5K swim

[kacie tri-ing]

Ok--so I know this is the triathlon tread, but I think of myself as a triathlete.....

I just still can't run. I am over 2 months out of my hip injury, and I am now allowed to run on an underwater treadmill.....lots of PT, massage, X-ray, MRI, sports doctor, chiropractor, dry needling, trigger point, you name it.

So....after missing the next 70.3 I was planning to do, I decided it was time to push my swimming ability (because I am not good at just hanging out).....so I signed up for a 5K open water swim next weekend. I swam 2.5 last week (farthest ever), and I was tired at the end, but I felt great.

I pretty nervous.......one week away!

[Urlea]

Kacie- I love the idea!!! :D I also have no doubt you will do it. Still sorry you can't run yet, but glad to see you are embracing other adventures. Have fun!! Really excited to hear how it goes.

[badger]

that's wonderful!

We did a 100x50m challenge last winter during one of our workouts. We were to be there at 5pm sharp and we swam the whole hour and a half doing this. If you pace yourself it's eminently do-able. Good luck!

[alpinerabbit]

You can do it :-)

If I ever get to SFO in season, I will do the "escape from Alcatraz" swim. It's "only" a mile, though in the sea - should be a great adventure!

They also have a 5k Bridge to Bridge swim, but that's a huge bite to chew on....

[Tri Girl]

Sounds like fun!!! The furthest I've swam was the IM swim: 2.4 miles (well, I probably swam more since I'm a terrible sighter) and that was fun, but tiring. I would imagine a 3.1 mile swim would wear me out- but in a good, fun kind of way. :) Is it wetsuit legal? Just wondering. :)
Have a GREAT time, and tell us all about it when you're done. I've never done anything like that, so I'd love to hear all about it.
Sorry you can't run yet, but you'll get there. In the meantime, this challenge is monumental and super exciting!!!!:D

[colby]

An underwater treadmill sounds fascinating. Good luck with the injury - hang in there.

What a great way to beat the doldrums with a nice swim ;) If you can do 2.5, you can probably stretch it to 3.1, what's another 900 meters or so between friends. I know when my hips are tight I am a crappy swimmer, but when I had a hip injury I was still able to swim pretty well - especially after PT before I could run anything more than "a block" or whatever.

Is it in a lake, or river, or something else?

[roadie gal]

5K swim! My arms hurt just to think about it. Good luck and make sure you post a race report.

[kacie tri-ing]

Thanks for the encouragement! Right now, I can't really believe I signed up for this! Yikes. I am going to get a lot of needles stuck in my hip again tomorrow, which will leave me pretty sore for a few days, and I should be ready to kick that much by sunday. Now, I am not in any way a fast swimmer.....but I just have to finish, right?

It is in a lake by the way, so no real currents to help or hurt.....:p

[kacie tri-ing]

An underwater treadmill sounds fascinating. Good luck with the injury - hang in there.

What a great way to beat the doldrums with a nice swim ;) If you can do 2.5, you can probably stretch it to 3.1, what's another 900 meters or so between friends. I know when my hips are tight I am a crappy swimmer, but when I had a hip injury I was still able to swim pretty well - especially after PT before I could run anything more than "a block" or whatever.

Is it in a lake, or river, or something else?

How long did you have to do pt after your ironman?

[spindizzy]

I'm a water wimp. I admire you. Greatly!!

[colby]

How long did you have to do pt after your ironman?

I must have started in August, and didn't stop until December or January? It was basically 2x/week at the very beginning, then 1x/week for a loooong time, then once every 2 weeks, then once every 3 weeks, then 4 weeks, then she called me and checked in every 4-6 weeks until this year's Ironmnan.

[kacie tri-ing]

Thanks for that Colby. I was starting to get a little gripy about having to go....I just want to feel 100% again! I just need to be patient and do my exercises (when I get whiny, I stop doing that too...)

[colby]

Thanks for that Colby. I was starting to get a little gripy about having to go....I just want to feel 100% again! I just need to be patient and do my exercises (when I get whiny, I stop doing that too...)

