Mix It Up In the OW

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Dave and I were originally heading to Pickwick Lake with some good friends for a day of boating and fun, but I have ended up having to work a bit this weekend, so going out of town just wasn't going to happen.

I managed to bring some lake-time into my weekend with a short visit to David Barczak's house in Lakeland. David has kindly offered up his home to all triathletes in the area to practice open water swimming. How generous!!! Several years ago, Jen H. repeatedly told me that I needed to practice in the open water. I thought it was a great idea on paper, but I just didn't have a place to practice! Now I have no excuses.

Caroline was my buddy for the day. Yahoo! Caroline is super, speedy runner chick and a great friend. We both really need to work on our OW swims, and there is nothing better than doing it together! I have said this before, but it is worth repeating in my mind. Good female training partners are a gem. Training to me is not racing. It is not about beating up your buddy or proving how great your training is going. It is about doing YOUR specific workout, and using the assistance of your training partner to motivate and encourage you- and offering that same motivation and encouragement back. Caroline is a great example of how to be that type of training partner.

Our goals for the day: help Caroline get a little more endurance in the OW and help her work on sighting + help Damie pick up the pace a little bit without panic and learn to swim into a slight chop

This is just a small part of the lake. Caroline and I just did 200 yard repeats because the boat traffic was a little high due to the holiday weekend. But, I have heard that there is a one mile loop, so I am going to beg David to let me follow his feet on a lake adventure one day.

Finished!!! What did I learn today?

1. The number one thought I had on my mind for the most of the swim? Snakes. Every couple of strokes I thought about snakes. I didn't want to go near the wall or touch the bottom of the lake in case a snake might be there- although I know they aren't (water moccasins will not be at the bottom of a lake- they float on top, but they can swim and bite underwater- just FYI). My mom asked me the other day why I panic in open water...she said, "are you scared of piranha's or something?" No mom, snakes. And in the ocean? Sharks. Snakes and sharks...always on my mind. I really need to develop some happy thoughts when I swim. How about..."turtles and dolphins?"

2. The chop really gets to me and affects my breathing and increases the chance of panic. It took me a while to learn to swim a little more effectively through the choppy parts of the lake. I will definitely need to keep practicing this.

3. Open water swimming requires a different kind of strength. I can't always just glide along like I can in a pool. I need to keep developing my overall strength.

Man, and now the night is almost over! Where does the precious time go? I hope everyone has the day off tomorrow! Enjoy!