I attempted my first open water swim of the year this past Tuesday. I took all my cold water play toys and went to the pond knowing the temperature, both ambient and water, were as high as they were likely to be for awhile. It was a colossal failure. Or more accurately, I managed to stay in the water for a whopping 304 feet. No, that is not a typo: 304 feet, according to my Garmin who may have tried to flatter me.
The water was a warm 56 degrees, warm for a real cold water swimmer. I have never qualified in my own mind as a real cold water swimmer. In my defense, this was my first cold water exposure since late last winter and spring. Not only that, but I have spent some time in the Endless Fool where the water has been as high as 110 degrees. No, that is not a typo either. However you slice it, I just couldn't take it. Despite a wetsuit and a copious amount of duct tape on my face, the cold was more than I could endure. It made my bones hurt.
The good news is I got to swim at DSU that night after hugging my daughter and granddaughter. I did
1,100
4 X 500 1st small paddles, 3rd medium paddles
7 X 100 as 50 kick (with fins) and 50 swim
750 small paddles
16 X 100 @ 2:00 holding 1:30 and slowing to 1:35 at the end
4 X 50 @ 1:00 holding :45
Total: 6,350 yards.
Wednesday I went back to the farm. The temps were a little higher than predicted and I have now more time than in the past, so I headed for the pond. I failed once more. Royally.
The weather has been pretty nice for the last week, about as good as it is likely to be for some time with another cold front on the way. I remember when Southern winters were a thing of delight, mild and warm with only an occasional cold front to make things interesting. People were always fussing about how hot it was, but you never heard me complain. This, however, is the fifth year in a row where warm is the occasional and cold is the norm.
So I went to the pond Wednesday afternoon. With no night class, I am eager to use my new found freedom to advance my training for the Chicot Challenge. I can't currently run so that leaves swimming, weight lifting, and biking. I'm just not in the mood for biking. So back to the pond.
Tuesday when the water was 56, I bombed out after 304 feet. With the warm days and one exposure under my belt, I figured I just might pull it off. I tapped out after only 120 feet. The water was 52 at my first check, but before I left it measured 50. WHAT?!?!?!?
I think I wrote about this once in the past, the unexpected phenomena of the pond cooling when it logically should warm or at least hold its on. It has to do with upwelling and which way the wind blows. When the wind is out of the north, the ponds, or the one I am swimming now, cools rather than warms. It's not that the wind is cold, it's the way it turns the water over and pushes up cold water from the bottom with insufficient time to warm the surface water.
Maybe I should relax. All I need in January is two swims per week anyway. February I plan to go to three, making an extra trip to DSU on Fridays. By March I should be able to start sneaking in a fourth swim in the pond. Usually March offers me at least some short swims in my wetsuit. The main thing now is to work on strength, swim longer at DSU, and stay healthy. By April the ponds are warming enough to stay in for longer swims and last year Twin Rivers was pumped up by then.
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