I guess it was a combination of no races in July and "getting back on the bike" so to speak. Told the crew about it. Donald was racing in CT. Andre nothing. Adele considered it but very smartly said no since she is having leg issues. Jim is apparently way too slow to do a 5K and hasn't swam in years. Gail also hasn't swam in Ocean and has a big race the next week. Only 2 who said yes were Jeff (little bit suprising) and Hammad (not suprising).
I think both Hammad and Jeff, who are inexperienced swimmers, were pushing themselves to do this. You know...Testosterone kind of thing but I truly thought either one of them could do this. Well, Hammad backed out on Wednesday. Agreed last minute to go camping with his daughter and her friends at North/South Lake near Hunter Mountain. I know that lake well as my last Ironman was there and I had to swim 2 loops there.
That left Jeff and according to Adele, he was waffling about it probably due to Heidi worrying. I texted him and he said that he's definitly in. Guess he can't back out now...
Plan was for Adele to pick me up at 7am Sunday and drive there. She was coming to spectate and was kind enough to give me a lift. I was hoping my guys might come even after Lee's Homecare but they just got back on Saturday from New Jersey and they were tired. Jeff and Heidi would drive there. After the race, Jeff would visit his Mother and Adele, Heidi and me would drive back. Cool.
I texted Donald to make sure he was awake as he had a drive to his triathlon. He was up. Cool. One less thing to worry about.
Elizabeth wanted me to wake her up at 6am but LC decided that 5am is a much better time and woke her up himself. Funny guy this guy. And way too cute as well.
We had lunch the day before in New Jersey and I hate all the wrong things. My stomach initially was ok but things got worse and I took a preemptive immodium. I don't like to pop meds for no reason but this I'll do. I remember the bathrooms from 2004 and I definitly did not want to do that. As I remember, they had stalls without doors. YUCK!!!
As soon as I got into Adele's car I notice that she is wearing her Road ID and a bathing suit. Hm... You racing? Maybe... She was on the fence about it. On the way there, we saw Jeff and Heidi driving over. Cool.
We get there and go sign up. I bring an application to Adele who finally decides that she isn't doing it. Now, if she'll finally set up an MD appointment...
Anyway, sign up, body marked and put on the hugest timing chip I have ever seen on our leg and we check out the kids doing their race. Awesome.
I run into Irwin Weiss who lives there. Haven't seen him in such a long time. We talk about the race for a little. I wanted to know how many jetties we have to cross because I remember that it seemed like we ran a lot last time I did this. Also, we show Jeff the swim course.
The race: Out and back 5K on the beach. They suggest sneakers as we have rocks (jetties) to cross over. Some people go without sneakers to save time later. Jeff and I are with sneakers. After that, you jump in for a 300 yard swim tho really being that it's an ocean swim, you know there's bonus miles to deal with. Still, it's pretty much go out to the buoy, make a left, go straight and eventually another left and head back to shore. Once on shore, you run up the beach. The swim itself looks like a 3 sided square if you will.
The first year I did this, I wore sneakers without even thinking about it. This time on the other hand, I actually stopped to think. I ran with Elizabeth twice on the beach now without shoes and it was fine. But this time there will be jetties to cross and can I really "race" without shoes on the beach?!? Sneakers it is.
Kids come back and they call the adults to line up. I remember getting shoved around the year I did it but I still refuse to go line up at the back. So, I took the front but on the right side. Jeff was going to the back but I didn't let him.
Before the race started we were told 2 things: 1) We should go into the water as soon as we cross the last jetty. I decided to leave my goggles with Adele and she didn't hear this so there I was gesturing like ceazy to her. She signalled she understood but didn't make a move so I was worried. Later, I realized she stayed to take pics at the start but I was still worried she will be in the wrong place. I also needed her to remind me to take my shoes off. Seems stupid but I almost ran in with my sneakers last time I did this. 2) Apparently the timing chips have been falling off the kids. They gave us duct tape and told us that if it falls off, we should go back after it. Yeah, right! I DON'T THINK SO!!!
Talked to a guy on my left (Jeff is on right) about the fact that he's wearing a Blue Seventy cap around his neck. I asked him if he really needs it for the water temp and he tells me that it's actually for hydro-dynamics. Ok...
I'm resolved to count jetties as pass them so I know how many I have on the way back. They count down and we go. I shoot out the gate and I am in the top 5 as usual expecting to be passed on by the whole field. Just my (stupid) style.
I count Jetties as we go. That's 1 and 2 and 3. Easy so far to count. Right before the 4th Jetty, there's a group of people doing yoga in a circle. They are lieing down on their mats. Runners either go left toward the water to pass them or they go right toward the loose sand to pass them. All I can think of is "Hurdles!" as I go right through the circle and then hurdle the jetty. Sorry. It is what it is.
That's the last jetty I count. I lost track. Sheesh.
We continue and people as expected pass me. Blue 70 dude passes me along with the first female. I'm still in the front but I know it won't last. First female is gone. Second female comes up and she looks good. We get to the turn around. I make the turn and immediatly notice that we are now running into the wind. Yuck.
