In preparing to do my first Triathlon, today I competed in my first Aquathlon (swim/run); The Pure Austin Splash & Dash.
This was the 3rd Splash & Dash of 2009 and my first. The course consists of a 750 meter swim followed by three 1km loops. Up until now I had been training solely in a swimming pool and getting my training distance up to mile swims (1500m / 1609m). I would have to say the hardest thing about the swim in this event was keeping my nerves in check, it was my first open water swim with others in a organized event and with no pool edges in sight the stress built up.
Of course the first 200 meters had to be the worse; my brother Nick, his friend Jason, and I seeded ourselves towards the back of the men’s wave (the women’s wave follows 3 minutes behind) and waited for the start. Once we got going I found the folks in front of me not spreading out as much as I hoped and in waiting for them to do so I pretty much covered the first 200 meters in a front breast stroke swim with my head out of the water. The thoughts in my head were I am never going to make it without getting into a rhythm.
After the first 200 meters the area opened up more I believe I spotted Nick up and to my left and Jason to my right, but my goggles were already starting to fog so I wasn’t 100% sure. I tried to go into the freestyle swim (or Australian Front Crawl - I have learned now) and I somewhat accomplished it, but I couldn’t keep my head in the water. I was short of breath and couldn’t ever seem to catch it. By the time I realized I may never get into a rhythm I had covered the first 375 meters or so.
In my head I figured I was about halfway there and even though I will never get my stride down right I should be able to finish it, a glimmer of hope flashed through my mind. As I rounded the next buoy still barely able to breathe, my goggles were now 90% fogged up and I was struggling to see the next buoy. This must have caught the attention of the lifeguard on the buoy stand because in my mind he was staring right at me contemplating when to jump in and save me. Half of me was thinking don’t you dare, I know I look like crap and appear that I can’t swim, but I am going to finish. Of course the other half of me thought well it would be nice to be pulled out and not due to my fault, so then I couldn’t be called giving up.
After having all these thoughts run through my head I realized I had to be about 600 meters complete or so. It set in that I would be finishing this swim without having to be rescued or drowning. Though I also had the thoughts of damn I am NEVER doing this again, I am not a triathlete, why did I already pay to do the couplestri, I wonder if I can get a refund. The good part that comes with all these thoughts is by the time you realize it you can see the bottom of the lake coming towards you as your near the exit of the swim.
750 meter open water swim done; I DID IT!
I ran up to my shoes and towel and had no clue where Nick and Jason were, I assumed they had completed long before me so I glanced at their towels and is sad to admit was happy to see their shoes still sitting there (I thought they must be running up right behind me). I set out on the run with a nice little side cramp in my side, about 2/3 around the track I was happy to see they were handing out water; I rounded the next corner and completed my first lap of three. About halfway through the second lap I hear a voice “are you lapping me?”, I was thinking crap I can actually hear my inner voice out loud, but was relieved to see it was actually Jason. I had been pretty much staring at the ground 5 feet in front of me the whole time I hadn’t noticed my surroundings, I managed to say back “ummm, I don’t know, I am on my 2nd lap”. Before I moved on down the trail Jason had confirmed that he was on his first lap and I started to think maybe my swim was faster then I thought…
When it was all wrapped up I was surprised and happy with my results for me, by my watch I completed the 750 meter swim in 15 minutes or less and the overall event took me 34 minutes and 15 seconds. By looking at the official time I had started the swim about 30 seconds behind the clock and they don’t measure your swim speed based on the lake exit, but after the transition period.
I want to say a big thank you to my brother Nick for doing it with me and Jason and his wife for calming me down before the event (as much as they could / I am a mental case).
I also want to say thanks to the organizers, the entry fee was only $10 and I think I received more for this $10 then any other event in my life (chip timing, water on course, free swim cap, afterwards free hot dogs, cookies, cokes, sushi from ZEN, pocket knife from Capitol Credit Union, throwing to the refillable water bottles, shirts, and something I was fortunate to get a late entry pass into the Lake Pflugerville Tri next weekend <still have to pay entry, but the event has been closed for weeks> - WOW!)
Oh yeah and as for those thoughts I had during the swim, I now can’t wait until I do my first Triathlon.
- distance 500mS, T1, 14.8mB, T2, 3.3mR / times - 11.45/3.30/47.51/1.40/27.54
After my 
Here is the full route - 
