Argh.....I swam this afternoon on a beautiful day and I keep getting creeped out by snakes. At one point my zipper strap floated in front of me and I almost choked. I stopped to catch my breath. Scared the hell out of me. Then the weeds were floating at me. They look suspiciously snake-line. Then I'm pretty sure they were watching me in general, waiting until I got too comfortable and then they'd attack.

Srsly, I don't need this kind of stuff floating around in my head. I never should have read the damn thread....grrr.....

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

the title should be snakes in lakes.
no really I've been lake swimming for a few years no enounters, however, there is a "cute" (at least that's what we tell our kids) one that hangs out near our stone dock (it juts our from shore)....he's pretty nervous and I've only seen him swim AWAY...never towards.

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Kat Donatello
2015 Betty Designs Team
RD, The Pumpkinman Triathlon Festival
http://www.pumpkinmantriathlon.com/

I was hoping for some words of encouragement, not to freak everybody out. Sorry!

Its my own damn fault, I have a very active imagination. I do it to myself.

My words of encouragement for you - You are a badass for even going in the water! I'd be wimpering on the top of a picnic table on shore if anyone even thought they saw a snake. Well done. Kick some snake ass!

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

My husband said we don't have them here in the Northwest and I've chosen to believe him. If anyone knows differently, keep it to yourself.

Your hubby is right. The northern water snake extends as far west as Colorado (not into the mountains). The southern water snake extends through Texas.

Here in northern New Jersey, southern New York, I see them all the time. Usually they are basking in the sun on rocks, side of the road or in tree branches overhanging the lake shore. On land they are rather slow and awkward. They look a lot smoother in water. By reputation they are ornery and tend to bite (with small teeth). The bite has to be taken seriously as their mouths contain a lot of nasty bacteria.

We also have a ton of striped snakes (small, about 2-3 feet max size, relatives of goher or gardner snakes). I came across one Wednesday near the end of my run, sitting out in the middle of the road. I tried to scoot the little guy across the road so that he didn't get tunned over and he gummed me! That's gratitude.

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Behold the turtle! He makes progess only when he sticks his neck out. (James Bryant Conant)
GET OFF THE F*%KING WALL!!!!!!! (Doug Stern)
Brevity is the soul of wit. (William Shakespeare)

I have an open water "race" tomorrow at Hagg Lake and I know I'm going to be doing the same thing. "Is that weed looking at me? I think it is... " Overactive imaginations are definitely a blessing and a curse.

And to the OP you are a total badass for getting into snake infested water - no question. :-)

M

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The beatings will continue until morale improves

badass? no. dumbass? probably.

I think the water temperature may be a factor. They may come out in force in warmer water. The water the other day was pretty chilly. So perhaps that played out in my favor.

Swim #2 will be in late August/early September. Hmmm.... this could be considerably scarier.

Do you think my temp theory has merit? I checked Wikipedia and I Googled it but no good info -- I stopped looking because all of the pictures were freaking me out big-time!!!

Badass and dumbass are always separated by a very fine line.

Just swim with lots of other people so they can scare away the snakes.

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

Snakes like to hide near docks, too.

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Lisa Walser-Anderson, ATC,CSCS

OK, I checked around with my neighbors this weekend. I didn't ask about temps but they definitely said that snakes like the weeds. THey also encouraged me to have some fun and try to catch one on my next swim. My neighbors are some sick people. A bunch of us swam without wetsuits this weekend, but only one guy (the one who likes to catch snakes) actually hung out in the water for a few hours, just swimming from dock to dock and hanging out visiting people.

Defintely snakes and all kinds of critters like the docks. The only snake I have ever actually seen in our lake was by a dock.

I do not love OW, or snakes, but I do love hitting my targets on my training plan. I was not about to let my phobia get in the way of training so I winged it.

