Ohhh, That's What "Swim-Run-Swim" Means

Swim Day

No time*
Approximate Distance- 2mi

*Genius boy forgot his watch at home. Sunscreen too. But I don't think I'm burnt.

Today I went out to the race site to swim. I thought it would be a good idea to go over the course before the race. This, as it turns out, was a good plan. I should have done it a few weeks ago. It would have helped better focus my swim workouts. Oh well, too late now.
The race website calls this a swim-run-swim (I know, not in that particular link, but it does. I just though you might like to see the course). I have been out to the Ko'Olina lagoons a few times since I moved to Hawaii. It's a really nice area. And since I signed up for this tri, in the back of my mind, I've been thinking, "That does not seem like a mile long swim." Well, it's because its not a mile long swim. It's probably more like 65-70% swim/35-30%run. None of the lagoons are very long. In fact, with my training, I should be able to blast through each of them with a fairly good pace.
The problem with that is between each lagoon is a nice little run, somewhere around a couple hundred yards, maybe less for some, more for others. This screws with the game planning. Do I pump the swims and then use the short runs as recovery before the next swim? How hard should I run each time? These are the questions I'm asking myself. Coming away from the workout I did today, I think I need to not worry about it too much. I think I think too much, and the runs between the swims are too short to spend much time sweating over. I just wish the swims were longer.
Today, first I walked the course, Lagoon 1 to 4, then 4 to 1, to get a look at it and how each lagoon and grass area is laid out. After that I hurried back to the truck, parked right by Lagoon 1, dropped off all my stuff, tied my truck key inside my swim suit, ditched my slippahs and my shades, grabbed my cap and goggles, and ran back to where I imagine the start will be. Cap on, goggles on, ready, go. I swam-ran-swam the whole course, avoiding oblivious tourists and their small offspring as I went. Going from the water up to the grass might be the hardest part just because most of the lagoons are very steep right there. Like I said, I forgot my watch so I don't know how long it took, but I don't think it was all that long. I really don't think it is going to take me as long as I was planning previously. This is both good (shorter time on this leg = less energy spent on it) and bad (more swimming is probably good for me and not so good for some of the other racers).
After I got to Lagoon 4 I ran to where I imagine the transition point will be and took five. Might have been ten. Then I did the whole thing backwards. The second time was easier. I knew what to expect, I had a better feel for the course, it just felt better. I'm probably going to do this once more before race day.
Also, its easier to swim than run in knees deep water so come race day I'm going to plan on swimming as far in as I can (without getting trampled). That way I don't have to high-knee it in, which is tiring and a pain in the ass.
I need to get my head together. More and more I realize how mental this sport is. Anyone with a little training can swim, bike, and run these distances. None of them are very far. Its the going from one to the next to the next that's scary. Lots of mental preparation going on now. Positive thinking, visualization, all that good stuff. I got this. I know it.