Poop. Dead cows. Dirty. That's what most people think when they think of the Ohio River. So swimming in it seems stupid, especially more than once... and voluntarily.
I've swam the Ohio a few times, whether for training or in a local Tri. It's only bad on the inside of Tow Island where all the stagnant water sits. However, that's where all the training and races take place.
Behind Tow Island is where the Louisville sewage dumps into the river.
Yup. Yuck.
In prep of my multiple swims, I contacted Norton Employee Health.
Here is how my phone call went:
Me: I signed up for IRONMAN and I'm wondering what preventative measures I should take.
Nurse: I would advise not swimming in the Ohio.
Me: I mean what shots can I get before I do swim?
Nurse: Well, you definately want a Tetnis shot.
Me: Already got that. What else ya got?
Nurse: The Hep A shot for sure. There is a lot of sewage in the Ohio.
Me: Okay! Sign me up for that one! What about Hep B?
Nurse: That's for blood born illnesses and transfers. Do you want that one?
Me: What are the chances of me coming in contact with Hep B exposed blood in the Ohio?
Nurse: Anything is possible. But Hep B is a series of 3 shots.
Me: I'll skip that one. How about Hep C?
Nurse: There isnt a shot for Hep C, Ma'am.
Me: Obviously I'm not a clinic staff person here at Norton. Okay.... see ya Monday!
The nurse didn't want to be in a video or photo, so I took a selfie in the waiting room after my shot. (You have to wait 15 minutes after the shot to make sure your throat doesn't close up or you explode or something.)
I. Hate. Needles.
It's been a busy week with things other than training. I'll cover that next week.
Here are my training notes for this past week. It was good, but I had to skip some swims. So I'm adding some bikes! Also trying a bike to run brick today... ya know, for the "fun" of it.
Enjoy and show remembrance this holiday weekend!!
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