What's my favorite workout? Well that is an easy answer, that would be swimming! So what is my favorite race? That would be an open water swim AKA The Escape from the Judge! It is a mile long swim in Skaneateles Lake in Skaneateles, NY. The organizers take you out about a mile and have you swim back in to shore. You have two options to get out to the start line. Your first option would be a school bus which takes you to the Country Club and you jump off the docks to swim to the start line. The second option would be to take a boat ride to the start line and jump off the boat. The boat is called the Judge, hence the Escape from the Judge!
I love this race because it is fun and stress free. All you have to do is swim! In the end yesterday was fun and stress free but it didn't start like that. The day before the organizers of this race hosted a triathlon. However, they had to cancel the swim portion due to rough water conditions. So I became nervous that it could be rough for our swim too. Then I checked the weather report and the weather service was calling for thunderstorms!! I was fearing the worst. The worst being that my favorite race could be cancelled.
Sunday morning the air was warm and there was rain but there was no sign of thunder or lightning. The water was wavy but I didn't see it as being rough water conditions so the race must go on ... and it did! I was lucky enough to get onto the Judge and be taken to the start line by boat. Jumping off the boat is always so much fun. I swam to the start line and waited for the horn to sound the start of the race.
I felt great the entire way! I quickly got into a rhythm, moved out of the pack of swimmers and just kept swimming ... "just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming. I had a coach once who said she sang the alphabet at the start of open water swims to get into a rhythm. I do one of two things and sometimes both to pass the time. I put the states in alphabetical order and for some reason there are three states I always forget; Montana, Nebraska and Nevada! The other thing I do is ... "A my name is Alice, my husbands name is Al; we come from Alabama and we sell Apples". I do this through the whole alphabet. Or to the best of my ability, I get stuck on Q, U, X, Y & Z. I know you find this strange but it passes the time and before you know it you are half way there!
So I finished the race in 44 minutes but I think I could have been seconds faster if I hadn't slipped When you get out of the water you have to run to the finish line. The grass can be slippery due to the rain and I found out it is true. Right before I crossed the finish line I slipped and landed on all fours. I had to crawl across the finish line in order for my time to be recorded!! Just call me grace! Either way it was a great time.
The sad part of this whole story is that it is the last year of the Escape from the Judge and the triathlon they host on Saturday. After 10 years the organizers are ready to call it quits. I will miss this race as it is my favorite. My dad will also miss this race because he comes up to visit every year and watch the race. He has a tradition of going to the Skaneateles Bakery in the morning for a cup of coffee and a doughnut and heading back to the finish line to watch everyone finish. I think he likes the fact that I am done with this race in less than an hour!! Rain or shine we were there for six years!!
I think I will have to find another open water swim. I know there are ones in Lake George ... maybe 3 miles next year!!!
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