I just started swimming this summer and I'm up to 2400 yards in an hour.
I'd like to do the Reston 1mile this year, then Chesapeake Bay a year or 2 later.
I stop & stand 6 times through the 2400yd.s & about 30 percent of my workout is breastroke. I know I need to phase out the stops, but what about the breastroke?
I know I shouldn't do breastroke at the beginning of an open water swim since I'd be kicking everyone, but once we spread out, is it OK? Are many others doing breastroke periodically?
Can anyone suggest a good book on open water swimming so I don't bother y'all with too many newbie questions?
Former Member
welcome,
the population of swimmers that participate in open water events is quite varied. some are fiercly competitive others much less so.
i participated in the chesapeak bay swim in 05 (no wetsuit); though the start was crowded, it soon felt like i was alone out there. two of my team mates took the swim at a more leisurly pace (they brought a camera along and documented their experience).
stopping along the way should never be an issue unless the event has a cut-off time. (many do, due to such factors as coast guard permits, tide changes, etc.)
in a pack, contact is inevitable, wheather from a *** stroke kick or a freestyle arm recovery.
julie ridge (in her book "take it to the limit") sets up a very specific way to plan and train for a specific goal. for example, if your goal is to swim 5 miles in 70 degree water in two years, and you can swim 1 mile in 80 degree water now; your intermediate goals should fall in line...1 year: 3 miles/75 degrees...18mos: 4 miles/72.5 degrees .......etc.
david
Hey,
well done on the improvements. Here are my tips:
1 - swimming majority of your workout in breastroke is not good for your knees, you should definitely put more freestyle/backstroke in there for open water swims.
2 - doing breastroke in the open water is ok, but slows you down quite a bit (I guess it depends what you want to achieve - win or just take part). I would not recommend starting out with breastroke. At the beginning one needs to get to the front of the pack or stay on the front, so one doesn't get run over by folks, so I suggest waiting with the breastroke until you get tired or are in an area with no so many people around.
Hope that helped.
This will be only my second season in open water, so I'm probably not the best person to answer this, but last season I did a one mile ocean and two mile lake swim, both about 50% breastroke. It's much easier for me, and both times my shoulder was bothering me (don't know if it's an old injury - not swimming related - or lousy freestyle technique). I did the mile in 39:01 and the two mile in 1:16:44. That's slow, but my goal was to finish.
I'm entered in the Potomac River swim, which is 7.5 miles. Again, my goal is to finish, and I plan on varying my stroke among freestyle, ***, and back. My shoulder couldn't take 7.5 miles of straight freestyle, and there are no time limits on this swim, so hopefully this will work.
If your goal is to do a fast mile or two, I'd say try to gradually reduce the breastroke, but if you just want to finish, then whatever works. Good luck!
