In Big Blue

Yesterday was my first swim of the season in Lake Tahoe. I took a dip in January but that doesn’t really count.

I have been obsessed with checking the water temperature of the lake on the UC Davis website ( http://remote.ucdavis.edu/tahoe_location.asp) for the past few weeks. I mean really obsessed. I know the exact times that it updates  and I check it within a few minutes to see how much it had increased/decreased since I last checked. So, yesterday at 6am the temperature was showing in the high 40’s on the north shore. The water on the east shore tends to be a little bit warmer this time of year. That meant that it could be as warm as the mid to upper 50’s during the height of the day. It was time to test the waters.

We drove over to the Hyatt beach in Incline Village to check out the lake. This is the beach that I will be swimming into to end my Tahoe crossing. It felt great to stand there and look across the lake. I waded into the water and felt the pain of the cold in my ankles and knees. Really freakin’ cold! This was not the place to start my swim today. Plan B was to drive a little further down the east shore to Sand Harbor and start from the boat launch. I tested the temperature of the water and it seemed a little warmer. Okay let’s do it.

We unloaded the kayak and I started to get myself ready. I was really nervous. I know the pain of fresh cold water and I wasn’t looking forward to it. It is the kind of pain that goes deep into all of your joints. Cold salt water doesn’t seem to do that to me. I stood there half submerged and I couldn’t quite get myself to push off. I kept thinking, you will be numb soon just get going. I finally pushed off and starting turning over as fast as I could. I couldn’t catch my breath, I couldn’t get a rhythmn, I couldn’t relax. My head felt like it was in a vice and my cap was slowly tightening. Then all of a sudden I realized that I was okay. I looked at the the first point that jutted out in front of me and decided that I would swim to it and turn around. Then I reached the point and rounded the corner and looked at the next one and thought I will go to it. I kept thinking, remember you have to swim back so make sure you have enough energy. Then I was just doing it. I was swimming in Tahoe. I have been waiting many months for this day. Everything I have been working towards all had to do with that very moment. Now my training was going to move into a new phase. I am ready.

I was able to swim for 1 hour 10 minutes and covered just over 2 miles. Not too bad. A little slower pace than I usually swim but great considering  the temperature. I learned on the way back that I still need to hug the shore.  I took a straight line back and found out that just a little off shore the temperature had to be at least 5 degrees colder. I had a moment of panic when I felt a slight tightening of my chest. I popped my head up and said to Dano to keep a good eye on me.  I could feel my core temperature dropping quickly. I just kept turning over and before I knew it I was rounding the corner of the point and I could see the golden sand below me.  Well done!

Of course I am going back today. Same plan except I will swim off to the south instead of the north. Maybe even a little warmer going that way. I will let you know how it goes…