little encouragement and prodding from various members of this site, I decided to go for a 10K that was put on by a local swimmer here. It is featured as a fun swim and “not competitive”. Well, the way I am, you can’t put me in water with a bunch of swimmers and think that I’m not racing at least a little bit. I also had a buddy swimming in this. It was his first 10K and we swim at almost the exact same speed, so I thought it would be a fun swim for the both of us.

    The swim went great. I was a little concerned because I hadn’t really trained up for this one. The most I had done recently was maybe a couple 3 milers. But I felt great during the swim. The water was a tad cold for me, at a balmy 71F. We swam along the floating bridge that goes over to Mercer Island. Then swam the north side of Mercer Island, and then retraced back and followed the south side of the bridge back to the start. I figured it would be nice on the south side with protection from the wind.

    The bridge protected the wind nicely, but when we got to the middle there were these weird waves set up from boats and reflecting off the bridge. They were these big smooth rolling waves. I started pretending I was a porpoise, jumping over and swimming under doing dolphin kick and corkscrewing around having a great time. My kayaker at one point yelled to see if I was OK. He must have wondering what the heck I was doing.

    Anyway, I stopped being a porpoise and the water smoothed out. I had about a half mile left and I just felt great, but a little cold. So I decided I’d just hammer out a half mile. I blasted it and it felt way better than my first 10K. I felt strong and really could have just kept going. So apparently I did some things correctly. I just used a couple Clif Shots in my swim suit for feeding at the third of a mile and two thirds of a mile marks. And minimal water. Didn’t feel like I was dying or anything, so that was cool.

    And the fun part was that even though this wasn’t a race, I did really well. I was ahead of everyone. Well except for the two girls who slaughtered me. I think they were about a half mile ahead of me when they finished. But we all know it was because women have bioprene and that’s why they are faster. And I know they must have worked hard because they sure didn’t have any bioprene left at the finish when I saw them. They were all dry and happy by the time I got there. But they were very kind to this old man and generously congratulated me on my swim.

    So the end result was a super successful second 10K for me. I will definitely plan on knocking out a couple more of these next year. I now have a much better sense of the feel of one of these and know that I am more than capable of doing a 10K, so now I can concentrate on doing them well. My time was a tad north of 3 hours, which I’m pretty pleased with. I figure if I can cut that down by about an hour, I might qualify for the Olympics. Might have to build up my bioprene stores a bit…

    IronMikeSoloCamilleJaimieBridgetflystorms
  • BridgetBridget New York StateMember

    curly said:
    Hey, I just swam my second 10K!

    The swim went great. I was a little concerned because I hadn’t really trained up for this one. The most I had done recently was maybe a couple 3 milers. But I felt great during the swim.

    I started pretending I was a porpoise, jumping over and swimming under doing dolphin kick and corkscrewing around having a great time. My kayaker at one point yelled to see if I was OK. He must have wondering what the heck I was doing.

    I love this post!!! Such FUN!!! Sometimes, we all put the work in workout, and yes it is good to work toward goals, but there also needs to be JOY. My swim this morning had to be quick, since I really do need to get to work occasionally, but after going full tilt to the point, I was a bit more relaxed on my way back to the beach-- and still took a minute to test out my friend's speedy kayak. VERY tippy! But I stayed upright. (I feel compelled to paddle a bit in case anyone needs a support kayaker- turnabout is fair play.)

    A happy start to the day. Happy is good.

    And yes, @DavidZak, the lake is calling. . . ( -- how do I make that blue???)

    ssthomas
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