Going to the start on the bus (it's a point-to-point swim) I was amazed at the number of people who seemed to be doing it for the first time. Turns out the first year I did this, about 65 people finished (the half mile), and this year over 80 did (just in the half mile), so there must be more and more first-timers each year.
I started at the back of the pack, but in the middle, not off to the side. It wasn't planned, it was just where I was when the gun went off. The water was cold, but not as cold as Lake Washington had been so far this season. I started swimming fine, then a few minutes in, couldn't control my breath. It was similar to the Whidbey Island swim in that way. I didn't panic. But I couldn't control my breathing. I switched to head up breast stroke and kept swimming, knowing that when I caught my breath I'd be fine.
Sure enough, two or three minutes later, I was. I got into a rhythm, and could swim. I could feel my shoulders getting tight (ah, the joys of under-training) but just kept swimming. By half way across the lake I was alternating 10 strokes of crawl with 10 strokes of breast. I was in a grove, and fine. I wasn't loving it. I felt slow. And the distance felt long. I was happy when I saw the finish. I crossed in 25:26. My slowest time ever for this swim. That just teaches me that I have to get in the water more!
Not my best race ever, but I'm glad I did it!
