Ironman Arizona 2011 Swim

The swim starts with a giant line that looks like something from the day after Thanksgiving. We are all hanging out in wetsuits and since they lined us up roughly twenty minutes before the race starts, not everyone got to get that last bathroom break in. Apparently there are some overly competitive athletes out there because a man in a mega phone stands near the water entrance yelling to everyone not to jump in head first diving into the water. That thought hadn't even entered my mind. I had a cocktail in my belly of 5 hour energy, pepto bismol, berry blast gel, ironman perform lemon flavored and a sudafed.  This was not really giving me confidence at the time in my choice of pre race ritual, but as the throngs in front of me leaped into the water like lemmings off a cliff I had to just go with it. Since we're all bare foot in neoprene the course director thought it would be funny to watch half of us climb over a guard rail intended to keep the non crazy people from getting into the water that is only safe to swim in a few times a year.

I had still stayed with the Firefighter at this time and we took the plunge. As you enter the water everything goes dark and green for a bit while you sink, until the buoyancy of your wetsuit pops you right back out of the water. It was cold, but that was soon to be remedied. The water entrance is on the west side of Mill avenue bridge so it takes 5 minutes of swimming just to get to the starting line. This is a good warmup and a chance to get used to the water. We swam tell just on the east side of the bride and looked up seeing the whole family of the Firefighter. It was the easiest we have ever found those supporting us on the bridge before the start. We all look like pink and green caps bobbing up and down treading water. This was a welcome show of support for us both because there is just not that much to talk about in the 61 degree water waiting for the day of pain to begin.

This is where a highly practiced procedure is done to help improve the cold as well as distract you. For the faint of heart you might want to stop reading now. Ok, if you are still here I warned you.... I pee in my wetsuit. This not only relieves a full bladder making swimming much easier, but it is warm. I will open up spots in the neck ankles and sleeves to allow water in before and after, but it still gets the job done. It is kind of a funny joke that you realize looks of contentment on the faces of all those around you aren't the calm before the storm, but the bathroom break before the storm. The water between you and the wetsuit will warm up from your body heat and as strokes are taken it circulates out of the ankles a little at a time while more water can enter via your wrist area.

this is what the beginning looks like, people everywhere you turn

With that out of the way I began a slow side stroke towards the front and ended up roughly 25 yards from the start. I was with all the people I knew doing the race before the gun went, but then it was on like donkey kong. Every one is in each others space bubble making what ever your time was doing laps in that nice pool impossible. Just like driving in traffic, you don't want to be stuck in a lane moving too slow. I lost all thought of staying with those I know and the race had begun. I will take long strokes using my left hand down stroke to pop my face up forwards and see where everyone is. I set my watch to go off every ten minutes to roughly simulate swimming 500 yards. By the first buzz of the watch things had settled to allow small pockets of unused water. This water is so unclear that it is hard to see the hand in front of your face. This makes making decisions on course under the water impossible. As opposed to a clearer water swim your head has to always pop up out of the water to sight. I swim open water breathing on an every other stroke sequence always breathing on the right side. I practice in a pool keeping left and right sides even, just not on race day because of the dark water and the need to be more aware of where I am.

This was a great swim, water was wonderful and it was noticeable that there were more people in it. This years list of participants was 2565, meaning one crowded Tempe Town Lake. For those doing the race in the future I would recommend that if you are a strong swimmer then go to the front. It would be preferable to have people swimming up your feet where you can kick then navigating from behind. I used a lot of energy to site every other stroke during the first 8 minutes or so. The buoys are easy to see and in between the larger markers are smaller ones to keep you on track. The race begins into a rising sun, but this is not as big a deal as others make it out to be. If you sight out the side and only from the front every few minutes it doesn't matter how bright the glare is.

The race kind of enters cruise control at this point. I would find people to draft off of to rest in the swim for a couple minutes and then pass them as I moved up the pack. People would come at you from crazy angles on a collision path from far to your side with no attempt to let up before running into you. This lack of direction can't be explained well, but it made for strategic speed ups and a couple times literally swinging my body over someones legs to keep from getting punched in the face. It almost feels like an old nintendo game is enemies coming in from the side while you look down on your yourself from above. Each encounter pulls energy, as does speeding up in spurts. It is important to be aware of yourself when you can't just look down to see a heart rate. I hit my stride crossing the northeast corner of the course. This is the point where it is all about holding a rhythm. Find those with similar speeds to stay with, and just bullet towards the west. Before crossing under the Mill avenue bride going west I started a very light flutter kick to use the bathroom again. This is kind of gross, but by emptying your bladder now it can save precious time on the bike. I also did this one more time turning south.

an example of wet suit stripper

As you get closer to the swim finish it is about calming your heat rate before the crowds and transition so that you won't get too excited. The steps are swim up steps leading into the water. You grab one that is out of the water and then carefully put your knee or butt onto the next one down. It would be easy to slips at this time, or put a shin right into the front of a step. There are people there helping offer a hand. I got my bearings climbed out taking the hand of a volunteer and he nicely unzipped the back of my wet suit. The next stage are the strippers. I came to the first one I saw she pulled my sleeves down off my arms, I sat on my butt and she pulled it off my feet handing me my suit. I had already pulled the cap and goggles off before the stripper to hold onto. The crowds are yelling, my watch said 1:11 (a new PR for me), my bladder was empty and adrenaline pumping. I crossed the timing mat into transition and held a steady jog so as not to get too caught up in the moment and began the dry land portion of the race knowing the first segment of this triathlon was over.