I was wondering how people calculated open water distances? I started to swim in Long Beach, CA and was wondering if there was something that can help me figure out distances, for example, if there was a standard distance between life guard stations or beach bathrooms (I tried talking to the lifeguards but no one knew :confused: )
Personally, the actual distance in open water training is irrelevant. The important factors are time in the water and level of effort.
There are so many factors that impact point to point measurements/time (wind, waves, currents, chop, navigation skills…) that using them to figure your distance swum becomes secondary to how hard you are swimming for how long. For example, when I was training of the Jersey shore a few years ago, we would start from one beach shelter and head down the coast past another shelter 1 mile away. We would hit the 1-mile shelter anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes into the swim, depending on the current, wind, etc. A mile swum was not always a mile of swimming.
But, if you must know the distance, I’d suggest if there is a road parallel to the shore you could drive the route and note the landmarks. Another option is to check out distances on Mapquest. Or if you know someone with a GPS, you could walk it off and check your way points. Or the old fashion approach and pace it off (approximately 1760 adult male strides per mile)
Personally, the actual distance in open water training is irrelevant. The important factors are time in the water and level of effort.
There are so many factors that impact point to point measurements/time (wind, waves, currents, chop, navigation skills…) that using them to figure your distance swum becomes secondary to how hard you are swimming for how long. For example, when I was training of the Jersey shore a few years ago, we would start from one beach shelter and head down the coast past another shelter 1 mile away. We would hit the 1-mile shelter anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes into the swim, depending on the current, wind, etc. A mile swum was not always a mile of swimming.
But, if you must know the distance, I’d suggest if there is a road parallel to the shore you could drive the route and note the landmarks. Another option is to check out distances on Mapquest. Or if you know someone with a GPS, you could walk it off and check your way points. Or the old fashion approach and pace it off (approximately 1760 adult male strides per mile)
