USMS Postal 3000 Swim Meet

Today was the USMS Postal 3000/6000m swim meet across the country. Master's Swim Teams from all over conducted this race in their prospective pools. I decided to join in on the fun.

Fun as 1.86 miles in a pool set up short-course (25m lane length) sounds, it is no easy task. I had set a goal of finishing in 45 minutes or less, and I am completely satisfied with the fact that I didn't accomplish it.

I finished in 46 minutes and 10 seconds, which is only 1.16 seconds off per lap (per 50 meters), which goes to show just how much your lap pace, down to the very hundredth of a second can influence your finishing time.

The first 700m I swam with an unassuming forty-somethings woman with a self-proclaimed shoulder injury, so I was expecting to have someone to pace me, since she said she was going on about the pace I wanted. Too bad she blew the first 700m out of the water (pardon the pun). I had done my level best to keep up with her, but at 7000m, still with just shy of 1.5 miles to go, I knew I would blow up before the finish. So I let my pace slip off from her while she continued to deliver nothing short of a maverick swim. ;)

I found on my own an actually quite comfortable pace and stuck to it. I finished near my goal time, so I'm indeed satisfied. Perhaps the only matter of trepidation from today is knowing that in 2006 I swam the mile in TriAmerica in 49 minutes, whereas I did these 1.86 miles in just over 46. Swelling with pride, it's nice to know how far I've come.

In health,

Patrick