open wter noob

35 minutes for a mile is SLOW?? My best o.w. mile was 38 and I was ecstatic when I got that! But that just tells you, people of all different paces do open water swims. And love them! I'm more a runner than a swimmer, but did my first open water swim in 2002 while recovering from a running injury... I missed competing when I heard about this particular swim decided to try it. My only goal was not to finish last. Second last would be okay, though. So I would swim miles at the pool and time myself until I could swim in 45 mins. (which had been the last place time the previous year). When the start horn went off, everyone sprinted out of sight and I wondered what in the WORLD I was doing in this race! "I'm toast," I told myself. But I thought I'm here, might as well keep going... if no one kicks me out for being too slow I'll finish. Otherwise I won't. So with that in mind, I decided to relax and just do the best I could. The kayak support people were AWESOME and really encouraged and helped me. I loved the experience, even though in some ways it was a lot harder than any run I did. The recovery was much faster! Plus I was out in a natural setting, in REAL water with REAL sunlight... and seagulls... the thing I love about running is being close to nature, and I was getting that in this swim. I recovered from my running injury and put swimming on hold for a few years, then joined a masters' group at my Y--just curious what it would be like. The coach was wonderful and very encouraging despite my inexperience. He was trying to recruit people for an open water ocean swim... um... ocean? I don't think so! I was okay with the bay swim I did for my first o.w. experience, but the ocean was ... another kettle of fish, pardon the pun. I was always afraid of swimming in breakers... had an incident once where I was being spun around like a sock in a washing machine and couldn't tell which way was up or down... thought I wasn't going to make it... but somehow very unceremoniously, I was deposited on the beach, crashing into broken shells, but alive. But not anxious to repeat the experience. So no... no ocean races... except the coach was so persuasive and kept saying, You can do this! So I finally, with great trepidation, entered the race... gasped my way through the breakers, terrified... and once out in open water, thought... this isn't so bad! Ocean races still aren't my favorite type but now I know they're possible for me. Next obstacle: could I do a long race? someone told me about a 5.25 mile swim from Fire Island to Long Island--that sounded pretty cool since I used to go there w/ my family for vacations... what a great "homecoming" idea... except that I hadn't done anything longer open water than a mile. So I put that on hold... someday I thought. And then decided why not? And last year, I did the swim--seasick as all get-out in the last mile, but glad to have done it! And realized... hmmm... I can do these things... I can swim long. Who knows where that will lead... but I truly loved having the chance to swim across from one island to another, no ferries, just a totally human effort. I would like sometime to try something even longer. I learned from these swims that more is possible than I realized. I also learned not to start too fast or panic if others went way ahead... as my masters' coach would always say, "Go your own pace. Don't worry about what others are doing." And I learned that these swims are amazingly FUN, even the one where I got seasick... oddly at first, I was detached from the seasickness... which at first felt no more of a problem than a sneeze. By the time it started to be a problem, I was almost done anyway and nothing is more motivating than hearing people yelling and cheering as you come close to shore. Finally, one caution: this stuff is ADDICTIVE! Parents, have you talked to your children about open water swimming? ;) Good swimming to you!

i'd really like to be in races like the fat salmon, etc. one day (the sooner the better!). Since you mentioned Fat Salmon are you in or close to Seattle? If so, here's a race you should consider entering: www.seattle.gov/.../openwaterswim.htm I won't be able to do it this year because it's during long course Nationals, but I've done it several times in the past. It's a good one for beginners. The course is in a sheltered bay, so you won't ever feel like you're out in the middle of the lake. Also the races are 1/2 mile and 1 mile. Yes, open water swimming is different than pool swimming, but it's still swimming. All you really have to do is get in the water and start swimming.

The open water is a unlike a pools swim that they are almost not comparable. No walls, no lane line nor lane ropes, just you and the water. Swimming in the open water, provides a sense of oneness with the a greater world that you are part of. There are fish, rocks, wind and waves. The sky above you and a bottom below you that cannot be seen, except when you come close to shore. Racing in the open water with few or many others is quite different than in a pool. You can start on land and run to the water, high stepping into it before bashing headlong into the open. Or start in the water and swim like spawning salmon going up a river. Watching those who swim behind your and hoping they can't catch you. Sighting the swimmers ahead of you and hoping you can catch them. Fighting to turn around a buoy. The waves that pick you up and drop you down. Getting slapped in the face when a wave breaks on you. Hitting other swimmers and being hit. Swimming in a pack and breaking away from it, to have them only pass you when you cramp up. Having the paddlers to follow so you do not have to sight. Swimming the English Channel and quitting less than 2 miles from France because you have spent 14 hours trying to get there and you cannot lift your arms out of the water, since when you try, a knife like pain drives into each shoulder. Open water is great.

