Update No. 12 – Back in training 2014: Preparing for 2 triathlons and a half-marathon

Well, it’s less than a week until I participate in my first triathlon—the Hightstown (sprint) Triathlon on August 17—and I feel totally unprepared despite all these months of training.

Why do I feel this way? It’s because I finally got in a practice lake swim last Saturday—in the very lake I’ll be swimming next weekend—and it did not go well at all. Most of the problem was just freaking out at the difference between swimming in a pool and in a lake. I didn’t start flailing about or anything, but, mentally, it really wreaked havoc on my technique (which isn’t all that great to begin with) and—for want of a technical term—just flat out messed me up.

I did manage to do two practice loops, which amounted to approximately 600 yards. However, I did take an extended break between the two loops and rested often during my swim. I think I’ll…