lrobb's group full - the work is plentiful, success is guaranteed! (Page 12)

Yep - I'm doing a tri tomorrow am in Blackfoot, ID. The temp is supposed to finally be in the mid 70's (we had snow earlier this week).
Have the wetsuit ready, I bought a neoprene swim cap and a big jar of vaseline for that ice water!

I'm trying to get back on schedule with my training. Rough week for training. My body isn't registering that I NEED to get up at 5am. If at first you don't succeed --- TRY, Tri - again.

I made the switch to 5:00 am mornings once I realized that was going to be the only time I could get to the pool. It took a while, but now I wake up w/o the need of the alarm most days.

Sounds good Tiny. I'll have my kid with me most of next week, sometimes I take him down to Java Daves downtown and watch the trains if we're lucky.

I'm in KS for the 70.3 right now. I'm not sure my knee will hold up for the entire run though.

Edited by lrobb 2008-06-13 8:10 PM

wswope - good luck with your tri today! I hope you enjoy it despite the chilly waters. Sounds refreshing compared to what we have been experienceing here in the Mid-Atlantic - hazy hot and humid, bleeccchhh. Hey plan to get up to Couer d'Alene next week to see the IM race if you can. If you do cheer real loud for, and maybe throw small objects at, my coach, #1036.

I scratched on the swim - I panicked. Tomorrow I hit the lakes hard core to get over that - Im a strong swimmer, I don't know why I clutched.
They let me do the rest of the race but my motivation was lost

Cold open water swimming and getting banged around by others is scary the first couple of times you do it.

How is the visibility in your lakes,? Here some are crystal clear, others you cant see your wrist.

Tell us how your lake practice swims go.

wswope so sorry that happened. That's great you were permitted to do the rest of the race.

It's a very common experience, if that helps. Did I tell you my experience? Last year, we were having a run-through a week before our local tri. I freaked in the water. It was TOTALLY dark, opaque and gross. My training buddy would not even get in the water. So I did not even register for the race. She went ahead with the race, got in the water and freaked. I spent the rest of last summer OWswimming whenever and wherever I could. That plus swimming with others who were experienced helped a lot. I also felt really confident in my wetsuit for my first OWS race - I had been practicing in it for a few weeks. Still am not crazy about the yucky water in the lakes around here and I do NOT want to swim near anybody and am pathetically slow since I go out of my way to avoid others. So I have a long way to go w/OWS, too.

The very cold waters where you are is NOT helping the situation. But you will get there. You have got the right attitude.

Hang in there rswope.  This will just make you stronger

thanks everyone for the support
- I posted a notice with my club asking for partners to practice open water,
What's weird is I swam in the ocean as a teenager like a demon, I'd swim our so far I couldnt see land...and I loved it - what happens as we age anyway.
Thank you again; this is just something to learn and break through

Might have something to do with snow melt cold water and a couple hundred people within a few feet of you too.

Way different than warm salty ocean water that makes you more bouyant than lake water.

good point!

Don't worry about it, happens to a lot of people.

I skipped my first tri because when I went to practice an open water swim, I couldn't cope with having my face down in the lake water and wondering if I was sinking. Just this weekend me and 1400 friends decided to line up elbow to elbow and get after it, no problems at all!

A multiple Ironman finisher I know had to be pulled from the water his first couple of attempts, but he kept after it.

I do think there's something to us getting older and the realization that we're not invincible. I often recommend people to practice relaxing, flipping on your back, and just floating until you regain composure.

Get back out there and give'er!

Had fun volunteering at the womens only Danskin Disney tri yesterday.

Got to see my friend Christina finish number 3 overall out of 1332, and beat all but one of the elites.

Swim leg 1 minute 5 seconds per hundred yards.

On a good day she is 5 foot 2 inches tall.

Water was 80 degrees in the Disney lagoon at 6 am which was race time.

Yes Disney wants everyone out of the park before it opens to the general public. No free rides for the racers or volunteers.

My wife and I did our first open water swim today. I was very freaky at first I grew up in this lake have swam here hundreds of times but I have never been inclined to look under the water. We got over the panic of it after a few minuets. I then realized that where we were swimming if either of us got a cramp the other would never make it in time so we I had my wife start swimming back and forth to the shore. When we could touch with our hands we would turn around. This kept is lateral in the water and then we swam back out to where here dad was serving as a human buoy. This allowed us to be able to ensure we could touch at all times.

I guess it was the anxiety but this swim kicked my butt and I know I probably didn't go 500 yards. I drank water a couple of times but didn't freak out. I am going to hook up with an OWS coach for a few lessons before the tri to improve on my effort.

I was happy with the results even with out having a clue how far I went. I am definitely glad we got out and tried it out.

Edited by TheyCallMeTiny 2008-06-16 8:49 PM

That is the right way to do it Tiny. Better to do it now and get over the panic, than do it the first time on race day.

Open water is freaky at first. You did the right thing by staying close to shore in case something went wrong.

The next time you do it, it will be a little less scary. 10 times from now, it will be no big deal.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp...

Thread on swim panic

just joined the local tri group and 3 of us went and did a really low key OWS - that helped so much! No a bigger group of us are planning group bike rides and group runs as well as OWS.
Even though I was swimming with friends I knew they couldn't save me if I panicked but it was OK somehow..thank goodness fro tri friends

What a great thing to do Wendy!

Hey Tiny - sorry I haven't called. Been a crazy week coming off of vacation and trying to get my kid in his new class. You coming back through OK on your way back?

No big deal we were in OKC untill yesterday afternoon. We didn't really have a bunch of extra time anyway. Between my family, my wifes family, and three days of meetings, we didn't get boarded much. I am happy to report that we got in all of our training while traveling. We had to switch some things around because of swimming pool situations. Hotels seem to be putting in very small ones these days.

We called about 10 hotels asking about their pools while driving. We probably seemed like weirdos. Anyway we rode at Lake Hefner. I wanted to get in a really long ride but we were short on time due to in-law issues. We did get 15.7 miles in which is a personal distance best for a non stop ride.

Did a short reverse sprint today. 5k run, 8.5 mile bike 100 meter swim.

Finished in hour 3 minutes in 91 degree heat. Happy with my effort.

Best friend broke his collarbone on the bike portion, which is a bummer. His 3rd and probably last tri.

That is a bummer. I ran for the first time with my brother tonight. I convinced him that he needed to train for the triathlon with my wife and I. I am hoping that he does it and has a blast so we can do many more with me. I am very competitive with him so that is a great motivator for me to go fast.

Mike I hope that you read this so you can see me tell everyone that you are slow and need to run more.

I got a scape on my wetsuit - not an actual hole but it shaved a layer off. Anyone know where to go to get it repaired?

Getting awfully quiet in here.

17 miles on the bike today.