The Last (Half) Mile

Having just completed Pedro's "The Last Mile" swim, I can safely say: Holy Shit, Man! 100 of us pre-Escapees decided that it'd be a good idea to sign up for this clinic, what is actually only 1/2 mile but when you're swimming against the 3 knot current, it feels a lot like a mile or more.
I did it more for the mental prep than the physical, hoping I'd get a few nuggets of inspiration to keep me going until Sunday. I got my $15 bucks worth when one of the
coaches said something that really rang true for me: the time between now and when you jump off the boat is far worse then the actual experience of the race.

The conditions tonight were pretty bad, swimming against the current is not fun and it was cold and gray; the kind of weather where normal people go down to the pub and gather for a beer. I was cruising along swiftly for about 15 minutes, savoring the aromas from the yacht club's kitchen and feeling content. And then, as I approached the big yellow buoy that I was siting off of, which I originally thought marked the completion, only to realize was not the finish, that's when I started to break-down.

I stopped to look around but even a few moments of stillness meant the current was carrying me backwards. I kept going, trying to get a glimpse above the swells of where the end was. I thought I saw it and it looked so close, but every inch forward was like watching an ant crawl across the moon. And that's when I noticed the switch, the positive thoughts turned negative. The black cloud formed over my head, and in a word, everything sucked.

It eventually ended and I made it to shore (I hope that is obvious), but I felt drained and uninspired. Maybe it was bound to happen, I've felt so cool and collected about this race over the past couple of weeks and then last night I turned into the lowest form of triathlete: the whiner. But maybe it's just been a long season and I'm ready to move onto something else. It's summer and I want to get to the mountains, I want to learn to swing dance, I want to drink heavily.

Which brings us to the final details at hand, the actual race! Those who are not in the beautiful city of San Francisco can track my race online, click here to find out how.

Despite the trials and tribulations of this season, I've had a great time, mostly because I train with great people who keep me smiling. Some random photos:

Our last team workout, a run down at Chrissy Field. We had a great time letting all the nervous energy out and feeling the group love. That's me in the green cap.

Practicing in the sand.













Matthes will be a little less hostile when I'm home more in the evenings.