BACK TO GREASY LAKE

Friday afternoon I received a message from my friend Mollie. She and her daughter were heading down to THAT lake in Medford NJ, and she asked if I was interested in joining them. Instantly I thought to myself "Oh no! Not THAT lake again". I told her I would need some time to think about.  In my heart of hearts I knew I should go back to THAT lake, but I wasn't sure if I was mentally prepared for it again.

I know I'm making it sound as if the Loch Ness Monster resides there, but in my mind it might as well.  I mentioned the offer to Tom and he gave me the "its a great character-building-lesson" speech.  Thanks Tom, but at my age I don't need any more character building.  So before I could talk myself out of it, I messaged Mollie back and told her to count me in! Let the nervous stomach being.

What is THAT lake? THAT lake is Lake Ockanickon in Medford, New Jersey. The problem with many of the waterways in the southern part of New Jersey is that they are heavily stained with tannin from the cedar trees. Add to it some pretty wicked thunderstorms two nights before, and I knew the lake would be extra special.

A quick rewind here: A few weeks ago it was Fathers Day and I attended the ETA Coaching clinic at Lake Ockanickon.  It was my second clinic overall, but it was my first time at Lake Ockanickon. After that experience I swore it would be my last.  Not because the clinic wasn't good...in fact, the clinic was really FABULOUS. But the water is very dark brown and it even leaves a brownish slim on your skin.  EWWW.  When you put your face in the water, holy claustrophobia!

So here I am, going back to 'Greasy Lake'.  And why do we call it Greasy Lake? Tom, a huge Springsteen fan, said that Springsteen mentions Greasy Lake in his song "Spirit in the Night"...and now we know why.

Saturday morning rolls around. Mollie, Emily (Mollie's daughter) and I arrive at the lake.  We get our gear on and head into the brown water. There was a cluster of people standing on a sandbank staring out at line of the buoys.  I swam to the sandbank and asked "is this where the procrastination group meets and can I join"?  The group chuckled and confirmed my suspicions. I looked over at Mollie and said "lets not procrastinate too long, we've got to do this". And off we went.

I tried swimming freestyle, but a mild panic attack came over me very quickly.  Damn it, damn it to hell! I flipped on to my back trying to get my breathing under control. A lifeguard quickly came over and asked if I was ok. "Yeah, I'm fine" I said. "I'm just working through an anxiety attack".  The lifeguard nods his head and says "just making sure your alright. We had to pluck a few people out of the water today".  Great, just great!!! That was not what I wanted to hear.  And I did NOT want to be one of the plucked people.

I started swimming again and swam freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, back float, doggie paddle and even side stroke. I figured what the hell, might as well mix it up a bit. But somewhere along the way it started getting easier.  I managed one loop around the buoys which was a 1/4 mile. I stopped at the sandbank figuring I would call it a day.  But then a voice whispered in my head "character building".

So my crazy ass went for another round! By the end of round two, I was swimming freestyle with little to no stopping.

I finished up round two then hung out with the procrastinators again.  We chatted about triathlon stuff and shared a lot of laughs. Apparently, I wasn't the only one intimidated by Greasy Lake. I was however really proud of myself for getting in there and not having to be "plucked".  Mollie completed 4 loops which totaled one mile.  We left there agreeing that it did build our character AND our self confidence.  It was a win-win all around! "I'll see you again Greasy Lake". And I cannot believe I am saying this!