Dip and Dash - Aquathon

Today, I did the Santa Cruz Dip and Dash Aquathon. This was a little 750 meter swim + 4 mile run I did to acclimate to ocean swimming. It was drizzling this morning on the way over to Santa Cruz. Water temperature was roughly 57F and the air was supposed to be about the same. But, can you believe how calm this water is?

We lined up on the beach. When the horn went off, we ran through the beached kelp. I dove in and swam hard. It was COLD and SALTY! I swam on auto pilot. I kept pushing hard not worrying what I would leave for the run. I was very relieved when I rounded the second buoy and started back to shore. The current would help carry me in right? Still, I kept pushing all the way to shore and hoped when I popped up I wouldn't get knocked over by a wave. I got my highest yard/minute EVER.

(I'm just above the guy at the bottom with out a wet suit)

Out of the water, we had to run across the sand and across some plywood (ah - yuck) to get to transition. I rushed through transistion making this my best T1 EVER.

The run was a 4 mile out and back along the sidewalk that follows the coast. Immediately out of T1 is a very steep hill. In the past, I've walked up the hills. But, I'm able to run them now! I kept running at the edge of what I could sustain. On the way out, I had no problem and didn't stop for water at the turn around. On the way back, I started wanting to look at the Garmin to see how fast I was going. I decided that I only wanted to see how fast so I could give myself permission to slow down ???? And that was that. No looking and NO walking!

Remember that steep hill immediately out of T1? Coming back down it at the very end of the race was an absolute blast. Ended up with a PR and a 1st in AG!

Enough fooling around. It's time to build.