Had my first open water swim up in the frozen north. It was simply wonderful to be outside and swim free!! ( no admission costs!!)
I was the only swimmer in the group (14 of us) without a wetsuit but the water temp , 68 or 19, and was surprisingly warm. We did a 80 min workout and I was toasty warm the whole time.
I noticed that focusing carefully on the smaller details of my technique has certainly paid off. And a bonus, with the clear water I could check to see those tell tale bubbles around the hand in the pull and could make corrections.
A great workout. Back in the lake tomorrow. Once acclimatized to this temp, I will move to a cooler lake and adapt to that. I know not all waters are this delightful temperature !
Looking forward to the open water season.
Your advice made my cold water race enjoyable. Beach patrol had water temp at 65. I took your tips to heart and wore the silicone ear plugs and two caps. We started in waist deep water. I got wet to my neck prior to the start and had the anticipated shortness of breath due to the cold. It lasted for the first 200 yards or so. Hands and feet felt tingly but never numb. I didn't feel cold the entire swim and was not chilled once I exited the water. Others were shivering uncontrollably so I felt fortunate. On average, swimmers were more than 10 minutes slower than their mile pool times and that was swimming with the current. I'm guessing it was more like 1.5 mi. rather than the advertised 1 mi. so we definitely got our money's worth! I was very surprised how comfortable 65 degrees felt. My only post race side effects were achiness in my sinuses and a dull headache for about 8 hours post-race. Small price to pay for my first cold water swim and a great experience.
So thanks for the help. It really made a difference.
Your advice made my cold water race enjoyable. Beach patrol had water temp at 65. I took your tips to heart and wore the silicone ear plugs and two caps. We started in waist deep water. I got wet to my neck prior to the start and had the anticipated shortness of breath due to the cold. It lasted for the first 200 yards or so. Hands and feet felt tingly but never numb. I didn't feel cold the entire swim and was not chilled once I exited the water. Others were shivering uncontrollably so I felt fortunate. On average, swimmers were more than 10 minutes slower than their mile pool times and that was swimming with the current. I'm guessing it was more like 1.5 mi. rather than the advertised 1 mi. so we definitely got our money's worth! I was very surprised how comfortable 65 degrees felt. My only post race side effects were achiness in my sinuses and a dull headache for about 8 hours post-race. Small price to pay for my first cold water swim and a great experience.
So thanks for the help. It really made a difference.
