Ok, so the more they email me, the more I get nervous about the water temp. Last year it was 69 which stung to get in, but it made for a nice swimming temp. By the end, though, my fingers and toes felt a little numb, but that could have been tired (??).
But this year, it could be up to 10 degrees colder?! What to do when the coolest water I can find here in Cincinnati is 80?
Of all the factors that Andy had to overcome, what really strikes me as incredible is the fact that he left in the 3rd wave! I've done numerous open water swims and I found it next to impossible to weave through earlier waves as it's so difficult to keep a straight course when going around people, slingshot effect or not.
I went in the second wave and I passed lots of swimmers from near the first triangular buoy on. There were a couple times when I thought I might get boxed in, but luckily that never happened. I don't, however, think I really got a draft advantage from anyone I passed. For the most part the swimmers I passed were going much slower than I was and I went right by them.
So, no, I don't think going in a later wave was a huge disadvantage.
Of all the factors that Andy had to overcome, what really strikes me as incredible is the fact that he left in the 3rd wave! I've done numerous open water swims and I found it next to impossible to weave through earlier waves as it's so difficult to keep a straight course when going around people, slingshot effect or not.
I went in the second wave and I passed lots of swimmers from near the first triangular buoy on. There were a couple times when I thought I might get boxed in, but luckily that never happened. I don't, however, think I really got a draft advantage from anyone I passed. For the most part the swimmers I passed were going much slower than I was and I went right by them.
So, no, I don't think going in a later wave was a huge disadvantage.
