SwimRace: Kendra's Story

Here is my long awaited recap of our trip to St. Croix last weekend. In preparation for the swim, we loaded up on carbs the week before the race, and I went home early (6pm) Thursday and Friday so I could get plenty of sleep. It rained a bit Friday night and we were a little worried about weather keeping us from the Seaplane, since they only fly when the harbor is calm. Luckily, the weather was good enough, and we finally got to take the Seaplane.



As you probably know, I’m claustrophobic, so I was a little concerned about the Seaplane, but it was so much bigger on the inside than the other planes I’ve been on while island hopping here. The seats only came up to mid-back, and there was lots of overhead space. I think there were 15 seats but apparently they frequently keep 4 empty seats, probably for weight purposes. I was really excited as the propellers started. As we started moving along the harbor, it felt like we were in a really fast speed boat and then we took off. It was a clear day and we were bummed we’d left the camera in the checked luggage. (You’re only allowed to carry-on a wallet and a camera without its case.) We could see my office along the harbor and as we got higher we could see Morningstar beach where we trained and then we could see the mangroves where Dave works. The rest of the flight was uneventful - Dave pointed out some of the cays that he’d read about in his book.

As we neared St Croix, I realized that landing in a Seaplane was going to be a little disconcerting. You don’t know where the pilots are planning to land, since they can really land anywhere. On this plane, as with all the other small ones I’ve been on here, the passengers can see out the front window. That meant that on our descent, I could see the water we were heading straight towards at quite a fast speed. It was like what you might see in a movie before the plane crashes into the ocean. But we landed safely and that was that.

We picked up our rental car (Avis is the only one to choose from at the Seaport) and I pointed out a few of the places I’d learned about the week before when I was on St Croix for work. I also noticed we had the exact same car as my trip the week before. We went by the hotel to make sure I knew where it was and then we headed east to look for food and nice scenery. We ended up at Point Udall - known as the easternmost point of the United States (though we think Wake Island actually gets that title). It was definitely windy, and the water out there was choppy. It reminded me of Cape Spear, the easternmost point of North America, where I went about 10 years ago.



Near Point Udall, we also saw a big satellite dish/radio antenna. Dave mentioned that there is a whole string of them along our island chain. I’m hoping he’ll discuss it, because I really don’t know much about it at all.

On the way back from Point Udall, we stopped at Smokey’s - the gas station that has the best roti on the island. Roti is a local item - basically any meat, potatoes and some veggies, with lots of curry, wrapped in a flour tortilla. Unfortunately, they weren’t serving food yet because they’d gotten their days mixed up and thought it was Sunday - when they don’t serve food apparently.

We made our way back to the Buccanneer, our hotel. We could see people swimming out by the last turn buoy of the race. We assumed they were practicing for tomorrow and we felt like we should too, but somehow ran out of time before it started raining again. We went to town while our room was getting ready and ate there. By the time we got back, we could check-in to both our room and the race.

At the race check-in, Misty Hyman was greeting people at the door. She’s an Olympic swimmer from Phoenix who is the same age as me. We actually swam against each other as kids in the recreational swimming league. (I’m guessing those are the meets where I earned lots of my red second-place ribbons.) I introduced myself to her and told her about meeting one of her friends the day before on St Thomas. A St Croix superior court law clerk happened to stop by our office and when the swim race came up she said her friend Misty was competing. Small world. Apparently Misty came down for the race last year and liked St Croix so much she asked for a job at the hotel. She told me she retired from swimming and would just be doing a relay this year. Turns out she did a relay with two eleven year olds - they got fourth place among the relays. When we checked-in, the race volunteers seemed excited to see people from St Thomas. We later found out there were only 3 of us.

After seeing all the super buff, in-shape people with bad sunburns, indicating they’d at least been practicing that week, I got a little nervous. I was wondering what exactly we were thinking a month earlier when we found out about the race and thought we could do it. I was concerned with whether or not I could finish in the four hours, and I was worried about the tough channel crossing too. Also, I kept thinking about my conversation with one of the US Marshals the week before on St Croix who goes scuba diving every weekend and frequently sees sharks at 80 feet. Hammerhead sharks.

