Over My Head?

I've been swimming pretty consistently for... a week now.  I'm going on two since I swam yesterday after work.  I always wonder if the greater workout really occurs while swimming laps or when attempting to get in and out of a Speedo.  The latter requires some dancing and tugging, that is for sure. 

I like swimming  more than I thought I would, especially in the summer.  I tried to swim with Jason during the winter months, but after a day of being cold, I could not bring myself to put on a bathing suit.  The summer months are much easier and it is a good thing too, now that I am doing the triathlon thing.

Speaking of which, I have one this weekend.  Even though I believed myself to have no interest in doing more than a sprint, I find myself signed up for a bigger one.  This is Jason's fault, of course. When he signs up for an event, I usually sign up as well.  If I'm going with him, I might as well do something.  Usually, there is more than one event taking place so if the event he chooses is too much for me, I can choose the smaller one.

Well.  The Fall Creek Falls Triathlon only offers one event.  Jason signed up for it...and I did too. We will be swimming 1500 meters, riding 24.9 miles, and running 6.2 miles.  I think it is called the Olympic or intermediate distance.

Am I in over my head?  Maybe.  I think I can complete this event, but how well I complete it is another story.  I'm a wee bit concerned about the swim.  My approach to a triathlon has been to swim a few times before the event, just to remind my body how to do it and see what it feels like.  With distances like 400 meters, I believe that is acceptable.  For 1500 meters, however, I'm not sure that will cut it.  And yet... 

So last night I heaved and tugged and smooshed myself into my bathing suit (which is really cute with frogs in all shades of blue on it), put on my sexy swim cap and my suction cup goggles, and decided to see just what 1500 meters felt like.  The previous week I'd been swimming for time, but I wanted to know distance, so I tried to keep count this time.

With two brief breaks and an extra lap or two in there, it took me about 40 minutes to swim 1500 meters. I'm pretty slow in the water, but I am smooth and consistent.  That is in a pool, inside a lane all by myself, however, not in a lake full of strong, fast, crazy, clumsy, directionally challenged swimmers.  This should be interesting.

I'm not so concerned about the cycling portion or the run, except that the run is going to be done in the middle of the day in August...after swimming 1500 meters and riding 25 miles.  Jason has said he will come back and run in with me, and that will help. 

I'm apprehensive, but excited about the new challenge.  And maybe a little glad that I missed all but one day of Shark Week*.

*Yes, I know this is a lake, not an ocean, but the imagination can transcend such limitations.