Can anyone spared a dollar??...And Open Water Scared

Before I talked about my date with my wetsuit, I need to ask if anyone can spared a dollar or two. This Sunday, I am doing Becel Ride for Heart. They are closing a portion of the Highway for us to ride our bikes or with roller blades. I am doing the longest portion (75 km) with Will. To ride that distance, I have to raise 60 dollars in donation. Me, procrasinated and only raised 7 dollars so far. My plan is to go around and asking for spare change. If I can get 30 people to give 2 dollars, that will be enough. I am meeting with my Fellowship this Thursday. I will see how much I can 'milk' from them :D

To donate.

1. Go to this site
2. Enter 'Cliff' for first name and 'Tam' for last name.
3. Enter the information, they accept credit cards.

Thanks a lot if anyone can help me out....the 75 km is hilly with the first half going up and the last half coming back down.
......

Yesterday driving down to the beach, I felt like I was going on a date. I could feel the same nervousness and anxiety. On one hand, I dreaded the feeling. An urge to run away. On the other, I feel excited. This is my first time trying on a wetsuit and taking a dip in the open water. There is no need to be worry. Everyone has to go through this.

So there wasn't a crowd. And no kids pointed and laughed at me. As Mike suggested, I put two plastic bag on my feet so the suit slided up easily. Felt like a fool with two plastic bags on. But it worked. I checked my goggles a few times and walk around to get a feel of the wetsuit. It was nice and tight to my body. There is still a hesitation of going in the water. But I didn't wear the wetsuit to not swim. That would be even more stupid.

Without wasting time, I started to do a few strokes. I wish I could say a lot of strokes but I only did a few. It felt very ackward. I couldn't breath. I couldn't move in the water. Nothing is working. It felt like back in November when I started to learn to swim again.

I don't know if it was the wetsuit or the water, I felt very clasutrophobic. Maybe:

i) first time I wear a wetsuit
ii) first time this year to swim open water in freestyle
iii) water is cold
iv) water might be dirty
v) no lifeguard around

These thoughts swirl in my head and I couldn't concentrate on my strokes and breathing. I got out there two more times. Each time I swam less than 100 yards. Everytime I came back on the shore, I was breathing hard.

I stood there for a while before taking off the wetsuit and calling it a day. My mind was screaming "red alert..red alert...can you imagine swimming 2 km? Oh...I don't think you can do Muskoka anymore..u know in IM you have to swim 4 km." Of course, that kind of negative though is not helpful. I know what I have to do. More open water swim. Get use to the water, the wetsuit. The beache that I was at, it so happened it was about 100 - 125 ft wide before there are rocks. I could see myself swimming back and fourth. I would swim parallel to the shore and in not so deep water.

Thinking back, I never felt the glide. I need to focus back on my technique. I wondered how I could have swam 750 m last year. Then again, if I could swim 750 m last year, there is no reason why I can't do the same this year...or even more. I reminded myself that before I couldn't swim 2 laps. Now I can do 20. I just worked on it. Now I just have to work on swimming in open water.

So I left the beach still with some anxiety and doubt. I am glad none of the Lake Sharks got me :D. And I am more determine to swim 2 km in open water in 3 weeks.

On google map, I spotted a lake that is on the way back from work. That will be a good place to dip after work.