The Wet Suit Swim!

Tonight was our first wet suit swim... When the express train stopped for twenty minutes and just sat on the tracks on my way to practice, I got a bit nervous that I wouldn't make it. Once the subway moved, I hopped out and jumped on a local train up to 137th and ran right into one of my campers from my last summer at camp! Of course she already knew all about my Tri Training from my Facebook page... scary...

I made it to practice with just enough time to get my wet suit on and realize I had forgotten to pack a towel. No body glide allowed in the pool but it wasn't that bad to squeeze into the suit- I practiced last night! The wet suit is fine- my only issue is how tight it feels around my neck. I'm sure it fits the way it should, but i have a thing about having anything around my neck. I hate turtlenecks, I don't wear choker necklaces, I tie scarves very loose- I hate feeling suffocated. I know this is fear exists becausee of the number of times I've gone into anaphylaxis shock from my allergies. Having something around my neck makes me think about my throat closing. The fear of it all is so fresh and so vivid that just having the wet suit around my neck freaks me out. That's why I'm so glad I was able to practice swimming in it tonight before the open water swim on Saturday in Coney Island. I feel more relaxed now after tonight's practice.

We swam for 50 minutes in the wet suit and ten minutes without it. I could feel my body glide in the water. I felt the stretch as I moved side to side. It was fantastic- though my 2-beat kick still needs work. My endurance has picked up and so I moved from one of the slower lanes to the second to the fastest!

All of this brings back memories of my childhood summers spent on the swim team. I started when I was 4. I've always been a swimmer, I guess. At camp one year, M and I did the lake swim - so I have done open water before! I guess though, when you are out of practice for as many years as I have been, it takes awhile for the endurance to come back. Swimming is second nature, I am an Aquarius after all.

T