I did it!

I did it - I swam 4.4 miles in the Chesapeake Bay! The water was 76 degrees so I opted out of wearing a wet suit, which was the right decision for me. I felt really well-prepared and the race was nearly over when I was ready to be done swimming. 

Here's a video that a teammate sent with some highlights from the Bay. 

Results are available here. I'm thrilled with my two hour time and 30th place overall finish for women. 

My #1 fan!

The great ladies of the Flying V!

Resting - 4 Days until Bay

Last night at practice I swam only 3,000 SCY and felt tired. Coach Max advised that Bay swimmers get out after 2,500, adding that, at this point, you won't get in any better shape or lose anything.

My plan is for 2,500 this afternoon with a friend, off on Thursday, maybe another 2,500 in Michigan on Friday, and off on Saturday.

Wake on the Lake

My incredible cousin, Tommy Steele, is training for a 24.3 miles swim across Lake Erie! Called "Steele's Wake on the Lake" this intense swim is making my 4.4 miles in the Bay seem pretty doable. Also, clearly a lot of good swimming genes in the Austin clan!

5 Days Until the Bay

DCRP teammate Michael and I went to the Bay Ridge neighborhood in Annapolis on Saturday afternoon after practice and got in 1.25 miles along the shore. Couple take-a-ways:

1. It's salty, but not too bad and didn't bother me.
2. My wet suit felt great.
3. It really does feel like you're swimming in a washing machine.
4. The Bay was warmer than the pool I swam in on Saturday morning. I would really love to wear a wet suit on Sunday, and am hoping yesterday's rain cooled it down just enough to keep it below 78 degrees.  
5. I'm a lot less nervous now that I've actually done a little swimming in the Bay. 

A Swim Meet! and 9 days until the Bay

Two weeks after the Bay Swim, my masters team is hosting an indoor meet. All area swimmers are invited to participate in the 33rd Annual Long Course Swim Meet on June 27! More information is available here. Not as fun as swimming outside at Hains Point, but the pool is much nicer and faster.

Fueling for the Bay Swim

11 Days until the Bay Swim

In my Googling I also found the great post, How I Fueled to Swim Across the Chesapeake Bay. It talks a lot about hydration, which I'm worried about. [Truth, I'm nervous about most aspects of this race.] Increasing salt intake in the 24 hours leading up to the race is not something that would have occurred to me, but it makes sense. I will also add a sports drink, which I rarely consume. The Fueled post is really thorough, and I will definitely reference it again in the next two weeks.

Swimming for Scientists

I stumbled upon this post by the Mathlete about how to perfectly swim across the Bay. The math is way over my head, but this I understood: 

The race is usually timed so that the majority of racers will start out with a bit of tidal current pushing them north, swim the majority of the race during the wonderful still water of slack tide (when the tide is changing directions) and finish as the tide starts to go out, creating a current pulling swimmers south. 

So I'm adding it to my collection of Bay Swim knowledge.