A little awhile later there was a pre-race meeting. The race organizers showed us a powerpoint slideshow that guided us through the race course. We had to be at the hotel lobby at 5:50am to catch a taxi to the dock where people would write our race numbers on our upper arms in permanent black marker. Then we’d catch a boat out to Buck Island where the race would start around 7:30am. We were shown photos of what everything would look like during the race. At the beginning of the race, crossing the channel, we were to look for a V in the hills and head for the V where a yellow buoy would be. Keeping the buoy to our right, we’d turn right and then finally we’d be with the current. At that first buoy, the first two miles would be done and a boat would be there with water, as well as the second leg of the relay swimmers. Then, while swimming along shore, we had to look for a house with a bright green roof. The next marker was “the pointy houses”, and then finally another buoy where we’d turn left and swim in to shore looking for the sugar mill ruins and the palm tree finish. During the slideshow, I realized I should definitely wear my contacts during the race. First, so I could make sure I could see the markers, but second, so I could see any weird sea creatures that might freak me out if I couldn’t identify them.

The race coordinators told us it would probably rain during the race, and if they saw lightning, they’d end the race early. They told us there were 120 swimmers expected, and there would be a water boat every mile, as well as about 50 kayakers for support along the way. Then they said that the water depth for the channel crossing was 70-75 feet deep. “Phew”, I thought, “no sharks!” They also said we should be able to see the bottom the entire length of the course. While I doubted that, I felt a bit relieved that I wouldn’t have to worry about Jaws appearing from the mysterious dark blue depths as I swam the first two miles.

We had more carbs for dinner and went to bed early, but I had a hard time sleeping. I was a bit nervous and excited, so mostly I just rested until 5:15am when it was time to get up. We ate our bananas, balance bars, and leftover pancakes from the previous morning. Then we were out the door.

At the docks, I met a swimmer from St Croix named E.T. who swims with the local group called Fin Folk. It’s always nice to meet other Virgin Islanders and she was pretty nice. Once we were marked, we got on a boat and started applying sunscreen and drinking as much water/Gatorade as possible to stay hydrated throughout the race. The boat ride took about 20 minutes and it was a little daunting to see exactly how far it was. But it was also reassuring to see the green roof house, and the V in the hills in person. The skies were clear and the sun was clearly going to shine.

Once we made it to Buck Island, we had to jump in the water and swim the last 20 feet to shore. It was refreshing but not too cold. We stretched our arms and legs and waited while other swimmers arrived on boats. The beach was very pretty and the water was a light, clear green.
We were told that one of the buoys had broken loose with the strong current and that we shouldn’t pay attention to it along the way.


I said bye to Dave as I knew he was going to run out and start swimming right away when the race started. I planned to hang back a little to avoid the rush, and hopefully avoid getting kicked in the face by another swimmer, as I know can happen in crowded open water races. It was very exciting waiting the last few minutes before the race. The race began with the blowing of a conch shell. I meandered into the water, got my goggles on and realized that I’d gotten a little too hydrated. I fixed that problem (and had to do so a few more times during the race too). Then I let out a “Woo Hoo!” and started swimming. [picture is from previous year]

THE FIRST MILE

As I swam towards the V in the hills, I realized I would not have much time for deep thinking, or quoting of movies or songs like I often do when I swim for awhile. Instead, some serious concentration on the swimming was going to be required. The current was very strong, pushing on my left side. I was determined not to let it push me too hard as I didn’t want to have to swim backwards to get around the buoy at the 2 mile mark.

Usually I breathe every third breath. When we practiced at Morningstar, if the waves were big, I’d avoid breathing to the side where the waves came from. Just like those practices, I modified my stroke a bit. Every breath on my right side was done just as usual. But instead of breathing on my left side, I’d lift my head up and look straight ahead so I could make sure I was still on track. Lifting your head to breathe is a lot more work that breathing on the side. But I knew if I breathed every fourth stroke while fighting that current, it’d be a much harder workout for me overall. I kept this breathing pattern up the entire first two miles. I swam very steadily. I was not swimming to swim fast, I was swimming to swim five miles. Basically, I swam at a pace that I felt I could keep up forever.

Probably about half a mile into the race, there was a boat. I assume it was to pick up anyone who suddenly realized what a tough channel crossing it was going to be and who didn’t feel comfortable doing it anymore. I was a little disappointed there was no other boat during the channel, as I had planned to drink water every mile since swimming in salt water makes me very thirsty. I was definitely near the end of the pack, which I knew would happen since I’m not fast and I started late. But I couldn’t see any other yellow capped swimmers. I saw a couple of kayakers who seemed to be keeping pace with me, and I asked them if I was last and they said no. I wondered if they were just trying to be supportive, or if I really wasn’t last. I really didn’t want to be last. My two main goals were to finish and not be last. A secondary goal was to finish in 3.5 hours.

