Steelman Racing Endless Summer Swim

   As I carefully stepped into the comfortable and calm water of Lake Nockamixon on Aug. 9, the anxiety I felt participating in my first race since January quickly faded away.

   When my friend Kari mentioned the Steelman Racing Endless Summer Swim about six weeks ago, I had only recently started swimming laps again. 

   When I swam with my Rocky Run Y Sunday morning workout group on March 8, I would have never imagined that it would be the last time for months. That's because the Y would close from March 14 until June 29 due to Covid-19. But I thought this race would encourage me to practice more & it would be nice to compete again since so much has been canceled these last few months.

   A few days before the race, swimmers received an Athlete Guide with all the precautions in place to keep everyone safe. But I have to admit, it made me nervous. I wondered if the race was worth it with all the new guidelines? Would it be fun? Would people follow the rules? But by the night before the event, I was excited to swim my first open water event in nearly a year.

   A bit over an hour from Delaware County, Nockamixon State Park in Bucks County is home to a beautiful 1,450-acre lake. Arriving around 8:30 a.m., my wonderful husband Kevin & I stopped at the curbside pick-up to get my race bag which included a yellow swim cap, a timing chip, two tags with their race number on them & a disposal face mask. We parked the car & watched as the three-mile swimmers navigated their way, in the humid morning fog, around the off-center one-mile "T" shaped course. 

   Due to the rolling start to ensure social distancing at the event, all athletes were assigned to a group, so the two-mile swimmers in Group C (like myself) waited in their cars until we were heard on the loudspeakers to report to Bag Drop. This was a well-run event, even with the additional pressures during this pandemic. Wearing my disposable mask, a volunteer took my temperature & I dropped off my bag (which included my reusable mask, flip flops & towel) before heading to the starting chute at the Tohickon Boat Launch. Standing six-feet apart, I slowly made my way to the front, threw away my mask, stepped into the lake & started to swim!

   It tastes like dirt! Not a bad taste, but I'm used to swimming in the bay & getting pummeled by saltwater swells. The course was difficult to navigate in the fog, so I used my fellow swimmers' yellow swim caps as guides. I took a breath every three strokes and stopped to sight my direction about every four cycles. By the second lap the swimmers were really spaced apart, so I relied on the many friendly & helpful volunteer kayakers & stand up paddleboarders for directions to the buoys. The fog lifted by lap two, & here I was swimming by myself in a lake on a beautiful, sunny morning. It made me think of my dad, who passed away of Covid in May, and how much he loved being by the water. I felt calm & relaxed as I swam the top of the "T," & I definitely did not miss being kicked/smacked by other swimmers. I headed to the finish line & as I walked onto the shore I was happy with my time of 1:13:34.

   For the first time in five months, I chatted in person with my fellow open water swimmers, the Rocky Run Creek Rats, Elgin, Kari, Todd & Kyle, who also swam the race. We compared notes, & learned I missed the osprey, herons & the snake they spotted. Even though there were no hugs, & we stood six-feet apart from each other, it was nice to see everyone & talk swimming again. And an added bonus was I made the podium with Kari! For the two-mile race, she finished second & I placed third. 

   Dave Michener, the race director for Steelman Racing, conducted a well organized race with a strong group of volunteers. It felt great to be back in open water & feel a bit of normalcy again.