BETA!!! Welcome! (Oh, yeah, you're being assimilated into the Borg--I mean triathlon board--even as you read this!)

(where's the emoticon for evil laughter...?! )

I *do* swim down there by Ohio St. beach sometimes. It is a great place to do open water swims. Word to the wise: Don't leave your stuff on the sand. Only because that is some of the stickiest sand I've ever encountered. If you come out of the water onto the sand, you will be washing sand off for days. Now I understand why people leave their stuff by their bikes and climb back out of the water at the ladder closest to the beach. There's a bouy 1/4 of a mile out. There may be another one further along, heck if I'd know, I've never swum farther out than that!

It is wonderful that you were a competitive swimmer. That is the hardest part for me, so you will do fine. Aquabike races were invented for people who can't do the run for whatever reason. It sounds great. I'm really happy for you.