The Donner Lake race hosts describe the swim route as: straight, point-to-point, 2.7 miles. (Disclaimer: your results

may vary.) Success and superlative performance at Donner Lake depends on swimming in a straight line — without the benefit of a line on the bottom of the lake. 

Navigation is one of many race challenges. The high altitude rarified air causes your lungs to seize and your brain to question your life choices. After you acclimate, breathing is a piece of cake, until you swallow water while swimming through 3’ boat wake swells. About half-way through the swim, your muscles weigh in on the abuse your shoulders are taking. To compensate for the (unauthorized and shabby) poor performance of your upper body, your legs work harder, kick stronger and threaten to cramp you into dog-paddling the remainder of the race.

Finally, there’s the “I see the finish” mind game. After you swim past the curvature of the earth, you spot the inflatable fluorescent orange arch that is your destination. For the next mile or so, this hallucination never gets closer. The real challenge is to NOT get distracted by all the other fluorescent things visible — such as every race-provided swim cap.

Suddenly, the finish fills your field of vision. You swim until you touch gravel and it’s finally time to stand (stand?) and run up the ramp. (Most of our teammates acquitted themselves with dignity while completing this maneuver.) If you’re not distracted by thanking your Maker that the race is finished, you might even hear them announce your time. You find your way out of the finish zone knowing that you have just accomplished one of the hardest mental and physical things you’ll ever do — until you sign up for your next open water swim.