I went to sleep around 9pm on Friday night, I wanted to leave early to get a close parking spot for race. It was very dark and lots of stars in the sky between the trees. No sounds except the orchestra of crickets and cicadas. The top bed in Scrat is very comfy with the egg crate padding I used, as comfortable as my bed at home or in a hotel. I had set alarm for 5am but pre-race anxiety never brings solid sleep. At 4 I decided I wouldn’t fall back to sleep and had a power bar, apple and Frappuccino for breakfast.
It was an easy one hour drive to Hague and I did get a great parking spot right across from lake front park. The sun was already up and conditions were perfect air 60, water 75, no wind.
There was so little to do in preparation for a swim versus the complicated puzzle of setting up bike and run equipment in transition area for a triathlon. Much more relaxing and less stressful. The course was 2.5km so I would do 4 laps. There was also a 2.5 and 5 option, both of those distances had separate categories for wetsuit vs non-wetsuit. Serious open water swimmers don’t wear wetsuits, they aren’t allowed in National championships (as the 10 K was) or in official swims of English Channel, around Manhattan, etc.
The pre race meeting was on beach at 7:25 so at 7 I walked out to the platform with my bin and did a warmup swim. I tried to get a good sight line to the first buoy since the crowded start is usually the hardest time to keep a good line. The water was crystal clear, during the swim I could see schools of minnows and a few 3 inch fish with stripes (? Baby bass).
There were 110 people registered for the 10K but only 92 finishers, I assume a combination of cancellations and some people not making the cutoff of 3:15 before starting 4th loop. When I first signed up for the race my plan was to swim without a wetsuit as long as conditions not too rough but during my training I worried that my non-wetsuit pace would make it difficult to make the cutoff time. I now realize that I would have made the cutoff without a wetsuit but it would have added 30 minutes to my overall time which would have made it a very long swim. I think next year I will try a 10K OWS without wetsuit but probably somewhere closer to Buffalo.
The 10K swimmers left (except me and one woman in a wetsuit) at 7:45 and I left with the 2.5 K swimmers 6 minutes later (which made my official time 3:20 vs actual 3:14). I had a good start, very little crowding compared to a triathlon. By the 500M buoy I actually caught up with a few of the slower 10K swimmers, I think I passed about 10 over the whole race (we had green caps so could tell who was in my group). For the first loop the water was very flat and calm. I stopped at turnaround and drank half a bottle of perpetuum (about 15 ozs and 200 calories), I also pulled my collar down and allowed wetsuit to fill with cool lake water which was refreshing and prevented me from overheating in the warm water (I did this every 1000M when my garmin watch signaled and gave me my 1000M time, initially i did a few 17 min ones but later they got more like 19, never over 20 though).
The race director had said the wind might pick up from the south later in the day but it happened as I started my second loop and there was a definite chop and swell that slowed me on way south but then carried me along on way back north (overall though any waves slow one down overall). During my second loop I had wondered why I hadn’t seen any 5K swimmers (red caps) yet, i guess I hadn’t read the schedule carefully and didn’t notice that although the 2.5 K group left right after the 10K group the 5K race didn’t start until 9:30. I did realize this as I approached the turn around buoy and saw 100 people standing next to the nutrition float. Not wanting to get stuck behind them all while getting my drink I just turned the buoy and kicked my swimming speed up a gear. Luckily they did not leave for a few minutes because the fast 5K people did not start to pass me until i got close to the 500M buoy and by then they were spread out enough to not mess me up, I tried to draft behind a few as they passed me but i always have poor results trying this in triathlons and was the same this time. My second loop had been very pleasant as i was basically just swimming by myself like i do on my long Lake Ontario swims as after 2 miles the 100 swimmers in my group were very spread out. The third loop was less pleasant as the chop was still there and all the red swim caps made sighting the buoys a little harder (overall i think i swam a very straight course, on my Garmin track it is hard to even tell that i did 4 laps.
After the 3rd loop I drank a whole bottle of nourishment (28 oz and 400 calories). On the last southward leg I felt VERY slow heading into the light chop and on my sighting strokes occasionally did not elevate my head enough and did a half-pause and peek to sight. Normally I take a sighting stroke every 6, 8 or 10 breaths depending on how far off course I find myself. The harder i kick the straighter i swim. I was very happy after making the final turn north. I pushed the kicking a little too much though and had a slight calf twinge-cramp that went away after i swam with the ankle flexed for a minute. For the last 1000M I went all out and felt good. The finish area depth was only 2 feet but as it was still at least 100 yards i swam with a shallow stroke and then finally stood up and tired to run in the mushy silt which was impossible, a fast walk was unsatisfying so i did a dive and stood, dove and stood and then fell, struggle back to my feet and finally was on dry land for a 20 yard sprint to finish line. A friend said my time of 3:14 reminded him of Pi and if not for my fall i might have done 3:14:15 exactly :).
I got my Medal and had a recovery protein drink and a banana and felt great. Just as I was about to wade out to recover my nutrition bin some lifeguards pulled the platforms to the beach! I guess the last people had made the turn by then. Other than being a little out of breath from sprinting the last 1000M I felt fine although when i went back to the van to dry wetsuit, put on clothes, etc. I did notice my arms were weak.
When i returned to the beach I looked for the members of my Nickel City Splash masters team as I knew several were doing the race. I found them under a shady tree (thank god, it was over 85 already, it hit 90 later). 2 of the men won their age groups. One did the 10K in 2:30! These are the people who swim in the fast lane at masters (people who swam in HS and college versus us slow triathletes, swimming is SO much about technique compared to just aerobic ability for biking and running). Cindy had arranged for us to meet at 1:30 for lunch at a brewery in the village of Lake George. This seemed like a much better option than my original plan to ride my mountain bike around the village and up the east side of lake for a while. 90 degrees! In Lake George. The Adirondack’s were originally a summer destination for people fleeing the heat of Boston, CT, NY before A/C existed. Global warming at work!
A nice long lunch discussing swimming and watching Mets game on someone’s phone (they won, Yankees lost, again!). I would like to do this swim again and spend more time in Lake George, I did not realize they had so many riding stables here! After lunch I walked around town a little.
Drove back to campsite went to sleep early. Brunch plans for Albany fell thru so will get an early start today and be home by noon. If I can stay motivated until then I really need to bike for 2 hours (Cassadagaman half-IM is in 2 weeks and I am WAY behind on bike mileage). Monday morning I drive Alex back to NYU and then Tuesday have to drive right back as committed to working on Wednesday. After Labor Day I have to do a lot of organizing and yard/house chores that have been neglected all summer.
