How did the big day go?
No coasting in running and no crying in baseball
No coasting in running and no crying in baseball
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Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [Tri3]
[ In reply to ]
I was just about to post the same!!
clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [Tri3]
[ In reply to ]
Indeed! we can't wait to hear! :)
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [Tri3]
[ In reply to ]
I hear there was very little current, so it was more like a lake swim. My friend's comments follow. Sounds crazy! And AWARE, did you meet Martin Strel? He is one totally crazy man (swam the length of the Amazon, among other things).
The Swim the Suck event was surely the hardest challenge because only 6k CFS of water was released. Translation, it's a skinny lake, no flow which means it was an honest Abe swim. No current assist. Took me 6:24 which is the longest I've ever been in. This was largely possible due to warmer water at +70 degrees.
clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
The Swim the Suck event was surely the hardest challenge because only 6k CFS of water was released. Translation, it's a skinny lake, no flow which means it was an honest Abe swim. No current assist. Took me 6:24 which is the longest I've ever been in. This was largely possible due to warmer water at +70 degrees.
clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [trackie clm]
[ In reply to ]
Thats a long swim for sure. Its actually not a lake, but the Tennessee River. I think in the past couple of years the water flow has been about twice that much so yes it was alot harder this year. I didn't do the swim but live in the area and have friends who have done it.
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [Tri3]
[ In reply to ]
So heartwarming to bring up ST & see an inquiry just for little ol' me! Seriously ladies, I appreciate the thought. As someone still new to my little geographical area & without a huge network here locally, it's really awesome to have such great support from chickies online like y'all. Ok...enough with the mush!! What an awesome day. I haven't written up a full report yet, so I'm just free-wheeling here...bear with me.
Weather looked fairly good all week, cold front looming, water temps around 72-75 predicted and we knew the current was going to be weak. Right in my wheelhouse as I've always trained in colder water (I actually like 67-70*) and I've never trained with a current-only lake swims available. Planned 9:30 start with pilots told to show up by 8:30, goal was to leave the hotel around 7:45. I wanted a low-key morning with maybe some oatmeal or a little breakfast around 7:30. OF COURSE I'm woken up at 7:45 with "Al, it's time to LEAVE." Threw water in the bottles (Gu Brew already measured out, had four bottles loaded with 1.5 tabs ea., one filled with hot water), jumped in the swimsuit and of course it was chilly & raining. Got to the start line without trouble, walked with pilot to pick a kayak, load up & hang out. The good news: the dam was running at 26k CFS until 9a, when they dropped it to 6kCFS. We would get a nice bump for the first 30min or so, the faster swimmers would get a bit more advantage from this in jumping out earlier to ride the wave. (note: I definitely felt it when the current was gone....even those of us that aren't used to feeling it at all!) Safety meetings & general chaos, milling around, trying to stay dry. Loaded my neck & armpits with some vaseline to keep things moving smoothly. Getting all the kayaks in the water while people were also trying to launch a few boats was entertaining (it is an open, public ramp) but it got done. They lined all the swimmers up by order & checked who was/wasn't there, we got in & lined up along a rope from shore to a support boat - they counted down and away we went.
The first few hundred yards were the obligatory sprint as everyone jostled a tiny bit for position and water. I lined up towards the middle of the river partly due to my low number (003) and partly to grab current while I could. The support kayaks formed a bit of a tunnel for us with the general idea being for the pilot to find the swimmer fairly early & line up alongside. (note: we probably should've discussed this ahead of time. Luckily, one of my closest friends was my pilot & she knows my swim stroke and my voice. I swam until I had some room, knowing I had passed her, sat up & yelled her name. It only took twice. She raised her paddle, I nodded and took off downriver. She caught me quickly and we were off.) The first two miles FLEW. I hit a nice rhythym with my stroke and breathing, cruising along, holding back a bit but not slacking. The plan was to drink some every :30 - Gu on the hour - signaled by my pilot's paddle straight up in the air. I sat up at 43:00 laughing & feeling great asking if she was going to tell me it was time to eat before I finished. Slugged in some fluid (it was mixed a bit strong) and kept after it. That was about the time the current evaporated. (I should've kept going until she hit me with the paddle before I stopped, I never really got THAT rhythym back or felt THAT good again.) I spent my time mostly taking stock of my stroke and who was around me, sighting off my kayak and just breathing steady.
