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
Parents
Former Member
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.
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.
