A quick swim report since we finally got a sunny day, and I’m not going to stay inside and squander the first official day of Summer!
We had yet another fantastic turnout for our last official Spring meetup, including several Lake Monsters who we haven’t seen since last October. The lake temp came in at a crisp 60.6F – almost the same as the air temp. And while we didn’t get a full sunrise due to the overcast skies, the sun did peek out very briefly and gave us a nice sendoff to our swim.
I got in an out-and-back mile, which was a bit more challenging on the way back due to a slight southbound current. But everyone had a blast on the second longest day of the year!
Lake Monsters gathering
Sunrise!
Class picture at the beach!
Lake Monster action shot
Chris, Lake Monster 355
I’m an open-water swimmer in chicago, and when I get out of the water, my eyes, itch, burn, get red, and I go off on a sneezing fit for 15 minutes.
By August, this tapers down quite abit and then doesn’t happen.
Is there a large amount of alergen or toxin in the lake in early summer which dissipates after awhile?
People who see me after I swim are aghast at the site of me.
Please help!
First of all a disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. So this is only my opinion based on my personal experience out at the lake. That being said, it sounds like an allergic reaction to some type of lake containment. The cause could be one any number of things – bacteria, pollen, mold spores, algae, industrial contaminants, etc. Why this happens in early summer and then gets better could be because of a seasonal contaminant (i.e. late spring tree pollen), or it could be because you are developing a tolerance to something that is always present. Here’s a post with some more details on what might be contributing to this – http://openwaterchicago.com/2014/09/29/owc-system-water-quality-swim-hacks/. It doesn’t answer your question, but it could lead you to some areas that you might want to consider.