The next 3mi or so were general hilarity. We goofed off a bit (it's what we do), swam around a few people and entertained the crowd. (Quote of the day: this is like a bad match date I can't get away from. You pick on me, scream at me & let me swim into logs and I can't get away. I never should've winked.) She then kayaked by me with an unlit cigarette in her mouth and ran over my feet with the kayak. I was told for approximately forever (about 1.5mi) that I was "almost halfway" & told her that if she said "lookin' good & strong" one more time I'd break the paddle. So then it was, "you look graceful" or "majestic" or "like hell" for the rest of the swim. (I love my friends.)
Around mid-way I pulled aside while gulping some fluid & said it was time to get busy. I had ascertained at that point what I thought we were capable of & realigned our goals accordingly. I said I wanted to be driven harder and we decided the pace was going up. I was staying about 3-4' to the left of the kayak, spotting the nose or the midpoint. (I started on the right but since I tend to swim right it was easier for her to push me left with the boat itself.) She picked up the pace and told me to stay ahead of the paddle. Nothing like a good threat to keep you moving, eh?
The last 4mi was some tough swimming. I had times of good rhythym and solid breathing. We were pushing hard with about 1.5 to go when the wheels started to come off. I got a gel shoved down my throat, a very loud pep-talk and told to put my head down and swim. We exchanged a couple of choice words about 1/2mi out - only one or two people can possibly push me that hard, that loud and get results, thank goodness my head was mostly underwater and I wasn't the one with the paddle. My shoulders were hurting fairly bad for the last 2mi, I had to fight a cramp in my left quad for about the last 1/2 of the race and I was dangerously close to my calves cramping for the last mile. I was a little chilled for the last 4, but that was probably doing more good than bad in keeping my head in the game. I finally saw the end buoy with about 300yd to go and came in hard on the last drops in the tank. (Hindsight: not knowing the river's geography better was tough, not being able to know how far - accurately - made those last few miles harder. I think I could've pushed more if I knew the end-point, especially when it was in sight. Although I heard others say that the last 1.5 took FOREVER because they COULD see where they were going, so maybe it's better she kept it out of sight for me.) I had just about the perfect line through most of the race thanks to a great pilot - she took a hard line when we were the stronger pair and did a good job of moving people around.
My goal was to finish under 5hours. I thought that would be a challenge & would've been proud just finishing. Halfway, after I finally knew that I would finish it became a race. I touched the buoy just under 3:56:00. I finished 12th overall and am proud to say I beat the goal established mid-race as well (it wasn't time-based). It took some effort to get warm but not as long as I expected. I didn't hurt as bad as I expected either...both shoulders were pretty sore and my back/core was really tight. Most of that dissipated fairly quickly. Only my right shoulder remains fairly sore a couple days later. Overall - I feel WAY better than I thought I would & will probably swim tomorrow morning. I'm still trying to decide if that means I could've raced harder, my training was that sufficient or swimming recovery is just easier. (I intend to find out if #1 is the right answer...at some point)
Overall, what a absolutely great event. Low-key atmosphere, great people racing, good competition, great support. The after-party and the awards are top-notch. Yes, I hung out with Martin Strel for awhile, the big-river man. He's a hoot and he's got great stories to tell. (I went to the Tennessee Aquarium on Sunday & was staring at the piranhas thinking about them chewing on his back!) I wouldn't have been nearly as successful had I not had such a great friend as a pilot - she took the right lines, protected me and drove me hard. I'm blessed to have someone know me well enough to push me to my limit and expect more. We've been through so much this year that it really was a great victory for both of us. Such an awesome journey. I can't speak highly enough about the day and the experience. From the little I saw the scenery was breathtaking...I mentioned that I want to go back and actually see what it looks like above the water.
