311 days until Ironman Arizona.

Today was supposed to be the second-longest swim of the week, but, well, I got trapped in an environmental disaster the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the Exxon Valdez.

About 35 minutes into my set, an older woman got in my lane without rinsing off first. As she swam off for her first lap, you could see a rainbow-colored film on the water trailing behind her. When I started swimming again, I nearly gagged from what I can only assume was three or four gallons of old-lady perfume. To add insult to injury, when I caught up with her she says to me “Boy, the pool sure has a lot of chlorine in it tonight!”

I did a few more 100s, but I felt like one of those poor animals trapped in an oil spill and quickly realized I would have to stop or risk never getting the taste of that woman’s perfume out of my mouth.

• Swim: 1500 yards bilateral breathing + catch up, 250 yards kick.

Please, please, please rinse off before you get into the pool—especially if you’re wearing your weight in perfume. Thanks.