Today was my second run at the Charles River Swim! First, I beat my record from last year when I did the mile in 54 minutes and was third to last. This year I did it in 52 minutes and was fifth to last! Two minutes faster doesn't seem like that big a difference, but I was super off course, and so I actually did a little longer swim. Of course, I was probably pretty off course last year as well.
Even though we had to be at the race start at 7 am, I decided to bike over. I renewed my Blue Bikes for the year, even though I also got mine fixed - they are just so convenient! And, the bikes were great for today, no doubt about it. I was super lucky and got an ebike for the ride there. I was able to go so much faster because the ebike allowed me to just power over Beacon Hill, instead of go around it or slog up. I got the bike parked, walked the last little bit, and got there right on time.
Once again I was kind of nervous before the start of the race. And then for the first bit of the race this woman who we will call "*ucking bubble chick" (because she was swimming with a swim bubble) kept crossing in front of me. It was so annoying because I would see her over to the side doing backstroke, and I would pass her, and then she would switch to crawl and would pass me, but right in front of me. The first time I let it go, but by the third time I was pissed. I decided that if she swam in front of me again I was just going to keep going and let her deal with me swimming into her. And that's what I did. And after that she didn't swim in front of me (apparently she went on to swim in front of one of my friends).
The way out seemed to take forever, and there was a part of me that just wanted to flag down a kayak and take a ride home. But then I reminded myself that we were going out for pancakes - or, breakfast to everyone else - and I needed to earn them. And I thought about pancakes for a little while. I finally got to the bouy and as I rounded it I saw another swimmer - I didn't realize that it was another one of my friends, who had recognized me. So, the whole way back, she was all happy to be swimming with me, and I was like "why is that person always right to my right? It's a big river!" After I realized what had happened, I though I should maybe consider my attitude. Anyhow, I finally got to the third bouy (though I was really really far off for a while. I heard shouting, and soon realized that they were shouting at me to go right) and remembered that last time it seemed to take forever to get from the second bouy to the dock, which prepared me for the fact that the last little bit was so long). Especially going into the dock I couldn't see very well and that slowed me down a little. But, once I figured out where I was headed I speeded up and got to the dock ahead of my friend who had been swimming next to me. *ucking bubble girl was last, so I beat her at least. Ha!
After we did indeed go for pancakes (well, 3 of us had pancakes) and they were delicious. After, I did a little shopping, since I was downtown and the stores were open anyhow. And then I biked back home - no ebike was available for the way back, and so I did all the peddling myself. I was pooped after and sat on my couch like a bum for a little bit.
Later, someone emailed that a branch came down in the garden during a storm we had yesterday, and so I went and cleared it up. It was a pretty huge branch, and I got to do lots of sawing. Which is hard work, but also very satisfying.
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