Open Water: Disturbing and Humbling

I drove down to Chatfield reservoir this morning to meet my friend and coach, Eddie, for a little triathlon training. We'd start with a swim, then do a bike around the park for an hour or so, and then run 2 or 3 miles -- just to start getting the feel for the whole thing. The bike and the run was no problem. The swim however, was an entirely different matter.

Holy shit.

This was my first swim in open water. The plan was to get in, swim about 300 meters (yards, basically) to a little sand bar out in the middle of the lake, and then swim 300 meters back to shore. I don't think I can communicate the psychological impact of the obvious differences between pool swimming and open water swimming: cold water temperature; deep, deep water; no visibility to see the bottom; no concrete wall to grab on to when you get tired; and the omnipresent FACT that you MUST make it to where you're swimming.

They have a word for not making it to where you're swimming. And that word is drowning.

See, in a pool, if you get tired (and I do -- all the time), you're always at least 25 meters from a wall, and frequently, you can just stand up. Voila! Not so, in a deep ass lake or reservoir.

Okay. So suffice to say, the above factors, combined with my tiny, newbie swimmie ability, conspired to raise my heart rate to the piont where I could basically only do freestyle for like... 30 or 40 meters before I ran out of breath.

Can you say UTTERLY HUMBLING?

I made it to the sand bar. Where Eddie and I had what could best be described as a "therapeutic conversation". And I made it back to shore. But it was UGLY. I was essentially breast stroking, side stroking, back stroking, doggie paddling and otherwise having a moderate aquatic freakout next to a guy who has literally done something like 12 Ironman Triathlons (2.4 MILE swim + 112 MILE bike + 26.2 MILE run).

Thankfully, Eddie is a super guy and a fabulous coach. He just said, "Well, you did it! Now you know what it's like. Trust me, it's going to be easier next time, and easier after that."

I AM glad I did it. And before I got 20 feet back onto blessed, beautiful dry land, I had already made my mind to go back once a week and do MORE open water swimming until it feels comfortable.

Now I'm pissed.