The closest I've come to an open water swim was a few years back when I was an adult leader at a boy scout camp. I joined in their mile swim. Their lake was really just a small trout pond, probably 200 yards wide. The swim was five across-and-backs. It was cold (it was in South Dakota, and the pond was fed by snowmelt runoff. Temp might have been about 70 degrees.) I was the only one to finish.
Recently I came across an upcoming 2.4 mile swim in northern Colorado. They say the water is usually 65-70 degrees at the time of year this is scheduled. They have both wetsuit and non-wetsuit divisions. I don't know why, but this one is calling me.
I do 4200 yards per day, 6 days a week. I do that in about an hour (or more often 1:05) including rests. I have no doubt I can do that non-stop (I actually have done that on a few occasions.) So I'm not worried about the distance.
But the cold! I just don't know what to expect. I don't want to use a wetsuit. (I don't want to put out the money for a one-time whim swim. And being 6'6", I wonder whether I would find a good fit anyway... I know nothing about wetsuits...) The pool I swim in usually has a water temp of 82-84 degrees. Once the temp was 79.1, and that was chilly but did not negatively impact my swim that day. (In fact, it was invigorating and I did one of my better swims that day.)
I seek voices of experience here. Will water that's 15 degrees colder than I'm used to sap all my energy? Am I wrong to assume that my ability to do the distance in a lap pool means that I can do it in a cold lake? Can I reasonably extrapolate my times from the pool in any meaningful way into an open water (fresh water) prediction of time? (For instance, I could guestimate that I might pick up a second per flip turn in the pool, so absent those 168 flip turns, maybe my open water swim might be 3 minutes longer or so.)
I'd love to hear from some people who've "been there, done that."
Parents
Former Member
As the others have said, you have more than enough training to finish this and do well.
WRT the cold: You will probably be OK, but I suggest the following just before the race:
0) If you drink some sort of sports drink (e.g. Accelerade) just before starting, have it warm (not hot) and in a thermos. Even warm water is helpful if you can't tolerate other drinks. Obviously, try this in practice beforehand.
1) Splash a little water on your arms, legs and torso.
2) If you can, wade into the water to about waist deep and splash some more water on your torso. Then submerge yourself and stand up. Do the latter a few times.
If you can't do #2 (start off a dock or whatever), at least do #1 and consider #0.
Below 70 degrees, you may feel a bit cold at the start, but you will warm up. If it's below 65 degrees, you will have to do a bit of negotiation with your body/brain, but it is tolerable. Below 60 degrees, you should have some training in water at that temperature to physically adapt.
Good luck!
-LBJ
As the others have said, you have more than enough training to finish this and do well.
WRT the cold: You will probably be OK, but I suggest the following just before the race:
0) If you drink some sort of sports drink (e.g. Accelerade) just before starting, have it warm (not hot) and in a thermos. Even warm water is helpful if you can't tolerate other drinks. Obviously, try this in practice beforehand.
1) Splash a little water on your arms, legs and torso.
2) If you can, wade into the water to about waist deep and splash some more water on your torso. Then submerge yourself and stand up. Do the latter a few times.
If you can't do #2 (start off a dock or whatever), at least do #1 and consider #0.
Below 70 degrees, you may feel a bit cold at the start, but you will warm up. If it's below 65 degrees, you will have to do a bit of negotiation with your body/brain, but it is tolerable. Below 60 degrees, you should have some training in water at that temperature to physically adapt.
Good luck!
-LBJ
