8 mile race.........uh-oh I mean 1 mile race

On thursday I got an email from Gords telling me that the 8 mile race was cancled because of the high winds forcasted for Saturday. I went to the marina for a short swim that afternoon and Gords was there with another 8 mile swimmer that he had picked up from the airport. we chatted a bit and I found out that he was working on getting the 8 mile race moved up 1 day to Friday. I still would not be able to swim because of that thing called work. After further talking it was decided that they would split the race into 2 days with the knowledge that if the winds got to bad that we would be pulled from the water for those of us that could not make it on Friday. I was happy as I could be. My race was back on. I was at the store Friday night getting my hydration and snacks for my swim and Gords called me and asked "are you ready to go tomorrow" why yes I was. he went over everything with me again about the winds and told be that it would be just me and 1 other swimmer. I hung up the phone and started thinking about the winds and just 1 other swimmer. I now was bummed and jellous for 2 reasons. I was jellous because I did not get to swim with the swimmers that got to swim on Friday morning, and Bummed because what I was about to do. I called Gords back and explained to him that there was no sence in taking just 2 of us over to the island. that I knew he was worried about the wind that I would just swim the 1 mile event. I told him to talk to the other swimmer and basically make him do the same. So now I was just going to swim the 1 mile event. there is always 2013 and I have the Deer Creek 10 mile event to look forward to now. Saturday morning came and Chandra woke me up to get going to the marina and get checked in. I was the first one there other than Gords and Josh. I chatted with Josh and joked around that there was no place on my arm to draw my race number on because of my tattoos. Josh said to just put it on my forehead. We had the pre race safety meeting and was off into the water to the starting bouy. Josh did the count down and sounded the buzzer and I was off. I probabally started off to fast but I got into my groove pretty quick. The waves were strong for part of the race but I had been training in the GSL so I was used to it. I was swimming my normal route to Black Rock and I had a kayak keep trying to push me closer to shore. The problem with this is the water becomes really shallow and I have to shorten my stroke and slow down. I just kept swimming my normal route I picked up my head to sight and ran right into the kayak. I asked him to leave me alone and he did. when I finished I was the 6th person out of the water. with a time of 28 or 29 minutes. my time was thrown off because I was in the 8 mile group. No big deal I still took off 10 minutes from my time last year. I was the first in the guys in the age range of 35 to 40 there was one gal I think 41 that beat me other than that they were younger "kids" that beat this old fat guy. It was a blast and once again Josh and Gords put on one heck of a race. cant wait for it next year 8.12 miles you will not elude me in 2013!

                                                 My Awesome wife after the race my #1 fan

                                                    Getting ready to grease up and swim

Start of the race

Rough Waters

Mondays swim was a good one. there were quite a few people that showed up at the marina because KSL was supposed to be there to do a story on the race this weekend. They never showed up imagine that. We all got in the water and headded out of the marina to the red bouy. Goody, Kim, Lang and I took off towards Black Rock. Josh stayed close to the marina with the other swimmers. the wind was blowing pretty hard and the lake was mad as hell. the best part was that you could stick your head into the water a little more than normal and it was just as peacefull as ever, water was crystal clear and the bottom was awesome to watch. I finally made it to Black Rock in 46 minutes. probabally the slowest mile I have ever swam. I looked at Lang who was paddiling along side of me and he had white spots all over him because he was getting pelted with waves along the way. A few minutes later Kim and Goody got there and we chatted for a bit and took off towards the marina. Goody had goggle issues so he hiched a ride with LAng on the way back. I was swimming with little effort because we were swimming with the wind. I was basically body surfing the whole way back. at the red bouy I stopped my watch and it said 19 minutes. We were flying. total swim for the day was 2.2 miles with the first half being a heck of a work out. Listen to the first part of the video you can here Lang say UH-OH.....LOL

Awesome Saturday Swim

I went to the Marina Saturday for a swim and met Lang there so he could get aquainted with what he will have to do this Saturday for the race. The water could not be more perfect. it was clear as a bell and I could see the bottom pretty much my whole swim. Lang also did a great job paddling just on the last lap of the Gridley Straight he got side tracked and started looking around. No big deal I told him that he did not need to stay to close to me on the way back. I also got to see Josh and Gords finish there swim from Antelope Island so that was cool. when I got back to the red bouy I looked and saw Gords and Josh headding towards me. after their 8.12 mile swim the added on another 1 mile back to the marina. those guys are animals.

Swim before the clinic

I showed up early at the marina so that I could get some milage logged before the clinic at the marina. I was in a hurry to get in so that I could get 2 laps to Black Rock and back. on my way to Black Rock the first time I decided to sprint as fast as I could go. I started my timer from the red bouy and was off. when I got there I stopped a little short but when I stopped the timer is said 19:43 so I figure if I would have gone allthe way to the race finish line it would have been 22 to 23 minutes. I was hauling butt and had a good current pushing me. I swam back to the bouy and in to the marina to get a drink. I forgot it in the truck. got back in and went back to black rock. I got there and tryed out my new GoPro camera and got ready to head back to the marina for the clinic. when I was leaving Black Rock I spotted Gords headding in on the last 500 or so yards to the rock. I took off and headed towards the marina. when I got back I knew Gords would be there quick and I was not out more than 1 minute and here comes Gords. That guy is an anmial. I went up to the marina and listened to what Josh and Gords had to say and realy learned alot from them. everything they do for the open water sport in Utah has been great. I put some more grease on and headed back out to the green bouy with the people from the clinic. Gords simulated a race start and everyone headed to the white bouy and back. when I took off I realized that I had been sitting around for to long and was really sore. but when I got back to the bouy was feeling ok again. I sat there and chatted with a few people from the clinic and just became a bouy of my own in the GSL. I chatted for quite a while with Josh about random things and finally met Matt. we waited until everyone was headding back into the marina and then we were on our way as well. but guess what. sitting there bobing around chatting stove me up and I was sore again. swam back into the marina got dried off and things put away with a total milage of 5.2 miles some of that was drifting and chatting so we will call it 5 mile day. going to be short on milage for the month but I am sure all will be fine.