Hey,
I'm 23, in Atlanta, and trying to get into open water swimming, because it seems like fun, it's something new, and because keeping track of how many laps you've swum is hard when you're tired. :P
Through middleschool, I was very active in swimming, and did tons of competitions in my region. In highschool I switched to running XC, which I was not as good at, but which had more hot chicks at my school. In college I dropped team sports completely so that I could focus on drinking beer and eating pizza. Now I'm recovering from the weight I gained during undergrad, and swimming was a natural choice since running continues to give me shin problems.
In the pool I've been able to swim as much as 3 miles with relative ease (I did 210 lengths of a 25Y pool yesterday, and I feel great today).
Obviously, it's the dead of winter right now, so there's probably not a lot going on in the realm of open water swimming. Anyway.....
1. If I want to prepare for a 5K open water swim how far should I swim in a pool? Are the two even comparable?
2. Do I need a wetsuit?
3. What groups in the Atlanta area do open water swimming? And how soon in the year will people start swimming outside?
4. Just how inadvisable is it for an OW newbie to swim alone outdoors?
5. Do people always swim freestyle in OW races? My ***-stroke is a lot easier for me (I do about half and half when I'm swimming laps at the pool), and almost as fast. Will people look at me funny (or will I be DQ'd) if I switch strokes during an OW race?
6. I'm a little bit intimidated by the notion of going out with some OW group, given that I'm probably not nearly as fast as them and I don't want to hold them up. Should I be training on my own to get faster before I try to join a group, or should I just dive in and see what happens?
I guess that's it for now. Thanks for any tips/advice/answers you've got for someone looking to get started with open water swimming!
Hey,
I'm 23, in Atlanta, and trying to get into open water swimming, because it seems like fun, it's something new, and because keeping track of how many laps you've swum is hard when you're tired. :P
Welcome, sog! I too am a newbie to open water swimming events. I plan on swimming 5 to 7 events this year and have been training in a 25 meter pool and have been doing a lot of research on OW swimming. I attended a local event last fall to get a taste of what it would be like, and liked what I saw! In response to your questions, here's what I've learned so far.
1. If I want to prepare for a 5K open water swim how far should I swim in a pool? Are the two even comparable?
A good rule of thumb is to be able to swim further than the distance you want to swim. For a 2K swim, I would want to make sure I couild do 2.5 comfortably. You never know what conditions you'll encounter in open water.
2. Do I need a wetsuit?
This depends on the event. Some allow wetsuits, and some don't. For me, it boils down to the temperature of the water. I'm in Arizona and don't really need a wetsuit in the fall, but it's debatable in the spring.
3. What groups in the Atlanta area do open water swimming? And how soon in the year will people start swimming outside?
Sorry, I can't help you with this one. I'm sure Google can, though. :)
4. Just how inadvisable is it for an OW newbie to swim alone outdoors?
I'm sure you'll get plenty of comments on this question, but NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, swim alone! Always go with a buddy. Either another swimmer or someone who can follow you in a kayak, jet ski, or boat. People die in open water.
5. Do people always swim freestyle in OW races? My ***-stroke is a lot easier for me (I do about half and half when I'm swimming laps at the pool), and almost as fast. Will people look at me funny (or will I be DQ'd) if I switch strokes during an OW race?
I believe you can swim any stroke in open water. I've seen people swim ***, free, and a bit of fly.
6. I'm a little bit intimidated by the notion of going out with some OW group, given that I'm probably not nearly as fast as them and I don't want to hold them up. Should I be training on my own to get faster before I try to join a group, or should I just dive in and see what happens?
I am sure you can find a group near you. When you do, contact them and see how they respond. I would hope that they would welcome anyone who wants to swim. Especially if they are a Masters group.
I guess that's it for now. Thanks for any tips/advice/answers you've got for someone looking to get started with open water swimming!
Here are some more resources you might find useful:
http://www.usms.org/longdist/usopenwaterswimming.org/www.triathanewbie.com/triathlon_swim.html - Tri site, but great advice for swimming open water.
Best of luck to you!
Deb
Hey,
I'm 23, in Atlanta, and trying to get into open water swimming, because it seems like fun, it's something new, and because keeping track of how many laps you've swum is hard when you're tired. :P
Welcome, sog! I too am a newbie to open water swimming events. I plan on swimming 5 to 7 events this year and have been training in a 25 meter pool and have been doing a lot of research on OW swimming. I attended a local event last fall to get a taste of what it would be like, and liked what I saw! In response to your questions, here's what I've learned so far.
1. If I want to prepare for a 5K open water swim how far should I swim in a pool? Are the two even comparable?
A good rule of thumb is to be able to swim further than the distance you want to swim. For a 2K swim, I would want to make sure I couild do 2.5 comfortably. You never know what conditions you'll encounter in open water.
2. Do I need a wetsuit?
This depends on the event. Some allow wetsuits, and some don't. For me, it boils down to the temperature of the water. I'm in Arizona and don't really need a wetsuit in the fall, but it's debatable in the spring.
3. What groups in the Atlanta area do open water swimming? And how soon in the year will people start swimming outside?
Sorry, I can't help you with this one. I'm sure Google can, though. :)
4. Just how inadvisable is it for an OW newbie to swim alone outdoors?
I'm sure you'll get plenty of comments on this question, but NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, swim alone! Always go with a buddy. Either another swimmer or someone who can follow you in a kayak, jet ski, or boat. People die in open water.
5. Do people always swim freestyle in OW races? My ***-stroke is a lot easier for me (I do about half and half when I'm swimming laps at the pool), and almost as fast. Will people look at me funny (or will I be DQ'd) if I switch strokes during an OW race?
I believe you can swim any stroke in open water. I've seen people swim ***, free, and a bit of fly.
6. I'm a little bit intimidated by the notion of going out with some OW group, given that I'm probably not nearly as fast as them and I don't want to hold them up. Should I be training on my own to get faster before I try to join a group, or should I just dive in and see what happens?
I am sure you can find a group near you. When you do, contact them and see how they respond. I would hope that they would welcome anyone who wants to swim. Especially if they are a Masters group.
I guess that's it for now. Thanks for any tips/advice/answers you've got for someone looking to get started with open water swimming!
Here are some more resources you might find useful:
http://www.usms.org/longdist/usopenwaterswimming.org/www.triathanewbie.com/triathlon_swim.html - Tri site, but great advice for swimming open water.
Best of luck to you!
Deb
