Results of Deer Creek Open Water Marathon Swim - 10 miles in 4:56:36

Yesterday evening Austin, Jacob and I drove to Heber and bought some supplies at the Smiths there.  We drove to Deer Creek and Jacob and I swam a very easy two laps to the buoy and back.  About 200 yards.  Then we settled down in the van at a vacant parking lot across from Wallsburg Bay at Deer Creek Reservoir.    Watched TRON on my ipod when the sun was down.  Jacob got up really late in the middle of the night and said he had to go to the bathroom, so he crawled out the back of the van and starts to pee.  Thing is he wasn't being discrete at all and was peeing towards the road as people are driving by on the highway.  The parking lot is lit so I'm sure people were able to see him quite clearly.  I wonder how much a ludeness ticket would cost?

We got up at 6:30am and drove over to check in.  Met Lynn Jolly and her crew which were borrowing the raffle kayak, along with Traci Chase who is the swimmer that Austin is paddling for.  I helped Josh get people checked in and labelled for the race.  Then everyone started heading down to the boat ramp and I realized I had my boats all tied up and I wasn't even in my swimsuit, so I really had to rush to get ready myself!  The boys were still asleep in the back of the van.  I met and talked with alot of really cool people, but my head wasn't on straight and I don't remember alot of names and I wish I could have had a full morning to just visit and chat with people.

We finally got everything ready and the race started.  I tried to stay up with Jorge Azevedo, but that guy was just too fast.  There was another guy in a wetsuit that got ahead of me, but after the 5K turnaround he stopped for a drink break and I passed him and stayed in second position the rest of the time.  It took me until the 5K turnaround to finally get in a rhythm.  I wasn't bilateral breathing, my goggles were fogged and it was hard to see looking into the sun at the end of Wallsburg bay.  But once I got past the 5K turnaround I rinsed out my goggles(which were perfect for the remainder of the race after that) and started bilateral breathing and I got into a good rhythm.

Let's get going!

When I got near the north end of the bay, across from the boat ramp, Kelsey Withrow passed me.  I tried drafting, but I only lasted for half a minute.  By the time I got to the 10K turnaround, Will passed me at that point.  Last year, I was passed at the end of Wallsburg bay, so this year was a little better!

I kept on going but I couldn't even see Jorge's support boat ahead.  He was really far up there and there was no catching him.  My pace was right on, or maybe even a tad slower than I wanted and I was pushing it.  This was going to be tough to get under my 4:50 goal.

Jacob and me after the race

I took my first feeding about 100 yards past the 10K turnaround.  It was a fast one too.  Only about 20-30 seconds with Gatorade, then go!  Swam across the bay and took another feeding at this buoy.  This one was a little longer.  About 45 seconds as Jacob quickly handed me a swiss roll and threw me the Gatorade.  Headed north and almost at the 5 mile point to turn around.  My strokes were slower, but still strong and I even was getting in a strong 2 beat kick.  The sun was really strong the whole day.  I never got warm, but I knew I was going to be sunburned a little.  I have a goofy looking upside down smile across my forehead where my cap line was.

Hit the five mile point and took another feeding.  Then headed back west.  Saw many 10 milers about 15 minutes-20 minutes behind me.  Seemed like a LONG time to get back to the bay to swim across.  Finally got there and took another feeding and then swam as fast as I could across the bay.  My time was definitely slower than my goal pace.  Got to the 10K turnaround buoy again and told Jacob to stay with me.  He was staying behind me and I couldn't see him.  I don't sight off him, I just don't like wondering where he is and worried that he is getting tired and dropping back.  But he stayed with me just fine after that verbal correction.

Most likely this isn't the case, but it kinda
looks like Michelle Poole is checking me out!  More likely
she's admiring the Rob's Aquatics logo.  Haha.

At the 5K turnaround I was glad to hit the home stretch.  I was going to be lucky to get under 5 hours at this rate.  I really pushed it.  I was pulling really hard, and stretching forward and getting a good pull.  I looked over and saw a big white buoy with a yellow base on it.  What the heck!  As I got closer, it was Austin!  That kid had taken off his shirt and the whole time I was fretting because I forgot to tell the boys to put on sunscreen and I knew they were fried.  Here is Austin without sunscreen and paddling away with his big white chest exposed.  I stopped and yelled out across the narrow end of the bay.  "Get a shirt on you doofus!"  He responded, "I'm getting a tan!"  Whatever.

Austin paddled for Traci, and Jacob paddled for me.
Nice job Gridley boys!

The 1/2 mile left buoy was a welcome sight.  I literally sprinted that last 1/2 mile.  I improved my 5 hour time, but didn't quite hit my 4:50 goal.  Ended up with 4:56:36.  OK well considering that it's a 10 mile race and I went 6 minutes slower, that meant I had to swim about 36 seconds faster per mile.  That's 2 seconds per 100 yards that I needed to improve.  Just didn't have it.  I can honestly say I did my best.  Just haven't worked on SPEED this season.  I sure enjoy long swims when I don't feel rushed.

Scott and Rachele Kunz finished the 10 mile.  Scott's one of
the most outgoing and fun guys I've met.  He's quite the
athlete as he does 100K runs and 26.2 marathons.  This was
I think his new PR for longest OW swim.  He did great!

I left having a good time and hit my secondary goal of getting under 5 hours so that's something.  I also left with some things I need to improve on.  I had a great time with Jacob, and talking with Kunz' and the other swimmers.  Wish the race could have accompanied a BBQ or something.  I just felt robbed not getting to spend more time with everyone and getting to talk with everyone.  I'm not a very social person and could care less in most settings, but today I didn't get my fill of talking with people.

I wanted to talk with Jorge and find out what his training was like.  Cause that guy was able to go so fast!  He really kicked butt!  I also wanted to talk with Rachel (she won the kayak that I donated) and Matt, and many others.  But by that time everyone was already gone.  Dang!!
Lynn left me a very cool book.  I've already read the first chapter and it looks like a good one!  What a great day it's been.

I'm very pleased on the whole of it.