Saturday, October 4, 2014

Swimming Almost Naked

Tomorrow morning I am going to be swimming at IRONMAN'S Silverman 70.3...
and I will be doing it almost naked.

Almost.

It will be my first time to EVER compete in a triathlon that has an open water swim WITHOUT a wetsuit.

My first time EVER!!!

I am going NAKED, baby!!!! (well, almost).

I'll still be wearing my tri-shorts and a sports bra for the swim AND my Swim'It...
I would never swim in open water without my Swim'It.

(click above to find out about the myswimit)

but NO wetsuit.....for 1.2 miles.

We (a couple of my Train-n-Tri athletes and me) started our morning by dropping off our running gear at T-2 (transition 2).

Orietta, Shirley, me and Barb N. 

Orietta looks for her number on the bike racks.
We were some of the first people there, but we wanted to get our stuff done before the tri crowds hit and the temperatures soared.
Everything I need for my 13.1 mile run is in that bag. 

Shirley, Orietta, Ross and me.
We even made time to talk to friends!
I made Day 2 visit to the Eternal Water booth and said hi to Sidney. Eternal Water is one of my sponsors.

I even talked Orietta and Shirley into posing for the Eternal Water "Mirror".
Orietta, me and Shirley
My slogan on the Mirror: A Fun Way to Stay Fit!

We saw another of my athlete's, Barbara W., putting her run gear in T-2 and told her we would see her down at the lake for a swim.

We drove to Lake Mead to T-1 (transition 1)

Every triathlon with an open water swim I have ever entered I have used a wetsuit. I've never thought of myself as a swimmer and wetsuits help keep one, meaning ME, afloat.

(click the above link if you want to read about my swimming history)

But today I had to make a choice. Was I going to continue to be reliant on a wetsuit, or was I going to step up and BE a swimmer?

Because the water temperature at Lake Mead is so high, I can only wear a wetsuit if I want to be in the last swim wave AND if I don't want to be in the running (no pun intended) for awards or roll-downs for 70.3 championships.

The Ironman rules say wetsuits may be worn in water temperatures up to and including 76.1 degrees F. Any athlete who chooses to wear a wetsuit in water temperatures between 76.2 and 83.8 degrees F will not be eligible for age group awards, including Ironman 70.3 Silverman slots or rolldown slots.

AND....if I wear a wetsuit I was going to have to swim the LAST WAVE!!! 

Okay, I don't think I am going to make age group or rolldown slots, but I DO want to be free of the fear of swimming in open water without a wetsuit. 

I'm a little nervous, but not scared.
I know I can do it.
I swam in Lake Mead today for a practice swim WITHOUT my wetsuit. I was fine.


Orietta, me and Shirley on our way to our practice swim in Lake Mead.

The only way I'll be wearing my wetsuit tomorrow for Silverman 70.3 is if the water temperature gets below 76.2 and EVERYONE is wearing theirs.



After our swim, we took our bikes on a short ride to make sure everything was in good working order.

My athlete, Barbara W, also kicked her fear to the curb today and swam in Lake Mead without her wetsuit.
I'm so proud of her!!!

Tomorrow at the end of the day, I'll have my Silverman 70.3 finisher's medal.....


And so will my athletes!!!

Thank you Barb N. for making this awesome poster!!!!

See you at the finish line!












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