Don't get ahead of myself

Well, I would first like to report that three days after my post of "no falls" - I fell.  It was a surprisingly anti dramatic event.  I even watched my friend Rachel fall right before me.  I was clipped in on my left side, standing still, about to get going, and I fell backwards and sideways - even hit my head (I was wearing my helmet).  Besides some dirt on my clothes, I was fine.  Then I woke up the next day with a sore shoulder, hip and upper thigh.  Oh well.  I survived my first fall and that is what I was worried about.  Mission accomplished. 

Next up.  As practice for the triathlon, I will be participating in a 2-mile open water swim this weekend in Baltimore http://www.purpleswimbaltimore.org/.  There is a 1 mile option too, but I thought why stop there (that, and two other friends said they would do it with me.  I hate doing things by myself).  This will be a first for me.  For all the years of my life I spent swimming; all those hours were in the pool.  The closest I got was an open water swim we were going to do in Bermuda after a meet.  But it got rained out.

I would like to think that my anxiety comes from the tendency to be less brave as you get older.  But as anyone who knew me as a child will remember, I have a slightly irrational fear of open water (see June 17th post).  Yes, I grew up surrounded by water.  Yes, I was a swimmer for 10 years.  Yes, I spent every summer at the beach or on the boat in the river.  BUT when asked to be bobbing up and down out in a big body of water all by myself, or even right next to a boat, or even just walking into a lake - I would slightly freak out (Ask Shannon how long it took to get me into the lake on our first lake swim). 

So really, this weekend's race is not about the time or the distance.  I know I can swim two miles.  I do it at least twice a week at swim practice.  But that is in a pool.  There are no fish in it.  Or icky, slimy bottom.  And there is a line down the center of the lane so you don't get lost.  This weekend's race is a test of conquering my fears and finding a calm presence among the open water.  If I can do this; I can do anything!

Um, well, until the following weekend when I participate in a sprint distance tri. . .