Yeah, I've been there. It was really frustrating to be told to run for 2 minutes or only walk when I'd done marathons, Ironman, etc. I was so happy when my exercises would change, even if only one of them was different. ;) There were definitely some days when I wanted to skip them or waited until later in the day...I had to start looking at it as training. Training for my next "whatever" starts today, with these PT exercises. It's all a part of the plan. The most frustrating part was not knowing when it was going to end and feeling helpless about it. I had to stop thinking "when will I be able to run again" and just go with the PT until she started talking about running again - otherwise it seemed like I was getting nowhere.

Hang in... you'll get there, and you'll have a better system in the end. I can't say I'm a faster runner for having been through the PT, but I feel stronger.

[kacie tri-ing]

Thanks again. I know that I have slacked off on my excercises. Yesterday, I started a short term summer job teaching on a college campus. I wore a one-strap bag filled with my supplies and lugged it for miles. My hip hurt more last night than it has in a month. I think the twisting threw me totally off balance. I was so upset that I was hurting from carrying a stupid bag. My whole back is sore today, but I am trying to be careful, because I really want to do this swim Sunday!!!! I will be stuck with tons of needles tonight though, which is insanely painful, but I think it works! I seriously needed to hear your ironman story. My PT tells me I have to think of it that way, but for some reason, it is just hard to believe! :p

[KSH]

You sound like me!

I did a marathon 5-16-09. I believe I got a stress fracture while racing (no insurance, not confirmed, but it was hurting bad for a good week or so afterwards).

Since I couldn't run, I decided to sign up for a 3 mile swim. Why not? I can go see some family in Maryland and swim!

My swim is July 11th. It's kept my focus off what I can't do... and made me think about what I CAN do.

Good luck on your swim! :)

[kacie tri-ing]

KSH--I can't wait to hear about it!

How is the stress fracture feeling?

My hip has been bothering me, but my pt did 25 needles yesterday, and I feel like I am loosening up some. I have done just a tiny bit of swimming and tons of walking this week, but not much else! I figure it is tapering, right? (even though I am barely trained to finish this!). KSH, I think you will probably be better trained than me!

What are you doing about nutrition? Eating anything?

[KSH]

KSH--I can't wait to hear about it!

How is the stress fracture feeling?

My hip has been bothering me, but my pt did 25 needles yesterday, and I feel like I am loosening up some. I have done just a tiny bit of swimming and tons of walking this week, but not much else! I figure it is tapering, right? (even though I am barely trained to finish this!). KSH, I think you will probably be better trained than me!

What are you doing about nutrition? Eating anything?

Hey yeah, you too!

I'm back to running. Foot is feeling it a little, but I think I'm pretty much healed up. Only doing up to 2.5 mile runs right now.

OUCH! 25 needles! WOAH! Take it easy over there!

Yeah, I signed up for my race with 6 weeks to train. But I have a background in swimming (swam in HS on the team)... so I knew I could ramp up quickly from the base I had.

I have been doing swim sessions that range from 2500 (OWS), to 5,000 meters (3 miles- pool). I have done the 5,000 meters once. Plan on doing it again this Friday. Otherwise, my other swim sessions are 4,000 meters.

I gal I know told me that prepare for a 6 mile OWS her coach had her doing nothing but 500's with a :10 second rest.

So I have been doing 8x500... 10x500. Yeah, it's boring, but it will get the job done.

On a PERFECT day I'll do the 3 miles in 1:30. But with currents, waves, not swimming straight... 1:45 is more realistic.

I can do that without any water or nutrition, so that's my plan race day. I should be fine.

I think they MIGHT have some kind of nutrition boats in the water... but they haven't been clear what distances the boats are for. There will be 1-2-3-4 and 5 mile swimmers. Since it's not a point to point (we U turn at our marker to make it our mileage), I don't know if the boats will be close to my turn around.

Oh and the results from last year.... show that I'll be BOP for my swim. The 1st place person for the 3 miler came out in 1:06. That's just silly fast!

GOOD LUCK with your swim! Come back and post all about it!

PS- Sorry for the LONG post... there really isn't anyone I know that I can talk to them about this.

[colby]

On a PERFECT day I'll do the 3 miles in 1:30. But with currents, waves, not swimming straight... 1:45 is more realistic.