I see Jeff coming and we cheer each other on. Third woman there too. She passes me. As usual, I am still expecting Jeff to come up on me. He told me that he's not in great/fast shape and that he was much better at the Alley Pond 5 Miler and ended up on the floor. I don't believe a word he says. The day he decides to pass me, he will. Still, for now it's the constant threat that he's right behind me. Forth woman passes me and she looks strong.
The wind is real strong and it sucks. I know that I will have positive splits as usual but they might be worse this time.
I love the show in front of me. I can't see first female as she is long gone but 4th female is moving. She is chasing 3rd who is closing on 2nd. Suddenly the 3 of them are just about together and I looked away for a second and when I looked again 4th was now leaving the pack. She took 2nd very strongly. The original 3rd female passes original 2nd and all this is unfolding in front of me. If 1st female holds her lead and is a decent swimmer then she's got this otherwise original 4th place now 2nd female will rip it away from her.
I see Irwin and we wave to each other. Nice guy.
I'm still trying to figure out how many jetties we still have. I'm looking forward to the yoga group because I know there are only 4 jetties after that and suddenly there I am running through them again. This time they're done and standing and again, I'm in the circle. Haha... (sorry).
Excited. Only 3 more jetties. Look back and Jeff is still there. Cool. Glad he didn't slow down. I see the last Jetty. I know it's the last jetty because I see the lifeguards in the water, the Jet skis with the lifeguards and the clock. They have the clock positioned right after the jetty.
I pass the Jetty and the clock but I don't take a split with my watch. Figured I'll do that when I am transitioning to the swim. I see Adele straight ahead and she's waving at me. Something doesn't seem right tho. I got wind in my face and lots of sunlight so I can't see 100 percent but it doesn't seem right. I then notice that she's holding hands with both her kids. Yeah...And then I spot Adele.
I get to her, take a split with my watch and take the shirt off. I then very unceremonially drop and rip my shoes off. She was doing her job saying "Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!". ;)
I grab my goggles and head to the water. I take a moment to adjust the goggles and head in. Before the race started and when the kids went, there was only 1 "real" wave at a time. Things changed. Wasn't a big deal but we had multiple big waves going on. Jumped over a few and then started going under them. Everytime I thought I was done with the big waves, another one came. Jeez... Enough already.
Started swimming and there was some seaweed and Jetsam and Flotsam in the water. I felt things, probably seaweed and branches and leaves, and decided that they were definitly seaweed and branches and leaves. What the hell am I talking about? When I was running the 5K, I saw the little baby Jellies on the shore. Right then I decided not to think about it. Truly I would never have gone into the water. This is a race tho and you need to just deal with it so everytime I felt something I decided it was one of those "ok" things.
I noticed I am too much on the left and I passed a buoy so I headed right to pass the buoy with it on my left. Passed it and things get a little easier. The waves are coming from left to right diagnoally so I am still against the current but at least I'm done with the huge waves.
Swim to the next buoy where we make the next left turn toward the shore. I pass a guy and he tries to sprint me to the buoy. I don't know why really. Kinda silly thing to do but I respond in kind and outsprint him. I get to the buoy and as I was about to make the left, I get pushed a little back by a wave. Argh...Push forward and make the turn and things immediatly get easier. Nice!
I swim, sight and correct, swim, repeat. I start catching waves toward the shore. There's a girl in front me and I would like to pass her. Not because she's a she but because she's in front of me and she's my target. She gets up first. I get up, take a second to stabilize myself and start running. She stops for a second and I just manage to avoid hitting her. I then pass her and sprint up the sand. Awesome!
I join Adele and we see Jeff coming out of the water and he's walking and I yell to him to move it already.
Adele told me that in true Melodramatic Jeffness, when he finished the 5K he dropped and rolled in the sand. Apparently it was believable because a stranger came over to ask if he's ok and needs help. Sheesh.
We look at the results not expecting anything at all. These guys do 10 year age groups so the chance is almost nil. Jeff came in 10th for age and he was only 2+ minutes from me. I came in 3rd?!? What the hell? Cool...And number 2 overall is in my age group so assuming they don't allow duplication of awards maybe 2nd place? Then I see a guy come up with another sheet and I go look again. I got bumped to 4th. Shoot. I ask about overall and how many they do in each age group. Bad news: They don't do overall at all so I really am in 4th. Sucks. Good news: They go 5 deep so I get a trophy. Yay...
I get my trophy and we head back. A wave of tiredness hits me tho. I could easily fall asleep in the car and came this close but I stayed awake.
In other news, Irwin snagged an award too which is cool. He told me that he saw me when I took off on the run and later on the run again and that I looked so good he knew I would get an award. Cool. I cartainly didn't think so. Also, we hear Bellerose again during the awards and I went to say hi. Bellerose representing today as he took first in the 60-69 age group. He is 65 and lives on Hillside and the Cross Island Parkway. Awesome.
One more thing to add. I know Jeff and Heidi were worried about sharks and it seems like there are more and more these days or rather you hear about more. Right before we did the Sharkfest Liberty Swim, I heard of 3 great white sightings very close by to the swim. In this case, Rich Barken, posted some shark pictures that I added to the images page. They caught some sharks the day before this race at Jones Beach. Wow.