Open water swimming

I've been practicing open water swimming as a test and preparation for the Concreteman triathlon in July. I'm still a little intimidated by an open water swim. Not having that breathing break and push-off every 25 yards will be a bit of a head game for me. Swimming the other night, I had to remind myself that I was still breathing and breathing just fine. I've been swimming across the swim beach near our boat slip in Table Rock Lake. It's about eighty yards if I swim next to the rope. I need to work on my sighting, because I've been using the rope as a crutch to guide me. The Concreteman has two levels; the long-1k yard swim, 25 mile bike, 5 mile run, and the short-500 yard swim, 12 mile bike, and 2 mile run. I'll be doing the short this year and hopefully the long next year. I need a lot of pool time and open swim time before I'll have the confidence to to 1k yards in the lake. I am enjoying the journey as much as anything though. I'm trying very hard to remain injury free, and so far so good. One thing I've discovered; success in racing seems to breed success in training and vice-versa.