Splash and Dash

On Friday, August 15, Elizabeth and I finally made it to the Houston Racing Triathlon Club's (HRTC) cool event called Splash and Dash. You swim 400m on the 288 Lake and then run a mile right afterwards. Then, it finishes with a slip and slid...oh yeah.

On a side note, if you are members of HRTC, you can swim at the 288 Lake on Friday for free. You also get discounted rates to swim at the lake.

When we got there, I reminisced about getting my scuba diving certification here over 24 years ago. It certainly looked differently (better) than it did back then. I think we have may have had two ladders and that was it. I remember being in the car with the AC on eating McDonalds to get away from the heat, while I waited for my parents to finish. The new 288 Lake had a nice gazebo area, decks, nice loading/unloading area, and buoys/flags to mark out the swimming distance needed for triathletes. It was amazing.

We got in for a warmup to get used to the lake. I immediately loved it. I felt so comfortable in the lake unlike the pool. Yes, it was warm, but it didn't bother me. I felt like a fish and instantly knew that I would be okay for my first triathlon.

The group started to congregate around the main loading/unloading area and we asked how this works. We were told that we swim out to the big red buoy thing for 200m and then back for another 200m. It cuts through the lake like a diagonal. I did wonder if we were allowed to swim like that on regular days. Then, a guy said the rules and how we were or actually weren't going to be timed. And then we were off like dirty shirt.

I did exactly what I do in races...I started off too fast getting caught up in the group and the excitement. So, I tired easily. I just tried to remain calm and work on my swim. I stayed with Elizabeth for a while and then we were separated. I thought we had to swim out to the platform in the middle of the lake, but we didn't. I quickly learned that it was out of the way when heading back to the main loading area. I eventually made it back to the small group I trailed and got up without too many issues. I have no idea what my time was, but there is a possibility I heard 9 minutes something. And really who cares since I wasn't last...thank God.

We got to the makeshift transition area to change into our shoes, which was painfully slow and headed out. I stayed with Elizabeth until the first dip in elevation (not much). My foot began to hurt, so I just took it nice and slow and easy. I didn't want to press myself. And boy is it weird to run in a swimsuit. My butt jiggled so much and there was nothing to protect it. Eventually, I made it back for a nice whale like finish on the slip n slide.

Photos taken by Elizabeth.

We had some food and beer and talked for a bit to Robert. The weather was so beautiful, which made me want to stay forever, but we had to head out for the evening. I can't wait to swim here again.

 

Since this was my first experience into the world of triathlons, I have a lot to work on before October. I need to get up some speed in the swim and not take it fast right out the gate. I also need to work on looking up out of the water in a smoother way. I definitely need a better system in the transition area. Boy howdy, was that slow. And I'm always got things to work on for the run.

With that said, I'm so ready for the triathlon. I have no loss of confidence on how I will do in the swim. It's a 400m swim on a lake and well, I proved that I can rock it out with the best of them. Okay, maybe not like Chrissie Wellington, but more like KW.

If you want to join Splash and Dash, the next one is Friday, September 12, 2014, at 6 p.m. It really is worth it!