Ed-duh-tor's note: My buds were not in the La Jolla Rough Water but at a near equally crazy event in which they swam 1000 meters and then ran a 5K. They survived and lived to tell about it. See Sladed Blog for details and pictures of the surprisingly in shape old men: http://sladed.blogspot.com/2006/08/aquathlon.html
Sunday between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. my soon to be former best friends will become shark bait. Oh the horror of it all. They will swim in the La Jolla Rough Water Swim, a one-mile race at the Cove in La Jolla. De Woppo and Mr. Sladed will make this bold athletic try for the first time in decades. We all did it as studly young males, but I only tried it once (if I hadn't worn goggles and seen "shadowy things" lurking beneath me, I may have done it again).
In all truth, I wish I was there to join them. Alas, they are in shape and I am not. I am working on it, but they have each other to push themselves and I just have a hyper doctor and old lawyer to swim with up here. Just finishing will be good enough, but it will be interesting to see their times. Guys, please post them on here when you're done. Good luck and don't wear goggles or keep live bait in your Speedo.
3 comments:
Whooo Hoooo we survived, and did not see the dolphins! I am tired. Sladed did great! I now know why these guys where these special wet suits, they are more boyant and stay warm. These two 50 and almost 50 year olds did it in their speedo's and goggles, we don't need so stinking wet suits!
I will let Sladed post the times, I dont remember what they were, only that I was about a minute and a half behind Sladed when we finished.
It was quite a challenge and more effort that I thougth it would be, we did a practice swim and run on Friday, water was 67 and today it was 65. It was cold at the beginning but after making it to the first bouy, it was hard going agains the waves, but by the time we started going to the next it was easier and even better on the way back in. The run, it required a different set of oxygen exchange procedures and the jelly legs took about 1000 meters before they started to work properly. I really wanted to catch Sladed but I was wiped from the swim.
All in all a great experience and will do again now that I understand what a difference ocean swimming is compared to the pool. Sladed and Dewoppo will need more ocean time these next couple of weeks.
Glad we did it and glad its overwith!
Dewoppo
By the way, I wanted to post photos of mennacing sharks, but for some reason the evil owners of Blogger wouldn't allow it.
It was an exhilerating experience. The best part is the rush you feel when it's over. It's true that I only beat DeWoppo because I didn't put socks on. He'd have caught me for sure. It was almost a mistake though - blisters could have been a big problem.
I was happy with how I did. My 5K was a few seconds faster than my best...even WITH the swim before it. The swim could have been faster but I kept thinking about the 5K that followed and so tried not to kick much.
I hadn't realized DeWoppo had only swum maybe ONE rough water swim before this one - and that would have been over 30 years ago! He did GREAT. As you know, swimming in the ocean is a whole different challenge.
Sorry you weren't there with us!
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