Turkey Swim – Hawaii Open Water Swim

I will use just about any excuse to go to Hawaii but I have to say, this was a great one! On Saturday, November 22 I took the bus from our beachfront hotel to the Ala Moana park where the race was held. It was a gorgeous day. (Is there any other kind in Hawaii?) The Turkey Swim is held in a protected bay so it is a great race if you’re new to open water swimming. I wasn’t worried about sharks and it was much calmer than the Waikiki Rough Water Swim race held on Labor Day.

I noticed quite a few school-aged swimmers and assumed the local club teams had come out for a workout. After the race I talked to some of the youth and they told me it was actually a school PE assignment. How great is that? I wish we had done open water swims in my high schools. It seems a little more challenging/exciting than dodge ball.

I tried a new approach this time and I actually got in and warmed up before the race. The race distance wasn’t very far (only 2K) and it was a straight out and back. It felt as smooth as a swimming pool and I had no trouble swimming in a straight line. Since I was all warmed up I worked my way to the front of the pack for the start. When the gun sounded I sprinted out ahead to avoid the chaos. I swam a fast 200 meters or so before I settled down into a nice, smooth pace. The race wasn’t too crowded which made it nice. I kept a steady pace and was grateful for the fast start. This race strategy worked and I ended up getting first in my age group in 34:18. I called hubby afterwards and told him I had won my age group which of course means I need to come back next year to defend my title!