I can do that without any water or nutrition, so that's my plan race day. I should be fine.

I think they MIGHT have some kind of nutrition boats in the water... but they haven't been clear what distances the boats are for. There will be 1-2-3-4 and 5 mile swimmers. Since it's not a point to point (we U turn at our marker to make it our mileage), I don't know if the boats will be close to my turn around.

Oh and the results from last year.... show that I'll be BOP for my swim. The 1st place person for the 3 miler came out in 1:06. That's just silly fast!

Holy crap!! That's amazing. You're a fast swimmer... to be at the back with a 1:30-1:45 3-mile swim!!??! :eek: Wow.

[KSH]

Holy crap!! That's amazing. You're a fast swimmer... to be at the back with a 1:30-1:45 3-mile swim!!??! :eek: Wow.

Well, thanks. Compared to triathletes (with no competitive swimming in their background), I usually come out top 5 in my AG. If not top 3.

But at a race where REAL SWIMMERS show up... I'm mediocre.

I could not believe someone swam the 3 miles in 1:06 last year. Now THAT IS FAST!

[kacie tri-ing]

Hello! I did it!:D:D:D

It was quite an adventure! DH and I went to a friend's wedding 6 hours away. We left during the reception to drive 4 of the hours back. Then, we just got up early to finish the driving and get to the race on time.

It was easy checking in. I got my cap and body markings, slathered on the sunscreen, and ate a gu at the start (I did not take anything with me). Now, the race is a 5K, but their online map says 3.25, and it turns out that I am terrrible at sighting, so I KNOW I went longer than that :p For the first half of the swim, there were no bouys. None. Now, I have only done tris, and there are always bouys. The instructions at the pre-race meeting were, "see that place where the land sticks out? Swim to that. Then turn, and you will see two more. Swim towards those. Then, there will be a double-story deck. After those things, you will see a bouy in the distance." Great. See, that doesn't work for me. I tried to be very calm and in control, but I was all over the place. I really enjoyed the 2:23 I spent in a very nice lake in the mountains, but I know I could have done better. DH said that everyone on the shore talking was asking if this was my first time. Apparently this is a race where many people return year after year. I want to go back next year now that I understand the course better. I guess they just assumed I would know where to go! I had a blast though, and I was 3rd in my age group :p I will not divulge how many were in my age group.

So, I am off to look up more events!! Today was the first day that I really enjoyed open water swimming. I mean really enjoyed it. I was tired at the end, but I feel great now! Hopefully I won't be too sore. I do plan to actually train for the next one of these I do :D I unlike KSH (who is going to have a smokin fast time compared to me), have no background at all in swimming. OH! And I had yummy quesadillas and a frozen coke (which is my current cure to all heat woes). I will post up some pictures soon!

[kacie tri-ing]

Ok--I am going to try to get these pictures up.....:D

[colby]

MMmmm, frozen coke!

It sounds awesome. 2:23 isn't bad at all! I'm not sure how I would have done without buoys either... I do practice sighting at home in the lake to houses or pieces of land, but it's so much different with that much ground to cover.

How awesome. We have an open water swim here in August that goes along a bridge - I think that's cheating for sighting - for about 2 miles, maybe I'll check it out.

Congrats!!

[Urlea]

Yay Kacie!!! Knew you could do it. :D And enjoy it none-the-less. Well done.

Thanks for posting the pictures, looks like you were having fun!

[Tri Girl]

Holy smokes- you are AMAZING!!!!!:eek::D:)

I'm sooooo impressed with you! I'll bet you were exhausted, and the sighting without buoys thing would've thrown me for a loop, too.

I'm just so impressed with you!!! There isn't anything like that around here (or is there? I don't know how to look something like that up).

Too cool- and the pictures are GREAT!!! Congrats!!!!

[Alex]

Congratulations! Great report and nice pics, too!

Alex

[kacie tri-ing]

Holy smokes- you are AMAZING!!!!!:eek::D:)

I'm sooooo impressed with you! I'll bet you were exhausted, and the sighting without buoys thing would've thrown me for a loop, too.

I'm just so impressed with you!!! There isn't anything like that around here (or is there? I don't know how to look something like that up).

