I've been fascinated with swimming the English Channel since 1999 when I took a ferry across it and thought, "you'd have to be mental to swim this". Someday I'd like to be that mental. Someday far away. For now I'll do small open water swims. My very first race is in a few weeks and it's in a local reservoir called Deer Creek. It's ridiculously beautiful. That is one of the draws of open water swimming. Instead of stupid tiles at the bottom of the pool, you get to look around at gorgeous scenery! Better, yes?
Anyway, last weekend there was a clinic that was held by the organizers of the Deer Creek Open Water Marathon Swim. I am SOOOO happy that I went. I had been having nightmares about this race. I'm not the kind of person who takes something on and doesn't finish so I knew that no matter how tough it got (even if I were on the brink of death), I would finish this race. Granted it's only a 5K, so this is not highly likely. Also, the temperature of the reservoirs has taken its sweet time rising this year since we had a very long spring. I'm a cold wimp. I'm also claustrophobic and a purist and hard core open water swimmers (I am not claiming to be a hard core open water swimmer but aspire to be one) DO NOT wear wet suits. I can't stand the way they feel and I thought I would die of shame if I had to wear one. Turns out, Deer Creek is going to be plenty warm. 72 (22) balmy degrees!! Huzzah! I was literally having dreams that people on my swimming chat site were making fun of me for wearing a wet suit.
SO, needless to say, the clinic was massively helpful. We did some drills, swam a bit, I tried out the cursed wetsuit and I calmed the heck down. Lovely.
Seriously. I mean, seriously.
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Here we are getting ready to go. I'm in the blue cap, hidden by yellow cap speedo man.
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Simulating a "race start". I'll always be at the back of the pack. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Blue cap. Notice how my head is down? Good form ;).
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All the group at the clinic. Fun fun fun!
Hopefully this race will be grand adventure. I just found out that I'll be running a marathon relay about a month after this so... Um, go me?
Peace out!
13 comments:
You just found out that you'll be running a marathon? Don't you have to volunteer for doing things like that?
Good for you for going outside and doing the thing you love! I've been thinking a lot lately about how to get the exercise my mental health requires and get the sun my mental health requires and not do the hating it that is so detrimental to my mental health.
ooohhhh look at you go, and I thought aquacise was adventurous :)
go you, indeed.
i'm seriously impressed!
Ok. You are WAY more kick-ass than I originally thought. Are there any creatures down there?
Good luck to you. That is awesome!! I grew up on lakes and can't imagine swimming a 5K (I can hardly run one!) You know what would be a great photo opp? Wear the wet suit and float on your back like an otter with you knitting.
You're going to rock the open water party. Love you.
of course go you! How great is an open water swimming clinic? Glad you feel better and glad you did it!
Who are you and what have you done with Heidi?
That looks so fun!
I just wish we got temperatures in our lakes and sea so I could go swimming too ;) I'm not very found of public swimmingpools...
But I'm lucky if I dare to dip my toes ;)
Swimming is the only exercise I- sort of- like...but I don't like swimmingpools, and I want the sea to be more than 20C, so...there are seldom chances for me to practise...;-)
Good luck on your swim- and the running! You are crazy.
So how did you do? Did you have fun and will you do it again?
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