Today, I completed my first attempt at a solo crossing of our local lake. The swim was 2.49 miles. (love that GPS) and took me 1::41.44 to complete. I have been swimming for 2.5 years, and had actually swam in two one mile open water swims. (same one twice).. I normally swim 2700 yards 3-5 times weekly, confident I could do it, but apprehensive still. Accompanied by my daughter and wife in a small row boat with an electric trolling motor. (doesnt take much to keepup with me).I jumped in off a pier on the north side and braved the kinda windy day (swam threw the sail regetta going on, not kidding) and only freeked out once. When I ran into some thick vegetation, concurrently the battery went down on the boat. (had extra, but took em a while) I was 700 yards from finish, thought I would stop, but just started swimming and did finish easily...... First thing I think of getting into the boat for the ride back to the truck..."I think I can do a 5 mile." ......... It's a sickness, isnt it?:
Today, I completed my first attempt at a solo crossing of our local lake. The swim was 2.49 miles. (love that GPS) and took me 1::41.44 to complete. I have been swimming for 2.5 years, and had actually swam in two one mile open water swims. (same one twice).. I normally swim 2700 yards 3-5 times weekly, confident I could do it, but apprehensive still. Accompanied by my daughter and wife in a small row boat with an electric trolling motor. (doesnt take much to keepup with me).I jumped in off a pier on the north side and braved the kinda windy day (swam threw the sail regetta going on, not kidding) and only freeked out once. When I ran into some thick vegetation, concurrently the battery went down on the boat. (had extra, but took em a while) I was 700 yards from finish, thought I would stop, but just started swimming and did finish easily...... First thing I think of getting into the boat for the ride back to the truck..."I think I can do a 5 mile." ......... It's a sickness, isnt it?:
Welcome to the dark side! :D and seriously, congrats on your swim! and through a sailing regatta yet! You DO have the sickness! ;)
***
Parents, have you talked to your children about distance swimming?
Parents, spouses, family....do you know the telltale signs that your loved one needs :help: ? Does s/he start calling 5 mile swims quick sprints? Does s/he browse boat catalogs to find good escort boats? Does s/he start ordering seaweed salads at restaurants? ... Interventions at this stage could be tricky, but they become impossible when s/he is told that a friend swam around Manhattan and replies "how many laps?"
Be careful out there friends! (says another developing addict)
Today, I completed my first attempt at a solo crossing of our local lake. The swim was 2.49 miles. (love that GPS) and took me 1::41.44 to complete. I have been swimming for 2.5 years, and had actually swam in two one mile open water swims. (same one twice).. I normally swim 2700 yards 3-5 times weekly, confident I could do it, but apprehensive still. Accompanied by my daughter and wife in a small row boat with an electric trolling motor. (doesnt take much to keepup with me).I jumped in off a pier on the north side and braved the kinda windy day (swam threw the sail regetta going on, not kidding) and only freeked out once. When I ran into some thick vegetation, concurrently the battery went down on the boat. (had extra, but took em a while) I was 700 yards from finish, thought I would stop, but just started swimming and did finish easily...... First thing I think of getting into the boat for the ride back to the truck..."I think I can do a 5 mile." ......... It's a sickness, isnt it?:
Here come the addicts! FMIF and IslandSox warned me about this! I just completed a 1.4 miler across Provincetown Harbor, MA. I felt so great when I got out I actually had a moment where I thought, if I had to, I could turn around and swim back across again! :fish2::fish2: It is a SICKNESS! I am by no means speedy - just steady (it took me 1:07). I am fiendishly plotting my next one...will it be 2 miles, or 3???
Welcome aboard.......
My mind now wanders from Alcatraz to Donner Lake to.........
Gone are my worries of a healthy 401k balance or what I want to be when I grow up. It is all part of the maturation of your soul.
Spudfin
I'm finding this reassuring. Does that mean I'm an incurable addict? :help::whiteflag:
Edited to add, congrats, Rachel! I'm a slow swimmer myself, and the thing I like about distances is that you don't have to go too fast, just keep on keeping on. Hey, go for three! You have the year to train! :D (See how addicts try to create other addicts....)
Welcome aboard.......
My mind now wanders from Alcatraz to Donner Lake to.........
Gone are my worries of a healthy 401k balance or what I want to be when I grow up. It is all part of the maturation of your soul.
Spudfin
I'm finding this reassuring. Does that mean I'm an incurable addict? :help::whiteflag:
Edited to add, congrats, Rachel! I'm a slow swimmer myself, and the thing I like about distances is that you don't have to go too fast, just keep on keeping on. Hey, go for three! You have the year to train! :D (See how addicts try to create other addicts....)
Thanks - fellow addicts like you are always an inspiration! I can just see our intervention now....our family gathered around the edge of the pool talking about how the chlorine smell is a constant painful reminder of our "affliction"....:joker:
Here come the addicts! FMIF and IslandSox warned me about this! I just completed a 1.4 miler across Provincetown Harbor, MA. I felt so great when I got out I actually had a moment where I thought, if I had to, I could turn around and swim back across again! :fish2::fish2: It is a SICKNESS! I am by no means speedy - just steady (it took me 1:07). I am fiendishly plotting my next one...will it be 2 miles, or 3???
Too funny! I remember when I thought doing the 800 meter freestyle event in Masters was a long distance. That used to be my favorite event. Yes, we all are distance junkies; it happens without even realizing it. I remember when my goal was to get to 4 miles in training and once that happened (and it didn't take that long), now I do 4 mile recovery swims on off days (LOL). I'll tell my husband when he asks how far I'll be swimming on a particular day and I'll reply that "it'll just be a little 4 mile recovery swim."
And here's another way to know you really like distance: When people ask you how far you swam and you say, I'm not sure because I swim by the hour(s), not the miles. Or, I'm going for a little 4 hour swim today. It just creeps up on us, doesn't it?:rofl:
Count me as another addict:fish2:. I did my first distance open water swim on Labor Day and loved it. It was not a race and was 1.1 miles across the Columbia River from the Washington side to the Oregon side. I was terribly slow, especially since I was *** stroking way to often to ensure that I was on course!
Now I want to train for a little longer swm in Idaho next year. I will do some open water swims before the event. I did none this time, and can see that more time in OW will be a great benefit to me. Other than that, I have no training plan in mind -- swim distance in the pool I guess?
Nancy
Congrats, Nancy, and welcome to the "hooked" crowd!
And I'm also interested in that swim. I was in Oregon during the summer and visited the Columbia River Gorge in my travels. Beautiful place! Where exactly was the swim--closer to Portland or closer to, say, Hood River (I think that was the town... where they do windsurfing)?
