A Dream Realized: Swimming/Running The 7 Mile Bridge

by James Sica

27 November 2018, 06:15am

A Dream Realized: Swimming/Running The 7 Mile Bridge from Bill Welzien

Long-distance endurance swimmers are a peculiar lot. As they drive by, fly over or come near any body of water, they think thoughts like, Is that swimmable? Or, Can I swim from that point to that one over there? Or, I wonder has anyone ever swum this body of water before?

I had such questions in my mind for years about the span of water under the iconic 7 Mile Bridge. Anyone who has driven the 120 miles of the Florida Keys knows this bridge. It connects the west end of Marathon Key (Knights Key) to Little Duck Key. The original bridge was built under the direction of Henry Flagler and Clarence Coe as a part of the Florida East Coast Railway’s Key West Extension. It was completed in 1912.

Mr. Flagler had a dream to extend his railway’s system to Key West, believing he could transport goods from there throughout the rest of the country once the Panama Canal opened. That dream never materialized. He once stated that he was a wealthy man until he built that railway extension. In its day, Flagler’s 7 Mile Bridge was a wonder of the modern world, a veritable engineering feat!

The use of the 7 Mile Bridge for railway purposes came to a halt after the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane created extensive destruction to the track system. Shortly thereafter, the bridge was converted for automobile traffic.

Today, adjacent to the original structure is the new 7 Mile Bridge, built and completed in 1982.

In 1976, I met Sessie Bonilla in Key West, and we married there a year later. During that time it was the original bridge we traveled over, as we headed up and down the Keys. We left in 1978 and returned in June of 1986. Now, as residents of the lower Florida Keys, we have driven over that new bridge countless times.

I was bitten with the long-distance swimming bug after my first swim around Key West in 1991. From that time forth, I began looking at bodies of water as I mentioned above.

I heard there was a swim along the span of the Bridge that took place back in the late 1980’s or early 90’s. It took place the same day as the annual 7 Mile Bridge Run. However, I cannot find any written record of the event. I don’t know of anyone who swam the event, nor the times, or even if anyone finished.

After I completed my 100th swim around Key West on Saturday, May 19th 2018, I was asked what I intended to do next? “Do you intend to hang up your goggles?”  “No,” I said, “ I want to try to swim the waters along the span of the 7 Mile Bridge.”

Photo Courtesy: Bill Welzien

Not knowing anyone who had swum the venue I felt like I might be reinventing the wheel. I was told there were some wild currents in those waters. I was told of the high shark population. I shared my concerns with my good friend, Captain Don Nelson. Don is a major help, assisting me in the various aspects of the annual Swim Around Key West, which I have been organizing for about 15 years.

I continued doing swims around Key West. I considered all swims following #100 training swims for my desired quest. I completed my 105th swim around Key West on Tuesday, September 25. My hope was to try the new venue in October.

Swimming around Key West is 12.5 miles. Based on that, it would seem swimming 7 miles should be relatively easy. Well, these waters were another animal! A horse of a different color, so to speak. We have the tidal scheme for swimming Key West down pretty good. I start from the west end of Smathers Beach 2.5-3 hours before high tide in the Harbor. That provides some assistance pushing me through. Swimming Key West begins on the incoming tide and finishes on the outgoing.

The 7 Mile Bridge waters would have me swimming from east to west. That meant any tides would hit me at my sides. The tide would flow either north or south. Don worked up a plan using Google earth. He suggested I start about 75 minutes before the outgoing tide would die. That meant as the tide flowed out to the ocean it would be slowing and then go slack. Then the tide would reverse, slowly at first, heading back in the direction of the Bay, an incoming tide.

Jim Sharpe is a local fishing guide and owner of Sea Boots Charter. I called Jim out of the blue and introduced myself. I told him of my idea. He told me he had never seen anyone swimming in those waters. He mentioned the sharks. He told me that the tides on the east side of the Bridge were incredibly swift.

I told him about Don’s plan. He seemed to think it might work. He agreed that starting on the east side was best, especially in getting beyond that power current near that shore. Jim told me he thought it best to swim on a half moon, since the half moon brings even lower high tides. This made sense, and is very different from our strategy for Key West swims. When swimming around Key West, we aim at the full and new moons. We want high tidal highs and low lows.

I looked at the calendar and saw that November 1 was a half moon. I decided that was my day. It was a Thursday, which is my official day off. When you’re a pastor, you can only have an official day off, not a real day off, as there is always work to be tended to.

My 20-year-old daughter, Jane, agreed to kayak for me. But, I wanted more than a kayak out there with us. I spoke with Don and he talked with our fellow Southernmost Runners Club colleague, Pat Kersey. Pat consented to assist with her 18-foot motorboat. The plan was that Pat and Don would boat from Pat’s home on Big Pine Key, and meet us near the east end of the Bridge. Jane and I would be on that shore with the kayak.

