First Open Water Swim

Well...now I've gone and done it! I've signed up (and paid) to swim an open water 5K on October 21st (next Saturday). For those who don't want to do the math...a 5k is 3.2 miles.

It's the 3rd Annual Daiquiri Deck Tropical Splash in Sarasota, Florida @ Siesta Key Beach. It will be my first ever competitive swim in the ocean.

I am most likely heading down there alone...but of course won't be swimming alone. I'm guessing a few hundred swimmers. They will have "emergency personnel in watercraft" and it's parallel to the beach with marine buoy markers.

Dave is out of town hiking in Northern California...otherwise I'm sure he'd be driving down there with me. It's only about an hour south from Tampa...so I'll be getting up early (ugh) that morning to make the trip. I'll be back the same day...hopefully with a finishers medal! (notice I didn't say trophy or winning medal!)

It will be a great experience...it's only 1/4 of the Key West distance...but enough to give me an idea of what I'm in store for come June. I'm hoping I find a few more swims between now and June...but most competitive swimming events are pool meets. Not the same thing!

Training is still going well...I did 4.25 last Sunday in about 2 hours 36 minutes. So I'm keeping on track with time and managing to increase my distance a little at time. I'm also still making my night practices with TBAC...in fact I'm leaving here in about 15 minutes to hit practice.

Next weeks competition will obviously count as my distance work out for the weekend...even though it's less distance then I've been doing...I fear it may be more difficult due to waves/chop, etc. Guess we'll see, eh? Oh...haven't quite hit the gym yet for weight training...having too much pain with my carpal tunnel and worried that I'll make that worse. Need to get that under control first and then I'll be lifting weights!

Well...I'll be back in touch after the 21st. Wish me Luck!

dianne