Cauldron Swimming

Good morning.

Well, I finally got out to Lake Michigan yesterday and swam in the new wetsuit. Got the suit on just fine and had one of the lifeguards zip me up.

I walked into the water and was shocked that it was not that cold.

I was at Ohio Street Beach and my swim would be taking me north, directly into the waves, chop and swells. The conditions were not ideal. As I walked to the beach I was watching the action of the water. What happens is the water is pushed from the north, hits the retaining wall and bounces off. It then hits new in-coming water and causes big swells, big dipity do's. So, I new this would be a challenge. I figure if I can swim in stuff like this I can swim in almost anything.

So, I started off once I got in deep enough water. I swam for 50-100 yards and stopped. I thought, "wow, this is going to be difficult." I started again and as I went I thought I was swimming into an endless pool. I decided to turn this swim into approx 100 yard intervals. I would go for a while and then stop to catch my bearings. Then I would start again. One minute I am going fine and the next a big swell would take you up and then down, the waves would hit you. Sometimes your arm would barely be out of the water for the next stroke. Swallowing water, yes. MMM good.

I actually had the thought that to try a swim like this without a wetsuit could possibly kill you.

So, I kept going. I would stop and look back from where I started and that lifeguard stand looked pretty darn far away. I went approx 1/2 mile in the choppy cauldron.

Time to turn around. This was much easier. Still, I had to deal with the action of the water which was pushing me towards the retaining wall. I had to swim on a slight diagonal to compensate.

The 1 mile swim with all it's starts and stops took me about 48 minutes. As I think about that time, it's really not all that bad considering the conditions.

It was hard to tell the speed benefits of the wetsuit, but, for sure, it's bouyancy kept me alive. I was never nervous during the open water swim. If I can swim in this and stay relaxed then I feel I can swim in anything.

I do look forward to a calm swim to see the speed benefits of the wetsuit though.

Today is a Brick workout with a 20 mile bike ride on the trainer followed by my long run. I may run 10.


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" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."

* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin