Race Report Continued!

So the race was down to a group of 13 people, we were approaching about 6K into the race, the pace was steady, feeding was going good, and I was sitting about 5th in the line of swimmers. Then, there was a change. 1 or 2 of the guys in front of me swam out to the side to feed at their boats, I picked up the pace to close the gap they created in front of me...the guys who just went to there boats came back in and joined our group, the pace picked up and it was now a lead group of 6 people (5 guys and I). The next 6 kilometers were FAST. The pace was steady, but I was forced to stay at my maximum effort to hang on to the guys feet. That was all I was focused on, the feet in front of me. I communicated to Dad that he was only to offer me drink when the other guys were drinking so that I would be able to hook back on some feet after slowing down to drink.
The water was SOOO choppy and the winds were so strong that water would be blowing off the first guy's arm and hitting me in the face...5 people behind him. Combine the spray from swimmers and boats with the waves that I was drinking...I was good and hydrated...unfortunatly from a sketchy source of water! After the race my dad told me that he counted the boats around the lead group to be about 24...for only 6 swimmers! He also said one of the press boats pulled up to my boat and interviewed him while the race was going on!
I was repeating one thing to my self as I am swimming at max effort: "just stay on their feet...just stay on their feet...just stay on their feet!" I knew that the race was going to be a lot tougher and more boring if I dropped off the lead group and had to finish the swim on my own! But it was inevitable that the pace would increase again and I would be on my own.
It finally occured with 3K to go...we were going around the last corner and entering final stretch across the lake to the finish and the guys started to pick up the pace. I got the work from dad that I had put at least 400meters (1/4 mile) on the next girl (which converts to about 7-8 minutes with the conditions we were swimming in). I put my head down and started my trek across the wavey lake to the shore where the finish banner was hanging. At this point we were out of the canyon and going straight into the wind. The meant that the waves were HUGE and crashing right on top of me!
From my low poisition in th water, I could not see 5 feet in front of me...and I couldn't pick my head up any more anyways...so I yelled to dad that he needed to keep the boat right next to me and point to the finish. This way I could see him when I turned my head to breath and I would stay on a straight line to the finish. (Giving directions is legal for open water swimming...but if he'd put the boat in front of me to block the wind and let me draft...that would have been illegal.)
In the end...this was a good idea because the lead group of 5 guys took a very curved line to the finsh (whether they were trying to stay on the shore line to block the wind...I don't know) but they only managed to put 5 minutes on me at the finish. I keep focused on putting one arm in front of the other and hoping that I was moving forward and not being pushed backwards by the wind...and eventually I was able to see the huge crownd standing on the shore. I knew that Dad would allert me if there was any competition creeping up from behind (I can't be certian that I would have been able to go any fast if that was the case) so I kept a steady pace...added in some kicking at this point because the arms were turning into jello!
As slowly as possible, with out drowning, I made my way to the shore...finally spotted the tiny finishing area, and didn't make ANY attempt to sprint there:)! The nicest feeling was when I literally peeled my goggles out of my eye sockets (I think I was the only one in Sweedish...lessons for the future) and rubbed my eyes! Of course I was chosen for drug testing...but I would have drank the same 5 bottles of Gatorade at that point in time anyways! I was correct in predicting that Petar from Bulgaria would be the men's champion...he won the sprint between 4 men at the finish for 3hours and 35 minutes.
There was a great crowd of specators at the end who wanted photos and autographs...most of them had probably competed in the 5K age group race earlier in the day...but sport is such a big thing in other countries that some people were just there to watch the finish. I had some fun experiences with interviews in Spanish...good thing they had translators all around to help me out with the media. My favorite question was something like: "How did you win the race, you weren't one of the favorites?". I was a bit speachless:)
After all the post race activites were taken care of, they loaded all the athletes and their coaches back onto a bus and headed back to the hotel. I spent the whole bus trip waiting for some signal to show up on my cell phone so I could call Mom and tell her how the race went! Of course she was happy and in return, she filled me in on the pool swimming World Champ Trials and how great Ryan Lochte and all the other Gators were swimming!
At 7pm, the race director put on a nice dinner for all the 15K racers in a big banquet hall...food was good, music was great, and the awards were beautiful. I won a big Myan carving of a warrior's head. It was really cool, and heavy...so dad carried it home in his luggage:) I also got a gold medal, a finishing certificate, a Chiapas cross, a lei of May Flowers that smelled amazing, and (the most important part) a white envelope with $$!
I had a great time hanging out with the other swimmers, talking to them about their other race experiences...Erica Rose told me all about the LONG races in Argentina in March (22K, 56K, 88K!!) Although I look forward to more open water swimming races, I think I have gone as far as I ever want to go...and I will stick to the 5 & 10Ks from now on:).
My next open water racing will be to qualify for the World Champ team in the 5 & 10Ks...I will be competeing in Ft.Myers, FL in the Gulf of Mexico in June. See you in the water!