74 Degrees and Still Swimming

Scott and I met Iron Bill Causey at Lake Juliette Sunday afternoon and we finally got to try our wetsuits in open water. It was kinda cold, but otherwise fantastic - and not just because of the wetsuits, although they did make us faster. The reason it was so great was that I had forgotten how badly the pool sucks compared to open water. It's like the difference between running on a treadmill compared to outside. There's just no substitute for the real thing.

Swimming in open water has an almost meditative quality about it to me. I'm never more in the moment that when I'm swimming in the lake. You're forced to regulate your breathing when you swim. You can't listen to an iPod or talk to anyone while doing it. You don't have to look both ways before crossing a street or do flip turns at the end of a lane. And you're not distracted by traffic or dogs. Granted, the occasional snake, alligator or boat CAN be a bit distracting, but you take the good with the bad.

Anyway, triathletes have developed a reputation for training out there, so the park has made special arrangements for us this year. In the past, we'd always take off from this one area that's away from the boat ramp, but they've closed it to day users. Now it's reserved for campers and triathletes only. There's one catch - you have to buy a $35 year's pass. It’s totally worth it because you’d spend $3.50 every time you go anyway. Otherwise, you'd have to brave the boat ramp and the kiddies splashing around - much more dangerous than anything UNDER the water. :)

If you want to try it, go in the Dames Ferry entrance off Hwy 23 (Riverside Drive,) tell them that you’re a triathlete & give them cash. You’ll get a plastic hanger thingy with a big "T" drawn in black magic marker. And then you’ll KNOW you’re cool. So cool in fact that a gator every now & then will just make your day a bit more interesting. AND it'll make you swim faster, kinda like my runner buddy who learned to run faster in Iraq. There's nothing like incentive to get you moving.