Surprisingly, the water was clear enough to see the bottom of the sea floor, just like we’d been told. I could see starfish, but I didn’t recognize much else. I got my first mouthful of seawater in the first mile, and I figured I could expect one per mile. The current was strong, but I felt prepared for it based on our swims at Morningstar. I told myself that I just needed to get through these first two miles and then the rest of the race would be easy since the current would be helping me.

MILE TWO

The channel stretch was pretty much what I expected, although the waves were a little bit higher in some places. I freaked out a little bit when I got another mouthful of water and had to stop to cough it out. The kayakers made me feel more calm since they would cheer me on whenever they saw me looking around. I think I stopped just to take in the scenery around the middle of the channel.

I started really enjoying watching all the starfish. I felt like they were there cheering me on too, since they seem like happy creatures. I wasn’t nervous about sharks at all. At some point in the second mile, I had a few problems arise.


First, I started being able to really feel my shoulder strap rubbing on my right shoulder. Plenty of swimmers put on Vaseline to prevent chafing during swims, but since I’d never had a problem at all, I didn’t really want to try something new for a long race. Once I felt the rubbing, I was afraid it might really hurt by the fifth mile.

Second, I started getting toe and foot cramps. When I tried swimming with fins a few weeks before, I got a foot cramp, which was partly why I didn’t opt for the fins division (also I felt like it was cheating). The only way I could get rid of the cramp that day was to get out of the water and put my food in hot sand to relax the muscle. Of course, I was a mile from shore during the race and couldn’t exactly get out and find something warm to put on my feet. Although somewhat distressed by this, I realized I would just have to keep swimming and hope it went away. The cramps did go away after awhile, but they returned frequently throughout the rest of the race.

Third, I came across a fairly shallow area somehow. It wasn’t shallow enough that I could touch the bottom, but the kayakers seemed a little concerned that I might somehow end up in a more shallow area and get stuck along the coral. They said “just get through this shallow part.” This was the most discouraging part of the swim. The current was so strong that it felt like I wasn’t going anywhere, and since the bottom was so close and clear, I could see that I wasn’t going anywhere. I felt like I’d been trying to swim past the same starfish for 5 minutes to no avail. Eventually I got past this part.

The hills on St Croix finally started seeming closer and I could see the red buoy and the 2 mile boat quite clear. It’s amazing how clear and large a buoy can seem before you finally reach it! It took me about 1.5 hours to get to this boat. I stopped here for a brief rest while I tried to rub out my foot cramp which had started crawling up my left lower leg. I drank two bottles of water here too. I saw another swimmer for the first time in a long time. He was an older guy with fins, a mask and a snorkel. He looked like he was out for a leisurely swim.


MILE THREE

I left the boat and headed off towards the green roofed house. Swimming suddenly seemed so much easier, especially now that I could breathe regularly and only needed to lift my head occasionally to see that I was still on track. Looking back towards Buck Island and realizing I’d just swam the whole way from there made me feel pretty proud of myself as well as amazed.

At the beginning of mile two, I seemed to lose my two kayakers and gained a new one. This time it was a balding guy. Every time I’d take a breath on my right side, I could see him looking at me or looking out at the water. I noticed he almost never paddled, since the current was strong enough he could pretty much coast and keep up with me. I wanted to tell him to put a hat on so his head wouldn’t get sunburned.

This was the first time I’d swam with a watch, and I was glad I had it. It helped me figure out about how fast I was going. Just based on the landmarks alone, I think I finished mile three in 30 minutes. I managed to swim right past the boat without realizing it. Shortly after that I realized I should try to get some water. I asked the kayaker if he had any, and then the boat came over and dropped some off with the kayaker who paddled over my way and delivered the water. When I’d had enough, he took the bottle back and told me whenever I needed some, he’d bring it to me. A perk of being at the end of the swimmers is getting your personal kayak support team!

MILE FOUR

During mile four, I was still feeling pretty good as I headed for the houses with pointy roofs. It was exciting to be this far along. I started thinking about lunch. My stroke was still pretty steady and I wasn’t feeling worn out yet. A few times I’d see the kayaker looking at me, and it made me wonder if he was just waiting for me to drown. When I asked him, he told me he thought I was last. No BS with him! I didn’t find out his name, but he stayed with me for the rest of the race. He got more water for me from the next boat and I found it handy to have water whenever I needed it.

