Saturday, January 28, 2012

-2.5°C in GSL Marina

Air temp was -1°C this morning.  I picked up Michelle and headed out to the Marina.  When we got there the water wasn't moving at all.  It was really calm.  The sun had just come up and the was no wind and the water was flat.  Lots of brine shimp eggs in the marina this morning.  It looked dirty, but just eggs.  Because of the thick layer of the eggs, and the lack of wind and water movement, the water was actually really slushy and in some places icy and sharp.  So I didn't end up doing any swimming.  In fact I just did plunge today.  Kind of wimpy.  Here's some video to see the slushiness:

It was kind of nice to just do a dip this time.  I didn't have any shaky recovery, numb fingers or painful toes, it was actually pretty fun!  I felt quite a bit like a slacker on the way back, but I'll give a much better effort next Thursday.  I was only immersed for about 10 seconds.  It was amazing thinking that Lewis Pugh and Lynn Cox swam in water this cold for more than 20 minutes!  On the way back to the car I looked at the water east of the parking lot and there was no ice over there.  If it is slushy inside the marina again, I'm gonna get in on the east side of the marina and do a swim over there instead.

On the way back to SLC, we stepped inside the Saltair building which was being used as a packet pickup for a running race.  I've never been in there and was curious what it was like.  I was a little underwhelmed with how big it was on the inside and definitely not a pretty place in there.  Made me wish to see the original Saltair I to compare.

Then we headed up to SLC Sports Complex (my new pool) and I bought a annual pass.  Good thing Michelle came along cause she said while I was buying it, "What medical insurance do you use".  I said, "Select Health". The person at the front desk looked at my insurance card and gave me 10% off and the annual pass (including masters, and the ability to go to any other SL County pool), came to $260!  Almost a hundred less than I paid last year!  Sweet!

I don't make a habit of drinking
pool water, but you can't help
but get a "taste" for a certain
pool, and Steiner has a very foul
taste.  
We shared a lane and I did my own workout since I wasn't sure what she wanted to do exactly.   But I knew she wasn't in the mood for a three hour swim, so I kept today's swim short.

1000 free
2000 - 10 x 200's free w/ finger paddles on 2:55
800 - 8 x 100's  first 5 free, last 3 breast easy


3,800 yards total in 1:02

3 comments:

Josh said...

So many things to comment on in this post!

That water is CRAZY! I wish I had been able to get out there with you guys to experience it today. I want to go down another morning when it's that cold to see what it's like!

I went to concerts all the time at Saltair when I was in high school (and right after). It's not very impressive inside.

You got a discount for having Select Health?! We have Select Health too...maybe we can get a sweet deal on a family pass!

Michelle said...

Josh- you can pretty much get a discount with any insurance you have. I have Blue cross blue shield.

Gords- Let's swim thursday. I felt pretty wimpish too... at first I was intending to swim but the brine shrimp and sharp slushies didn't make the water look too inviting. Well, we know to head around the bend next time!

I averaged around a 2750+ for my workout. I always loose count...

Crystal Pistol said...

Woah. COLD COLD COLD! I don't know how you do it! And a THREE HOUR swim? Sheesh! You're hardcore, man. :)