Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

A few brief thoughts from an occasional. Get prepared for the conditions - whatever they are - that may include cold water swimming; swimming in chop, swell, tide, current; no lines to follow/low viz. etc. Only way to do this is to get in similar environment and get used to it. Can you hook up with an OW swimmer or triathlete and do some buddy training? One tip: if it's wavy, it's challenging to stay on course - look for the marker buoys when you are on the top of the swell, or you won't see em. Triathlon type starts can be a huge melee. If you have to do this, ask your swimming friends to jump on you, punch you, and otherwise get in your way to get used to this! Or play some water polo! Actually its better to just stay out of the mob to the extent that you can. Watch out for the big fish - just kidding. Hope that's helpful PS triathletes, who may not come from a swimming background, can find this scary and you may find some good advice on the tri web sites. They get to wear wet suits to cope with cold water - I don't know if that's allowed in your swim. If not and your swim is cold, cold tolerance needs conditioning.

Most of the time, for me, it is easier to find the straight line swimming out vs. swimming in. It seems that I am more able to find my mark swimming out to the buoy. There is no buoy on the way in and it can be tough to sight the finish line. I also know that in the first minute I expend a huge amount of my energy. It really sucks but that is the nature of the beast. I must deal with crowds and surf. Pacing during the start doesn't work, for me. I pay the price during the middle, as one must have a finish.

CB is Chesapeake Bay? I haven't swum it, but would echo the general advice to do at least one OW swim of similar length before the event (that takes care of butterflies; 1 mile isn't very long), and try to stay out of the crowds in the water. A steady, moderate pace will see you to the end. :)

Have fun! For me, the biggest factor is the cold shock--definitely get in the water before the race if you do not have wet suit. Or, do some jumping jacks or running sprints. Swimmers don't seem to warm up like other athletes (you should be sweating a little at the start of a race).

Alison, OW swims are a lot of fun. I don't know why, but a one-mile swim in the pool seems a lot longer than in an OW race; it will be over before you know it. Obviously you won't have any trouble with the distance, having seen you swim I know you're a strong swimmer. In transitioning from pool to OW, some of the biggest issues for strong pool swimmers are: -- the temperature -- sighting/swimming in a straight line -- potential choppiness in the water -- the traffic, especially in the first part of the race You don't have a lot of insulation :) so you should try to acclimate yourself to the temp with some practice swims. Of course, make sure someone is with you. It is still early though, the water is much colder now than it will be for the race. I have never done the Bay swim (I tried to enter this year but didn't make it past the raffle) so I don't know what that specific swim is like...I think you end up swimming beneath a bridge? In many OW swims there is something to swim toward, a marking buoy or something. For sighting, you need to practice lifting your head slightly and looking ahead or otherwise orienting yourself. You might end up doing this a lot during the swim so you want to make sure you don't waste energy by doing it. You can practice this in a pool easily enough: do some longer swims where you lift your head and look straight ahead 1-2 times per length. Do this until it feels pretty comfortable and effortless, just a natural part of the stroke. In OW swims, it is better to swim smart than just bull your way ahead in the wrong direction, or zig-zagging. If you need to stop briefly to orient yourself properly, that will still save time compared to swimming crooked. Things look differently in the water than from the shore. There have been a number of times that I've stood on the shore and thought, "I won't have any trouble navigating this course" only to be proven wrong. That is especially true if there are waves or chop, making it harder to sight on buoys. Get in the water on the course if you can. As far as traffic goes...realize that many people overswim the first part of an OW race, sprinting out ahead -- maybe cutting you off -- only to slow down a lot. Don't get stuck behind someone, or in a group, that swims below your abilities. Good luck! OW swimming is a nice change of pace. Maybe you'll get addicted.

not sure where I read it, but you can test your stroke in a pool to see how straight you swim by swimming with your eyes closed. line up over the black line, and then swim 20m or so if you don't hit the laneline before you open your eyes then you are swimming pretty straight, but the other indicator is if you are to the left or right of the line after 20m.

Alison, OW swims are a lot of fun. I don't know why, but a one-mile swim in the pool seems a lot longer than in an OW race; it will be over before you know it. Obviously you won't have any trouble with the distance, having seen you swim I know you're a strong swimmer. In transitioning from pool to OW, some of the biggest issues for strong pool swimmers are: -- the temperature -- sighting/swimming in a straight line -- potential choppiness in the water -- the traffic, especially in the first part of the race You don't have a lot of insulation :) so you should try to acclimate yourself to the temp with some practice swims. Of course, make sure someone is with you. It is still early though, the water is much colder now than it will be for the race. I have never done the Bay swim (I tried to enter this year but didn't make it past the raffle) so I don't know what that specific swim is like...I think you end up swimming beneath a bridge? In many OW swims there is something to swim toward, a marking buoy or something. For sighting, you need to practice lifting your head slightly and looking ahead or otherwise orienting yourself. You might end up doing this a lot during the swim so you want to make sure you don't waste energy by doing it. You can practice this in a pool easily enough: do some longer swims where you lift your head and look straight ahead 1-2 times per length. Do this until it feels pretty comfortable and effortless, just a natural part of the stroke. In OW swims, it is better to swim smart than just bull your way ahead in the wrong direction, or zig-zagging. If you need to stop briefly to orient yourself properly, that will still save time compared to swimming crooked. Things look differently in the water than from the shore. There have been a number of times that I've stood on the shore and thought, "I won't have any trouble navigating this course" only to be proven wrong. That is especially true if there are waves or chop, making it harder to sight on buoys. Get in the water on the course if you can. As far as traffic goes...realize that many people overswim the first part of an OW race, sprinting out ahead -- maybe cutting you off -- only to slow down a lot. Don't get stuck behind someone, or in a group, that swims below your abilities. Good luck! OW swimming is a nice change of pace. Maybe you'll get addicted. THANKS Chris!!! Great advice. I need to work on this sighting stuff. UGH! This is honestly just so foreign to me. I'm so comfortable in a pool. Not sure if I should get a wet suit. Sounds a bit much for a one mile swim. And I realize that the other swimmers are basically going to piss the heck out of me...Should I be on the side......how do I do well in this!!HEHE? IDK about the OW's becoming addictive. My pool and I have a good relationship and have no plans of leaving my pool for another form of water.....(not that kind of woman.hehe)...:shakeshead: THANK you..Hopefully I can get a chance to get in the Chesapeake Bay before the race. Not sure how or where or when though!?????

not sure where I read it, but you can test your stroke in a pool to see how straight you swim by swimming with your eyes closed. line up over the black line, and then swim 20m or so if you don't hit the laneline before you open your eyes then you are swimming pretty straight, but the other indicator is if you are to the left or right of the line after 20m. REALLY? Will try this tomorrow...OUCH if I crash!!!

Have fun! For me, the biggest factor is the cold shock--definitely get in the water before the race if you do not have wet suit. Or, do some jumping jacks or running sprints. Swimmers don't seem to warm up like other athletes (you should be sweating a little at the start of a race). GREAT advice..as I don't think I will be in a wet suit. Just for the 1 mile, seems silly to get a wet suit. Plus, as a pool swimmer, I think a wet suit will be too confining! Brr..I'm cold already thinking of the water.

I will get to meet you there, swimalison! I will be there. I have done it 5 times. Water temp is usually in the low 70s. It is clearly marked and there are boats everywhere. Good luck. Some of us do the Reston swim a couple weeks earlier to get used to open water. You should come then too. www.lin-mark.com. See you there!