Last weekend on Sunday I took part in the Midmar Mile along with 16000 other swimmers. The mile runs as 8 events over two days. The really crazy people join the 8 Mile club and swim all 8 events. Yes its for charity and its great that they do it but you have to be crazy or super fit to do that.
To put it in perspective the Mile is 1.6km sometimes a bit longer and sometimes shorter depending on how full the dam is. For our swim it was 1.619 as the dam was very full. Some years people have to run 200 - 300 metres to the start of the water. Anyway 1.6km equals about 64 lengths of a 25m pool. You get one hour to complete the race and there is a 32 minute cut off at 800m. So the people who swim the 8 mile swim 12.8km. Nuts.
Don't get me wrong I loved it and I am so proud of myself for taking part. I will take part again and try to better my time.
I swam at 11am on the Sunday with Rebecca and Andrew and his brother Simon swam at 9:45am.
Ryk Neethling was in the same race as the guys as was Terence Parkin. They both swim for South Africa. So serious swimmers. They both described the conditions as really rough. Apparently it was like being in a washing machine.
Rebecca and I heard this and then had to get in the water and swim.
I can't really describe the race in truth my mind has blocked a lot of it out.
At the start you have to walk through mud with about two hundred other people. In our case a bunch of screaming girls from the school squads. There is something awful about being on the wrong end of the 13-30 group. The very wrong end.
The gun goes and the water was much colder then I expected. I started swimming earlier then most as the sharp stones that littered the dam floor bothered me. I didn't need to add blood to my problems.
The water was unbelievably choppy. After the first 100mts or so I felt like I was going nowhere. I could see the giant bouy that marked 400mts but it just wasn't getting any closer. I felt like I was in my own personal hell and that the race would never end. I changed to breastroke to try and use strength to fight. Doing that I eventually found my rythm and the distance passed. I was so grateful when I passed the half way mark at 22 min. I was having a good swim now and I finally knew I could make it. The last 400 is when things got bad again. I was swimming with huge waves again and surrounded by school girls all hanging on to each other. I hated every minute of that last 400. My neck went and I suddenly had a headache to add to my woes. My body was now tired of fighting but the finish seemed no closer.
When my feet finally touched ground I had to wait for another bunch of school girls to have their picture taken. My time reflects my irritation.
I finished in 47:13. Not bad for the first time but I really wish the end had been better.
So next year I will be back but next year I am swimming in the company or family race on Saturday. The whole atmosphere seems a lot more fun for both those races.
So who is joining me next year?
No comments:
Post a Comment