What's different about open water swimming?
Everything. There are no lanes, no ropes and you can't see your end point. It's like switching from running track to cross-country -- a whole different set of challenges. I train from our summer house on Lake Oconee on the weekends, but I always have to have someone with a paddle board swim with me. Distance swimming requires more upper body strength than sprinting, which relies on your legs. Weather is also a factor. I just ended my season because it's too cold to get in the lake. And it's a little bit scary.
What's the scary part?
I can't help but think about the fish and creatures that are below. I keep my eyes shut when I put my head in the water. The scariest race I swam was on Lake Crane in Orlando. Part of it was marshy and I couldn't help worrying about alligators.
Did you have a plan?
To swim really fast. I figured the best way to avoid alligators was to swim faster than the guy next to me.
Does swimming make you a better lawyer?
Yes, it makes me a more confident person. Swimming in new environments and circumstances gives me more confidence and better coping skills when I enter the courtroom.
