While the air temperature was a mostly tolerable 27F, we had a sustained – and steadily increasing – wind from the south that plagued us before and after the swim. Believe it or not, it was much more pleasant in the 33.4F lake!
I arrived at L1 just before sunrise, and I was fortunate enough to snag a prime parking spot just on the other side of the pedestrian tunnel. When I came out on the other end, the swim area was a bit turbulent with some rather vigorous chops. But the swells were fairly minor, so the swim was a definite go!
With the vicious little wind gnawing at my hands and face, I hastily donned my gear and hightailed it to L1. I had to exercise caution on the concrete decline as the cold air had turned it into a downhill skating rink. But once I reached the safety of L1, I gleefully climbed into a much warmer Lake Michigan.
Other than a minute or two of discomfort on my face, I didn’t really have any problems in the cold chops. I had wisely poured hot water in my gloves and booties before putting them on, and this kept my extremities warm all throughout the 1/3 mile swim.
There were only two glitches during my stint in the lake. I had to stop once to readjust the silicone cap underneath my hood as it had gotten underneath my goggles and was causing cold water to leak into my eyes (not fun!). Also, I had to take a very non-linear swim route along the concrete wall as there were multiple spots where softball sized chunks of ice had accumulated en masse. Actually, softball is quite the misnomer as these beauties had very sharp edges – as evidenced by the scratches they gave me on my exposed forehead!
But other than those two minor inconveniences, it was a very pleasant swim. Getting out, though, was a nightmare. By that time, the wind had intensified to the point where it was no longer tolerable. So I decided not to change on site but instead grabbed all my stuff and dashed to the sanctuary of my waiting car where I could remove all my wet gear in the comfort of a heated Mazda.
Lucky for me I had waterproof seat covers!