By this time, my feet cramps were pretty bad and my left leg had been cramping too for awhile. During the whole race, I probably stopped about 6 or 7 times for a few minutes just to try to rub them out. Each time I realized it was hopeless and just kept on swimming. I had basically stopped using my legs at all after mile two since kicking just made the cramps worse. Not kicking made me feel like a real long distance swimmer.


MILE FIVE

During the last mile I was both really excited but also starting to get worn out. I was afraid to do even an occasional breaststroke or stop for even a moment because I wasn’t sure I could get my arms back in their windmill positions to keep swimming. I felt like I had to just keep on going without stopping now.

When I could see the last buoy, I felt relieved that I was almost done. It had been about 3 hours, and I felt like I was on target to finish in 3.5. I figured Dave had probably just finished. It wasn’t until I actually reached the last buoy that I saw the first swimmer I’d seen since the end of mile 2. I was excited to see someone else because it meant I had a chance to not be dead last. At the pre-race meeting, we’d been told the last buoy was about 500 meters from shore. Even though it was a third of a mile, it seemed so short compared to the rest of it. I decided to go all out and swim as fast as possible so that I could beat the other swimmer.

A sprint at the end of a 5 mile race can’t be much of a sprint. At times I felt like I was barely moving, but as I came closer to the palm tree finish, I got more and more excited. My kayaker was nearby and I felt like he was cheering me on to beat this other swimmer. I swam and swam and swam and finally the bottom was so clear. I tried to stand up, but oops, still too deep. Then I swam until my fingers brushed the sand and miraculously managed to pull myself up into a standing position and stumble across the sand to the finish line before the other swimmer as I caught a glimpse of Dave looking excited to see me.

A woman was waiting on the other side of the finish line with some Powerade and fresh fruit. Dave took them for me, clearly realizing that there was no way I could carry them myself. He led me over to a reclined beach chair and sat me down looking as excited for me and as proud of me as I was for myself. It was nice to finally be done. I checked my watch and it said 3:35. Dave had no idea what his time was but he said he’d been there long enough to worry about me.

A steel pan band was playing, and lots of the swimmers were drinking beers and resting in the shade of the palm trees. The finish of palm trees was very impressive and I wish we’d gone back to the hotel room to get our camera and taken a picture of it. Maybe next year one of you blog readers will come and take pictures for us!

We climbed the big hill back to our room to take showers and check out of the room before the BBQ lunch started. Once back in the room I discovered all of my injuries. My eyes were both swollen, the left one more than the right. Presumably it was just from having goggles on for so long. I hadn’t spent any time swimming on my back so they’d been on the entire time. The rubbing on my shoulder had created a large red chafed spot. I also got chafed along the back of my head where the swim cap had apparently been rubbing. Even with all of the super sport waterproof sun block, I also got burned. I acquired a curved sunburn on my forehead because of the swim cap. And since I had been swimming in a different bathing suit for the last month or two, I developed my new tan line quickly with some reddish highlights on my back too.





The lunch was great. We sat with E.T. and her friend Sue, who apparently is among the fasted cyclists on St Croix. Sue didn’t swim the race this year because she was at the Caribbean Cycling Championships the week before. It was nice to meet them both. It seems like all the St Croix swimmers know each other. They encouraged us to start a swim club here on St Thomas. Maybe we will! [Here I am after the race, waiting for the seaplane.]


We found out our official times and places before the awards ceremony. I finished in 3:36:44 in 76th place among the solo swimmers (no fins, no relay). Out of how many, you ask? Well, according to the list at the lunch, there were 82 swimmers. But online, it shows just 78. So my guess is numbers 79-82 didn’t finish and had times of 99:99:99. I beat a 49 year old female and a 15 year old male. The older guy with snorkel mask and fins showed up after I finished too, along with one other male fin swimmer. The woman I’d raced against at the end was a fin swimmer too. Dave came in strong in a super fast time of 2:25:50. I think we’ll both sign up for next year.


We drove around a bit on St Croix again before we headed back to the Seaplane. The flight was fine, though the windows weren’t quite as big as on the other seaplane. We took some pictures of where we’d swam earlier that day. [the yellow line traces the majority of the route] By the time we got home, we were hungry again and pretty tired. I think it took a day before I didn’t feel like I was still in the water being pushed around.

So there you have it! And race results just came out online today, so you can browse them yourself.. Oh, I’d almost forgotten. On Wednesday, the librarian at work told me she saw my name in the paper. Click on the picture to get a better sized picture. Be sure to read the fourth column....

Anyone want to join us next year?