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!
Parents
Former Member
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 sog, I responded to your other post about our OW group in the other thread.
What pool are you now swimming at? I train alone at either Cobb Central or Mountain View in Cobb Co. Would love to have someone else to swim with! Open water swimmer probably do more pool swimming that OW swimming for training...at least until the Spring/Summer/Fall and depending on location. I only do actual OW training a few times a month, even in summer.
So I will make this cut and dry and just answer your questions. If you have others feel free to post or send me a PM.
1. You should probably be training at least 1-1.5 of that 5K distance. Making the distance (5K) isn't that bad. Being able to swim it and vary your effort in different spots is another. Generally, depending on conditions, a 5K is in the area of an hour swim.
2. No, not here in the SE most likely. In the events I've swam in you "can" wear a wetsuit, but are not eligible for awards.
3. I train with the "swim with Pete" group at Red Top Mountain 2 times a month, but its mostly triathletes, not straight swimmers like me. Info is in the other thread you posted in.
4. I would not swim alone in the outdoors (lake, ocean, river)....anything happens it won't be good. At minimum, have a swim buddy. I also own a kayak so I can have a buddy that can stay dry if they choose that route. We have a family place on Alatoona, if you want to swim let me know!
5. Pretty much all free unless you really need to stretch something out, etc. Freestyle is the fastest, most efficient stroke.
6. I would just come out. The Swim with Pete group has a WIDE variety of speed and ages. I'm positive that you'll find several folks of your speed. We have had groups vary from 10 to 100 folks. Usually there is 40-60 folks in the summer.
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 sog, I responded to your other post about our OW group in the other thread.
What pool are you now swimming at? I train alone at either Cobb Central or Mountain View in Cobb Co. Would love to have someone else to swim with! Open water swimmer probably do more pool swimming that OW swimming for training...at least until the Spring/Summer/Fall and depending on location. I only do actual OW training a few times a month, even in summer.
So I will make this cut and dry and just answer your questions. If you have others feel free to post or send me a PM.
1. You should probably be training at least 1-1.5 of that 5K distance. Making the distance (5K) isn't that bad. Being able to swim it and vary your effort in different spots is another. Generally, depending on conditions, a 5K is in the area of an hour swim.
2. No, not here in the SE most likely. In the events I've swam in you "can" wear a wetsuit, but are not eligible for awards.
3. I train with the "swim with Pete" group at Red Top Mountain 2 times a month, but its mostly triathletes, not straight swimmers like me. Info is in the other thread you posted in.
4. I would not swim alone in the outdoors (lake, ocean, river)....anything happens it won't be good. At minimum, have a swim buddy. I also own a kayak so I can have a buddy that can stay dry if they choose that route. We have a family place on Alatoona, if you want to swim let me know!
5. Pretty much all free unless you really need to stretch something out, etc. Freestyle is the fastest, most efficient stroke.
6. I would just come out. The Swim with Pete group has a WIDE variety of speed and ages. I'm positive that you'll find several folks of your speed. We have had groups vary from 10 to 100 folks. Usually there is 40-60 folks in the summer.