Too cool- and the pictures are GREAT!!! Congrats!!!!

Thanks! Just wait 2 weeks till KSH blows my time out of the water :D

I just searched around online for something like this. Turns out that almost everyone who does it does it every year, and thus knows where they are going!

[katluvr]

AWESOME!
I am still just trying to make it across teh pool and back and not be so out of breath! I can't imagine a 5k in the water (unless it is pool jogging!)--my goal is just to finish the 1/4 mile swim in Sept.!
You look like you had a great time...I love the picture of you in the water smiling!:)

[KSH]

WOW! Great job!

For someone who does not have a swimming background... going out to swim 3.25+ miles can be very scary and daunting! You took on the task with a smile on your face and from the sounds of it had a great attitude!

2:23 without any nutrition or water? Ok, maybe lake water ;) ... but still. That's a long time. I get cotton mouth from swimming an hour without anything.

Great job on on getting out there and doing it! And having to sight off of landmarks... HARD!!!!

Congratulations on doing it! :)

[kacie tri-ing]

WOW! Great job!


2:23 without any nutrition or water? Ok, maybe lake water ;) ... but still. That's a long time. I get cotton mouth from swimming an hour without anything.



Congratulations on doing it! :)

Lake water...yummy :cool: I was a little dizzy when I got out, and within about 30 minutes I was the hungriest I can remember being! Next time, I will just swim faster so that I am not in the water as long. ;)

[KSH]

Lake water...yummy :cool: I was a little dizzy when I got out, and within about 30 minutes I was the hungriest I can remember being! Next time, I will just swim faster so that I am not in the water as long. ;)

(Get ready to roll your eyes...)

So yesterday... someone told me that I'd be swimming in salt water!? :eek: (Yes, I know... DUH... I didn't know.)

I hate salt water. YUCK. Means I can't swallow any water to keep my throat from being complete dry.

Not to mention, if I get any water in my goggles I'll be paying for it dearly.

THEN they go on to tell me about the jelly fish and sea needles (?). :eek:

I have an extreme fear of jelly fish. More and more I'm wondering what the heck I was thinking! HA!

[kacie tri-ing]

Jellyfish :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: No way.

You will just have to swim super fast to avoid them ;)

Are you tapering at all, or just jumping in?

[Tri Girl]

So yesterday... someone told me that I'd be swimming in salt water!? :eek:


So can you wear a wetsuit to try to diminish the sting of jellyfish? What is a sea needle (doesn't sound good, tho).

I, too, HATE salt water. Will you put a little gu flask in your suit filled with water so you can get a drink every now and then?

You'll do great- and we HAVE to hear about it when you're done; complete with pictures. :)

[KSH]

Tapering- I am tapering this week. Just going to do around 4,000 meters over 2 days. IF that much. Will focus on running and cycling... and take Thurs and Fri as rest days. Honestly, I have no clue how to train or taper for something like this. I talked to a girl who trained for a 6 mile OWS and I basically did her workout (_ x 500; 10x500). I just figure if I swim less this week, that's a good taper. :)


Jellyfish- My kind Mother told me yesterday (without prompting) that the Chesapeake Bay is one of the top areas in the country for jellyfish. They tend to bloom up at certain times of the year.

IF I get stung too many times, I WILL be bailing on the swim early. I really don't enjoy the idea of being stung and it's not worth it to being completely beat up and miserable in the water.

I will have a sleeveless wetsuit on, but my face/arms/feet can get stung. I do have a full sleeved wetsuit, but I worry about swimming 3 miles in it. I haven't been swimming in it in over a year. I'm afraid it will mess with my stroke enough to make me inefficient in the water- thus I'm renting a sleeveless wetsuit- even then I'm worried about wearing that. I have never swum in a sleeveless and I worry about it screwing with my form.

*Note: I am slower in a full wetsuit, because it messes with my form just enough that I'm not as efficient.


My plan is to swim without nutrition or water. Maybe I should rethink that plan. I will probably want a different taste in my mouth.



This past weekend I did 3 open water swim races. A 300 meter, 750 meter and 1500 meter (exactly 1.5 miles).

