I plan on doing the Big Shoulders Swim in Chicago next month for the first time. Will drive up from Cincinnati on the day before. If I go to the Ohio St. Beach the afternoon/evening before, is it likely that I will get in a warm-up swim?
If not, is there another place on the lake that would be good to get used to the lake? I have a reciprocating Y membership that will get me into the Lakewood Y, but I'd rather swim in the lake instead of a 20y pool.
Thanks for the help, and to all of you who have said that this OWS is addictive, you can say that again.
Parents
Former Member
Well, I wussed out of Big Shoulders. Why? because I decided that to get up at 4 am for the nearly 3 hr drive to the race, only to get there and discover the water temp under 70 degrees,(reported to be 67 late Friday) causing me not to swim, that wasnt a chance I was willing to take. To bad, as I actually was looking forward to my first swim in Lake Michigan (going to do the 2.5 k) and first swim with that many participants. The problem, you see, is the only pool available to me is kept at 85 degrees year round,(water aerobics class disease, Pool director says," I dont think it is all that warm") which makes it tough to go swim in a 67 degree lake. I swam a few days in a local lake but it was above 80 (small lake). Next year I will find a colder lake and perhapse swim for the two weeks leading up to Big Shoulders in it alone. Anyone else have the same problem? What do you do to compensate for the difference in temperature? Am I just to big a wuss?
Well, I wussed out of Big Shoulders. Why? because I decided that to get up at 4 am for the nearly 3 hr drive to the race, only to get there and discover the water temp under 70 degrees,(reported to be 67 late Friday) causing me not to swim, that wasnt a chance I was willing to take. To bad, as I actually was looking forward to my first swim in Lake Michigan (going to do the 2.5 k) and first swim with that many participants. The problem, you see, is the only pool available to me is kept at 85 degrees year round,(water aerobics class disease, Pool director says," I dont think it is all that warm") which makes it tough to go swim in a 67 degree lake. I swam a few days in a local lake but it was above 80 (small lake). Next year I will find a colder lake and perhapse swim for the two weeks leading up to Big Shoulders in it alone. Anyone else have the same problem? What do you do to compensate for the difference in temperature? Am I just to big a wuss?
