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July 19, 2007

Nature's Interference

Last night I headed down to the beach for some open water swimming. Our coaches were late, so once it was 6:30 and the other girls and I had our wetsuits on we just jumped right in and got started. Not even 10 minutes later, there was a lightning strike off in the distance, a rumble of thunder, and the lifeguards closed the beach and kicked us out of the water. I had gotten in 200 yards. Maybe.

On one hand, I was bummed that my workout got cut short. On the other? The swim was not feeling all that great, so I wasn't exactly crying over the fact that I wasn't going to have to suffer through another 600 yards. I don't know what it is, but open water swimming continues to frustrate me. I get in the pool, and I feel smooth, strong, and while I'm not speedy I feel like I'm making good progress through the water. I get in the lake and it's like I forget everything I know about swimming and my legs are flailing around and I just can't get into a rhythm and how am I EVER going to swim an entire mile in 5 weeks without dying?

I'm telling myself that the swim just got off to a bad start because I wasn't warmed up yet. That, and my legs were all over the place because I'm still getting used to the extra butt-buoyancy and the wetsuit provides. And that as long as I keep swimming in the lake as much as I can for the next 5 weeks, I will be A-OK for race day. I keep telling myself that because it's the only way to avoid falling into the despair spiral that starts with, "Why did I ever think I could do this?" And as we all know, that's completely counterproductive.

So, I will swim in the lake. I will get used to the wetsuit. And I will be just fine for the swim on race day. Just. Fine.

Posted by Dawn at July 19, 2007 09:20 AM

Comments

Posted by: Rachel at July 24, 2007 06:58 AM