Yesterday was the Waikiki Roughwater Swim. This race attracts tons of people from out of state... swimmers come from Australia and California and Texas and well, all over for this race. So it's a good humbling experience to participate because just when you think you're a good swimmer, you get to race against real swimmers and you realize, well, maybe it's really just big fish in small pond syndrome, even though we are actually in a huge ocean. Or something like that.
So I couldn't find any pictures from the race this year, but I found these from past years and really, the ocean still looks the same. And while the conditions were good and calm this year, the pictures would probably look exactly like this.
There were about 900 people racing this year. They split it into 4 or 5 waves so even though this looks kind of crazy, the start was nothing like an Ironman start.
Not surprisingly I was very tired yesterday morning (maybe more emotionally spent than anything- I gave it all away in that bike race Sunday) but I tried to fake it for this swim. That lasted maybe 100 meters. Lol. I found myself in this frantic mess of swimmers and I was sprinting to start and my heart had that familiar feeling of wanting to jump right out of my chest and then I just had this WHAT ARE YOU DOING moment where my Central Governor just really stepped in to shut me down. Then that song came into my head... I really wanna care... I wanna feel something... let me dig a little deeper... nah... nothin'. I'm with ya, Jo Dee.
By the time I got to the first turn buoy I'd decided that I just did not have it in me to dig dig dig for this race. I know it's a big deal for some people but honestly I just didn't care. So I found a gal who was swimming a decent enough pace and I just got on her feet and stayed there til the end.
Looking at these pictures makes me think I should have enjoyed the swim a lot more than I did... it really is quite beautiful, no? No wonder people come from all over to swim here! I need to change my attitude and stop taking this for granted I guess. Since we swim here all the time (well, pre-Moana I swam here all the time... now it's a bit less) it's easy to forget that it really doesn't get much better than this.
Waikiki skyline from the water...
Anyway, I finished in 1:01 which shockingly placed me third in my age group. I don't know how I was supposed to feel about that... 3rd is cool I guess but 1:01 is not indicative of how my swimming has been going lately... but honestly I never got myself to the point of caring. I think I'm on the brink of being overly tired because this is what my brain does when my body needs a bit of a break.
9 comments:
This sounds a lot like my last swim race felt, right on the heels of a big bike day :-) Your body and mind together will be ready on the BIG race day and that's what counts!
I know that is slow for you, but I would think it is really fast after the bike race ion Sunday! Plus, if I remember correctly swimming comes first in a triathlon, and you taper for it too:) Oh, and maybe your mind needed a little time off from caring, too!
You're a rockstar, Michelle! What an awesome weekend you had! 1:01 isn't too shabby a swim especailly when you get on someones feet and just swim (exactly the plan I had and we ended up right near each other!) I do wish I was swimming with you though rather than 13 year-old girls who have no idea what they are doing!! Anyways, great job, only a couple more big weeks then I get to go watch you kick ass at KONA!!
tough weekend of racing, nice work!! no wonder a bit tired. A solid weekend of IM WC grassroots!
Hello, nice to know you are human like the rest of us ;) I don't know, I think 3rd is pretty damn impressive after that bike race, but what do I know? I know you say it's not your fastest, but you've been going and going and going. I think most people (read: me) would have died long before this. You are the bionic woman!
More important, you banked all those workouts over the weekend and you can do some crazy ass withdrawing when it comes time. Have no shame about the bad attitude, sometimes it's just about getting the work done.
You are a machine. Congrats. Darn central governor interrupting your racing. That's an impressive result considering it was day two of racing. By the way I read all of your archives from when you had Moana. Thank you so much for writing them. You are a badd ass and it's very inspiring.
you are friggin nailing it lady! you are a racing machine!!!!! nice job michelle!
Sounds like how I feel in every swim race. I can never give a damn in the water.
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