Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Animal — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 11:50:23 GMT

Since it is a cable swim, sighting may not be as important as trying to swim to a large orange buoy. But, learning to sight in the open water is a skill that needs to be practiced. Learning to sight will help you swim straighter and swim closer to distance than not sighting. In open water races I have swam in I try to sight every 15 to 20 strokes. I just lift my head a little higher when I take a breath. My goal is to sight from both sides to correct any zig-zagging I do. Also, training in the open water as much as possible is suggested. One, so you are comfortable without lane lines and a wall. Two, to just experience the sheer joy of swimming in the open water. Last, at the start of a well attended race there will be pushing, kicking and hitting as the swimming mass moves out into the open water. Expect to be kicked and have your goggles knocked around or off. Learn to swim in a pack. As the racers, spread out find a pack of same speed swimmers and go with them.:applaud:

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Bobinator — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:51:40 GMT

For your first open water swim try to RELAX, stretch out long and streamline, get in a good rhythm, and enjoy mother nature. If you are the non-aggressive type start wide and in the back to avoid crowd panic. If you enjoy contact and tend to swim aggresively then go front and center and enjoy.

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Former Member — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:27:23 GMT

I also have a question if doing a cable swim do you swim a circle around the cable? Is there any particular way to turn? You swim it as if it was a lane line - just keep it to the one side. WRT turning: I know of two ways: 1) The obvious way is to just make a hard left (or right) turn and get around it as best you can. 2) The other way (it takes practice) is to wait until you are about 2 strokes from the turn and then flip into a backstroke. When you reach the apex of the turn, roll onto the turn side while reaching with the turn side arm in the direction you want to be going. This should roll you onto your stomach and get you back in the right direction. As a bonus, when you are in the backstroke position, you can get a quick look at the competitiors behind you. However you do it, be careful not to get tangled in the rope that anchors the turn buoy - there also often is some excess rope hanging off the buoy as well. Not life or death, but it can be annoying, he said from experience. -LBJ

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Former Member — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:34:47 GMT

I am also doing my first open water swim but not until August in NY. Thanks everyone for the great advice.

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Former Member — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:16:13 GMT

Can anyone tell me how many yards and meters a 2 mile swim is? Thanks

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Former Member — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:36:25 GMT

I also have a question if doing a cable swim do you swim a circle around the cable? Is there any particular way to turn?

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Former Member — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 09:12:11 GMT

My only tip is to try really hard not to swallow the water. Have fun :)

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Former Member — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 09:00:31 GMT

Can anyone tell me how many yards and meters a 2 mile swim is? Thanks 1 mile = 1760 yards or 1609.xx meters. so 3520 yards or 3218 meters. -LBJ

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Former Member — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 06:30:18 GMT

I am not sure why, but every year my first or two swims, a fear takes over me. By the end of the season, I love OW and get mad at the wall when I have to swim in a pool again. So to over come my fear I have: Found someone that I really trusted as a person to practice with. (It helps that this person was around the same speed) And let them sight for you for at least the first 5 times you swim together. Then that fear is usually taken away. Swam on my back until my breathe is caught, then swimming freestyle is not a problem. Here is Montana sometimes the cold water can be shocking and to over come that obstacle is to wear a wool cap/hat under your bathing cap, and of course a wet suit. And I did get a mailing for a pair of goggles with black lines down the middle of each lens to simulate the black lines of the bottom of the pool. (LOL) I wonder if you could make money on that? Good Luck,

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

ViveBene — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 04:33:09 GMT

Learn to love drafting - I might give that a try! (But didn't like taking a heel to the cheekbone at last year's Big Shoulders. Owie!)

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Former Member — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:17:20 GMT

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. Don't worry - the 1 mile is in fairly shallow and protected water. It's warmer than the other swim. Not the most exciting course, but it is fun. Enjoy. -LBJ

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Patrick W. Brundage — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:33:52 GMT

Doing the CB Swim for the very first time (1 miler). Can you give me some tips? Just anything...I am in the dark when it comes to OW!:dunno: THANKS!!!! Learn to love drafting: find a pack of swimmers, get nestled in there and "trust" that the pack is going in the right direction. While sighting is necessary, it takes a lot of energy and I think most people sight too often versus too little. I've done a few (2 to 4) OW swims (1m to 3m) each summer for the last 5 or so years and always ended them just wiped out, with muscle fatigue in places I never felt from a pool swim. I'm pretty sure that was mainly from excessive sighting. Terry Laughlin of TI gave me the "trust the pack" mantra before I did the 3 mile Gatorman at La Jolla last summer. It took me a bit, but I did find a pack probably 5 minutes into the race and was able to reduce my energy output to keep the same pace both by drafting and doing very little head-lifting for sighting. I did almost all my sighting off the pack's feet and bodies. I think if you watch the winners from the Beijing 10K, you'll see that they, too, tended to follow the pack until the end of race sprint.

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Swimalison — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:22:21 GMT

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! Sounds great Swimmy! Will see you there! I know you do these OW things...I'm still hesitant. But ready as I'll ever be!

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Swimmy — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:28:18 GMT

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Swimalison — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:30:01 GMT

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.

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Swimalison — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:27:52 GMT

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!!!

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Swimalison — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:26:44 GMT

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!?????

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Rykno — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:24:49 GMT

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Chris Stevenson — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:51:33 GMT

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

MAC swimmer — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 08:35:09 GMT

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

ViveBene — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 06:39:47 GMT

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. :)

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Former Member — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:24:05 GMT

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.

RE: Any tips for a FIRST time OW swim?

Gdavis — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 09:37:18 GMT

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.