taking the plunge

wow, i've got the butterflies right now, and that's b/c i've decided to go ahead and take the plunge--literally! barring any thunderstorms, i'll be attending an open-water swim practice this evening at 6pm!! it'll be my first time practicing outside of a pool and in a real lake, so i'm a little bit apprehensive. keep your fingers crossed for me!

i figure now is the right time to get out there. and looking at my calendar, i can safely say that unless it's this week and/or next, i won't have a chance to get a feel for the "real thing". although i'm a little bit nervous about the unknown, i'm also excited. that's b/c i recently linked up w/ the local triathlon club, which hosts group trainings in each sport.

i initially e-mailed the directors for some "no-strings-attached" training tips, and got a really nice response from both of them. (a husband and wife team run the group). they invited me to join their discussion board on yahoo, which i've posted to a couple of times, but mainly lurked around on. it was there that i read about the open-water swim clinics every wednesday at 6pm at this lake.

it seems, from reading the boards, that there is some support and cameraderie in the group, so hopefully that will put me at ease. the coach e-mailed me last night and said he'll give me some individual coaching this evening, and will swim alongside me, giving pointers on starting, sighting techniques, etc. so hopefully it helps. all at once, i'm excited and scared (of tonight's open water swim, and of the danskin triathlon itself). but maybe that's normal, no? yes. it's normal.

good god, this is starting to turn into a triathlon training blog, isn't it? rest assured, i'm no ironwoman, nope. i'm just a woman of will who is after a challenge. and right now, i'm also a woman who hopes she didn't bite off more than she can chew. {Says to self: "i can do it, yes i can"}!

okay. wish me luck! more later (if i'm not eaten up by the large mouthed bass)!