8/28/2011 - 1.8 mile open water swim on Pine Lake

This morning I had the opportunity to go for a good size open water swim on Pine Lake in Samamish, Wa.  I put my garmin forerunner in my swimcap and got in the water.  I was going to see how far I could go, so I didn't really push for speed.  I wanted to push for consistency and I was hoping to swim over 2 miles.  I didn't make my goal, but I didn't know how much it would actually take to get to that distance.

Google Earth File: http://connect.garmin.com/proxy/activity-service-1.0/kml/activity/110097843?full=true

I swam 1.81 miles in 59 minutes.  If you look at the details, my average swim pace was 1.8mph.  Again, I wasn't going for speed this morning.  I don't think I could have done much faster if I had...but I didn't really have it dialed into my brain to stay fast.

It was a beautiful morning.  I got there just before the sun broke the trees.  I was swimming towards the sun and I could see the water change color as I got closer to the sunlight.  Once I was in the sun, I felt more comfortable.  At a few stretches in the swim I had to change up my breathing pattern.  Every time I would take a breath to a certain side, I would catch a glimpse of the sun and it would leave a bright patch in my vision.  Even though my goggles are shaded going from dark under-surface to looking at the sun probably isn't too good on the eyes.  So I switched up my breathing patterns so my eyes wouldn't be affected as much.

  I began getting a little insecure of the time...As a side note, when I first began doing activities that last over an hour, I would always get agitated at about 50 minutes.

If I put it in my mind that I will be out for over an hour, I am fine...but if I don't put it in my head my brain naturally starts warning me that it is about 60 minutes.  It happens when running and riding also.

Pretty wierd.

 I got to swim with several schools of small fish and I saw one ~8" fish swim under me.  It is great to swim in a lake in which you can see your shadow on the bottom. 

Pine Lake is a great lake for practicing open-water swims.  I think the next time I do an open water swim I will need to do it somewhere else...but it is a great place.

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