Jim McDonnell Lake Swim - Swim

In two weeks, I went from my worst race to a PR. Ironic that the PR was on a lake swim, when it was a lake swim that had kicked my tail at Luray.

Additionally, it was the first time that I can recall that I actually passed someone - in any event - and the first time that I didn't finish last. Not that there's anything with that, as they say on Seinfeld. It's just that it provided me with an indicia of improvement when I sorely needed it.

But the best of all - this was the first time that I felt like a "real" swimmer. No garbage stroke, no panic. I just did a little breaststroke to warm up and took my time getting started. I tried to ignore other swimmers passing me and just focused on being loose and comfortable in the water. Y'know, it's one thing to talk about being comfortable in the water, it's quite different to actually *feel* it.

And feel it, I did. I don't know how it happened, but I just started to go with the flow (bad swimming pun - sorry). About 1/4 way into it, I decided to try freestyle. It was easy. Effortness, even. I just put my head down and concentrated on form. I tried to remember all of the help that Coach Frank and Coach Debi gave me and just put it into practice.

Coming around the last turn, I was really enjoying myself. Just had to get to the spillway. I didn't look at my watch, just navigated well (surprisingly) and swam. The spillway came much sooner than I expected, and the next thing I knew it, I was running up the ramp. I reached to stop my watch and couldn't believe my eyes. I had completed the swim in under an hour.

I was overjoyed. While I was swimming, I told myself that the time didn't matter. I was enjoying the process and trying to imprint how it felt for later recall. But when I saw my time - later confirmed by Lin-Mark - big waves of endorphins just came crashing over me. I ran to Frank, my wetsuit still on to my waist, and gave him a great big lake-water hug. As soon as I got home, I dashed to the phone to call Debi. I was a little girl on Christmas with a cool new toy.

This bodes well for Reston. It took me 1:13:33 to cover this course at last year's Jim McDonnell Swim, and then swam the much-straighter Reston course in :56:19. I've now taken almost 15 minutes off my time, so it looks very possible that I can finish the Reston swim leg in :45. This is what I'll have to do if I am to make my 3:45 overall goal.

All I have to do now is put in those laps and miles.