If I can figure out how I'll post a few pictures and/or a link to the videos that were taken - thanks to my great boyfriend and support crew. I'm amazed my stroke held up like it did - thanks to my awesome coaches. What a hoot. I'm having a hard time fathoming that I swam TEN WHOLE MILES!!
AW
Weather looked fairly good all week, cold front looming, water temps around 72-75 predicted and we knew the current was going to be weak. Right in my wheelhouse as I've always trained in colder water (I actually like 67-70*) and I've never trained with a current-only lake swims available. Planned 9:30 start with pilots told to show up by 8:30, goal was to leave the hotel around 7:45. I wanted a low-key morning with maybe some oatmeal or a little breakfast around 7:30. OF COURSE I'm woken up at 7:45 with "Al, it's time to LEAVE." Threw water in the bottles (Gu Brew already measured out, had four bottles loaded with 1.5 tabs ea., one filled with hot water), jumped in the swimsuit and of course it was chilly & raining. Got to the start line without trouble, walked with pilot to pick a kayak, load up & hang out. The good news: the dam was running at 26k CFS until 9a, when they dropped it to 6kCFS. We would get a nice bump for the first 30min or so, the faster swimmers would get a bit more advantage from this in jumping out earlier to ride the wave. (note: I definitely felt it when the current was gone....even those of us that aren't used to feeling it at all!) Safety meetings & general chaos, milling around, trying to stay dry. Loaded my neck & armpits with some vaseline to keep things moving smoothly. Getting all the kayaks in the water while people were also trying to launch a few boats was entertaining (it is an open, public ramp) but it got done. They lined all the swimmers up by order & checked who was/wasn't there, we got in & lined up along a rope from shore to a support boat - they counted down and away we went.
The first few hundred yards were the obligatory sprint as everyone jostled a tiny bit for position and water. I lined up towards the middle of the river partly due to my low number (003) and partly to grab current while I could. The support kayaks formed a bit of a tunnel for us with the general idea being for the pilot to find the swimmer fairly early & line up alongside. (note: we probably should've discussed this ahead of time. Luckily, one of my closest friends was my pilot & she knows my swim stroke and my voice. I swam until I had some room, knowing I had passed her, sat up & yelled her name. It only took twice. She raised her paddle, I nodded and took off downriver. She caught me quickly and we were off.) The first two miles FLEW. I hit a nice rhythym with my stroke and breathing, cruising along, holding back a bit but not slacking. The plan was to drink some every :30 - Gu on the hour - signaled by my pilot's paddle straight up in the air. I sat up at 43:00 laughing & feeling great asking if she was going to tell me it was time to eat before I finished. Slugged in some fluid (it was mixed a bit strong) and kept after it. That was about the time the current evaporated. (I should've kept going until she hit me with the paddle before I stopped, I never really got THAT rhythym back or felt THAT good again.) I spent my time mostly taking stock of my stroke and who was around me, sighting off my kayak and just breathing steady.
The next 3mi or so were general hilarity. We goofed off a bit (it's what we do), swam around a few people and entertained the crowd. (Quote of the day: this is like a bad match date I can't get away from. You pick on me, scream at me & let me swim into logs and I can't get away. I never should've winked.) She then kayaked by me with an unlit cigarette in her mouth and ran over my feet with the kayak. I was told for approximately forever (about 1.5mi) that I was "almost halfway" & told her that if she said "lookin' good & strong" one more time I'd break the paddle. So then it was, "you look graceful" or "majestic" or "like hell" for the rest of the swim. (I love my friends.)
