3 Mile Bridge Race Report

There's 2 reasons I wanted to do this race.

1. Each time I drive over this bridge, I think about the race they have each year to swim from one end to the other. Since I drive over it going to and from work, that's a lot of thinking about it.

2. People keep asking how someone can swim that far. It's really not a big deal if you know how to swim. Nearly any adult can walk briskly for 3 hours. Walking fast and swimming slow seem like the same amount of effort to me, so I wanted to prove it.

The swim only field was small (118) and the aquathon was even smaller (32).

Run:
My goal was to take it easy on the run since I didn't know if I was capable of finishing the swim. The start of the race was great. I was talking to someone about how he strapped his Forerunner 305 to his neck for open water swims. He was mid-sentence when someone yelled "Go!" so I turned around and took off. Worst part of the run was after seeing a bumper sticker, I had the song "Jesus Loves Me" in my head. As for pace, I knew I'd go out too hard, so I tried to keep it at what I thought was a 10k pace. Next year I'll treat it like an open 5k. After getting in the water, it's only a little over waist high for 100+ meters. The official start of the swim is about 150m out. Plenty of time to walk and catch your breath. If we were jumping into deep water, then I'd be more concerned about going hard on the run. Finished in 20:21 and feeling good.

Swim:
Took a GU in transition and started swimming for the first time in 11 months. Even though I didn't need to, I took 2 gels while swimming. Luckily the "Jesus Loves Me" song didn't follow me into the water. Zero, by Yeah Yeah Yeahs was circling in my head for well over 2 hours. Finding the end was not fun. If I have to run an extra 200m due to getting lost, that's fine. However, swimming a few extra hundred meters after being in the water 2+ hours was frustrating.

With the exception of putting body glide on underarms and neck, there's nothing I wish I would of done differently, but there's a few small things that I'll probably forget about next year. 2 small stitches in my side that were not bad enough to change my stroke. Wish I would of had some drinking water, but it probably would not of helped the sore throat. Sore throat went away within an hour or two of the finish.

Result:
3/3 in my age group. The award was a beach towel... so much cooler than a medal. The better reward was the great BBQ and kegs of beer. Every race I've done around here ends with beer. I haven't figured out why, but it's nice. Shoulders were sore for over a week, but that's what I get for not training.

Next year:
Run hard.
Bring bike and someone to drive the car home, so I can bike 60 miles home.
Practice with the Garmin strapped to me somehow and use it during the race.
Resist the temptation to do the 10k swim if it's available as they say it will be.
Swim fast instead of swimming to finish.
Do not do the 10k. 2010 motto is "Faster, NOT longer."