Squesen, I am pretty sure that with all those thrashing bods, the snakes will be far away during your big swim.

~~~~~~~~~~~~``````

i have them all over the place.

just remember they are more afraid of you than the other way around.



sometimes they group grope next to the dock...



nature is fun :-)

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Train hard...race well.
www.jimmishler.com
"Jim, I happen to agree with you" DougStern

Why? Why would you post more pictures? Why? You are banned! :P

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______________________________________
I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way

he he

but really though. if you had an idea what critters you've been close to at times while training or racing you would probably be amazed. and maybe more so on land than in the water.

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Train hard...race well.
www.jimmishler.com
"Jim, I happen to agree with you" DougStern

Seriously, you are no longer welcome on this thread.


;-)

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

OK.

from here on out only unique little pink butterflies and the occasional buttercup.

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Train hard...race well.
www.jimmishler.com
"Jim, I happen to agree with you" DougStern

Perfect! Puppies and kittens are OK too.

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

Umm, that's called mating, and a threesome at that!

;-)

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Behold the turtle! He makes progess only when he sticks his neck out. (James Bryant Conant)
GET OFF THE F*%KING WALL!!!!!!! (Doug Stern)
Brevity is the soul of wit. (William Shakespeare)

Yep. I always assumed that if you're swimming in a lake, you're swimming with snakes and all kinds of other creepy stuff. I thought I felt something the other day, and so did my swimming partner. Meh. Could have been a snake, a fish, a turtle, some moss, a weed, my wetsuit strap, a stick. Sure made me swim faster!

Park ranger disputes this. He said they are "ornery" and prone to biting people.


Thanks for the pics. Just what I needed. Snakes in a freaky three way! I am getting ready to go Samuel L Jackson on this thread, and I freakin' started it! :)

-Sarah

So this weekend there was a big article in our local newspaper warning people about RATTLESnakes that have been washed downstream from the unusual high river water due to the snow melt. They have found 6 Rattlers in the park where I'm suppose to be doing a Sprint MB Tri in early July. Needless to say I'm FREAKED out completely. I hate snakes, but Rattlers, whoa baby those suckers give me goose bumps just thinking about them.

I've a very optimistic person but with how things are going lately in my life, if anyone were to happen upon one of these pieces of crap during the race and be struck...oh yea, it would be me.

Just within the last month the following has happened:

1) super early HOT spell....98+ degrees. Our compressor went out in our AC and our house was butt hot because of course it was a week out before the part came in.
2) our simple 1K tune up on our truck that hauls our camper and boat turned into 3K.
3) my cell phone broke and I had to send it back
4) went camping....3 year old daughter was getting off her bike as I noticed a frigg'n Rattlesnake slithering its nasty self under one of her feet (that had yet to touch the ground). This was a shot-of-tequilla moment for me.
5) camper shower wouldn't work during our 2nd outing
6) had a stand by me moment on train tracks while walking to a pond while camping - yea....you can NEVER out run a train, duh!! I'm fast but not that fast...(thank God for extra space by the train tracks).
7) once home from camping we discovered that we probably had 1 MILE left before one of our back tires came off our truck (due to shredded off bolty things on the rim - I'm auto challenged).
8) 'fixed' (HA) Air Conditioner in house really wasn't fixed and had to be refixed today.
9) found a nasty RAT in my garage while cleaning it today.
10) got a "we need to talk" email from one of my high maintenance friends
11) distant family member was arrested for solicitation for sex with a minor...EEEWWWWW...so so so wrong...despite claims of innocence my husband and I have our hesitations on making a judgement until we get 'facts'.
12) was told by my 3 year old that her Grammie (the MIL; Mother-In-Law) LOST my 2 year old in the park they like to go to (the park with the damn snakes!).
13) got a good ol' special unannounced visit guilt trip from the MIL because my husband and I weren't handling a situation like she thought we should.

I could go on and on and on, but you should get the point by now....

Thank the Lord I've been blessed with an amazing husband and awesome daughters.....!!! I have my rainbow everyday in them.

The snakes have to go though. SICK NASTIES!

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____________________________
Life is Short...Run Long

I've only seen one in all the 20 summers I've spent on Lk Cd'A. And I think it was a garter snake.

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Jay

I thought they had anacondas there.



(kidding)

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

shooing snakes away from the swim start is the norm here in S. Louisiana races. Our gators are not nearly as dangerous as those in FLA. Snakes are just part of the scenery - on the bike too. Had to dodge a snake in the road the last three consecutive weekends on long bike rides. I hit a large king snake that wriggled out in front of me at the last minute. Snakes don't bother me but I dont' like them in my chain ring.

I don't do spiders. MTBing in the summer is a foliage fight and snakefest - not to mention giant banana spiders that spin across the trails. Many a wreck attributed to riding through a web then seeing long black legs creep over the edge of your helmet. HEEBIE JEEBIE.

Remind me never to visit or move to S. Louisiana. I'm sure it is a very lovely place, but that stuff just doesn't work for me.

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______________________________________
I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way

X2! Holy crap!

M

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The beatings will continue until morale improves