That was my number for my first trial tri. It was the Flat as a Pancake Tri http://www.sbrli.com/patanellas-flat-as-a-pancake-triathlon.html and we registered for it the day before we did it. My plan was to see if I was really ready to do an open water swim. In THEORY, I was ready. I had done a 1/2 mile swim in the pool several times. But the question was, was I really ready to do a 1/4 mile swim in open water with no end of the pool to touch, no ropes to hang on to if I felt unsafe...no nothing, just open water?
On the day of the swim, I remember looking at the water, looking at my two friends, Jody and Kara, and saying with fear in my heart, "you have to stay with me." Two minutes (not even) into the race, I looked at Kara, who looked at me asking with serious concern (really fear) on her face, "are you ok?" At that point, I decided that there was no way I was going to be able to not touch the bottom of the ocean...swimming was not going to happen for me on that day.
I decided that I was going to get out of the water, but my pride would not let me get out completely. So I walked, swam (only if I could touch the bottom) and finished my "swim" .
My take-aways from this trial run was that I was not ready to swim in open water and that I needed more practice in a more controlled environment i.e. someone swimming right beside me ready to save me if I started to drown. The good news is that I learned that I was ready for the biking and the running. So my focus has been on swimming.
On the day of the swim, I remember looking at the water, looking at my two friends, Jody and Kara, and saying with fear in my heart, "you have to stay with me." Two minutes (not even) into the race, I looked at Kara, who looked at me asking with serious concern (really fear) on her face, "are you ok?" At that point, I decided that there was no way I was going to be able to not touch the bottom of the ocean...swimming was not going to happen for me on that day.
I decided that I was going to get out of the water, but my pride would not let me get out completely. So I walked, swam (only if I could touch the bottom) and finished my "swim" .
My take-aways from this trial run was that I was not ready to swim in open water and that I needed more practice in a more controlled environment i.e. someone swimming right beside me ready to save me if I started to drown. The good news is that I learned that I was ready for the biking and the running. So my focus has been on swimming.
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