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The conditions on the day of the race were perfect, clear blue skies and a calm sea but looking at the distance I was nervous and thinking that a weeks marketing trip in Turkey with Husband Hutch directly prior to the race was probably not the preparation of a serious athlete. Still, a lot less wine was consumed than usual in honour of the race and with sobriety came early(ish) nights so not too bad considering.
Shipping lanes are closed for 90 minutes for the race and if you haven't finished at that point then you get fished out. Having told the whole world what I was doing being fished out was the thing that worried me most in a long list of things that worried me, like jellyfish, cramp, getting lost etc. The race started in Eceabat, the Gallipoli side of the river and we were to swim back to Cannakale. Under no circumstances were we to swim diagonally (ie directly) to the finish line because we could be swept out to sea by the current. Great. Bit scared at that point, but the worst bit was walking to and from the ferry. Through town, no glasses, no hearing aid & crucially, no trousers! Only fluffy white hotel slippers to be abandoned on the other side & my bathers. Nightmare.
274 swimmers took part in the race, it was great to be one of them & I am very pleased to say that I finished it. I wasn't fished out, I wasn't stung by a jellyfish & I didn't swim the wrong way (although prescription goggles are the way forward I feel as I entirely missed the boat covered with red balloons marking the point where I was to stop swimming across the tide, turn right and swim with it). Near the end I very nearly collided with a ferry which is not as hard to do as you might imagine. Got close enough to see their frantic hand signals. Very relieved to get to the end and very grateful to the Turkish man who appeared over my left shoulder just as I was convinced that I was last and feeling a bit fed up swimming alone.
Hutch the Towel Holder was on the finish line (in up to his waist practically, shouting himself hoarse, not that I could hear) providing the required emotion and acting as if for the last 70 minutes he had thought he was never going to see me again. My last race may have been egg & spoon but the man has no faith! I even had 20 minutes to spare!