yeah, felt the same on the long run, but kept running (for another hour!) and all the proper feelings returned. so, be assured that all the fitness is there, we just need to let the taper do its thing.
ok, no more hiding. i am doing the 3.8km swim today in 50meter pool. i will just stay within my box, whatever it is, and then use the remaining days to get more comfortable with the distance. i'll do another test or two before the race. will try to hook up with some open water swims next weekend, both days.
by the way, when i was at CdA in may, it was windy. the wind was creating small/tiny waves towards the shore. i have never swam in those conditions.
in case it's windy again:
do those little waves cause trouble when one goes for a breath when swimming into them? is there a technique to overcome this or is it simply go for breath and if you get clobbered, then hold it and breath on the other side?
@Gilberto, In my experience it's not the ripples that cause problems-its the swells and whitecaps. The rougher it gets, the more you need to shorten your stroke. Unfortunately, you can't plan for everything, and wind is very variable. Swirls, down gusts, or just steady would all play out differently depending on what direction you're trying to go. Take solace in knowing that everyone has to get through whatever conditions exist on race day. The biggest one today is planning for the cold. 51.8 degrees last time I checked. That's cold enough I hyperventilate when it hits my face, even with a hoodie!
@GH & JP: don't sweat the water temp. Same thing every year... Water temp went from 55 the Wed before race day to 58-60 depending on the source by race day. Went from definitely using neoprene cap to definitely not in 4 days. Bring everything and figure it oout day before/of.
Swimming in wind/waves: couple of keys in my book:
1) Stay relaxed, don't change your effort level (just like on the bike)
2) Shorten stroke and increase turnover (just like spin into the wind on the bike)
3) More pronunced roll. This will allow you more time/elevation to breath. Resist the temptation to lift your head - this will just tire you oout and put you in an increasing "flail" spiral.
Depending on how much wind and direction, your time will be slower... Just roll with it (pun intended)
@ GH, I definitely agree Art. You have to rotate your body more when the water gets really rough. You'll have to rotate your head a little more to make sure you get your mouth out of the water. One of my first triathlons was in pretty rough conditions (white caps). I had no idea how to deal with it, but I naturally just started rotating farther. So no need to worry, you'll get it figured out quickly if those conditions present themselves.
My training has finally gotten back on track, and just in time for the taper. I've been moving workouts around a little to fit everything in. I ended up taking the day off work today since I've been doing so much OT, and now that my big deadline has past things are back to normal. So today I did a lake swim this morning, followed by my a two hour bike ride. I also stopped by my local tri shop and picked up some supplies (new tires, tubes, cassette). I'm starting to feel ready!
excellent!!! that's just the type of info i needed. thanks very much guys!!
interestingly, IMAZ has had 51-52 water temps the last 2 years in the water, so i should am not too worried in that department. i do like wearing the neoprene hood, however, because it helps my swim cap stay on. i have a giant head which takes those latex caps to the limit. i have to cut my hair really short for races just to get my swim cap/bike helmet/visor to fit properly!!!
I found a fishing report resource that says Lake Coeur d'Alene is guestimated to be 60/61 right now. Everyone here is talking about it being 51. I realize that the temps change a ton (or can) on very short notice this time of year, but, anyone have an idea what the current temp is? I am really just curious at this point...
sorry guys, i went out like a sucka today! no swim. in my defense, however, i got a good result in my lab and decided to stay at work and properly follow up with it vs. rushing things or starting things later tonight = less sleep. oh well.
tomorrow i'll get a solid ride in and then get a good swim in both weekend days with a test on monday.
@Stephen: I'll bang around the interwebs later and see if I can find the source I used last year. Could be different measurement protocols... Big difference between 1ft and say, 12ft.
The local paper in CDA prints the water temp everyday until the race. I'll have my mom text me the temp everyday and I'll post it in the forum. I'm not worried about it, but we can set up a discussion topic for all things water temp and weather related.
Hey Folks, looking for a little advice. I'm going to post this in the Micro thread, but thought I'd post here too.
I'm trying to figure out what my watt targets should be for CDA.
Background: Nov OS - peak FTP of 285. Had trouble hitting power zones throughout Ironman 12 week plan. Most rides were ABP with a few Z4-5 intervals thrown in. FTP test before RR1 came in at 272. Did RR#1 on the CDA course for the full 112. 188 (.69) first loop, 193 (.71) second loop. Second loop effort was too high as I lsot focus on hydration - from expereince, I know this happens to me when I am working too hard for too long. As a result I couldn't run after.
After RR1, bike volume was really poor, including a 10-day work/family travel stretch where I didn't get on my bike (but ran alot). Missed RR2 (missed bike, but got run and swim done). Given few Z4/5 intervals and lay-off, 28-day power chart not a good FTP guide. Did a Sprint tri one week ago. 39 minutes at 273 with best 20 at 277. If I use the 95% of 20min to find FTP I get 263 which gives me a 2nd IM gear of 179 at a .68 IF.
Yesterday I got out and did the 3-hr ride and hit the 2X15 of z-4/5 and 2X30 of .80-.85... total ride of 223w at 3:00 on the nose. I ran the brick afterwards and hit Z1, but the Z2 back portion wasn't happening (too fried from bike). Using an FTP of 263, my ride 3-hr ride yesterday was a .85IF.
So, I am thinking a 2nd gear target of 180 is probably right. Should it be less given all of the above?
@ Art - I'm sure the WSM members will have some perspective on this, but here is my $.02. You cite 2 examples (RR#1 and yesterday's workout) where you had poor runs off the bike. That is a warning sign to me that you are going too hard on the bike. I'd suggest you consider a target of 170 watts (263 X .65 = 170). During the race, if you feel like 170 watts was too low, you have 26 miles on the run push the pace. If you go too fast on the bike, your run will be even more difficult than it already is. I suggest you save your energy for beyond The Line. Just sayin..
Art: resist the urge to stay in the common range of 68-70%, if it hasn't come naturally by now AND produced a solid run. Go with the gears where you feel natural, regardless of %.
On the second loop, you can then decide where you feel like picking it up. At that point your decision becomes less biased because reality sets in by then!
Stay steady and aero when you can and you'll be ready to run.
Just finished my first ever OWS and first time in a wetsuit. I met Michael, Al, and Al's wife and friend at Horseshoe Lake in Gig Harbor, WA. Al measured the temperature and it was surprisingly warm at 66 degrees. According to Al, 6 lengths of the lake is equivalent to the Ironman distance. No motorboats so it was the perfect place for an OWS.
My first swim across the lake was tough. I was surprised by how much the wetsuit impacts breathing and it was strange swimming without being able to see anything in the water. On the way back I felt a little better breathing. On the second lap, I felt a lot better and was finally able to calm down my HR and get in a good 3-4 stroke breathing rhythm. Stopped after 2 laps (about 2/3 of the Ironman distance) at 58 minutes. I was surprised at this time since I didn't feel like I was as fast as in the pool (especially the first lap) but this was about the same pace as my pool swims.
The other thing I learned is that my wetsuit didn't restrict my stroke at all and didn't rub in the armpits or neck so that's good to know. It actually fit perfectly, probably because I've lost 10 lbs since I tried it on in the store when I bought it a few months ago.
I'm really glad I did the OWS because it was a lot different that the pool and now I know more what to expect on race day. I am going to try to get one more OWS in before IMCDA.
Hey Team - 2 weeks out and sounds like everyone's still hanging tough.
@Art - 2 times what GH and BT said. If the runs haven't come easy, then take a little something off the bike - especially in the first loop. I'd go with 170 first loop and then see how it feels.
@Allen - Great to hear you got in your first OWS - you now have a better feeling of what to expect. Just start visualizing that swim and lots of other people in the water. Sounds like you'll be fine.
On my end, got in my 3 hour ride today - last one on the tri-bike till Idaho as have to get her ready for Tri-Bike Transport. Ride went well as was able to get in 54 miles with 4200 ft of gain in a little over 3 hours. Now it's off to get a massage and really start to tapor.
Keep up the great work folks and getting fired up to see everyone in ID....!
allen: don't forget to put on lube at the neck line. even if you think you won't need it or didn't need it today. on race day you will move your head around more than you planned and that suit WILL rub you raw!
so, good news so far with the swim for me:
1000yrds: 16:26 with no effort in 25yrd pool and only just barley pushing off the wall. if i had a VI meter on the push offs, they'd all be 1.01 when compared to effort level of the swim. 8:13 even splits at 500yards;
10 second rest;
1000yrds: 16:34 with no effort; 8:18 was the 500yard split.
10 seconds rest;
500yrds: 8:18 with no effort;
very happy with this. tomorrow i swim in 50meter pool for full distance and will go just as above: going for no effort in terms of trying to go fast, but will just focus on not losing form.
@ GH - Nice pacing on the swim. Looks you are ready for great swim in CDA.
@ Allen - 2x what GH said about the wet suit and lots of lub. A necked rubbed raw by the suit is not happy about sunblock being put on it. I "tried" it once and it was no fun.
My workouts continue to be good. Thursday did the long run. 14.5 miles in 2 hours flat. Felt good. I added extra time to it since my schedule didn't allow for the Friday run. Wore my new Nathan hydration belt and it worked fine to carry Infinit. On Friday am, I swam 6 x 500s (25" - 15 " rest) for 3200 yds total with a short WU and CD. I'm not as fast as GH but at least I was consistent as each 500 was between 9:35 and 9:45. Importantly, the RPE was Z1 and I could have kept going.
On Sat, I rode 61 in 3 hours 15 min @ avg speed of 18.8 mph. Legs felt crappy on the 2 x 12' @ Z4 but I pushed thru it. Legs came around on the 2 x 25' @ Z3. Then ran 4 miles @ 8:50, 8:05, 7:40, 7:00 spilts. After the run my right calf was a little tight so it got some ice.
Today I rode with 3 other guys who all are IM finishers. They told me my major goal for the next 2 weeks is to take it EZ and not get injured. Makes sense. We rode 39 miles in 2 hours 15 mins @ avg speed of 17.7 mph. Took it EZ the first 90 mins to make sure my calf was ok, then pushed it into Z3 the last 45 minutes. Then I did a short 1.5 mile run in 13:00. I didn't want to go to hard or far on the right calf. Calf feels fine now (8 hours after workout ended). I'll probably skip the run tomorrow just to be on the safe side.
Stay healthy everyone. Looking forward to meeting you in person soon.
@ Allen, x3 on the lube on your neck. There's no negatives to having a little lube on your neck, but potentially a very big negative. Also, if you lube your ankles a little it makes it easier to pull your wetsuit off in T1.
Quick question for the more experienced folks. Is it bad if I feel like I might be peeking two weeks before the race? Will it hold until race day? Life has forced me to start my taper two weeks early, and now the rides I've done this weekend feel easy. Today I did my ABP ride. It took 1:57 and I had an IF of 0.895. I also felt like I could have held that pace for another hour. Back in March when I was doing 2 hour ABP rides I was lucky if I could hold an IF of 0.8 for 90 minutes.
@Scott, I was wondering the same thing! The incredible fatigue I felt last week after RR#2 is gone and I am feeling stronger and more energetic than I have since the out season! Am I peaking too soon?
Wow! We are all freaking out aren't we? Between NOT feeling like shit and the cold water everyone seems to be going ape shit over something. Let's all chill out...the work is done. You have all trained well and your bodies are just giving you the results of that training. The cold water is what it is. We are ready for this no matter what happens on race day. So...everyone taper as the plan says, gets lots of rest, stay healthy and lets have a ball in CDA!
@Art, good advice here. I'm still targeting 200w knowing full well I won't hit it. I will probably come in around 190 or so because my mind drifts and I get bored. I ran great on both RRs with this "plan". I'm sure RnP would cringe.
@Allen, good job on the OWS. Lube yourself up big boy!
@ JT, GH, BT, TM: much obliged for the advice. I think I'll take it. 170 for the first loop, MAYBE take it up a little in the second, but will use RPE of "easy" as a governor and focus on nutrition/hydration and having a great run.
@ GH, BT, SS, TM: Definitely will still put the lube on. I put it on my neck and armpits today so maybe that's why I didn't have any issues. Better safe than sorry.
Guys...I will be in CdA next Wed night. I was planning on getting out on the lake all 3 days, Thurs, Fri, and Sat leading up to the race just to get used to the water temp and to familiarize myself with everyone as much as possible.
Is the lake open for public swimming? Is there some small little swimming area that is actually open, or is it the whole lake?
@ Stephen, I'd like to do one or two practice swims as well. I think there is an area that's open for swimming (i.e. closed to boat traffic). I just don't know how large that area is. If you go much beyond that area, you would probably want to be escorted by a kayak or something. There may also be a practice swim set up for athletes, but I'm not sure.
And did you say NEXT week? I can't believe it's that close.
Regarding swimming in the lake... locals routinely swim outside of the roped off area next to the beach by going PARALLEL to the shore, from the official swim area down to (and sometimes past) the lone fir tree which hangs over the water (you can't miss it.) As long as you stay close to shore, you'll have no worries about boats. I think they will have a protected swim in the actual course Sat AM; if so, give it a try between 7-8 AM if only to get the idea on where the sun is, and what sighting you'll use going out and coming in.
Regarding lubing under the wet suit: invariably, I see a number of athletes on race morningwith bandaid covering raw spots on their necks, from the suit rubbing there during warm up. Also, I usually rub body glide over my feet (heels, tops, toes, ankles) and hands, as well as lower calves and forearms, to help with suit removal.
Thanks to Michael and Allen for the swim Sunday morning. I thought about having all of us converge on Allen and punch him on the head for a few minutes while he swam, but decided not, since it was his first OWS... seriously Allen, the hardest part of the swim is the mass of people constantly around you, which is a real mental challenge more than physical.
My own swim was (somewhat) reassuring. I went the distance, which is six lengths of the lake @ 630 meters. I did the first one in 11:28, which is the time I usually would do in the past. But subsequent ones were harder and slower, up to 13:10. in the past, I would never be slower than 12:30. Overall time, including resting for 25-35 sec at each end, was 1:18.XX. Last year, I would routinely do 4 lengths in 48:30; this time it was 51:00. So, as I well know, the pace clock on the wall doesn't lie, and I have lost about 5% of my swimming speed, as well as some endurance. Actually, what I've lost is gears 3, 4, and 5. I used to be able to swim an IM @ gear 3, but I don't have that in the tranny since my injury. So be it.
I am feeling like I may be able to re-find at least that third gear and the endurance, with an emphasis on longer, more consistent swim sessions including some timed intervals, which I have yet to do this year. But it will take another 4+ months to get there, I suspect.
Comments
swim questions at bottom!!
yeah, felt the same on the long run, but kept running (for another hour!) and all the proper feelings returned. so, be assured that all the fitness is there, we just need to let the taper do its thing.
ok, no more hiding. i am doing the 3.8km swim today in 50meter pool.
i will just stay within my box, whatever it is, and then use the remaining days to get more comfortable with the distance. i'll do another test or two before the race. will try to hook up with some open water swims next weekend, both days.
by the way, when i was at CdA in may, it was windy. the wind was creating small/tiny waves towards the shore. i have never swam in those conditions.
in case it's windy again:
do those little waves cause trouble when one goes for a breath when swimming into them? is there a technique to overcome this or is it simply go for breath and if you get clobbered, then hold it and breath on the other side?
thanks!!!
gh
thanks, joshua! yes, that's what i meant: there were lots of swells and whitecaps.
shorten stroke, got it!
gh
Swimming in wind/waves: couple of keys in my book:
1) Stay relaxed, don't change your effort level (just like on the bike)
2) Shorten stroke and increase turnover (just like spin into the wind on the bike)
3) More pronunced roll. This will allow you more time/elevation to breath. Resist the temptation to lift your head - this will just tire you oout and put you in an increasing "flail" spiral.
Depending on how much wind and direction, your time will be slower... Just roll with it (pun intended)
@ GH, I definitely agree Art. You have to rotate your body more when the water gets really rough. You'll have to rotate your head a little more to make sure you get your mouth out of the water. One of my first triathlons was in pretty rough conditions (white caps). I had no idea how to deal with it, but I naturally just started rotating farther. So no need to worry, you'll get it figured out quickly if those conditions present themselves.
My training has finally gotten back on track, and just in time for the taper. I've been moving workouts around a little to fit everything in. I ended up taking the day off work today since I've been doing so much OT, and now that my big deadline has past things are back to normal. So today I did a lake swim this morning, followed by my a two hour bike ride. I also stopped by my local tri shop and picked up some supplies (new tires, tubes, cassette). I'm starting to feel ready!
excellent!!! that's just the type of info i needed. thanks very much guys!!
interestingly, IMAZ has had 51-52 water temps the last 2 years in the water, so i should am not too worried in that department. i do like wearing the neoprene hood, however, because it helps my swim cap stay on. i have a giant head which takes those latex caps to the limit. i have to cut my hair really short for races just to get my swim cap/bike helmet/visor to fit properly!!!
going for the full swim in a few...
gh
sorry guys, i went out like a sucka today! no swim. in my defense, however, i got a good result in my lab and decided to stay at work and properly follow up with it vs. rushing things or starting things later tonight = less sleep. oh well.
tomorrow i'll get a solid ride in and then get a good swim in both weekend days with a test on monday.
have a great weekend.
gh
I'm trying to figure out what my watt targets should be for CDA.
Background: Nov OS - peak FTP of 285. Had trouble hitting power zones throughout Ironman 12 week plan. Most rides were ABP with a few Z4-5 intervals thrown in. FTP test before RR1 came in at 272. Did RR#1 on the CDA course for the full 112. 188 (.69) first loop, 193 (.71) second loop. Second loop effort was too high as I lsot focus on hydration - from expereince, I know this happens to me when I am working too hard for too long. As a result I couldn't run after.
After RR1, bike volume was really poor, including a 10-day work/family travel stretch where I didn't get on my bike (but ran alot). Missed RR2 (missed bike, but got run and swim done). Given few Z4/5 intervals and lay-off, 28-day power chart not a good FTP guide. Did a Sprint tri one week ago. 39 minutes at 273 with best 20 at 277. If I use the 95% of 20min to find FTP I get 263 which gives me a 2nd IM gear of 179 at a .68 IF.
Yesterday I got out and did the 3-hr ride and hit the 2X15 of z-4/5 and 2X30 of .80-.85... total ride of 223w at 3:00 on the nose. I ran the brick afterwards and hit Z1, but the Z2 back portion wasn't happening (too fried from bike). Using an FTP of 263, my ride 3-hr ride yesterday was a .85IF.
So, I am thinking a 2nd gear target of 180 is probably right. Should it be less given all of the above?
@ Art - I'm sure the WSM members will have some perspective on this, but here is my $.02. You cite 2 examples (RR#1 and yesterday's workout) where you had poor runs off the bike. That is a warning sign to me that you are going too hard on the bike. I'd suggest you consider a target of 170 watts (263 X .65 = 170). During the race, if you feel like 170 watts was too low, you have 26 miles on the run push the pace. If you go too fast on the bike, your run will be even more difficult than it already is. I suggest you save your energy for beyond The Line. Just sayin..
On the second loop, you can then decide where you feel like picking it up. At that point your decision becomes less biased because reality sets in by then!
Stay steady and aero when you can and you'll be ready to run.
Gh
My first swim across the lake was tough. I was surprised by how much the wetsuit impacts breathing and it was strange swimming without being able to see anything in the water. On the way back I felt a little better breathing. On the second lap, I felt a lot better and was finally able to calm down my HR and get in a good 3-4 stroke breathing rhythm. Stopped after 2 laps (about 2/3 of the Ironman distance) at 58 minutes. I was surprised at this time since I didn't feel like I was as fast as in the pool (especially the first lap) but this was about the same pace as my pool swims.
The other thing I learned is that my wetsuit didn't restrict my stroke at all and didn't rub in the armpits or neck so that's good to know. It actually fit perfectly, probably because I've lost 10 lbs since I tried it on in the store when I bought it a few months ago.
I'm really glad I did the OWS because it was a lot different that the pool and now I know more what to expect on race day. I am going to try to get one more OWS in before IMCDA.
@Art - 2 times what GH and BT said. If the runs haven't come easy, then take a little something off the bike - especially in the first loop. I'd go with 170 first loop and then see how it feels.
@Allen - Great to hear you got in your first OWS - you now have a better feeling of what to expect. Just start visualizing that swim and lots of other people in the water. Sounds like you'll be fine.
On my end, got in my 3 hour ride today - last one on the tri-bike till Idaho as have to get her ready for Tri-Bike Transport. Ride went well as was able to get in 54 miles with 4200 ft of gain in a little over 3 hours. Now it's off to get a massage and really start to tapor.
Keep up the great work folks and getting fired up to see everyone in ID....!
solid, JT.
allen: don't forget to put on lube at the neck line. even if you think you won't need it or didn't need it today. on race day you will move your head around more than you planned and that suit WILL rub you raw!
so, good news so far with the swim for me:
1000yrds: 16:26 with no effort in 25yrd pool and only just barley pushing off the wall. if i had a VI meter on the push offs, they'd all be 1.01 when compared to effort level of the swim. 8:13 even splits at 500yards;
10 second rest;
1000yrds: 16:34 with no effort; 8:18 was the 500yard split.
10 seconds rest;
500yrds: 8:18 with no effort;
very happy with this. tomorrow i swim in 50meter pool for full distance and will go just as above: going for no effort in terms of trying to go fast, but will just focus on not losing form.
GH
@ GH - Nice pacing on the swim. Looks you are ready for great swim in CDA.
@ Allen - 2x what GH said about the wet suit and lots of lub. A necked rubbed raw by the suit is not happy about sunblock being put on it. I "tried" it once and it was no fun.
My workouts continue to be good. Thursday did the long run. 14.5 miles in 2 hours flat. Felt good. I added extra time to it since my schedule didn't allow for the Friday run. Wore my new Nathan hydration belt and it worked fine to carry Infinit. On Friday am, I swam 6 x 500s (25" - 15 " rest) for 3200 yds total with a short WU and CD. I'm not as fast as GH but at least I was consistent as each 500 was between 9:35 and 9:45. Importantly, the RPE was Z1 and I could have kept going.
On Sat, I rode 61 in 3 hours 15 min @ avg speed of 18.8 mph. Legs felt crappy on the 2 x 12' @ Z4 but I pushed thru it. Legs came around on the 2 x 25' @ Z3. Then ran 4 miles @ 8:50, 8:05, 7:40, 7:00 spilts. After the run my right calf was a little tight so it got some ice.
Today I rode with 3 other guys who all are IM finishers. They told me my major goal for the next 2 weeks is to take it EZ and not get injured. Makes sense. We rode 39 miles in 2 hours 15 mins @ avg speed of 17.7 mph. Took it EZ the first 90 mins to make sure my calf was ok, then pushed it into Z3 the last 45 minutes. Then I did a short 1.5 mile run in 13:00. I didn't want to go to hard or far on the right calf. Calf feels fine now (8 hours after workout ended). I'll probably skip the run tomorrow just to be on the safe side.
Stay healthy everyone. Looking forward to meeting you in person soon.
Quick question for the more experienced folks. Is it bad if I feel like I might be peeking two weeks before the race? Will it hold until race day? Life has forced me to start my taper two weeks early, and now the rides I've done this weekend feel easy. Today I did my ABP ride. It took 1:57 and I had an IF of 0.895. I also felt like I could have held that pace for another hour. Back in March when I was doing 2 hour ABP rides I was lucky if I could hold an IF of 0.8 for 90 minutes.
Wow! We are all freaking out aren't we? Between NOT feeling like shit and the cold water everyone seems to be going ape shit over something. Let's all chill out...the work is done. You have all trained well and your bodies are just giving you the results of that training. The cold water is what it is. We are ready for this no matter what happens on race day. So...everyone taper as the plan says, gets lots of rest, stay healthy and lets have a ball in CDA!
@Allen, good job on the OWS. Lube yourself up big boy!
Is the lake open for public swimming? Is there some small little swimming area that is actually open, or is it the whole lake?
And did you say NEXT week? I can't believe it's that close.
Regarding swimming in the lake... locals routinely swim outside of the roped off area next to the beach by going PARALLEL to the shore, from the official swim area down to (and sometimes past) the lone fir tree which hangs over the water (you can't miss it.) As long as you stay close to shore, you'll have no worries about boats. I think they will have a protected swim in the actual course Sat AM; if so, give it a try between 7-8 AM if only to get the idea on where the sun is, and what sighting you'll use going out and coming in.
Regarding lubing under the wet suit: invariably, I see a number of athletes on race morningwith bandaid covering raw spots on their necks, from the suit rubbing there during warm up. Also, I usually rub body glide over my feet (heels, tops, toes, ankles) and hands, as well as lower calves and forearms, to help with suit removal.
Thanks to Michael and Allen for the swim Sunday morning. I thought about having all of us converge on Allen and punch him on the head for a few minutes while he swam, but decided not, since it was his first OWS... seriously Allen, the hardest part of the swim is the mass of people constantly around you, which is a real mental challenge more than physical.
My own swim was (somewhat) reassuring. I went the distance, which is six lengths of the lake @ 630 meters. I did the first one in 11:28, which is the time I usually would do in the past. But subsequent ones were harder and slower, up to 13:10. in the past, I would never be slower than 12:30. Overall time, including resting for 25-35 sec at each end, was 1:18.XX. Last year, I would routinely do 4 lengths in 48:30; this time it was 51:00. So, as I well know, the pace clock on the wall doesn't lie, and I have lost about 5% of my swimming speed, as well as some endurance. Actually, what I've lost is gears 3, 4, and 5. I used to be able to swim an IM @ gear 3, but I don't have that in the tranny since my injury. So be it.
I am feeling like I may be able to re-find at least that third gear and the endurance, with an emphasis on longer, more consistent swim sessions including some timed intervals, which I have yet to do this year. But it will take another 4+ months to get there, I suspect.