Get this... I got FIRST PLACE in ALL THREE! :cool: Mind you, I am not sure IF there was anyone else IN my age group to beat... but whatever... I GOT FIRST PLACE! HA! I have yet to see my times even, but hopefully I had some good times.


I feel ready for the 3 mile swim but very apprehensive with regards to the jellyfish and getting stung. Hopefully they will not be in the water.


With all of that said... KACIE gets SO MUCH RESPECT from me! Swimming for 2 hours and 20 minutes is a LONG TIME! You were amazing to do that girl!

[KSH]

CR@P!!!!!

On my triathlon message board... a girl who lives in the area and who is doing the swim posted this last week!


xxblueyesxx - 2009-06-30 8:10 PM

Hey KSH -- Just thinking... because I've been in sailing camp (as an instructor) for the past week with about the same type of water conditions (small river that empties into the Bay) as the Swim for Life water, you may want to wear something that covers more skin. The jellyfish aren't that great this year and I'm not sure about the specific river that the race is in, but they're big too. Don't let this stop you as I am sure they will have things to combat the jellyfish but... just wanted to give you a heads up. I will be wearing the team javelin tri suit to swim in for this reason.

I am seriously terrified! There is no way they can keep the jellfish off us!

[kacie tri-ing]

Oh wow ksh. I am feeling a little anxious for you. What do you think your friend meant my "they will have something for the jellyfish."?? WHere is this race?? I really think it is going to be ok.

FIRST PLACE? !!! Super impressive! :D:D YOU get the respect for being a very talented swimmer!

I am really excited to hear abut this swim! I hope that it goes perfectly. Tapering is always hard anyway, but adding in stinging invertebrates makes it more mentally challenging I am sure. You are going to be amazingly well though, I am certain!!!! Let me know what other details you find out!

[Tri Girl]

Crap- that's not good news, huh?
Just wear your full suit. Even if it messes with your stroke and makes you a little inefficient, it's gotta be better than getting stung on your arms, huh? But what about your face? Eek! :eek:
You'll do fine. You really will. Is it this coming weekend?

[KSH]

Oh wow ksh. I am feeling a little anxious for you. What do you think your friend meant my "they will have something for the jellyfish."?? WHere is this race?? I really think it is going to be ok.

FIRST PLACE? !!! Super impressive! :D:D YOU get the respect for being a very talented swimmer!

I am really excited to hear abut this swim! I hope that it goes perfectly. Tapering is always hard anyway, but adding in stinging invertebrates makes it more mentally challenging I am sure. You are going to be amazingly well though, I am certain!!!! Let me know what other details you find out!

Well I think she's being hopeful. I mean really... how can they possibly keep jellyfish off all the swimers for 2.5 miles (it's an out and back- so the furthest distance out is 2.5 miles)? They can't keep the jellyfish off us.

The race is in the Chesapeake Bay. And it's notorious for jellyfish.

I wasn't going to go take my full wetsuit, but I'm going to now. If I have to wear it, I will. It's going to make for a miserable 3 miles, but at least my arms will be covered.

Yeah, tonight when I swim I have to try out 6 different pairs of goggles to see if ANY of them will fit.

The ones I have used for 20 years...they changed the design and the new ones no longer fit my head. I'm so upset. The old style I had stored in my closet, all the anti-fog bubbled up... so I can't see out of them hardly. I had to wear them this past Sat. and I could sight OK, but not perfectly.

So I'm just hoping I can get some goggles to wear that I can see out of!



PS- Yes, TriGirl... it's this coming Sat. 7-11-09. :) I'm really thinking I might DNF this one.

[kacie tri-ing]

Sorry about the goggles! (and of course the jellies) You have to let us know if you find a pair tonight that work

Do you not like your suit? What are the temps going to be?

Maybe you should catch a ride right behind someone and let them fight the jellies for you...could it help?

[KSH]

Right... I read up on these jellyfish... NO FREAKING WAY am I getting in the water with them!!!

http://archive.chesapeakebay.net/jellyfish.htm

There are five common types of jellyfish found in the Bay and its tributaries. Of these, only three are considered true jellyfish.