Getting started pretty much entails putting on suit, finding a body of water, swimming in it. Next day: go for a longer time. When you're ready to try a meet, pick a short one, and aim to complete. VB hi everyone! i absolutely love swimming but i'm new to the idea of open water swimming, so i thought this might be a good place to get advice. i was wondering what a good way to get started is and if making the transition from pool to open water is a big deal. i'd really like to be in races like the fat salmon, etc. one day (the sooner the better!). any tips would be great and also, what were your first open water experiences like? ---------------- Now playing: Rammstein - Feuer Frei via FoxyTunes

last year winter I decided I was going to swim a 3km OW race in July. I got up to 4500-5000m in 90 minutes at practice when swimming distance free. I figured a 3km would be easy. in June I started swimming in the lake to get a feel for swimming straight and with out walls to turn or hang on. our bouys were 250m apart, and the first few times I swam 750m, it seemed like someone kept moving the first 250m bouy because it took "so long" to get to it. after a few swims in the lake, it was not that hard to swim 750m with out stopping. when I got to my first race I knew it was 2km down one river and 1km back up a joining river. but I was not mentally prepared to swim 3km in one stretch. there were bouys at 200m, 500m and then i didn't see another one until 1500m I mentally gave up, and slowed down between the 500 and 1500m but when I got to the 1500m I could see the turn and got excited again. then at the turn the water temp drop 2-3 degrees, and instead of swimming with the current we were now going against it. took me 45:15 last summer. I was happy with my time, but I was sad that I mentally gave up because I was not prepared. this year I swam more in the winter and even though I never swam more than 5000m at one practice (except for a one time 90 minute swimwhere I was able to get in 6250m) I was swimming those meters faster. and in June i started OW swimming again, but this time I was doing 1500, 2200, 3000, and even 4000m swims with as little rest as possible. on some days I would work on swimming straight, other days I would try to swim fast between bouys. always taking note of how much time I was out in the water and resting. I think I had atleast twice as much OW experience before this years races and it showed.

All good stuff for getting started. One thing I would add is don't go alone. Venture into open water with another swimmer, preferably someone who has been there before. Learn to sight landmarks and your swimming partner as well. Enjoy the adventure, it opens up a whole new swimming world.

One thing I would add is don't go alone. Ditto, and this isn't just because you're new to OW swimming. Last summer, I trained with some people who did Ironman triathlons, and most of them wouldn't swim alone. I'd suggest you find a group that does OW swimming. If your local USMS club doesn't have a group that does OW, check with your local triathlon club.

My first experience with open water swimming was 5 years ago when I entered a race around the Oceanside Pier,..its a little less than a mile. I did not pace myself and ran out of steam 3/4 of the way thru and had to float on my back to rest. A Masters Coach helped me to find my pace for swimming a mile as well as RELAXING when I swam. The battle is in the mind,..overcoming the fear of swimming straight out for almost a half-mile,..and becoming confident on your ability. Sunday I`m doing a 5 mile swim with a paddleboard escort,..my escort will stand for the entire swim and use a verticle pole in a tackle box on the front of the paddle board to navigate a straight line to the buoys,..an advantage we will have over all the other escorts who are going to be in kayaks, My escort is a retired Navy Chief,..his purpose is to ensure that I do not swim over 5 miles, to be my shrink, to provide me with nutrition and rescue me should I have trouble. I swim very slow,..about 35 minutes per mile. I`m getting a hollow feeling in my stomach right now thinking about the swim,..but am confident that my fears will dissolve inthe Pacific.

Anita I cannot make the Gatorman, but hope to next year. I`m hopeful about Sundays swim, and will post my experience. Thanks for thinking about me. Ron %%%%%%%%%%%%%% ><>

Sunday I`m doing a 5 mile swim with a paddleboard escort,... Let us know how you do, Ron. That race is my goal for next year. My first OW will be the Gatorman in September in the LJ Rough Water. Will you be there?