Maybe I need to just have Abba in my head when I swim. I don't really enjoy swimming in the pool, but it doesn't scare the crap outta me like the mucky lake.
After Tuesday's relative success, I thought maybe I could conquer the real open water course at SMP. Well... then I got there and it seemed soooooo far out. I thought, ok, I'll just go out to the first buoy and back. It really wasn't that far. Further than along the back of the swim area but probably not much. I asked a woman who had been there before if that was cool and she said that plenty of people just did laps around the first buoy to get comfortable.
So I headed out there. There were some other people around but not many. Now ... it takes me awhile to really warm up while swimming. At the pool, I find that it takes 10 minutes or so to really get into a rhythm. So I'm swimming, doing my sighting, thinking that the buoy seems way the hell out there and I sorta panic. I did a little breaststroke but it feels like I'm just not moving when I do that. I got on my back and ended up with a mouthful of water. I was maybe 2/3 - 3/4 of the way out there to the buoy and I just bailed and headed back. Like a big ole baby. And of course, the shore seemed miles away.
So I stood there for awhile, contemplated just going to ride my bike, which seemed like heaven after that. But I didn't. I did some laps along the back of the swim area. I took more breaks than I should have but I kept at it for 35-40 minutes.
I am just not very comfortable in that water. My family never did any water activities, in fact neither of my parents can swim. I did have swimming lessons at an early age and was always able to swim and play around in the pool but I've never really been on a lake in a boat or kayak or anything. I swam enough laps 20 years ago to do a little pool-swim triathlon but that's been it until recently.
I guess it's OK to take it slowly but I only have a month ....
Anyway, I was soooo happy to get on my road bike and hit the road around SMP. Almost everyone who goes out for the open water swim rides or runs afterwards. I learned some important things about how maybe to do that transition and what to wear. Anyway, almost 14 glorious miles in the oxygen at a nearly 16 mph average clip. Not bad for me, especially since I was pretty tired and hungry starting out. And I didn't realize the road around SMP was so hilly. There are a couple good climbs around there.
2 comments:
It'll keep getting better. I think you are going to be fine....Maybe keeping Ellen in your head, "just keep swimming..."
What did you learn about the transistions??
who's Ellen?
I'm not sure pulling on bike shorts over a wet swimsuit is going to work. I might get some spandexy shorts without padding to wear over my suit and wear those for all of it. And just put a shirt on for the bike.
It's also hard to get the socks on soggy feet. Maybe some thinner ones. And I read that rolled socks go on easier.
oh and a visor will be nice for the run, for the sun and for the wild hair you're going to have after all that.
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