Rebel Plunge yesterday
3.8k swim from the boardwalk on lapps quay to cork boat club.
My leg is still a mess, haven't run a step since 8th Jan so this is my backup. I'm a mediocre runner but a piss poor swimmer. I do enjoy the training though even if i get frustrated not progressing much beyond my base levels. i get 'swim' fit in about 2 weeks and don't get much faster if i keep going for a year. i don't know if its a limitation in technique or milage but i don't really care to be honest.
Added benefit is the lads i swim with are sound. we've been plugging away on and (mostly) off for about 8 years now.
Sauntered down to the clayton for registration around 13:45, a few dozen in the lobby talking shit and drinking coffee. a very relaxed an amiable atmosphere. Not like a road race where its all nervous energy and lads going strides or glute activation band work or cleaning dog shit off €300 flys. There was none of that here. just people mooching.
Changed into the keks and Hung around for the 5 min safety briefing "stay centre channel, mind the buoys get out at boat club"
There was 175 swimmers split into 11 waves. i started off in wave 6 with the fast fellas going last.
No nerves or anything bit i did notice that everyone around me appeared to have more neoprene and rubber on than the lads over in the loft. Not just wetsuits; booties, gloves and those tie'em under the chin hats. I was in my not quite budgie smugglers with the doughy midsection of a true imposter..Most of the rest were like frogmen taking a crack at colditz.
Down the ramp, 1 min to go. Better get in the water..my open water season so far has been 15 mins in Garryvoe while my family laughed at me fannying about in the tide a few weeks ago so in i went. it was cold but grand..15degrees apparently. Calm the breathing. 30secs to go holding onto the pontoon. 10 9 8 etc. off we go.
the event is run on a falling tide so the flow is behind you. You need to head under Eamonn De Valera bridge within about 50m, so the water really compresses and speeds up. You feel like you're surfing out past port of cork. I realised fairly quickly my wave were a bit above me, they pulled away quick enough. no matter, plenty of swimmers about.
And that was it. Plug away. Enjoy seeing the city from a different angle. Tivoli and Montonotte look amazing in the sunlight. Shandon BC looks class too..Cleaned up all the redbrick. The water got salty and colder here so less river more sea. Passed the Park, and the powder quay, you can see boat club from.the shanty on, about 1k to go. all uneventful except for the occasional time you drift close to a swimmer and get a fright you're so in your own world.. the last waves come.past like they have an outboard. Dodge the dingys in blackrock. Into the slip. Wobbly legs. Can of coke. Magic. 54 mins 134th out of the water about 1 wave behind my starting spot.
Happy out. Feet cold but otherwise all good.
Free burger and choons pumping.
Its a lovely event ye should give it a go some year.
