I will be turning 50 this year, and in celebration of this I would like to start doing open water swims. Never done any real swimming except in a pool and was wondering how to get started. Do you just pick an event and show up and hope for the best in such a foreign environment or are there ways to train or are there any clinics to attend specializing in open water. I am in Northern California but would love an excuse to travel some place for a clinic. Thanks. Paul
If you have no open water venue in which to train try swimming a 1k or 1500 without doing turns on the wall, just practice a roll turn about three feet from the wall and continue swimming without a pushoff. There is a huge difference in your fatigue level when you don't have the little break a push off the wall affords! Also figure out how you want to do your sightings, I have a certain rhythm to my stroke, three breaths to the left and one to the right, when I swim long ow, I sight on the second left side breath about once every four or five cycles. I like to pick a tree or other landmark to watch until I get closer to the buoy. I find a swim straighter that way.
If you are looking for an open water opportunity, you may want to consider traveling north next month to Oregon for our Elk Lake series July 27-29. his is a beautiful natural alpine lake above Mt. Bachelor near Bend. There are five races over three days, 3K on Friday evening, 500m and 1500m Saturday, and 5K and 1K on Sunday. The 500 is a time trial format, one swimmer at a time down a 250m lane line. the 1K race is done with "heats" of swimmers starting 3 minutes apart and follows a course along the shoreline, lots of tactical maneuvering with a group of swimmers about your speed, my favorite. You can find out more about this event at our website, www.swimoregon.org. This is the only open water series I do on the Oregon calendar because its the most fun and a very beautiful site. The weather is usually quite warm but cools off a night and you can camp right on the lake in a group campsite with other swimmers.
If you have no open water venue in which to train try swimming a 1k or 1500 without doing turns on the wall, just practice a roll turn about three feet from the wall and continue swimming without a pushoff. There is a huge difference in your fatigue level when you don't have the little break a push off the wall affords! Also figure out how you want to do your sightings, I have a certain rhythm to my stroke, three breaths to the left and one to the right, when I swim long ow, I sight on the second left side breath about once every four or five cycles. I like to pick a tree or other landmark to watch until I get closer to the buoy. I find a swim straighter that way.
If you are looking for an open water opportunity, you may want to consider traveling north next month to Oregon for our Elk Lake series July 27-29. his is a beautiful natural alpine lake above Mt. Bachelor near Bend. There are five races over three days, 3K on Friday evening, 500m and 1500m Saturday, and 5K and 1K on Sunday. The 500 is a time trial format, one swimmer at a time down a 250m lane line. the 1K race is done with "heats" of swimmers starting 3 minutes apart and follows a course along the shoreline, lots of tactical maneuvering with a group of swimmers about your speed, my favorite. You can find out more about this event at our website, www.swimoregon.org. This is the only open water series I do on the Oregon calendar because its the most fun and a very beautiful site. The weather is usually quite warm but cools off a night and you can camp right on the lake in a group campsite with other swimmers.
