First OWS of the season

Ugh! It's like learning to swim all over again.

My SO and I went for an easy 1/2 hour run and then went to Donner Lake for me to do a 1/2 hour swim. She was going to watch from shore while I swam.

Getting into the wetsuit was no fun. I have to relearn that each season. Then, because it's sleeveless and the water was supposed to be in the mid 60s, I put on the wetsuit sleeves and a warmer cap. By the time I'd walked to the water I was cooking in all of that gear. But it did make the water feel warm.

I've been doing 2000-2500 yds in the pool. I didn't expect to have trouble with around 1500 yds. Well, I got rocked around by the waves, and the cold water in my ears gave me vertigo, and I had to watch out for boaters, and... It was like swimming for the first time. I flailed.

I only managed to swim for about 20 minutes.

I guess I'm going to have to go to the lake more. feh Even without the wetsuit, the pool is MUCH easier. Why do I forget that every year?

I normally find OWS less claustrophobic and competitive than pool swimming (and really like not having to be interrupted by turns), but with cold water below 60 and current/waves I get grumpy.

As painful as it is, just be glad you're doing it now - you will really thank yourself later (I know you already know this, but maybe if we all say it, you'll feel less dorky). I wish I could have got more OWS time in before I had to do it for real. I only got one day - the day before my race. :) I felt like a newb the first time I got in the water and my ears felt weird and I had trouble orienting. After that first time everything felt better (then the waves and current just made me feel SLOW).

I hate those neoprene caps, they make my ears feel so enclosed. I have one and wore it last year in 59-degree water, it definitely helped, but I am glad to not have to wear it most of the time. I guess if I wanted to start open water swimming sooner, I'd have to get used to it. Ear plugs just freak me right out.

I like to OWS with a kayaker to keep the boats away... one less thing to worry about. Well, usually. Some boaters don't give a crap about a kayaker any more than they do a swimmer. :rolleyes: