First open water/Will U B my friend?

So I opted to spend more time analyzing my training day instead of putting the basket of clean clothes that has been sitting on the floor for three days... What's your point? It's all in the name of triathlon, right?

My coach encouraged me to practice my open water swims out to Chatfield State Park. We don't actually swim in the Chatfield Rez. There is a separate smaller body of water that allows swimming (particularly for triathletes) on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings. Greg and I had hoped to go last Saturday morning, but the run, as it will, took way more time cooling down, stretching, etc. (all the stuff from my previous post) and in the end we didn't make it before the 10 a.m. closing time.

This meant that I had to go by myself tonight because he was working. Truthfully, it was kind of scary. Anytime you're in the midst of over a hundred triathletes it's kind of intimidating. It appeared that I arrived just about the same time has 90% of everybody else. So everybody had a little grassy area staked out as their own personal transition space. Only 90% of them had 3-4 friends that they were standing around with talking about their day, their swim goals, etc.

I laid my bike down and checked in. Would my bike be alright? She told me everyone here was a triathlete so it would be fine, but I locked the front tire to the frame nonetheless, but tried to do it secretly as to hide my insecurity.

While getting my wetsuit on, a guy comes over. Wow! Someone friendly! (I so wish I had a friend with me right now.) He tells me that he wants to know if he knows me. He has a 5430 sprint race t-shirt on so I tell him that I was a volunteer at the race on Sunday, kind of knowing that was a long shot. Turns out he saw my transition bag. Greg and I joined said advertised club two years ago, and then never did anything with them. I tell the guy this. He shrugs his shoulders and tells me to enjoy my bag. I go on to tell him that I just never felt comfortable with their club. It was too intimidating. Surprisingly, the guy gets really defensive and wants to know why I felt that way. I tell him that the team members are all studs, they win lots of awards, etc. (This is all true!) He tells me that they took all this off the website so people wouldn't be intimidated. He tells me they're just triathletes that want to have a cool social circle. Then he sort of storms off!!!!!!!!!

Now correct me if I'm wrong--if you want new members--and I have to tell you, I would love to have some triathlete friends-- wouldn't it be more appropriate to put out a hand, introduce yourself, invite someone to a club event, rather than be defensive and storm off without introducing yourself?

Anyways, another single lady drops her stuff in the grass next to me. She seems in the zone, but eventually I catch her eye and ask her some questions. She's nice enough, but no big friendships made. She does her thing and leaves.

I get in, swish around. OH that cold water felt awesome on a 97 degree day! Not so sure how it will feel in the fall. I swim what I'm told is 300 yards to the sand bar. My coach normally has me do 300 to warm up anyways. When I reach the sand bar, I see this guy (who used to be with said club--I only recognize because he's always on the podium post-race) he's at the sand bar coaching a girl on her form. I eavesdrop because I feel like all the work I've been doing in the pool went out the window the minute I got in the open water today.

From there I decide to swim to the other side. I notice that there aren't a lot of people swimming out that far. It takes me, oh, forever to get there... Ah... When I do finally reach land, four young lads are discussing their times and who's swimming what next. I ask them how far it was to the point we're at, they tell me 900. They were very nice, and even ask how my swim is going, etc. I'm not really looking to pick up four young lads, so I see it as 'rest break over.' I decided to swim all the way back without stopping. Not long after, the boys SMOKE my butt and swim past me. Am I really swimming at a snails pace? (I think I am.)

I FINALLY get back to the other side... Breath. Breath. Breath... What is that I see? Over where the divers usually hang out? NO! It really is! OMG! It's a 300 pound man in a Speedo! I'm talking full banana hammock speedo! And I have no friends to laugh with this!!!!!!!! OMG!

I have to point him out to someone, so I there just happens to be a nice looking guy standing next to me. "Oooh. You notice all the ladies are over here, don't you?" he tells me.

I swim out to the sand bar and back. Next week I'll go for two down and backs, but I'm tired. Hopefully my coach will just be glad I got my butt out of the pool and into some open water. I found this little map, and realized that the pond is measured out in meters, not yards! So apparently I went farther than I thought! Yahoo!