First OWS of the Year and an Impromptu Giveaway

Yesterday morning, Rachel met me at my place and we headed out to Square Lake. We met Jeremy and Eric at the lake. Here's those 3 getting ready to get wet:

It was the first OWS of 2011 for ALL of us! Jeremy is training for Buffalo Oly tomorrow, I'm training for Liberty Oly next Saturday, Eric is training for Trinona Oly next Sunday, and Rachel is doing Ironman Coeur d'Alene in 3 weeks!

We hit the water, and it was C-O-L-D!! We stood around a bit "getting used to it" as our feet went numb:

Eric, Jeremy, and Rachel

We headed out of the "swim pen" and towards a buoy out on the right side of the lake. I can pretty easily say that this was the coldest water I've ever been in! Once my face hit the water, it took my breath away! But we all said that once we got going we felt "chilly but OK." (Square Lake is "spring fed," so it's always a bit chillier than surrounding lakes.)

Jeremy and I headed back at a buoy while Rachel and Eric headed on to the next buoy - Jeremy didn't want to do too much being he had a race 2 days later, and I knew I could get back to shore and do a few laps in the "pen" to get in some more swimming. I finished in the pen just a few minutes before Rachel and Eric got back to shore.

Jeremy, me, Eric, and Rachel post-swim

I was out there for just over 30:00, and I was swimming for just under 30:00. After our swim, we found a sandy and twiggy person on the edge of the beach:

When we got back up to our cars, Eric said he had something for me. He just won a TYR Swim bag (one like I gaveaway on my blog 2 months ago) at a local "triathlon workshop." He said he already had a nice transition bag (I saw it at the lake and it IS a nice one), so he said "Here Steve - give this one away to one of your readers."

So I have a TYR Swim bag to giveaway to one of you!!

Here are photos of the 2 that I had in my previous giveaway:

Just out of the package: the front of the Royal/Gold bag on the left,
and the back of the Navy bag on the right.

Eric got the "Royal/Gold" bag, so that's what I have to giveaway.

TO ENTER TO WIN A TYR BAG:

JUST LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST!! Yep, that's it.

Then check back on Thursday (June 9th) to see if I draw your name as the winner. I'll ship to the US and Canada, so all you Canucks can enter too!

So comment now! Thanks everyone! Happy weekend!!