Lake Challenge Day 5

Water Safety was the issue of the day as we swam out to the bridge from the docks of Dog Days.
The water traffic is a little busy near Dog Days – even in the early morning. So when we arrived for our swim and found that no kayakers were around to escort us – we started to head to a cove that would be a little safer.
Fortunately, Jade Sellers came by with her Kayak just as we were heading down the road and we turned around and headed back for our swim. Thanks to her we were able to do the planned swim.
Having a kayak chaperone in higher traffic areas isn’t just to make sure that you’re being seen by on coming boaters – it also helps the swimmer go in a straight line. There is no black line on the bottom of the lake that you can use as a guide (if there was you couldn’t see it any way). So when you are swimming in a lake, you have to continually look up and make sure you’re on the right path. Having a Kayak saves you from scanning the horizon to find your bearings.
I had a reader take me to task for not swimming with a “buddie.” He said I was setting a bad example. It’s a fair accusation. Ideally, you should always swim with someone or at least have someone nearby watching. My defense would be that I’m an experienced swimmer and the coves I swim in are very familiar to me. I was prepared for my swim and had a wet suit on. I felt pretty safe. But above all that, it was cold and no one else was crazy enough to go out there with me and I had committed to the challenge.
It’s been a fun week. I didn’t enjoy getting up early in the morning. But it always turned out to be a great way to start the day. In the coming weeks we’re going to change up some of the swim times and places and also try to host some runs, walks and bike rides. Enjoy the lake!