But exactly where on that eastern shore? I thought I had better drive the 30 miles up the Keys from my home to actually look at possible launch sites. I only know this area from driving over the Bridge, and from participating in the Annual Run a few times. I had never studied the shoreline.

On Wednesday, October 31, Jane and I drove there. A friend, Isaac, who is a Marathon Key resident met us. He showed us our options. We walked over the Bridge and descended to examine the north-side shore. The water was raging around the seawall, heading out to the ocean. It was a scary site. Could we get a kayak in there without it capsizing? I was leery.

I processed what I saw as we walked back over the roadway to the ocean side. At the base of the Bridge on the ocean side sits the Sunset Grill. The shoreline there was far less imposing. We discussed our planned entry and concluded that is where we should launch. I told to Isaac when I needed to start the next day, and he was eager to come and see us off. He also offered to help with transportation logistics. Thank you, Lord!

On our way home, Jane and I stopped to see Don. We told him what we had learned on our excursion to Marathon. We spent some time looking at the charts.

Things were really beginning to materialize. I was much encouraged. Jane and I drove home. Now, it was time to get things ready. I mixed up 7 bottles of liquid nutrition using Hammer’s Perpetuem. Then I got nervous. How long would this swim take me, 6-8 hours? But it is only 7 miles! But these were unfamiliar waters. How far would the outgoing tide carry me? How far back would I have to swim? I was prepared to be out there for a full 8 hours. Would 7 bottles be adequate? I grabbed a Ziploc baggie, filled it with powder for an extra couple bottles, just in case.

My experience with my 105 swims around Key West served me well as I prepared. I set out my Body Glide anti-chafe stick, SolRx Matte Zinc SPF 50 sun block, Clif bars, slip knot string for my bottles, recovery drinks for after the swim, goggles, etc. I gathered together all that Jane would need with the kayak. Life vest, paddle, seat back, water, food, etc. The kayak was secured to the top of my van before I crawled into bed. I aimed at a quick transition out the door in the morning. I wanted everything laid out before I went to sleep. Surprisingly, I had a pretty decent night’s sleep!

We were up at 7:00am. Out the door at just after 8:00. Jane and I prayed for wisdom and success as we drove. Our greatest desire was that God be glorified! We arrived at our launch site at about 9:00. We had 45 minutes before we were scheduled to depart.

The wind was blowing. It was near 15 miles from ESE, with gusts up to 20. There were white caps. Isaac and his wife Denai showed up. The sea was choppy. He was nervous. He later confessed he didn’t think we would make it. He had planned to bring his drone to film our start but opted for his camera in light of the wind. A classmate from my Moody Bible School days also learned of my plans. It was great to have Paul Durocher as part of our little send-off party! But, where was Don and Pat? No sign of them.  

Nevertheless, I pushed off taking my first stroke at 9:48am. I was relying on Don’s predictions. He told me he thought this plan would work. The slack tide would happen at 11:02am. That meant I was swimming about 1:15 before the slack tide prediction. The outgoing tide should be gradually dying. I was to swim just to the ocean side of the two little scrub islands called Molasses Key.

As Jane and I headed out, I have to admit we both were nervous. Jane had to deal with being tossed about. She thought she was going to capsize. I looked at her and could see the concern on her face. About a quarter of a mile into the swim I paused and shouted to her. I told her we could go back if she wanted. She shouted back, “Let’s go on!”

About three quarters into the first mile, I caught a happy sight. There was Don and Pat in her white Wellcraft. They too were being tossed about!  As you can imagine, both Jane and I were greatly comforted. The wind posed a challenge, but at least it was a tailwind. I was to aim for the mentioned Molasses Key but there was no way I could sight them. They are small and we far away, plus the waves were high. I used the Bridge, which was about three quarters of a mile to my right, as my gage. If you look at my GPS track, I did follow the planned course but with lots of zig zags.

Pat wrote the following: “The medium heavy chop going east in unprotected areas was complicated by the glare of the sun, making it difficult to locate and avoid the shallows. We were on the bayside, and I am not real familiar with the waters east of Bahia Honda. Ocean side was treacherous, winds blowing steady at 10, gusting to 21, or so. I had to zig zag into with bursts of 5-6 foot waves. At one instance my engine came up out of the water.”

She continues: “It was calmer once we got near the little islands, in shallower water. It was tense idling near the Bridge as you were nearing the finish, because the tide was pushing us toward the Bridge.”

I have concluded that it is easier for me being in the water, than for those sitting atop in their watercraft.  Jane remarked that after about a mile into it she started to get a feel for how to deal with the waves, pointing the kayak’s bow into them. She admitted that she couldn’t let her guard down because of errant waves.

