Sardines on Toast [Chicken Swims]
Chicago’s annual Big Shoulders 5 and 2.5km swims were held last Saturday. Every year I promise myself two things for the next year:
1. never to swim it again because, well, why would I pay to swim in Lake Michigan; and
2. if I break promise 1, only enter the 2.5k, which would give me time to smugly watch other people finishing after myself (hopefully).
Both promises broken, I headed to the starting line at an obscene hour on race morning. The weather had been a bit dodgy leading up to the race, and the organisers had warned of potentially rough conditions. The water turned out to be not too bad, though, and I was pleasantly surprised. Actually, not pleasantly surprised because I like it rough! There was a smallish swell that was nice and regular and some surface chop, but nothing too slappy or random. The water was very murky, which I like, because because the only sandy bottom I want to see when swimming does not belong to the lake.
As usual, I ended up placing in the bottom half of my age group. I took a huge kick to the left boob when the guy in front of me decided to suddenly change to breaststroke going around the 2nd turn buoy. For identification purposes, I noted he had on a full wetsuit and (non adventure style) beard. Couldn’t find him on the beach afterwards though. My right shoulder hurt like a b%^& the whole time, but I swam in lovely straight lines, mostly in the right direction.
The best thing about the swim, though, was my sardine suit. Here ’tis:
Here’s a sardine:
Here’s me and some other swimmers being lapped by the elite wave:
It looks like some of us got stuck in their teeth.
Here’s a recipe for sardines on toast, which I may or may not try:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/altons-sherried-sardine-toast/video/index.html