Sunshine and open water swimming

I don't know how we've hit the weather lottery, and I don't want to get too used to it because I know we've been teased like this before, but I'm definitely going to enjoy it while it's here. Wednesday of last week it was in the 50's and raining, but every day besides that has been amazing. On Friday I swam in the open waters of Squam Lake probably the earliest I ever have, not counting any teenage "swims" that involved jumping off the boat, screaming, and getting right back into the boat, just to prove I'd been in the water. Nope, this was an hour of submersion... although there was a wetsuit, a neoprene cap, gloves and neoprene booties.

For some reason the water right off the dock in front of the house is always the coldest. I thought I was in for trouble when I first got in, because it was incredibly cold. But as I got out away from the house some, it was actually fairly comfortable and I ditched the gloves. If it wasn't such a pain to do so, I'd have probably ditched the cap, too. I was reminded of how cold the water was in front of the house when I swam back into it, though.

Also on Friday I did something I haven't done in a very long time and I went on a bike ride with my dad. I just had a 2-hour Z1 ride, and he likes to ride about that amount of time a few times a week, so we started out together. When I first started riding a bike 8 years ago (you know, a real road bike and not just pedaling around on a mountain bike or something) I did almost all of my riding with my father. I remember after I signed up for my first triathlon he told me he would buy me a real road bike and we could ride together. Well, when we went to the bike shop it turned into him getting a new bike and me getting his old one, but I was ok with that. It's probably why I got fast on the bike so quick, because every time we'd go out we'd basically try and kill each other for 30-35 miles, taking turns pulling.

Somewhere along the line I decided to start riding 100+ miles on the weekends instead of 35, and Dad was definitely not interested in that, so we rarely ride together anymore, but he still goes out at least Saturdays and Sundays for 40-50 miles. But this seemed like a good opportunity to ride with him. Well, it didn't last all that long. Of course I started out in front, pulling him along. He was still there for probably 6 miles or so, but eventually I looked back and he wasn't there anymore. I glanced over my shoulder and saw him way back behind me, and I waited once, but it looked like Dad had had enough of trying to hang onto my wheel. So I guess there's a reason we don't really ride together much anymore. I try to tell him that I've been at the finish line in Lake Placid and seen 67-year old men cross the line at their first Ironman, but he doesn't seem too interested in that :)

Fortunately, he was still willing to be my kayak escort on that chilly open water swim. I managed to swim in the lake this morning as well, and the water was way warmer. I'd say we're in for the warmest ever Mooseman swim. The only downside was when I was standing by the dock before I started and a rather large bass tried to eat my feet. Fortunately, they don't have any teeth.

Another long ride this weekend, which seemed scary easy since I don't have all of that built-up fatigue from tons of training after that post-race break, and a long run yesterday and things are pretty much back to normal. I forgot how much nicer training is when the sun is out and I don't have to put on all kinds of layers.