swimming in a murky lake

[Lise]

DB, the practice sessions sound like a brilliant idea. I do much better at a race when I can imagine each step ahead of time.

So now you've swum in the lake, and you can start imagining yourself doing it again, handling each challenge calmly, swimming strongly, etc.

I learned how to swim in Lake Michigan, and am more comfortable swimming in open water. When I was a teen, a friend died when he hit his head in a pool, and I wouldn't swim in pools for years. It took me a good deal of swallowing hard to get back in the pool. The only reason I did was to train for tris. Many of us have our "thing" about swimming/being in certain kinds of water.

One thing to remember is that if weeds are touching you, it means the bottom's not far down, therefore you could put your feet down at any time. For some people that's very comforting. Like Nanci, I think of weeds as friendly, keeping the lake healthy, stuff like that. I'm a bit freaked about the tri I'm doing next week. I've never swum in that lake (a spring fed lake in Wisconsin); my fear is that it's really deep. (and...what? I'm going to sink like a stone? Fears are not rational!) One thing to know is that you will have lake debris on your skin when you peel off your clothes after the race. You're not going mouldy. It will wash off!

Have a great time. L.

[KSH]

Thanks, KSH, for the tip about staying to the outside away from the buoys. I'm gonna be putt-putting, and one of the women at work keeps saying I need to stay to the INside, but that'd mean I'd get run over!

Well, people who want to swim the shortest distance possible... like to stay on the inside.

They do this because:

1) They want the best time possible- so they are highly compeitive and WILL swim over you to shave a few second off.

2) Are not confident they can make the distance... and want to make it as short as a swim as possible.

So, if you are confident with your swimming and you don't want to get run over... stay on the outside... most people don't go there.

I have done 3 open water swims in races... and one was a HIM (relay team), and I have NEVER been run over, hit, beaten up, kicked, etc. WAIT! I was kicked once, as the exit area was all jumbled up... and they guy who kicked me apologized.