How could I miss an opportunity like this? A challenging open water swim in South Florida. I couldn’t let something like this pass by even if I am not entirely ready.
Swim Miami
Those were the thoughts that prompted me to sign up for Swim Miami 2012. I had only made the decision the day before the race but figured I was in good enough shape to do so. Swim Miami was offering a 10k, 5k, 1mile and 800m swim in the intracoastal, right off I-395 in Miami Beach. I decided the 5k would be a good challenge and also help me build some endurance early in the season.
Bring it on!
The weather had other plans. Of course, a storm rolls in Friday evening. It is only fitting. So race morning, Saturday, was looking pretty ugly. I wasn’t sure if the organizers would even let us swim at all. I was expecting the worst. However, the organizers decided that the 10k and 5k swim were cancelled. However, they would allow all of us to swim the mile if we wanted to.
The view from the start
So i waited for my heat and jumped in. Had a great time! The mile loop was confusing at best. The course looked something like this.
Swim Miami course
Only problem with the course was that we were swimming around and through sail boats that all looked the same. It was pretty disorienting at times. I loved it! There were a few times I had to look around at other people to make sure I was even going the right way. Gotta enjoy the little difficulties when you can.
The view from the finish line
So all in all it was a great swim. The bay was choppy and the current was strong. However, I didn’t have to deal with any of these…
How many white sharks in the bag?
However, I think I’m either allergic to seaweed or I got some sea lice. My body itches and I have a bunch of red dots all over the place. Somehow ended up with a few cuts as well. Not quite sure how that happened. Either way, I had a blast.
The swim was listed as a mile. However, I am sure I swam all over the course. Why swim in a straight line when you can swim all over the place?
In the end, my Garmin claims – - -
Distance: 1.23 miles
Time: 43 mins, 25 seconds
