Hi all,
I just joined USMS and have committed to doing my first open water swim (1 mile) in two weeks! I'm way out of practice and have just recently gotten back into it. I've been swimming just about every day, but it takes me nearly an hour to swim a mile at the pool.
Am I in over my head?!??! Should I be this nervous and scared? I've been told I can do it, but I worry that I can't!? Right now, my goal is to finish...? Haha. Is that reasonable?
Any tips from you seasoned (or not!) open water swimmers would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you thank you and happy swimming!
Grappledunk and Slug are right.
For what it's worth, my first OWS was 2 years ago. A 3K in a lake. I went out with the idea of keeping a nice even, smooth stroke and ignoring the pace of others. I did much better than I expected. Last year, I did another 3K in a lake. With the experience under my belt, I thought I would go racing. I tried to keep up with 3 guys much faster than me, and the piano fell on me half way through the race. I finished a full minute and a half slower, further back in the standings, and noted how much more fun the folks who finished far behind me had than I.
I remembered that experience going into the Big Shoulders last year and swam a nice even relaxed 5K much faster than my goal time. It's all about the enjoyment of the swim at your pace.
Come to think of it, maybe a better predictor of success in OWS is whether or not I have a beer waiting for me at the finish.
Grappledunk and Slug are right.
For what it's worth, my first OWS was 2 years ago. A 3K in a lake. I went out with the idea of keeping a nice even, smooth stroke and ignoring the pace of others. I did much better than I expected. Last year, I did another 3K in a lake. With the experience under my belt, I thought I would go racing. I tried to keep up with 3 guys much faster than me, and the piano fell on me half way through the race. I finished a full minute and a half slower, further back in the standings, and noted how much more fun the folks who finished far behind me had than I.
I remembered that experience going into the Big Shoulders last year and swam a nice even relaxed 5K much faster than my goal time. It's all about the enjoyment of the swim at your pace.
Come to think of it, maybe a better predictor of success in OWS is whether or not I have a beer waiting for me at the finish.
