For me, it's now going on four weeks since my last swim. We were in Turks and Caicos March 7-14 for spring break where I was doing daily open-water swims along the beach. My last swim was a 3-miler on March 13. When we got back to the U.S., we had to go into mandated 14-day quarantine so I wasn't able to get out to go to the pool before they all closed. Who knows when I'll swim again...either open-water warming up (I live in RI), or pools opening again. I am maintaining fitness with bike rides, and a run here and there. And I know I there is other 'dry land' training I could be doing. But my concern when returning to the water is injuring myself because of doing TMTS. I'm just that kind of athlete. Raise you're hand if you think you're a candidate for a TMTS injury too.
Dan
I've done a lot of open water races (lakes and oceans) in my life, but very rarely ever 'trained' in open water.
I'm mostly the same way. I've done an o/w event (I won't say I race ;) ) at least once a year since 2001 I think, but rarely have done o/w training swims. When I lived in AZ, I did some swim-bike-swim training with friends from Butcher Jones at Saguaro Lake a few times, but otherwise it was all pool training.
I used to think that swimming at Barton Springs in Austin was like open water. It isn't quite a pool (no line on the bottom nor ropes), but not quite o/w either (rarely any chop, minimal currents).
When my pools closed here, a friend told me about Lake Austin. I was a bit skeptical at first, and the water was quite chilly (in early April), but I braved it and really got to enjoy it. Until the weather and water started to warm up and boats became a problem. I went about 3x a week for 6 weeks and truly feel that was some of the best o/w training I've done in my life.
Now that my pools are open again, I'm swimming there. But they still have the silly rule of the hour limit. Yes, even if I'm the only person in the pool and not another soul is in sight, I still need to get out at an hour (and the lifeguards seem to enjoy telling me about it). I've done a work around a few times, swimming an hour at one pool then driving to another pool (same community, same pass) and swimming for another hour there. The lifeguards think it is hilarious when they see me at pool #2, as there is usually one who starts at pool #1 and moves (today I saw one at pool #1 then he must have followed me, after I did an 800 at #2 I saw him on deck).
Since I registered for a 10k swim in July, I hope to get to the lake a few times to keep my o/w fitness up.
I've done a lot of open water races (lakes and oceans) in my life, but very rarely ever 'trained' in open water.
I'm mostly the same way. I've done an o/w event (I won't say I race ;) ) at least once a year since 2001 I think, but rarely have done o/w training swims. When I lived in AZ, I did some swim-bike-swim training with friends from Butcher Jones at Saguaro Lake a few times, but otherwise it was all pool training.
I used to think that swimming at Barton Springs in Austin was like open water. It isn't quite a pool (no line on the bottom nor ropes), but not quite o/w either (rarely any chop, minimal currents).
When my pools closed here, a friend told me about Lake Austin. I was a bit skeptical at first, and the water was quite chilly (in early April), but I braved it and really got to enjoy it. Until the weather and water started to warm up and boats became a problem. I went about 3x a week for 6 weeks and truly feel that was some of the best o/w training I've done in my life.
Now that my pools are open again, I'm swimming there. But they still have the silly rule of the hour limit. Yes, even if I'm the only person in the pool and not another soul is in sight, I still need to get out at an hour (and the lifeguards seem to enjoy telling me about it). I've done a work around a few times, swimming an hour at one pool then driving to another pool (same community, same pass) and swimming for another hour there. The lifeguards think it is hilarious when they see me at pool #2, as there is usually one who starts at pool #1 and moves (today I saw one at pool #1 then he must have followed me, after I did an 800 at #2 I saw him on deck).
Since I registered for a 10k swim in July, I hope to get to the lake a few times to keep my o/w fitness up.
