The Roughwater - this is my fiducial race - a great way to keep track of my open water swimming speed. Identical course every year, and always fun to schmooze with the SC Masters

Joel doesn't look happy (SC Masters helps a lot with the volunteering for this race).A computer glitch slowed registration to a crawl...

....leading to long lines and a 35 minute delay in the start

Time on my hands, I wandered, and photo'd

Marta, glam'ing it up before stripping down for business

Three different looks. Four, if you count Joel in the background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here, I'd thought of using my June Lake tri shirt as a rash guard, but decided I'd instead try that experiment tomorrow, on the shorter swim at the Sandman Triathlon. The water temp according to the lifeguards, was 59F

The race director gives out final instructions in the background. Foreground - real swimmers don't wear wet suits, but...

...I'm just a triathlete, so it's OK.

I swam to the extreme outside, as I hate the bumping and kicking feet that comes with swimming in the pack. I'll swim farther if it means I can stay in my stroke. Still, I was probably a little too far left, as I missed the dogleg at the wharf by a good 100 yards. The rest of my line was pretty good. I hammered down four "B-50" caps (50mg of all the B vitamins), 3 eggs for breakfast, and a half cup of my usual protein smoothie. I felt pretty good throughout, kept up a fast turnover, and was optimistic about a good time. I did beat last year's time but only by 4 seconds. I came in at 25:06 from water entry to exit. Add another 10 seconds to be comparable to the starting gun on the sand, and the chip timing at the end. The water temp of 59F, felt fine.

After my finish, flanked by a swimmer-to-be (doing psoas stretches?) waiting for Dad, and by someone wearing that great classic Kim Ferrell Designs (copyrighted!) logo which has been the symbol of this race for 24 years.

Grabbed my camera to shoot some more finishers. There is a lot of kelp in the waters here. One competitor said it was like swimming through a salad bowl. Made standing up at the end a little slippery

Marta had a great swim, and that lean body needed a parka and winter gloves and wool cap to warm up afterwards

Hot tea and home-made chocolate chip cookies is the warming method of choice for the SC Masters team.

Yes, Steve did it again! Swam the whole mile in a tux, complete with heavy shoes. Leaving lifeguards dumbfounded, and green-capped competitors who tried to catch him collapsed and gasping for breath. Just another stroll in the Pacific for a pretty good swimmer in my age group!

2nd place - congratulations, Marta!

SC Masters, as usual, did well all around

Jamie and Kim Ferrell came down for some business, and say "hi".

The next day was the Sandman Triathlon and another swim-like-a-madman. Now what I need - today, Monday - is to see my chiropractor to unkink my neck...