7/19 run/swim

I decided to try getting ready for my 1.7 mile swim across the narragansett bay in RI coming up on July 29th , yeah, thats only 10 days from now, i know (Having fun with links today because it beats writing a dissertation). My training for this particular endeavor has been spotty to say the least, but I am looking forward to swimming it with my older sister, who will probably have to rescue me at some point. She swims an hour in the pool 3-4 times a week and loves it. We did a sprint tri on Block Island, RI a few years ago, and we'll be doing that again as well a week after this monster swim across the bay. So to prepare, I decided to run an easy 7 and then jump in Barton Springs for a mile swim.
The run:
Ran the 7 mile loop from BSprings at 730pm. I hadn't had dinner so was feeling a little depleted at the start. Got into an easy rhythm however and trotted out 7.30 pace for the majority of the run. I was surprised to find my breathing labored after about 4.5 miles and attributed it to heat and no nutrition. Finished the run in 51 and change and made my way to the pool. I did have a strawberry kiwi carboom gel which was very welcome along with some really hot water that i had left in the truck all day.
The swim:
I decided to suit up in my Promotion wetsuit to practice swimming without sinking. I bought this wetsuit for the first sprint tri and haven't used it much. It is a sleeveless model along with a seperate top that can be added for cooler temps. Very versatile and a great company out of Hood River Ore, Anyway, getting the top on was no big deal, but zipping up the sleeveless part over the top caused some issues because the zipper (zips up the back) kept catching on the material of the wetsuit top. Finally got the thing on and was sweating like the outside of a tall glass of iced coffee on a hot humid day. I was hot. Anyway- Made my way into the water and sluggishly began the 1/8th mile lengths that determine the parameters of the pool for lap swimmers. After dodging splashing kids, diving board daredevils and other serious lap swimmers, i found my peace and swam into the darkening waters. It was really neat to swim as it got dark because I couldn't see the algae scum that normally gets kicked up from all the swimmers and splashers and it was too dark to identify the decomposing smell that emanated from the eastern end of the pool. I was only able to swim 800 meters however, because i was hungry. Very hungry at this point. So i rescued a tiny baby toad that another swimmer pointed out on the edge of the grass and went home to the fridge and all of its wonders. Joking aside, B Springs at 9pm is really a great place. All the folks that don't want to pay the $3 admission charge come out to swim and it gets quite lively. Good training for the confusion of a tri mass start. I had to sight while swimming every 4th or 6th stroke to avoid potential collisions.