OWS!

That is Open Water Swim folks.

May 19^th, in Lake Washington (out of Seward Park).

It was SO FREAKING COLD.

SO COLD

SO COLD

I actually should probably call it an open water jog.

I met up with the Luna Chix Triathlon group at 6:00pm on a cold and rainy Seattle day. I knew it was going to be bad. I looked around at the other ladies and saw that there was only one person more screwed than I was (I with a sleeveless wetsuit and she with a short legged/sleeveless wetsuit). But I pulled on my wetsuit, rather expertly I must say, and was ready to go.

Putting my foot in the water I was actually optimistic about it. It was cold but I thought it'd be manageable. I eased into the water, loving my wetsuit. I took a few steps into the water and realized my feet were on fire and my legs were shaking like crazy. It was SO COLD but I started putting water into my wetsuit like usual; I tried SO hard to pee in my wetsuit but I was too cold to pee. I knew I was not going to last long. I started swimming toward the closest buoy with my head out of water. It wasn't too bad; I couldn't feel my feet or hands but my arms weren't numb and I was moving in the right direction. Naively, I then put my face in to get serious. WTF! Instant ice cream headache! I tried to stick it out a bit longer but between my feet, hands and face, I was a disaster! I backstroked a bit and swam for a few minutes with my head out.

Then I got out. 20minutes of just being in such cold water was all I could take. And I think it was an accomplishment. None of my OWS fears surfaced (maybe because hypothermia was kicking in) and I practiced moving around in my wetsuit again. I say success.

I got out and got out of my wetsuit right on the shore, went straight to the park benches to sign out with the Luna Chix and then headed home. I was chatting with my mom on the way home, telling her she raised a complete moron that voluntarily gets in ice water lakes, when I realized I had left my wetsuit on the beach. Genius! I sheepishly went back and retrieved it from a Luna Chick who thinks I am a Luna-tic (based on the OWS incident plus some general DA'ness at the bike ride last week).

To flip or not to flip?

I have deep seeded flip turn trauma.

When I was a wee lassie and swam on a team, my coach had a very loud and unwavering stance on flip turns.

In her opinion you must never breathe into or out of a turn. Now, generally, I am not much of a breather. I usually breathe every 8 or 10 strokes (only on my right side J). But this edict made flip turns very frantic for me. Retrospectively this may have been because I don't breathe enough on the straights which made going breathless for so long at the turns so much harder.

After High School I swore of FT's for life. I promised myself I wouldn't ever subject myself to them again and for open water this is fine. However, I know my pool workouts would probably benefit from them.

 

Hmmm… do I keep a promise to myself that I have maintained for 9 years or do I try to improve myself and work towards overcoming an obstacle? Hmmm.

What I have been doing is sneaking in a FT at the far end of the pool. What I've learned from this is I am either RUSTY or I never really had good form. I kind of look like a flailing otter.

Swim goals:

1 pool workout with at least 50% FTs.