Gary went with me to the lake this evening so I could do my first open water swim (OWS). There were probably 30 other people at the beach, but I needed someone to keep an eye on me.
The other triathletes (those on http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/) say to at least get in an OWS once before your first tri, because it is a completely different experience from swimming in a pool.
Before I went, I was feeling apprehensive about the swim part of the race, in particular whether it would be required to wear a wetsuit (got no return phone calls from the race event people :( ) or whether I needed one based on my experience. I'm not saying that I have no apprehensions at all now, but I feel so much better about the swim portion.
(Wetsuits are typically required if it's under 74 degrees because they help keep you warm. The forecast for Saturday is 82 but that's the high. At 7:00 AM, it could be on that 74 degree edge.)
What's really unique about this race is that you can stand up at any point, you just can't walk it, of course. That makes me feel better about it.
My only mistake for this swim? Forgetting my nose plugs. Yes, I use noseplugs. I mean, I can suck in a lot of water during my swim or I can suck in a little. I choose a little!
I will go to the Y tomorrow for some more practice and I may run tomorrow evening. After that, I must do nothing more before the race on Saturday.
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