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
Yeah, I'm going to go and check out the lake soon. I'm not an open-water person, but desperate times call for desperate measures. My last swim was March 13th. Perhaps I will begin lake swimming on June 13th. 3 months off constitutes a really big break, right? (6 months off constitutes starting from scratch.)I've done a lot of open water races (lakes and oceans) in my life, but very rarely ever 'trained' in open water. I've now done 4 swims ranging from 2Km to almost 4Km in a nearby lake and am really enjoying it. I have gotten lucky to find a warm enough lake that, provided I go early enough, is devoid of boats. As a lifelong (have been swimming almost 50 years now) pool swimmer, training in a lake is very different. Rather than focus on times/speed/sets, I'm really just trying to stretch out, enjoy the water and try to get into a Zen/flow state. I think I finally got there yesterday morning and a 1600 meter 'lap' after about 2K of warmup felt smooth and went by in a dreamlike state.
I've done a lot of open water races (lakes and oceans) in my life, but very rarely ever 'trained' in open water.
I also very much enjoy OW racing but previously have done all of my high-intensity training in the pool. OW training in the before times was long slow distance, skill-building, and cold acclimation. As matters turn out, though, at least three easy-access places for me to swim in SF Bay have buoy lines where people who like that sort of thing can do interval training in open water. So many things about today are SO AWFUL that this one small personal thing is a very nice focal point for my efforts (mostly successful, but with considerable struggle) to practice gratitude and optimism.
Paul I'm so envious of you having a lake, though dang, it has to be cold up there!
I was down in St Pete, FL last weekend and enjoyed a slow (very slow) mile-ish swim along the shore. It was heaven. I need to move.
I had opened our home pool the first week of May...about three weeks earlier than the usual last week of May (coastal RI is too chilly for outdoor swimming until then). I've done several tethered swims in it up to just over an hour long. Which in and of itself is odd because I almost never go in the home pool...yet I'm the only one who does any of the cleaning/care/upkeep of it. There are complete summers where I never went in it once. This year...I've probably spent more time in it than I have in all other years combined since we've lived in this house (nine years). I'm just not a backyard pool kind of guy. Still had to wear a wetsuit as the water temp was still only 60°F...until the heater got it up to mid 70s. Then finally two days ago (on 27 May) I went down to my local beach for an open water swim. The water there is still at 60°. I made the mistake of wearing my sleeveless wetsuit. I intended to swim a full two miles...but my exposed arms got too cold, which eventually caused my whole body to get cold. Had to get out at just over 1.5 miles. Next swim I'll wear the long sleeve wetsuit. Won't be able to go wetsuit-less for another few weeks at least.
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've now done 4 swims ranging from 2Km to almost 4Km in a nearby lake and am really enjoying it. I have gotten lucky to find a warm enough lake that, provided I go early enough, is devoid of boats. As a lifelong (have been swimming almost 50 years now) pool swimmer, training in a lake is very different. Rather than focus on times/speed/sets, I'm really just trying to stretch out, enjoy the water and try to get into a Zen/flow state. I think I finally got there yesterday morning and a 1600 meter 'lap' after about 2K of warmup felt smooth and went by in a dreamlike state.
After being out of the water for two months I'm enjoying swimming without a pace clock. I know I'm not swimming fast, but at least I don't have a constant reminder of that fact. :)
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.
...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)You gotta love when bureaucracy trumps common sense!:bitching:
...As matters turn out, though, at least three easy-access places for me to swim in SF Bay have buoy lines where people who like that sort of thing can do interval training in open water. I'm familiar with Aquatic Park and swam there a couple of times (risking the taunts from the Dolphin Clubbers and South End Rowers as I entered with a wetsuit). What other places have courses marked out?
...So many things about today are SO AWFUL that this one small personal thing is a very nice focal point for my efforts (mostly successful, but with considerable struggle) to practice gratitude and optimism.I totally agree. My first two swims in a lake were somewhat magical for the novelty and joy of being back in the water. My third swim was great, but I got too focused on trying to figure out how to make it like a pool workout. On my fourth swim, when I just let go after my first leg (~1000 meters) and just said to myself, "I'm going to swim to that point and see what happens" ... I finally just relaxed into the lake, into the scenery, into the flow.
Paul I'm so envious of you having a lake, though dang, it has to be cold up there!
XTerra has their wetsuits on clearance right now. Still a large selection. Makes a HUGE difference, but it shocks the face when you first get in water in the 50's. I've done a few in the low 60s' withi a sleeveless one, and it feels great.
