Dear April,
Congratulations! You are now registered for Splash N' Dash Aquathlon......
On a whim. I registered for an Aquathlon. Absurd right? 1/4 mile swim?
The extent of my swimming for the last 15 years has been sitting at the edge of the ducky pool at our local water park watching kids play in the ankle deep water. Can I swim? Sure. I was a lifeguard in high school....FIFTEEN YEARS AGO!!! It's got to be like riding a bike though right? Except if you stop swimming you drown.:(
Did I mention the swim is an open water swim in the Tennessee River? Yucko! Have you seen the TN river? I'm not a fan of swimming in lakes, rivers, or streams unless you can see the bottom. In the Tennessee River you can't see your hand in front of your face.
So, not sure what I was thinking. A running friend of mine encouraged me to sign up and told me it would be a great intro into the world of Tri's... she said I would have no problem finishing...this coming from a lady that does tri's on a regular basis. Maybe I should have told her I haven't swam in years.
I'm panicking(can you tell?)
I don't even own a pair of goggles. What do I wear? What do I put at the transition area?
It is a 1/4mile swim and a 5k run..
I would appreciate and advice on gear(goggles, apparel,etc) and tips on the swim. For most of you this is just a "baby" swim, but for me it might as well be crossing the Atlantic!! They provide the swim cap...I have never even put a swim cap on...this could be very, very, very entertaining.
Oh and BTW......the race is this Saturday.
Advice please?!
Grace and peace,
4 comments:
OM Goodness! I can't believe you did that on a whim. I am sure your lifegaurd days will kick in and help you through the 1./4 mile. I don't open water swim at all. I rarely if ever in the past 10 years ride. Moral support is all I'm good for on this one!
Never done a Tri, so I have no advice on transitions. Just remember your breathing from your lifeguard days, and don't rush yourself. If you get nervous, your muscles will tense, which equals sinking. Focus on keeping your body flat on the surface of the water and using good technique on your strokes. The nice thing about open water, no flip turns!
And I highly recommend the use of a swim cap. I always end up eating my hair if I try to swim without one. Get a good one-piece suit, hit the pool once before Saturday and refresh yourself on stroke/breathing technique and you'll do great!
HA!! that is awesome. No advice...just good luck!! you will have a blast.
that's the kind of event that i LOVE!
just remember that the swim + run + transition time between the two are all part of the race. You don't want and extensive costume change.
reading comments above, i always wear a swim cap to keep my hair out of my face and my goggles in place.
main advice....HAVE FUN!
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