5 weeks to go to the 20th Annual Chicago Masters' Big Shoulders Open Water 2.5k and 5k swim.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway of Swimming! But without the flags!
www.bigshoulders.org
This swim is also part of the USMS H2Open Series and the Great Lakes GLOWS series, all compelling reasons to attend the church of the 5k butterfly.
For those unfamiliar with the venue, swimming can be done at Ohio Street Beach any day (short of bacterial counts high enough to close the beach), so a trial swim along the seawall in the days preceding the meet is easily done.
Lake Michigan temp has been much warmer this summer. We don't need woollen leggings and ski caps after a 6 a.m. swim.
:)
I have to say this was an interesting experience for me to say the least. I have only been in open water twice in my life and that was purely recreational and definitely not with these conditions (water temp 62, 2+foot plus waves) I got in the water with my group and waited a very long minute to start. I looked around at everyone and announced "I'm really cold and needa hug!!!" We took off and I spent the first 300 yards in a state of panic, hyperventilating the whole way. I got myself under control and once I got to the first marker buoy I knew I'd be okay. I caught a few waves that made me swallow and choke on water and never really could get a rhythm going. After the first lap I thought about quitting but I wanted to tell my 9yr old son that I finished the whole thing. The last lap wasnt about time....it was just about finishing.
I'm no stranger to distance or tough workouts...I can do a 500free in 5:30 so I'm in okay shape.. But this event wasnt so much a physical test as much as it was a mental test.
I've got it in my head that after finishing this race under these conditions that any workout, any goal, swimming or otherwise....will seem easier to attain:applaud:
I have to say this was an interesting experience for me to say the least. I have only been in open water twice in my life and that was purely recreational and definitely not with these conditions (water temp 62, 2+foot plus waves) I got in the water with my group and waited a very long minute to start. I looked around at everyone and announced "I'm really cold and needa hug!!!" We took off and I spent the first 300 yards in a state of panic, hyperventilating the whole way. I got myself under control and once I got to the first marker buoy I knew I'd be okay. I caught a few waves that made me swallow and choke on water and never really could get a rhythm going. After the first lap I thought about quitting but I wanted to tell my 9yr old son that I finished the whole thing. The last lap wasnt about time....it was just about finishing.
I'm no stranger to distance or tough workouts...I can do a 500free in 5:30 so I'm in okay shape.. But this event wasnt so much a physical test as much as it was a mental test.
I've got it in my head that after finishing this race under these conditions that any workout, any goal, swimming or otherwise....will seem easier to attain:applaud:
