OWS

I have to give a HUGE shout out to friends Cassie & Viv for meeting me out at the lake for an OWS practice!

On the way to the lake, I noticed the interesting scenery and huge pot holes in the streets and wondered where in the hell I was going, lol! No worries once I found the destination though - it was great to see Cassie and Viv! We talked for a bit, then donned our wetsuits and headed into the water. I have to admit, I was nervous after the fiasco that happened the weekend before. Both Cassie and Viv gave me some awesome tips for everything from getting into the water to getting out and heading into transition!

I think I took away a much better understanding of what to think about on race day. For example, get into the water and adjust to the temps BEFORE you start swimming (seems like a no brainer, but I didn't really do that last weekend). Oh, and thanks to Cassie, I can get the wetsuit on without all the struggle. I learned Viv's "dolphin dive" into the water to gain a little distance before actually swimming. I got to experience having someone swim on either side of me, in front, behind, etc. I also got to experience some of that doing sidestroke - it is easier to avoid mouthfuls of water swimming freestyle. I also learned some tips for getting out of the water and getting the wetsuit off. And, I feel much, much, much more comfortable in murky open water!

Again, thanks to Viv and Cassie for all their help. I think I have a huge advantage over any other 1st timers out there who don't have the benefit of experienced tri-friends. I think I am going to be A-Okay at TriGirl next weekend...I have my plan for race day - apparently Viv seems to be more of a planner than I am. :-)