I went down to the lake for only my second OWS this season. I figured I should do it a few more times before the tri on July 15th.

An OWS is a completely different animal than swimming in the pool. It's not just because there's no wall to push off of and it's a LOT colder.

First, there's swimming in a wetsuit. Mine is sleeveless, so it's not restrictive at all. But it just FEELS different. That may be a "duh", but it changes my technique. I can't tell whether I'm still swimming properly.

Second, it's the boaters, kayakers, jet skiers, etc. that you have to keep an eye out for. I just assume that jet skiers are drunk no matter how early in the morning. I also have to assume that no matter how loud a pink my swim cap is, I'm invisible. So along with my usual spotting to see where the heck I am, I'm also poking my head up a lot to watch out for people.

Third, I didn't have a swimming buddy. There were a lot of people around the lake, but I was still a little nervous.

I was exhausted after only 30 minutes of swimming. Do you ladies get more tired in the open water, too? I remember the race swim being easier than swimming alone, but it's been a while (the swim was cancelled on my first race this year). Tell me the race will be easier than today... please...