Signed up for my first long swim and after hearing the reaction from family and friends (haven't told anyone at work yet), I'm wondering how other people respond when you tell them that you're going to do a swim.
Here's some of what I got:
"Why on earth would you want to do something like that?"
"You're nuts!"
"You could drown!"
"That's so dangerous!"
"You'd better get your will done first."
"What are you thinking? You have a family!"
"You could get eaten by a shark..."
"The jellyfish will get you..."
"People invented boats and bridges to get across rivers, we're not supposed to swim across them."
"Are you going to use a gas mask?"
"The water's so polluted, you are going to get sick."
"If you want to swim, can't you do it in the pool where it's safe?"
Only one person said "That's awesome, you must be in great shape."
Do you get similar responses? And how do you answer them? I'm beginning to wonder what the rest of the world thinks of us...
My family thought I was nuts for doing a 2.7 mi lake swim, yet on that same weekend my brother and nephew did the Ruby Crest Trail Run, a 43 mi run in the mountains near our home. Not a word about them being goofy (except from me).
In general, I get pretty positive responses from people, although the shark question is almost always brought up.
My favorite response to date is, "Don't worry about the sharks. It's the barracuda you need to watch out for." This comment was from a fellow OW swimmer though.
I also like, "How much money do you get if you win?" Ha!
I'm hoping to do some OW this year too. Just local and maybe only on relay teams to start out.
My wife almost drowed off of Coney Island as s teen she'll question my sanity (further).
You are not alone!! People go nuts when they find out I am training for a 19 mile swim from the island of Roatan to Utila in 2008 and I am 59 years old!!! Everyone's first comment so far has been: Why? and I say Why Not? I want to enter the last quarter of my life having done something big and this one is a doozey.
The 2nd question is: what about the sharks? and I say, what about them? As long as my husband doesn't take out an insurance policy on me and is chumming off the back of the boat, I doubt sharks will be an issue; 19 miles and current will be an issue!!! Along with Sailfish and Marlin--big ones!! \
Hey, how about sunburn? that could be a bad one as well as swimsuit chafing--ooh, that hurts.
Donna
My family thought I was nuts for doing a 2.7 mi lake swim, yet on that same weekend my brother and nephew did the Ruby Crest Trail Run, a 43 mi run in the mountains near our home. Not a word about them being goofy (except from me).
If I had the fitness, how cool would it be to do both in the same weekend--thereby getting both my runnerbuds and my swimmerbuds on my case! :D
I get the running related "are you nuts" questions anyway in addition to the swimming related ones.
Ex.'s
Don't you know you'll wreck your knees? (My brother's dr. had a good answer to that--"Costs less to fix a bad knee than a bad heart and it's a whole lot easier.")
A man puffing away on a cigarette and listening to a story of my almost getting hit by a truck (which fate I fortunately escaped with some record sprinting): "See that's a sign you shouldn't be running." To him: "I think if I'd gotten hit, that would be a sign I shouldn't be running." (I barely refrained from commenting about how his coughing might be a sign that he shouldn't be smoking.)
On cold days when I run, "You'll freeze your lungs!" Hmmm... lungcicles... intriguing....
I've never gotten this myself but other women report that people have told them their uterus will fall out. Say what???
I had a friend worried sick before my ocean swim--asking, I admit, the same questions I pondered myself--and by reassuring her, I found that I was also reassuring myself. So in a way she did me a favor.
And sure I got the "wow, that's so cool" responses. But more important, the person who most needs to have that response to my swimming or running is the one I face in the mirror.
If I had the fitness, how cool would it be to do both in the same weekend--thereby getting both my runnerbuds and my swimmerbuds on my case! :D
I get the running related "are you nuts" questions anyway in addition to the swimming related ones.
I've been over most of the trail either on foot or horseback but have no desire to run it.
I've heard most of the examples too. I used to be a runner but gave it up when my feet and knees started complaining. That's what I love about swimming (although the shoulders complain a bit from time to time).
I've never done an ocean swim. That would be sooooo cool!
Thanks to everyone for your responses! Sorry for taking so long to reply (been a really busy time what with family and work). I did finally tell someone at work, who said "it's not something I'd do, but it's great that you're doing it" - and she's contributing to the environmental fund the Potomac Swim works with as well.
Gary:
I love your responses! LOL
There *is* something absurd about someone whose main form of exercise is getting off the couch to go to the refrigerator lecturing us on the "dangers" of open water swimming.
Mary:
It's funny you got some of the same questions. You're right, life is too short to worry about sharks, etc.
Julie:
Yes, I'm entered in the Potomac River Swim. I was very happy that Cheryl let me in; I'd been afraid that you need more experience than I have to qualify. But as someone here (sorry, don't remember who) said, the race directors mainly want to make sure that Steve Martin doesn't show up with his arm floaties...
I like your response - one reason I'm doing this is because I can. (After all, it's not the English Channel or the Race Around Manhattan!)
I'm really looking forward to the swim. How did you train for it last year? And are you doing it this year? I need all the advice I can get. So far my longest pool swim is 5 miles, so I have a ways to go before June...
Swimmy:
I can imagine the comments you got when you did Alcatraz, especially if they know it's called the Sharkfest! I'm doing Lake Montclair again, and probably Reston - it's a week before the Potomac Swim, so maybe I could do the one and two mile swims as a warmup. What swims are you doing? It would be great to see you again at another race.
InnerFish:
Good luck at the Great South Bay Swim! Wish I could do that one, too.
I run too, though if anything I'm even slower as a runner than swimmer. Sso far only 5K's except for one 10 miler, and if anyone says I'll destroy my knees, I say that if eight years of classical ballet didn't wreck my knees, running won't. Plus I plan on taking a break at any sign of injury. Haven't heard the one about your lungs freezing (I'm a wimp in winter; won't run outside when it gets that cold - I'll run if it's 95 and humid, but not when it's freezing). Haven't heard about the uterus falling out - where do they get these weird ideas?
Poolrat:
LOL! Seems like to any reasonable person, it would be the opposite. 2.7 mile lake swim? Sure. 43 miles?! not. (I can see running a marathon, and hope to attempt it some day, but never an ultra).
Donna:
You're an inspiration. Maybe by the time I'm 59 I'll be in good enough shape to attempt a swim like that!
islandsox. I learned to swim in a pool. But i n the summer months I would swim in the ocean. I really did not like the pool. But living in new York, in the winter months I would swim at the pool. May be 2 times a week. But come April to Sept. I was always at some beach or lake , at least 5 times a week. I never knew how far I swam, but I can tell you, at high tide I could not see the beach. I never thought about what kin of fish were under me, it never dawned on me . But I could swim for hours, and not be tired. But once I got back to the beach ,I could sleep like a baby. But not having swam in open water for at least the last 50 yrs. I would be totally intimadated , Dom. In AZ.