The Bridge’s hump peaks about 3 miles heading from east to west. Happy to see that and pass it. The closer we got to the little islands, as Pat noted, the water became shallower and the chop dramatically dimished. I was extremely encouraged as I picked my head up and caught a glimpse of Molasses Key out of the corner of my eye. I remembered Don advised me to stay on the outside. I obeyed my Captain!

As I passed the first of these tiny islands, I noted that my (relatively new) Garmin 935 GPS watch beeped, indicating I had swum 5 miles in 3 hours. I was pretty psyched by this. Remember, I was mentally prepared for an ordeal of 6-8 hours. But I noted that I was only about 2 miles from my goal. The tide had changed from an outgoing to an incoming. I have to admit that I never felt any struggle with the tidal direction. Blissful ignorance? Maybe.

About 30 minutes before my finish, Isaac called Jane on her cell. He wanted to know about my progress. Jane told him I was almost to the end. He said he would try to make it to greet me. He arrived just as I was completing the venture. I was ecstatic to reach my goal. I swam to the rock and stopped my watch. I swam the span in 4:48.13. I climbed out the water and stood up. My swim distance was 7.33 miles. I had realized my dream. Well, but not quite fully…

Photo Courtesy: Bill Welzien

There was a second part to this dream. Now, I wanted to run back across to where I started. Crazy? Of course! Jane paddled to the bayside of the Bridge. Isaac took some photos and we met Jane at the boat ramp. My van was parked there according to the plan. Isaac helped place the kayak on the van top and secured it. I changed into my running shorts and shirt. Put put a bandana on my head, my Vibram 5 Finger shoes on my feet, and readied myself head back across by foot.

Now, I had my next challenge before me. Could I count on my 68-year-old legs to carry me the 7 miles back? I would not try to kill it, but rather keep a purposeful, steady pace. I also purposed not to walk one step. Now my tailwind became a headwind. I ran facing the traffic, on the shoulder. Cars and trucks zipped by. Every 18-wheeler blasted me with  a powerful gust of wind.

I drank one full bottle of Perpetuem and ate a Clif bar before I started my swim. I drank 2 more during my swim. I ate another bar and drank another bottle before my run. My stomach felt, not so good. Could it be I drank and ate too fast?  Whatever, I forged on.

As I had during my swim, I continued in fervent prayer. “Lord Jesus, strengthen me, help me. Please allow me to realized this dream fully!” Each step was deliberative. I had only myself to compete with. No one to beat.

Swimming, and running is like life. It is all a series of strokes, and steps. Each leads to the next. Incrementalism. Cumulative.

Vibrams are not thickly padded running shoes. This is minimalist footwear. My pair are fairly worn out. That meant I needed to avoid stones, because I felt each one. There were plenty of stones on the shoulder of that Bridge.

Slow and steady. I could see the hump before me. I ran up and was happy to reach the crown. As I headed down, I noticed that my digestive issues were diminishing. Praise the Lord. After the hump I knew I would make it. Less than 3 miles to reach the destination! I was elated beyond words. It was just me, the Lord and the wind in my face. And vehicles zipping past me at 65 plus mph!

I came to end of the 7 Mile Bridge. My watch had clocked me with a time of 1:22.04. And a distance of 6.80 miles. Yes, it is true that new Bridge is not 7 miles long but a mere 6.80.

My dream was fully realized!  Thank you Lord. And thank you Jane and Don and Pat and Isaac and everyone else who assisted me in my dream come true.

Soli Deo Gloria

Swim Distance

Distance
12,907 yd (7.33 miles)

Calories
3,071 C

Timing

Time
4:28:13

Moving Time
4:26:10

Elapsed Time
4:28:13

Avg Pace
2:05 min/100 yd

Avg Moving Pace
2:04 min/100 yd

Swimming Dynamics

Total Strokes
7,925

Avg Stroke Rate
29 strokes/min

Max Stroke Rate
40 strokes/min

Avg Swolf
51

Temperature
77.7 °F

Avg Temp
77.0 °F

Min Temp
82.4 °F

Max Temp
77.0 °F

Stats

Splits

Run:

Distance
6.80 mi

Calories
741 C

bpm % of Max Zones
147 bpm

Avg HR
165 bpm

Max HR
0.0

Anaerobic TE
2.6

Pace Speed
1:22:04

Time
1:22:02

Moving Time
1:22:04

Elapsed Time
12:04 min/mi

Avg Pace
12:04 min/mi

Avg Moving Pace
9:37 min/mi

Elevation
66 ft

Elev Gain
59 ft

Elev Loss
-6 ft

Min Elev
54 ft

Avg Run Cadence
167 spm

Max Run Cadence
184 spm

Avg Stride Length
0.80 m

Avg Temperature
82.7 °F

Min Temp
82.4 °F

Maz Temp
87.8 °F

• Splits
• Segments
• Time in Zones

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