Day 82: Group Swim at Candlewood Lake

I didn’t drown.  That’s the good news. Team TRI took a practice swim up at Candlewood Lake.  .25 miles.  A quarter of a mile.  A lap around a track. 400 yards.  16 laps in a pool.  No matter how you count it, it’s an intimidating figure as you look out onto an open lake.   It’s clear-ish water, but it’s murky… and there’s things growing and swimming in it.    Tom Holland, our TRI coach is ever the optimist.  He’d say vaguely encouraging things like “Just relax, have fun”… some of us weren’t convinced.  We put on our swim caps.  A few of us had wetsuits.    Our hearty group is knee-deep in rookies…  but ultimately, we all took the plunge and the water felt great…  refreshing on a summer day.  We swam around for about 300 to 400 feet (some of us swam more than others)… and we all swam away thinking it was well worth our while to give it a go…   The director of the Housatonic TRI Sean Morits ran with us along about a mile or so of the run, too.  He’s been so helpful and encouraging despite all our requests…   We are 18 days away…… and counting.