Has anyone here ever done this swim? It looks pretty intimidating for a mainly pool swimmer like me but I'm intrigued by it and it would give me a chance to visit relatives in the Bay area.
=> Is it pretty much for elite swimmers and tri-athletes?
=> Do they have regularly scheduled events just for swimmers?
=> What kind of conditioning shape should one be in to reasonably attempt it?
=> What kind of training would you recommend?
Thanks.
AJD
Parents
Former Member
I have done this 3 times, and I highly recommend it. All swimmers have to do this at some point. Most are not elite. But, you should be able to comfortably swim 1.5-2 miles in the pool with a least a 40 min/mile pace at the very minimum. Then, get as much time in open water as you can. Cold, chop, currents, sighting, fears, emotions, breathing, wetsuit use or not...Read as much as you can, and talk to anyone who knows anything. If you can get to the Bay Area sometime, the Aquatic Park is a great place to train and familiarize yourself with the "terrain." This will be the adventure of a lifetime with bragging rights forever!
It was kind of funny, but of all the races I have ever done, I found sighting least valuable with Alcatraz. You cannot pick a spot to swim to, the current is simply going to pull you too far south. Basically you try and swim straight across and let the current do the work. My sighting consisted of "can I see other people around me." Oh and take a look at the golden gate bridge a couple of times. Not many get that vantage point in their life.
THe cold, man, it just sucks. People spend hundres of hours traing, pay alot of money to sign up for the race, travel to SF, get up at 3:30 AM to get on the boat but then stop swimming first 20 meters because it is too cold. It takes 2-3 minutes for your wetsuit to fill up with cold water, and another 3-4 for your body to heat up the trapped water. So after maybe 5-10 minutes everything will feel just fine. Well, your face will be cold and you won't be able to control your facial muscles, but what does that matter!
I have done this 3 times, and I highly recommend it. All swimmers have to do this at some point. Most are not elite. But, you should be able to comfortably swim 1.5-2 miles in the pool with a least a 40 min/mile pace at the very minimum. Then, get as much time in open water as you can. Cold, chop, currents, sighting, fears, emotions, breathing, wetsuit use or not...Read as much as you can, and talk to anyone who knows anything. If you can get to the Bay Area sometime, the Aquatic Park is a great place to train and familiarize yourself with the "terrain." This will be the adventure of a lifetime with bragging rights forever!
It was kind of funny, but of all the races I have ever done, I found sighting least valuable with Alcatraz. You cannot pick a spot to swim to, the current is simply going to pull you too far south. Basically you try and swim straight across and let the current do the work. My sighting consisted of "can I see other people around me." Oh and take a look at the golden gate bridge a couple of times. Not many get that vantage point in their life.
THe cold, man, it just sucks. People spend hundres of hours traing, pay alot of money to sign up for the race, travel to SF, get up at 3:30 AM to get on the boat but then stop swimming first 20 meters because it is too cold. It takes 2-3 minutes for your wetsuit to fill up with cold water, and another 3-4 for your body to heat up the trapped water. So after maybe 5-10 minutes everything will feel just fine. Well, your face will be cold and you won't be able to control your facial muscles, but what does that matter!
