Red Cross has a swimming challenge in June, again, and I’m taking it again. This is honor system and you do at your own pace and ability.
This time, I didn’t active fundraising. But if your charitable budget still available, please do consider making one.
Technical part of it:
1 mile equals to 1,760 yards (15 miles = 26,400 yards), 88 laps in a 20-yard pool.
How I keep track: using Fitbit Versa 2. However, the watch isn’t the most realizable … sometimes it just stops.
Music: I listened to Beethoven’s violin concerto the most because I LOVE it, and it lasts about 45 minutes, which is about the same time I do a mile with breast stroke. Being geeky, here is an analysis of Henryk Szeryng, Itzhak Perlman, Clara Jumi-Kang and Hilary Hahn, playing this piece.
Headphone: X7. This brand’s quality is so so but inexpensive. It’s also the reason I do breast stroke, to keep my head above water most of the time for better sound. But this headphone can take flip turns but not backstroke.
Stroke: I do breast stroke most often.
My Log – in yard: starting time, temperature/water temp, music I listened, and cumulative total.
My first open water swimming in years, 1.2 miles at Sand Key Park, came in at 59 minutes. My friend Linda did it in 53 min. Water temp is 69°F. Both of us wear 3mm wet suit (my first) – actually most of 167 swimmers wear wet suit. My leisure time in the pool for 1,000 yard is about 25 minutes: a mile is 1,760 yards, 1.2 m = 2,112 yard.
This race has 5km, 2.4mile, 1.2mile and .5mile length. The first two have bus to take them to their starting point. The later two – walk. Lucky we’ve her husband who took our sandals, camera.
The 167 swimmers: two kids under 14, join the 0.5 mile event. One 75-79 man is in 1.2 miles. Two teen and one 60-64 lady swim 5k meter event.
I haven’t done any real swim for nearly two months – swim a bit before and after tennis as warm up and stretch. So today is a test and I feel great. When I get a little tired I switch to frog front crowl.
My friend is a seasoned outdoor person and brought fruits, multiple towels, shampoo n lotion etc … one would think these are so basic but I forgot them all; and also forgot my wallet: paid my lunch with Apple Pay. Maybe it’s the convenience of Apple wallet that I don’t bring my wallet often.
Getting up at 5:30, 5:57 waiting for the car pool outside 7:14, get to the park 8:08, walking toward our 1.2 miles starting point 8:30, race begins 9:28, I’m out of water – made it 10:30, award ceremony It’s a great race. My first time wearing a 3mm wetsuit to swim. Although I haven’t do any serious swim for months, but I didn’t struggle. I’m ok with my time. With some practice, I can improve
The water temp is 44° Fahrenheit (about 6° Celsius) at 5:40pm. This time, the ship designated a staff to use our phone to video the event, which is really good. I didn’t try to swim this time.
A yucky day, our 9am tennis is rained out. So I stayed in the 80° pool for 0.5 mile. I also swam and recorded my very first individual medley, with the wrong order. The correct order is butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. Guess I don’t watch enough swimming events, or watched but not paying close attention. Oh well, senior moment.
By the way, relay order goes differently, by speed: backstroke breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle the.
One of this year’s goals has met: swim the fly stroke. Although a lot of implements are needed but I can swim the length of the pool and back. So it’s an achievement for little old me.