Results of the 2009 Deer Creek Open Water Swim

Cathi, Jacob and I slept in the van at the campground. It rained off and on all night. In the morning it was just partly cloudy. The themometer read 69 in the water. Steve and Meg showed up and started the race with me. I entered the 10 mile swim. There were about 8 swimmers in that event and about 50 swimmers total. Quite a bit more than last year.

The first 2 miles was choppy mostly because of all the other swimmers around me. Then we passed the 5K turnaround buoy and it was much less crowded. I took a buzz bite and then waited for another half mile for quick drink of water.

The wind started to pick up and then it started to rain. Then I had some pretty good waves coming in to me. I could see the flag on the kayak was consistently showing the wind direction coming pretty strong from the east. Passed the 10K turnaround and was making good time. Watch read 1:27.

Kept on going and noticed Meg and Steve were going headlong right into the waves. They were a good two feet high. I was having fun with the waves. They'd crash into me, but I felt strong and pushed through them. I felt like it was me against nature and I was kicking her ass.


I past another buoy saying to just keep going. Then I turned another bend and headed towards the 10 mile turnaround. The waves were getting more and more vicious. Then I saw off in the distance a boat with police lights flashing. It got closer and they tried yelling something at me. I couldn't hear with my earplugs in, but Meg and Steve started heading towards the shore. They said that lightning was coming and the race was canceled. I saw one lightning strike the water off in the distance while I was heading to shore. Guess what? I'm still here. I didn't feel anything.

After that I didn't see any other lightning although it was raining pretty good. Some people in a boat came and took me and the other three 10 mile swimmers at the front. When I got back it was still pretty windy but the rain was just sprinkling. I got the jetski on the trailer and went over to the east dock two miles towards Heber to pick up Meg and Steve. They were freezing. Took them back to their car and they drove home. Went back to get the kayak. Then drove home. By the time we got to Park City it was sunny. How annoying!

I was fuming the whole way home. I was so mad. I was feeling so good at the 4.5 mile mark. I was going strong. I was confident that I could do it. In fact I was looking forward to going another twenty minutes to get to the turn around and then practically body surf the whole way back. I stopped my watch when they made us stop and it said 2:09:40. According to Steve who had the GPS it was at 4.45.

Click the picture below for a short video:

From Swimming

When we dropped off the jetski and got home it was sunny outside. So I went on a 50 mile bike ride.