Around mid-way I pulled aside while gulping some fluid & said it was time to get busy. I had ascertained at that point what I thought we were capable of & realigned our goals accordingly. I said I wanted to be driven harder and we decided the pace was going up. I was staying about 3-4' to the left of the kayak, spotting the nose or the midpoint. (I started on the right but since I tend to swim right it was easier for her to push me left with the boat itself.) She picked up the pace and told me to stay ahead of the paddle. Nothing like a good threat to keep you moving, eh?
The last 4mi was some tough swimming. I had times of good rhythym and solid breathing. We were pushing hard with about 1.5 to go when the wheels started to come off. I got a gel shoved down my throat, a very loud pep-talk and told to put my head down and swim. We exchanged a couple of choice words about 1/2mi out - only one or two people can possibly push me that hard, that loud and get results, thank goodness my head was mostly underwater and I wasn't the one with the paddle. My shoulders were hurting fairly bad for the last 2mi, I had to fight a cramp in my left quad for about the last 1/2 of the race and I was dangerously close to my calves cramping for the last mile. I was a little chilled for the last 4, but that was probably doing more good than bad in keeping my head in the game. I finally saw the end buoy with about 300yd to go and came in hard on the last drops in the tank. (Hindsight: not knowing the river's geography better was tough, not being able to know how far - accurately - made those last few miles harder. I think I could've pushed more if I knew the end-point, especially when it was in sight. Although I heard others say that the last 1.5 took FOREVER because they COULD see where they were going, so maybe it's better she kept it out of sight for me.) I had just about the perfect line through most of the race thanks to a great pilot - she took a hard line when we were the stronger pair and did a good job of moving people around.
My goal was to finish under 5hours. I thought that would be a challenge & would've been proud just finishing. Halfway, after I finally knew that I would finish it became a race. I touched the buoy just under 3:56:00. I finished 12th overall and am proud to say I beat the goal established mid-race as well (it wasn't time-based). It took some effort to get warm but not as long as I expected. I didn't hurt as bad as I expected either...both shoulders were pretty sore and my back/core was really tight. Most of that dissipated fairly quickly. Only my right shoulder remains fairly sore a couple days later. Overall - I feel WAY better than I thought I would & will probably swim tomorrow morning. I'm still trying to decide if that means I could've raced harder, my training was that sufficient or swimming recovery is just easier. (I intend to find out if #1 is the right answer...at some point)
Overall, what a absolutely great event. Low-key atmosphere, great people racing, good competition, great support. The after-party and the awards are top-notch. Yes, I hung out with Martin Strel for awhile, the big-river man. He's a hoot and he's got great stories to tell. (I went to the Tennessee Aquarium on Sunday & was staring at the piranhas thinking about them chewing on his back!) I wouldn't have been nearly as successful had I not had such a great friend as a pilot - she took the right lines, protected me and drove me hard. I'm blessed to have someone know me well enough to push me to my limit and expect more. We've been through so much this year that it really was a great victory for both of us. Such an awesome journey. I can't speak highly enough about the day and the experience. From the little I saw the scenery was breathtaking...I mentioned that I want to go back and actually see what it looks like above the water.
If I can figure out how I'll post a few pictures and/or a link to the videos that were taken - thanks to my great boyfriend and support crew. I'm amazed my stroke held up like it did - thanks to my awesome coaches. What a hoot. I'm having a hard time fathoming that I swam TEN WHOLE MILES!!
AW
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [AWARE]
[ In reply to ]
Oh wow. I'm a little emotional reading that. Congratulations on an amazing race and a great experience. Have a friend along to push you when you need it is one of the best parts of having a crew.
I can't wait to hear what is next :-)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen
"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce
I can't wait to hear what is next :-)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen
"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [AWARE]
[ In reply to ]
that's FREAKIN AWESOME!!!! congrats!
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [AWARE]
[ In reply to ]
Awesome job!!! I'll have to buy you a celebratory beer soon.
clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [AWARE]
[ In reply to ]
AWESOME! That is an amazing time for 10 miles. Sounds like you and your yaker made for a great team. Thanks for the RR.
