The race posters greeted me every day as I walked by and headed down to the lake. 1/2 mile and 1 mile open water swims tantalized the open water swimmer in me. The weather was a balmy 80, with negligible wind - a perfect day for a swim. The lake - Green Lake in north Seattle - was one I knew probably more than any other, had even swum in many times and run around more times then just about anyone alive.
Yet I'd never swum across it, and frankly, with memories of lake weeds tugging at my shoulders and visibility anything but Kona's, I'd honestly never even thought about swimming across it. The poster, however, promised those who entered the race(s) the possibility of swimming across the lake once for the 1/2 mile, and twice for the just-after 1 mile; gluttons could do both events and crisscross to their hearts' content.
Race morning broke, Logan kindly offered to walk down to the lake and take in the excitement with me. Soon, cuddled together and chatting away while looking out at the far-off swim start half-way around the lake, I realized that holding my 8 year-old son and talking about whatever floated through our minds was way more fun than suiting up and doing another race. So, we took the morning's races in, cheering on various folks finishing up the swim as they strode up the concrete steps to the finish line banner.
Like all 8 year-olds, Logan eventually grew bored watching anonymous swimmers repeatedly exiting the water, and asked to play at the nearby playground. That is when I engaged in conversation the man who'd been next to us for a few minutes, obviously a competitor in the 1/2 mile swim recently completed. Perhaps a father like me, he'd apparently noticed my Kona Ironman visor and soon told me that he was looking forward to his first triathlon, in August, in Victoria, B.C., a sprint tri that would involve a 800m swim like the one he'd just completed in the morning's race. I could hear the excitement in his voice as we began talking about his expectations for his first triathlon race, his preparations and training, and pretty soon he was asking me for pointers on improving his just-completed 26 minute 800m swim time. Like many beginning triathletes, he was having a hard time keeping his head in the water while breathing and was therefore wasting a good deal of energy. As we talked, memories of my first triathlon, now incredibly more than 32 years ago, filtered back through my conscious, helping me appreciate this man's excitement and anxiety. Elemental, triathlon combines transcendent sports all athletes can appreciate, and this man was looking forward to that first time of being able to combine activities he'd probably done off and on since early on in his life into a single race. Perhaps because it harkens back to that first bike ride, swim lesson or game of tag, triathlon inspires us all, again and again.
I don't remember the man's name or the race he's entered, but the tingle of nerves associated with his frank assessment of his impending mass swim start is something all triathletes feel. I explained how Kona's swim felt and prayed that he'd have a gentler go of it in Victoria! :)
Yet I'd never swum across it, and frankly, with memories of lake weeds tugging at my shoulders and visibility anything but Kona's, I'd honestly never even thought about swimming across it. The poster, however, promised those who entered the race(s) the possibility of swimming across the lake once for the 1/2 mile, and twice for the just-after 1 mile; gluttons could do both events and crisscross to their hearts' content.
Race morning broke, Logan kindly offered to walk down to the lake and take in the excitement with me. Soon, cuddled together and chatting away while looking out at the far-off swim start half-way around the lake, I realized that holding my 8 year-old son and talking about whatever floated through our minds was way more fun than suiting up and doing another race. So, we took the morning's races in, cheering on various folks finishing up the swim as they strode up the concrete steps to the finish line banner.
Like all 8 year-olds, Logan eventually grew bored watching anonymous swimmers repeatedly exiting the water, and asked to play at the nearby playground. That is when I engaged in conversation the man who'd been next to us for a few minutes, obviously a competitor in the 1/2 mile swim recently completed. Perhaps a father like me, he'd apparently noticed my Kona Ironman visor and soon told me that he was looking forward to his first triathlon, in August, in Victoria, B.C., a sprint tri that would involve a 800m swim like the one he'd just completed in the morning's race. I could hear the excitement in his voice as we began talking about his expectations for his first triathlon race, his preparations and training, and pretty soon he was asking me for pointers on improving his just-completed 26 minute 800m swim time. Like many beginning triathletes, he was having a hard time keeping his head in the water while breathing and was therefore wasting a good deal of energy. As we talked, memories of my first triathlon, now incredibly more than 32 years ago, filtered back through my conscious, helping me appreciate this man's excitement and anxiety. Elemental, triathlon combines transcendent sports all athletes can appreciate, and this man was looking forward to that first time of being able to combine activities he'd probably done off and on since early on in his life into a single race. Perhaps because it harkens back to that first bike ride, swim lesson or game of tag, triathlon inspires us all, again and again.
I don't remember the man's name or the race he's entered, but the tingle of nerves associated with his frank assessment of his impending mass swim start is something all triathletes feel. I explained how Kona's swim felt and prayed that he'd have a gentler go of it in Victoria! :)
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