Third time’s a charm! In 2007 they lost my paperwork. In 2008 I showed up but the event was canceled due to a hurricane warning (a false alarm). Then, finally in 2009, my paperwork was in order and there was no hurricane and I was finally able to swim under the length of the world’s most beautiful bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn.
While the skies threatened rain, the event was dry. Water temperature was a pleasant 72 degrees and, contrary to the expectations of everyone who hasn’t read about the East River in 20 years, the water did not appear polluted. The start was a bit confusing but once we entered the water everything went smoothly. Well, almost. Seems they had computer problems and finish times still aren’t available but I’m hardly expecting “winning’ news … there were some 450 very good swimmers in the event!
If there was one regret that I have for this swim then it would be its length. While crossing, every breath brought me a wondrous new view of my favorite bridge. While crossing, I was enjoying the cool of the water as I glided along. To me the race was over too quickly. But hey, there’s always next year!
Realizing that it was still only 10:30 AM I decided to do a walkabout before I headed for a shower. As I’ve done so many times in the past, I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. Since it was the day after 9/11 I also went and visited the Ground Zero area. It was still morning when I boarded my train to go uptown … I still had 24-hours to run around the City!
Below is a little map of my morning route:
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