The other three types of jellyfish do not have such innocuous traits as the comb jellies. These jellyfish, the lion's mane, moon jellyfish, and sea nettle, all have tentacles loaded with stinging cells. The lion's mane floats through Bay waters only during the winter and early spring and is not a hinderance to normal recreational activities. The moon jelly is the Bay's largest species but its sting is generally mild. It is characterized by fringe-like tentacles and clover-shaped red gonads.

The sea nettle likely receives the dubious distinction as the least welcome creature inhabiting Bay waters. It's peak in abundance corresponds precisely with the period of greatest recreational use of the Bay. Once sea nettles have spread throughout the tributaries and into the Bay, swimming generally slows considerably or ceases for the remainder of the season. For those who do venture into the water, the nettle's sting is usually painful and can cause reactions varying from localized discomfort to intense itching, burning, nausea, and cramping. In rare cases, highly sensitive people suffer shock and convulsions. Anyone allergic to other stinging organisms should take special care to avoid being stung as cross-sensitivity is common.

Small sea nettles first appear in the Bay and tributaries in May or June as temperatures warm. Although the nettle can swim by contraction of the bell, its distribution is largely controlled by the whims of the tide and wind. Its distribution is also limited by salinity and nettles are most commonly found in regions with salinity ranges of 7 to 20 parts per thousand.
===============
I can go here to track how bad they are... http://155.206.18.162/seanettles/

But I'm not even sure it's up to date.

My wetsuit is a nice one, but I hate wearing it. Based on that information though, I will not get in the water if I see a lot of jellyfish around. I'll chalk it up to it not being my day and will enjoy the visit with my family.

[Tri Girl]

I hate to see you DNF before you even start, BUT... there's no way I'd get in the water with those creatures. I'm with you- if I can see them- they can just have the water. Who knows? Maybe with all the thrashing swimmers they'd keep their distance, but you'll probably be so spread out they may decide to come close and check you out (and sting you in the process). Maybe if every part of my skin was covered I'd do it (gloves, neoprene socks, face mask, etc).
I think if you do it, you're a super brave woman. I don't think I could do it. :)

[KSH]

I hate to see you DNF before you even start, BUT... there's no way I'd get in the water with those creatures. I'm with you- if I can see them- they can just have the water. Who knows? Maybe with all the thrashing swimmers they'd keep their distance, but you'll probably be so spread out they may decide to come close and check you out (and sting you in the process). Maybe if every part of my skin was covered I'd do it (gloves, neoprene socks, face mask, etc).
I think if you do it, you're a super brave woman. I don't think I could do it. :)

Well jellyfish do not have a brain, eyes, or a heart. So they pretty much just float around and sting stuff in their path. They don't have any rational thought to think to move away from humans.

I am packing the sleelveless (rental) and full wetsuits. I'll wear one or the other. My sister seems to think they won't be in the portion where I'll be swimming. My friend was there just a couple of weeks back and said she was stung twice it was nothing really.

Stinging or not... just the SIGHT of them makes me CRINGE!

If I have to DNS or DNF though, I'll be OK with it.

[colby]

Wow. I don't think jellyfish would have occurred to me. Is there anything you can do to make yourself unattractive/distasteful to them, I wonder?

Apparently there is a product called "Safe Sea" that applies to this situation: http://www.buysafesea.com/

The big caution flag on the website was for a short supply for 2008, but hopefully that doesn't apply to 2009. There is a distributor for amazon.com that is selling it and it's in stock.

How does Safe Sea® stop the sting?
* Too slippery: Safe Sea® has a waterproof, slippery texture that makes it difficult for the stinging tentacles to attach to the skin.
* Taking a tip from our friend the Clown Fish: Safe Sea® absorbs secretions from the skin that would otherwise tell the jellyfish that it's in contact with prey or predator.
* Disrupt communication: Chemical stoppers in Safe Sea® block the chemical pathways where the stinging process is activated.
* Disarm: A stinging cell is a dense "capsule" containing a long folded needle. Pressure builds in this capsule just prior to stinging. As the pressure builds, the capsule is forced open and the needle shoots out like a harpoon, injecting its target with toxin at a force equivalent to a bullet being fired from a gun. This all happens in a fraction of a second; jellyfish stings are among the most rapid mechanical events in all of cellular biology. Safe Sea® reduces the pressure in stinging cells so that they cannot fire - effectively disarming them.

