Open water swim

A few weeks back after many many months of deliberating about entering a triathlon I have taken the plunge, so to speak, and booked an open water training session for this Saturday morning.  Whilst most triathlon events have now ceased for the winter, and in their place are Duathlons, I am going swimming in a lake.  There is an obvious reason for that curtailment of the swimming as anyone who has been out early any morning this week.  It's cold!

My cycle to work on Tuesday and Thursday were fantastic early morning blasts.  The air was cold and crisp and it was a pleasure to work hard because the body stayed cool.  The journeys home were much warmer.

But I digress.  The swim element of the triathlon has consistently put me off entering as I first went to the London Triathlon back in 2007.  The sight of the mass start of swimmers in the London docks just scared me if I am honest.  I am a swimmer in that I enjoy swimming lengths of a pool and although not fast feel reasonably strong.  The last time I recollect being in fresh open water would have been at school when I capsized a canoe! 

Now my logic for going for a swim now is that whilst the air temperature is falling the water temperature will not have fallen so fast and, secondly, there won't be such a large differential between water and air temperatures .  Well that is the logic.  I am apprehensive even though I know I am going to be with an experienced coach and will be working with him on a one to one basis. 

When I made the booking he asked  'Have you swum open water before?' I said 'No, never' to which his response was 'Good, so you won't have developed any bad habits!'  Interesting.

Well I am heading down to Laybourne Lakes to meet Richard from Team Outrageous for my swim training tomorrow morning.  A post on how I got on will follow later this weekend.