Heading into this swim I was absolutely petrified! I had put less training in than I do to sprint a 100 Breastroke at 1 swim meet and I was just plain out of shape! How will this affect my mind, my body, my soul?
Tuesday July 12th, a week before my 36th birthday, I put the lack of training and questionable mindset to test. I swam from the Bear Mountain Bridge to the Tappan Zee Bridge as Stage 5 of the 8 Bridges Swim, Hudson River.
The night before the swim I was working late at the Country Club (I'm a Waterfront Director with 3 pools and 2 beaches I manage). It was late, I was exhausted from the 90+degree weather day and I was starting to make small mistakes. I picked up a broomstick to mix sodium bicarbonate and water for one of the pools and when I did the top part of the broom hit a florescent light with no cover above my head. My initial reaction was to look up. When I did, glass rained all over my face slicing my lower lip in half. It was already 9:30pm. Unfortunately, I couldn't go to the hospital right away. I needed to finish the chemicals because I wouldn't be there the following day. At 11pm I finally got to Greenwich Hospital. I was dead last on a waiting list of 8 people...freaking great! I explained my issue to the nurse...I had to be out of the house in 5 hours for a marathon swim...and she put me on the "fast track". When I finally saw the PA I told her: I need stitches, I need to swim a marathon in the Hudson River in a few hours passing Indian Point (one of the largest Nuclear Chemicals plants in the US) AND most importantly, I need the stitches out before Saturday for my brother's wedding! She looked at me like I had 10heads and just started to laugh. She said, "Wait a minute, you are swimming a marathon in the Hudson River?" LOL! It was 2am and the hospital was starting to get to me. Recognizing the shock on her face I realized this conversation alone would be another 5 minutes of disbelief before the stitches started. I do have to say my PA was awesome and I was totally entertained by her so it was actually a fun conversation...I was just tired and had a big day ahead of me. Finally, she put in 6 stitches and allowed me to swim only if I took antibiotics. I agreed, grabbed my script and ran to a 24-hour CVS. Seeing as I have yet to eaten dinner, I grabbed the dinner of champions...McDonald's! I sped home, Mixed and packed my feeds and organized all of my stuff. Finally at 3:30pm I laid down for a quick nap. I needed to be up at 4:45am to make my way to Ossining to catch the boat. I'm still shocked I woke up! But I did, and my day was in fast forward.
I got to the boat, unpacked the car and settled in. We arrived at Bear Mountain Bridge and awaited our start. I was lucky enough to be doing this swim with some very close friends, Rondi Davies, John Huminek and David Barra. That alone was enough to be excited! We got to jump off the front of the boat to get the swim started (totally my highlight)!
The swim started and we were ready to go! We all started swimming together which is the very best way to start a swim. David started to move to the side while Rondi, John and I kicked it to the first feed. At that point I dropped back a bit. My goal in this swim was to have fun, see the scenery and use it as a warm up swim for Catalina. I had zero intentions of swimming all 19.8 miles of the swim. I was chilling with my kayaker Teddy; we were watching the birds, talking about the area, dissection the Nuclear Chemical plant from the water, praying no one would escape Sing Sing prison via water (another stop on our swim). It was just another fantastic day out on the water!
Then it happened, we turned the corner and the bridge was in sight! Anyone who knows me well enough knows that, NOW, I'm not getting out until I finish! There is just something about swimming to a bridge that is so exciting! 360 Bridge in Austin TX, our Lake Lilanonah Bridge, they all are just so exciting to see in the distance and sprint to the finish.
Well at this point I had already put in 13 miles, what are 6 more? I had always wanted to swim this strip of water. Every time we pass it on the Tappan Zee Bridge I wonder what it's like to swim there. Now I was getting the chance!
I picked up the pace a bit and settled into the next stage of the swim. We had a push pretty much the entire way. And then the unthinkable happened...the tide started to change! That is when I knew we were screwed! We were swimming 2 knots per hour against a 1.6-1.8 knot current! That means you are making VERY LITTLE HEADWAY FAST!!! I asked my kayaker is he thought I would finish and he said, "No, David is a ahead of you and he is making no headway. I don't think you will finish!". I said, "Ok, let's swim until I stop making forward progress!” So off we went. Well, that statements makes it sound like we made forward progress, we did but very little! Finally, I said, "Are we still making forward progress?" He said, "Yes, but very little!". So I again asked, "Do you think we will finish?" He turned to me and said, "I bet you $5 you won't finish!" My first and only thought...GAME ON, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOU ARE DEALING WITH! So out of sheer stubbornness (did I mention I am half Italian and half Irish...he didn't have a prayer!), I put on the after burners and picked it up.
Some say it took us an hour to make half mile headway but who cares, I was still moving forward. Now I was racing the sun. Each stroke I took the sun would go down just a bit further. We were not set up for night swimming so I knew I would be pulled from the water if the sun went down. So I pushed harder. I was going to finish this swim!!!! Finally, close enough to see the bridge up close. Finally, I could see the stations! Finally, I could see the cars on the bridge! Finally, I could read the signs on the stations...DANGER: Swimming Prohibited! Watch me sweetheart! Finally, I could see where the shadow of the bridge starts! Finally I can see underneath the bridge! Finally....the horn blows on the boat...I'm done! I turned to my kayaker and said, "I learned at a very young age NEVER to bet against myself. I highly recommend never betting against me again!” He started to laugh and agreed!
It was so exciting getting back on that boat and to be sharing such an amazing day with all of my friends. David and Rondi had swum 4 Stages already; John had swum 1 Stage already. I was so humbled being with them and seeing their amazing accomplishments. John had finished a little over an hour and a half before me. The others gave in but with good reason, they had 2 more Stages to finish so they could accomplish the entire 120-mile journey.
Overall, that was the best mindset I had ever had in a swim. There was zero sea sickness and just an entire load of fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment