I was just curious about everyone's "first time". When/where did you take that first plunge into open water??
(I did a search to see if a thread like this had been done and came up empty.)
Not counting lake and Ocean swimming for fun as a kid (or pretend kid). My first "real" open water swim was this past September in the Hudson River Swim for Life across the Hudson River, North of the Tappan Zee (supposed to be 3 miles but my time was really much faster than I expected, so I wonder).
It was just the most spectacular experience I have had in many years. First of all, training for it after several decades of relative inactivity was transformative. I began to feel much better about myself in many ways during the training.
Secondly, the view of the Tappan Zee bridge from water level while we were treading water letting an enormous cargo ship pass is something I'll never forget. The swim was harder and easier than I expected. Harder at the beginning as the waves and current were much higher than expected and I could not see anything when breathing (waves in the way) or when swimming (water too murky). I went in the wrong direction several times. Eventually I found the groove and really enjoyed it.
Now, I am hooked. Open Water swimming strikes me as one of the purest and most beautiful sports -- in touch with nature, immersed in your element -- it gives you an appreciation for the universe you don't get from many other activities. The experience has changed my relationship with the river (as I re-route my commute to pass it everyday) forever. I hope to be able to pursue this exhilarating activity much further.
(oops, wrote more than I expected)
Not counting lake and Ocean swimming for fun as a kid (or pretend kid). My first "real" open water swim was this past September in the Hudson River Swim for Life across the Hudson River, North of the Tappan Zee (supposed to be 3 miles but my time was really much faster than I expected, so I wonder).
It was just the most spectacular experience I have had in many years. First of all, training for it after several decades of relative inactivity was transformative. I began to feel much better about myself in many ways during the training.
Secondly, the view of the Tappan Zee bridge from water level while we were treading water letting an enormous cargo ship pass is something I'll never forget. The swim was harder and easier than I expected. Harder at the beginning as the waves and current were much higher than expected and I could not see anything when breathing (waves in the way) or when swimming (water too murky). I went in the wrong direction several times. Eventually I found the groove and really enjoyed it.
Now, I am hooked. Open Water swimming strikes me as one of the purest and most beautiful sports -- in touch with nature, immersed in your element -- it gives you an appreciation for the universe you don't get from many other activities. The experience has changed my relationship with the river (as I re-route my commute to pass it everyday) forever. I hope to be able to pursue this exhilarating activity much further.
(oops, wrote more than I expected)
