Weather Wennie

Hi, my name is Shannon.  I am a weather weenie. 

Wow, that was hard to admit, but it is true.  In the 7 years since moving from Texas to southern California, I have morphed into the very person I mocked in those first few years of Coastal living.  It drove me crazy to hear people complaining that it was "freezing" outside.

"You are aware that in order for it to be freezing, the temperature must drop to 32 degrees?" I would quip. 

As I mentioned, I am not from Fargo or Buffalo.  I realize that Houston, Texas isn't exactly the frozen tundra, but at least I could tolerate 55 degrees without the dramatics that go along with those types of temperatures here in sunny SOCAL. 

This phenomenon occurred on the other end of the thermometer as well.  I had zero tolerance of Californians complaining of the heat during an 85 degree day.  No sympathy from me until the temperature breaks the triple digits at a very minimum....don't even get me started with humidity. 

"I spent 20 years in Houston.  I know humid, this is not it."  I would say smugly, almost as if my tolerance for wider temperature ranges made me superior to native and otherwise naturalized Californians.

Fast forward 7 years. 

Tomorrow is supposed to be my first lake swim and transitions practice.  I don't own a tri suit or any other cold water apparel.  The high at the lake tomorrow is supposed to be a fairly unacceptable 61 degrees, and I have spent my entire swim life (all 8 weeks of it) in a heated pool.  The thought of swimming in a 50-something degree lake is a little unnerving to say the least.  The idea that my balmy weather-assimilated body will soon be exposed to such arctic temperatures is down right terrifying.  Top that off with the thought of jumping in and out of the lake to practice transitioning has catapulted me into full panic mode.  There is no way I can perform under these conditions, so with much shame, I asked my trainer if we could practice in the pool for another few weeks.  Just until the weather cooperated a little more.  Everyone knows that people have expired from any number of respiratory afflictions in such frigid, 60 degree temperatures like what I am facing tomorrow.

My name is Shannon and I am, in fact, a weather weenie...