Buckeye Lake Trek Tri: The aftermath

[NDIrishO3]

Wow! I did the Trek tri and I was joking with my husband afterwards that I was going to end up with some hideous disease after swallowing the lake water - it was pretty gross! I am a very strong swimmer (swam competitively for 10 years, it's the bike and run that I struggle with), so swimming in open water has never bothered me, but it was a little weird to see nothing but brown underwater - that couldn't be healthy. I have been fine since the tri but it is interesting to know that you've had issues.

[artifactos]

The race director replied to my email saying that they have not gotten any other reports like mine, but that she will share my email with the rest of the race organizers.

Now.. maybe I should just go do the OWS in the Wednesday night tri while I'm still on antibiotics and the evil little bacteria (that aren't quite as bad in Caesar Creek) can't cause as much damage. Sigh.

[colby]

Well, you're on antibiotics this week, so I guess the biggest risk is that you get exposed to something else and your immune system is already taxed.

Normally, swimming in better water, your immune system can take it. Make sure that you are well hydrated and up to snuff on your nutrition and your immune system can do the rest in most open water situations. Maybe after this experience take care to clean any open wounds very well after the race? I wouldn't let it keep me from racing, but I am super stubborn.

[artifactos]

I doubt I will do the race tomorrow, as much as I would like to. I have a yeast infection today, so the thought of cycling or running makes me cringe. I'm rather uncomfortable.

I need to check on the rules again, but I may not be able to swim at all for a couple weeks, since I know our Rec center has rules against swimming during/after skin infections or illness in general. Sigh. It would be hard to deny it with a big ol' red lump on my calf..

[colby]

I doubt I will do the race tomorrow, as much as I would like to. I have a yeast infection today, so the thought of cycling or running makes me cringe. I'm rather uncomfortable.

I need to check on the rules again, but I may not be able to swim at all for a couple weeks, since I know our Rec center has rules against swimming during/after skin infections or illness in general. Sigh. It would be hard to deny it with a big ol' red lump on my calf..

Rather uncomfortable sounds modest.

It sounds like others who were in the race who also feel like the water was icky and not appropriate for swimming should email these guys and let them know. Last year I did an Olympic distance race in a lake that was then found to have unacceptable levels of bacteria in it, and I recall afterward feeling really icky, more than normal. I assumed it was due to the heat, but I really don't think so. I like the race otherwise, but, seriously gross.

[OakLeaf]

I did let them know. I hope others do. But I think the majority of people who know the condition of the lake just didn't enter the race. I made that point in my survey too. I think they would've had a lot more participation if they'd had it at Hoover Dam or even Dillon (which is no prize itself, but better than Buckeye Lake).

[OakLeaf]

I don't think you're being a baby at all, but I think once you're recovered from this mess, a bit of neosporin is plenty to protect you in the future. Just a dab wherever your skin is broken, wouldn't take long to apply.

I had a paper cut the week before the race, and it did worry me a bit. Before the race I slathered it with neosporin and put a band-aid on it. The band-aid came off in the water (my own little contribution to the muck in the lake ), but the cut was as healthy and pristine the day after the race as it was the night before. (I also wore silicone earplugs since I'd just gotten over a case of swimmer's ear from the pool.)

I don't know if you were ever into those sensory-deprivation flotation chambers that were popular in the '80s, but they'd just tell you to put a dab of vaseline on any broken skin, so that the salt water wouldn't burn. It sealed the water out fine.