Big Shoulders and the Swim that wasn't

Big Shoulders did not become the swim that I was expecting.  The water temp was 63, the swells were pretty big, and the morning started off miserably cold.  I decided on Friday, when I left my wetsuit at home, that I was going to try this with just a swim suit.

Was it a failure?  Well, no.  I learned a lot.  I learned that 63 is a temperature that I will wear a wetsuit for.  I learned that I need to become a bit stronger to handle the swells.  And I learned that it is OK to raise my hand and stop.  I had a lot on my mind as I entered the water.  I know I was not prepared well.  I made it to the first bouy and came back in.

Next year will be different.  This year, I had 5 OWSs.  2 were events.  Next year, I will be practicing much more often in OWS conditions.  Hopefully, I will get a few rough swims in.

1 week from Big Shoulders

I'm really getting excited for the next 5k in Chi-town!  It's a little more than a week away and I've been able to get some good swims in this week.  Tuesday, I started with a bit of kicking and then swam 3500, alternating breathing each lap.  Time at 2 miles was right around 60 minutes.  Last night, I decided to do another 3500 without worrying about alternating breathing.  First mile was 27 minutes.  Second was 25 minutes.  Total time was 56:09.

I'm going to be happy with another 2 swims up @ 2+ miles before the craziness starts next week.