For new readers

To get an idea of what I'm trying to do and why I think it's possible, check out the following entries, they'll help get you up to speed.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Tea Time

Robert Treuer in the Red.  Photo courtesy of Grand Forks Herald.
I did my first swim in the red river of the north last monday.  I figured since i'm putting on a race that has a few hardcore individuals flying in from all around the country that takes in 27 miles of the waterway i better have damn well been in it at least once.  Truth be told, i do tentatively plan to try the full 27 miles the week before the race - not so much to vet the course but rather to placate my own need to know if i can.

but getting back to this first swim - it was fantastic.  Robert Treuer, co race director is going to swim the event on the day of and has been training in the river for months (with  a wetsuit however), logging regular 7+ mile swims along its length.  My wetsuits are all too small for me now that my legs have become slightly more muscular from the 'big upper body but chicken legs' days when i bought them, but monday was nice and warm and i was only going to be swimming for about 30 minutes so i thought i could manage without.

It was fantastic to be in open water again.  it's crazy to think that people swim in pools when there are other options.  Imagine running 5 miles by going back and forth on a single block... even though i have swam competitively and spent my time staring at the black line i can't really fathom going back - this is one reason why i confined my winter swimming to 15 minute sessions. But in that river - slicing through that water that reminded me of good old unsweetened iced tea - man i felt like i just wanted to swim forever.  which is a good thing  i think, because if i'm to manage those 27 miles in five weeks time, it might take me pretty near that long....

No comments:

Post a Comment