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(my good friend and swim pal, clarissa, found this beautiful piece of driftwood washed ashore)
when swimming in the lake, especially after a storm, one may encounter various flotsam and jetsam and the not so occasional dead fish.
rule no. 2- be sure to check bacteria levels before going for a swim after a recent storm.
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above: lake erie in all her glory. that is not a shark fin in the distance, it’s a swimmer!
eight days ago, i participated in my first open water swim. fortunately, the lake was calm and the sun was still high enough in the sky as to not blind us as we sighted from one rocky point to the next.
(rule no.1, when swimming in open water, never swim alone)
as we made our way away from shore, i fought to keep my mind and body relaxed, especially when staring into the murky green deep that is lake erie. (ridiculous thoughts crossed my mind, like, are there fresh water sharks? or better yet, does the lock ness monster really exist, in any form??) i was completely out of breath by the time we reached our first point, about 400 yards from shore. after a short break, we started again. I was able to relax a bit and realized quickly that staying calm was the most important thing i could practice at this point. i have the miles in, i know i can do the distance but swimming with hundreds of other athletes, with unpredictable lake conditions could potentially wear me out more than a mile of swimming.
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this past may, i began training for my first triathlon. i have set my sights on the cedar point half REV3, which is also referred to as a ‘half Ironman’
1.2 mi swim, 56 mi bike and 13.1 run.
it is rumored, that not only do you have to be slightly, um.. different to choose to participate in triathlons or triathlon culture, but apparently, to make a half REV3 your first, you are considered even more so.
i plan to use this blog to document and share my experiences along the way.
thanks for stopping by.
get outside.
