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: