I registered for the Aquaman Swim-Run Series, a six event series held at
Cherry Creek State Park. It consists of
a 1 mile swim followed by a 5 kilometer run.
I describe myself as a runner who swims.
That said, on average I swim almost 15,000 yards per week, clearly more
than a fitness swimmer. By
comparison, my average weekly running mileage is about 48 miles. My interest in the Aquaman Series is to take
advantage of my relatively good abilities in both swimming and running and,
hopefully, win the overall competition.
The winner of the series historically has been awarded a wetsuit.
English Channel swim regulations (as laid down by the Channel Swim Association - CSA) state a bathing suit “shall
be of a material not offering Thermal Protection or Buoyancy.” Wetsuits provide buoyancy and thermal
protection. The CSA does not recognize
swims in wetsuits.
I believe in the purity of
sport. That is why I was one of only two
competitors in the Aquaman event NOT wearing a wetsuit. I also believe I was at a significant
disadvantage in that race. I felt like a
jockey at the start of the Kentucky Derby riding Mr. Ed. Conventional wisdom says a wetsuit gives a
swimmer a 5 second advantage per 100 yards.
So, over a 1,500 meter swim, that translates into about a minute and a
half. Last Thursday I finished second by
13 seconds.
When I exited the water my feet
were numb. I stumbled through the first
few hundred yards of the run like I’d just gotten off a Tilt-a-Whirl. My hands were numb. I looked at them at the two mile mark of the
run and my fingers were white. They were
cramping so badly I couldn’t make a fist.
Here’s my predicament. Do I ‘man up’ and swim with a bathing suit or
join the school of other athletes and don a wetsuit for the rest of the races
in the series?
*August is the month most English
Channel swim crossings are attempted.
The water is (relatively) warmer and calmer.
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