[KSH]

Hey Colby! Thanks for that link! Unfortunately I can't get the stuff before I fly out Fri... so I'll just show up and see how it goes.

I called one of the race directors yesterday and asked if she knew how the jellyfish were looking. She hasn't been in the area we are swimming in, so she didn't know.

Here's what she said... "It's kind of like a bee sting... not too bad". WHAT! :eek: A bee sting is pretty darn miserable.

So I'm going to show up, bring both wetsuits and hope and pray for the best.

On a positive note... one of the pairs of goggles worked! YES! The first pair I opened and tried out!

[HillSlugger]

Karen,

I did an OWS in the Chesapeake last week and there were no signs of jellies (sea nettles) yet.

There are creams available that are suppose to protect your exposed skin from the stings. If you can find some, or they have it at the race, it would probably be worth putting on. ETA, this must be the Sea Safe stuff mentioned above.

[KSH]

Karen,

I did an OWS in the Chesapeake last week and there were no signs of jellies (sea nettles) yet.

There are creams available that are suppose to protect your exposed skin from the stings. If you can find some, or they have it at the race, it would probably be worth putting on. ETA, this must be the Sea Safe stuff mentioned above.

AWESOME! I'm feeling so much better about the race!

I have no clue where to buy creams like that! Unfortunately I fly out Fri afternoon and arrive at 8:00 PM... then we have to get up at like 5:30 AM Sat to make it to the race.

Someone mentioned Vaseline? It might be the poor man's way to protect to my face? :)

[Alex]

KSH,

When I lived in the D.C. area, I used to do a lot of windsurfing in Chesapeake Bay. I did get stung a few times, but it was not nearly as bad as a bee sting, IMHO. Still, though, if you have a sensitivity to such things, I would be concerned. And, of course, I was above the water far more than I was IN it!

Good luck!

Alex

[kacie tri-ing]

Karen,

I did an OWS in the Chesapeake last week and there were no signs of jellies (sea nettles) yet.

There are creams available that are suppose to protect your exposed skin from the stings. If you can find some, or they have it at the race, it would probably be worth putting on. ETA, this must be the Sea Safe stuff mentioned above.

That sounds promising! I can't WAIT to hear how it goes. I have a good feeling about it for you :D I think it is going to go well!

[KSH]

KSH,

When I lived in the D.C. area, I used to do a lot of windsurfing in Chesapeake Bay. I did get stung a few times, but it was not nearly as bad as a bee sting, IMHO. Still, though, if you have a sensitivity to such things, I would be concerned. And, of course, I was above the water far more than I was IN it!

Good luck!

Alex

Happy to hear, because a bee sting is downright painful! Not mild at all.

Jellfish... just gross me out to no end. Terrify me. I wouldn't even want to touch one... stinging or not.

I feel better about the race and I have hope that there will not be jellyfish in the water!

[tribogota]

OK, why would they organize a race in which all of their swimmers are at a high risk for jellyfish stings? Isn't the Great USofA the land of lawsuits and high insurance premiums...races don't have the money for that kind of thing...
It must NOT be as serious as everyone thinks.
Anyway, the best case scenario is nothing happens! and the worst is to say "I got stung by jellyfish" and be irritated for some days. I got stung quite a few times as a child, sat on the beach and cried for a half hour and then went back in and swam around the rest of the day...(of course had to be all calamine lotioned up at night). (and I am sensitive to everything, get hives when I get bit by a mosquito)

[KSH]

Well I feel pretty good about the jellyfish not being where we are swimming, the Chester River.

I fly out in a few hours.

Will be swimming tomorrow morning!

Tested the sleeveless wetsuit on Wed in the pool. WOW! That was nice! It's the first time I wore a wetsuit and didn't hate it. I like sleeveless wetsuits! I hope it makes me super fast in the water! :)

I'll come back with a RR in a couple of days!

[HillSlugger]

Sure, I leave town just when you are arriving! :(

Good luck, have fun, and kick some azz!