No coasting in running and no crying in baseball
No coasting in running and no crying in baseball
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [AWARE]
[ In reply to ]
I haven't had time to read the RR but I wanted to say congrats!!! I look forward to having time to read it :-)
maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [tigerchik]
[ In reply to ]
Good lord that was long!
See why you girls shouldn't let me just free wheel?!! Eeesh.
Thanks for anyone that suffered through that!
AW
See why you girls shouldn't let me just free wheel?!! Eeesh.
Thanks for anyone that suffered through that!
AW
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [AWARE]
[ In reply to ]
congratulations on a great day!
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [AWARE]
[ In reply to ]
awesome job - sounds like an amazing day! congrats to you on all your hard work paying off :)
cheers!
-mistress k
__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.
cheers!
-mistress k
__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [AWARE]
[ In reply to ]
Oh yeah, that 12 OA finish is not too shabby either. ;-) That was some serious competition there. The 5th female OA was at my races last weekend--she's a killer.
No coasting in running and no crying in baseball
No coasting in running and no crying in baseball
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [Tri3]
[ In reply to ]
Did you notice that she, her daughter and her son all finished in a row? Talk about a swimming family.....sheesh!
I'll definitely take my 12th OA. It was a good day indeed. Next time we'll be pushing a bit harder throughout.
Hard for it to actually sink in that the furthest I had swum was a 10k in the pool & a 9k (over 3 races) open water. I just expected it to be longer or more grueling I think.
Going to try to swim for another 10-15min tonight. Last night's effort was entertaining, but didn't feel great. Hoping my right shoulder will loosen up soon.
AW
I'll definitely take my 12th OA. It was a good day indeed. Next time we'll be pushing a bit harder throughout.
Hard for it to actually sink in that the furthest I had swum was a 10k in the pool & a 9k (over 3 races) open water. I just expected it to be longer or more grueling I think.
Going to try to swim for another 10-15min tonight. Last night's effort was entertaining, but didn't feel great. Hoping my right shoulder will loosen up soon.
AW
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [AWARE]
[ In reply to ]
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [Tri3]
[ In reply to ]
It's been my experience in most any long-distance OWS to see "groups" working together - makes perfect sense to me. Whether it's a few people that typically swim together & are of comparable speed "pace-lining" or if it's just people that line up as the race goes after discovering they're of similar abilities. I think that's part of swimming - was CRITICAL in the OWS in the Olympics this year. I always search for feet & at one early point on Saturday got yelled at by my pilot for following feet that weren't swimming straight (or fast enough, apparently).
It is curious to separate waves at all....the lanier race did it by masters/juniors (<18) and by distance (the 1k started after the 5k, which led to some pretty massive traffic on the course on the return leg) which was also interesting...probably a lot like tri, there's many ways to slice/dice and each have their argument.
I like the drafting aspect & strategy as it forces people to actually race & use some strategy. There was enough separation in the family at the Suck though that I think they just mostly happened to be around the same speed. Mom definitely led the pack though. At 60!
AW
It is curious to separate waves at all....the lanier race did it by masters/juniors (<18) and by distance (the 1k started after the 5k, which led to some pretty massive traffic on the course on the return leg) which was also interesting...probably a lot like tri, there's many ways to slice/dice and each have their argument.
I like the drafting aspect & strategy as it forces people to actually race & use some strategy. There was enough separation in the family at the Suck though that I think they just mostly happened to be around the same speed. Mom definitely led the pack though. At 60!
AW
Re: AWARE--How did the Suck go? [AWARE]
[ In reply to ]
I've been trying to figure out how to make the drafting thing work for me, but so far my experience has been that most swimmers my speed tend to go way off course.
Of course when a fast fish goes by, if I can hitch a ride for a few meters I do. ;-)
No coasting in running and no crying in baseball
Of course when a fast fish goes by, if I can hitch a ride for a few meters I do. ;-)
No coasting in running and no crying in baseball
You're inspiring. Well done, congrats!!!