My introspective thoughts about triathletes

What's wrong with taking the Brown Lab with you, put a doggy life vest on and I'm sure he/she would enjoy the swim!

BTW, I don't swim in 65F water even with a wetsuit on unless it's a race, I just don't have those cold weather mental powers anymore, I gave those up when I moved to FL years ago !

What great pics and great idea to bring your pooch along! During my OWS's this summer, our Golden Retriever followed me, thinking that I was in trouble - he's got this "rescue" instinct. He also tries to pull our pontoon boat to shore by the anchor line when we stop and swim off the boat.

Talking about "obsessive", this dog will swim all day long, or at least as long as I can throw his fetch toys. If I could teach him to ride a bike, he'd probably be a good triathlete.

I'll swim with you. The only problem is that you'll need to come to Maine. I figure there is a good month left of OWS and I'll take a cold lake on a 45 degree day over an endless blue line any day.

Where I swam all summer there was a couple who had a massive dog with a bright yellow jacket like this one. It was mostly so that boats could see the swimmers but they took their dog swimming 1 1/2 miles 3 times a week and the dog loved it! Sadly my dog - who just passed away - never liked the water so come next year I'm going to get myself a chocolate lab. Always wanted one. That way I know I'll have a permanent swimming partner

THAT'S AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

Having been at this for only one year and having only done 1 triathlon (OLY), I can see succinctly why people prefer to engage in this sport.

You get more back then what you put in.

There is no better competitor than yourself.

You get to challenge yourself three times in one day.

Three times the charm.

I did an ows in Eastern MA today. Come this way and I'll swim with you. Folks were at the beach eating their lunch and watching me probably wondering what the heck I was doing.

I didn't go across the pond today as there was a drowning in my town at another pond yesterday and I've heard it is illeagal to swim to the island and back which is my norm. Figured the police may be bit more cautious/vigilent today. My husband came and worked in the car watching me swim and my bike...and I did a swim/bike brick..it was great. Water was perfect...it was awesome!

It is a whacky world of triathlons...I think of the crazy things I've done to get my training in; weird weather; strange times of the day; all in an effort to train and have fun.

Umm, get as nuts as you want. It's a tri thing.

But, please, please dont OWS at 65 degrees with just a shore spotter, no wetsuit. Any OWS needs to be in a group, or chaperoned with someone that can pay attention, quickly. We've had two triathletes kick it in a 6 foot deep, yeah, 6 foot deep lake. Good triathletes, too.

B careful, please.....

These pics so remind me of an OWS incident I had recently.

While I still don't get overly-excited about solo swims in OWS in our lakehouse's protected little cove--I do it for the practice.  I know there's nothing scary in the water--nothing bigger than a 15-20# catfish.  And, I've only recently become "comfortable" (relative term here) swimming by myself in the cove (yes, the family keeps an eye on my from shore...well...sort of).

So, a couple weeks back, I'm plugging away practicing my sighting...I'm a good 150m off the shoreline when I start feeling something bump me from the side.  Driftwood?  Some other detritus I swam by (but didn't see)?  Never mind....just keep swimming.  Then, it happens again...and I try not to freak.  Then...something semi-claws me in the calf.... WTF was that?!?!  If I had my HRM on, the record would definitely have shown a serious spike in BPM's!

Turns out, it was the lab of one of the house renters nearby--who just wanted to come out and draft alongside me.  I started laughing, but it really did scare the bejesus out of me....