…you can dodge a ball. (You would have had to seen the movie Dodge ball to get the joke) That is EXACTLY what I was thinking when I got out of the water at Sandy Point after an hour of open water swimming.
If I can dodge the waves, the wind, the current and NOT drown, then I can dodge the swim in a river for sho!
It was the most harrowing open water swim I have ever experienced and none of the pictures I managed to get give you and idea of how rough the water was. I felt just downright pathetic. After about the 5th time she had us swim out to and around the buoy, I had had ENOUGH. I wasn’t going to dodge not one more wave. I got the idea. If I could spot that tiny buoy in (what seamed like a scene from A Perfect Storm) choppy waters then I most definitely could spot a giant orange iceberg in a river. If I can get hit in the face by 6-12in chop, breath & spit out water at the same time, then I figure I can swim in the radioactive Skullkill and live to tell about it. Fugg Dis. I jumped out of the water and told Becca, lets go – let’s get the bikes.
Becca and I walked back up to out bags and were trying to decide how far we were going to go when a group of about 8 cyclists from BMWCC – a predominantly Black Cycling Club (Baltimore Metro Wheelers Cycling Club) rode up. OMG! We struck up a conversation – they had already done the first half of their 50 mile and were about to turn around – DID WE WANT TO JOIN THEM? Hell yeah! One of the riders, Ken, was gracious enough to offer bringing us back to the park after riding 20 miles out to BWI. The game was on!
It was the best group ride I’ve been on to day…wait…it was the ONLY group ride I’ve been on. It was challenging (as they pushed me faster than I was used to going) and absolutely wonderful & fun to have people to ride with that watched out for you, talked & joked with you and were just all around supportive of you (not to mention also looked like you). Black Girls (& Boys) DO Bike, Swim, Run. YES!!!! I can’t wait to go again.
We did 20 miles from Sandy Point to BWI Observation Lot and I didn’t really know that I could go that fast. That last hill at the end whipped me out but I made it.
Shout out to Tania, Carol, Ken and all the other riders (I apologize for forgetting your names) for taking in two stragglers and making us feel right at home.
Anybody want a Threesome – Swim, Bike Run? (Yes, Candice – it is a sticker on my car – your Crazy Cake #2)
