Open Water Swim in Lake Geneva (Evian, France)

Thunder and Lightening while swimming...

We planned a 30-min swim in Lake Geneva in Evian, France with Mariesa and Gab. Sam, Mariesa's friend, planned on 6-mile walk on the boardwalk as she is training for a crazy 60-mile walk relay.

L to R: Gab, me, Mariesa

L to R: Sam, Mariesa, Gab

The day started off well with sunshine and a decent 68 degrees air temperature. The water must have been around the same, or slightly below that, but with the wetsuits, it did not feel cold at all. Gab, on the other end, must have been cold, though he said he was fine. He swam 10-15 minutes in shorts, with no goggles and no wetsuits. With the cold temperatures they've had in the past weeks (mountains around here had snow), you could feel the water being much colder when you dip your feet deeper. The water was colder during the pull phase of my stroke, so I can't even imagine how cold it must be a foot or two underneath the surface.
The water was clear and felt clean without a single wave on the surface. It looked like a giant mirror, ready for us to break it and have fun. I was excited. Mariesa came with me and had a great swim as well. Gab was great sport and swam with us before our 1 1/2 hour bike ride (in monsoon conditions!). Great support, great crew, we just had to go and enjoy the day.
All the training done in the pool in the winter and spring will hopefully bear fruits at IM Zurich, and those OWS are important for me to build up confidence in the wetsuit, as I rarely get a chance to have quality swims with it. Lakes in the state of NY are highly patrolled, and you can't "swim at your own risk." Here, you can simply put on your suit and swim across the lake if you wish, and if you want to tackle the appox. 8 miles that separates us from Lausanne, CH.

Evian Rowing Club House

We arrived early at the Evian Rowing Club house and brought the bikes close to the water for a quick and easy brick training. That's the perfect spot to start. Easy ramp out of the water, no boat traffic around, and an easy access for us with a parking spot that no one uses.

30-min swim

Mariesa showing the guns

The first half of the swim went really well. I'm starting to feel better swimming in the wetsuit, getting a decent pace and rhythm. I sighted a white boat anchored in the water about a hundred yards from the shore, and thought that it could be a good turnaround point. The sky was still clear, though it got a bit harder to tell as my goggles started fogging up a bit. I turned around after 15'07 and headed back to the beach. I pressed the lap button because I wanted to see if I could up the tempo a bit on the way back, while maintaining a pace I could maybe hold on the IM swim. The pace was very good. I felt in control and with a good form. I could feel I was pushing the water in the pull phase, and felt I was finishing my stroke around the hip. I can't say for sure, but it felt that way. I take it!

On the way back I was able to up the pace a notch, a pace I don't think I could hold for 60 minutes. No worries, though, as I changed my mind and I decided to swim at a pace that would be too fast for me, a pace I wouldn't be able to sustain for 2.4 miles. After swimming at a comfortable, yet faster pace for a little bit on the way back, I ramped it up to a point where I would be uncomfortable in my wetsuit. Success! My lungs started to burn and my legs where "asphyxiated." They felt incredibly heavy and slow, slowly sinking deeper and deeper after each stroke. It gave me the same sensation as when I push hard on the bike and my muscles generate too much Lactic Acid, more than the body can flush. I knew what pace I can sustain in the pool, but I now have a better idea of my threshold with a wetsuit.

I genuinely feared and sprinted for my life

I started to see the beach from afar and estimated it at about 3-4 minutes away. I was still maintaining that fast pace, yet with a good form. My confidence level is getting back. Hopefully this will be the case at IM Zurich, and I can have a great swim after I maneuver the hectic, frantic  mass start. It only took a fraction of a second to shatter the great swim I was having.

As I took my breath on my left side (I can't breathe on the right side), I saw a lightening strike the water on the swiss side of the lake. I freaked out. The adrenaline kicked in big time, and the thought of getting struck by a lightening rush through my head so quickly I could not think straight. I needed to evaluate how far I was, I estimated it at about a 2-3 minute swim from the Rowing club house. There was no second guessing in my mind at this moment. I started to literally sprint for my life. My legs miraculously cooperated with me, and my turnover was probably around 40 per 100/yards (I average 22-23). I barely took any breath. All of a sudden, you realize that the sky got darker, the sun was gone, and thunders resonated around you. I finally got out of the water and rushed to dry land, away from the water. We waited for 15 minutes as my brother went to pick up Sam.

It sounds stupid and if you read this, you may scratch your head thinking "what where they thinking?" I couldn't argue with that. However, we did look at the weather forecast and lightening was not expected until later in the day, in mid-afternoon.  However, as we got to the lake, there was no sign of it at all. The outcome could have been worse. You can never be too cautious about it, especially in a mountainous area. The weather changes in a split second.
We talked about it with Mariesa, and realized that we could have been one of those kids people make fun while reading the cover of the local news paper "A stupid kid struck by a lightening while swimming."