I just swam my first open water event this past weekend, and have learned a few lessons the hard way.
I was wondering if anyone else has some tips or things that swimmers need to remember for an open water race.
The following is what I have so far.
1. Know exactly where the finish line is and what markings it will have.
I ended a short warm up race (500m) by swimming to the wrong boat ramp, about 20 feet away from the actual finish line. The finish line had the electronic sensors.
2. Know the course layout.
The course I swam was a rectangle with 3 large buoys on each of the long sides. For some reason during the swim I was sure there were only 2 on the back side. After the 2nd buoy, I started to cut over toward the finish line until I suspected that something was amiss. An extended look showed me my error. I hated myself for this error.
3. Don’t get kicked in the head.
If the race is sufficiently long, and you are an average racer, I think a clean start is more important than a fast start. I started to the far left of the pack, which was smart. Unfortunately, I cut in prematurely within the first 100 yards and was kicked in the goggles. I believe I really should have stayed wide and stayed safe for the first ~800 yard straight-away, angling slightly toward the last buoy.
Things I did right.
4. Make sure the ankle bracelet and timing chip are securely attached.
I had trouble removing it after the swim. A good problem.
5. Brought and wore dark goggles.
I usually swim indoors with clear goggles. The dark tint or mirror is a nice addition outside, even on an overcast day.
6. Lots of swimmers are nervous.
It helps me to know that I was not the only swim with butterflies.
What am I missing?
My next event is Labor Day weekend.
Thanks.
Before the race starts, ask if others have done the race before, and if they have any tips. In my experience, people are very willing to be helpful. Usually the most important piece of advice to get is what to "sight" on -- this may *not* be the finish line for most of the race, as the finish line may not be visible from the start. It could be a building or a mountain or some other landmarkVery good point. In many races the buoys aren't visible until you're close enough to them.
Draft off of someone a little faster than you who seems to be swimming a good line. But be careful, because if you pick the wrong person, you may swim off course if they do or swim slower than you could be. Someone once told me that you've got to get into a Zen-like state and trust the pack. I've found this generally works well. For the Gatorman at LaJolla, this has worked beautifully for me and allowed me to hang with stronger/faster swimmers on the outbound portion of the race and to waste less energy sighting. In local races where I know the competitors, I generally know that Kurt Dickson sights way better than me so I just try to hang with him :)
I really just think pwb is scared of combat swimming.Hit the nail on the head! However, I still don't think the extra 'width' of going wide in a field matters much in terms of the overall distance swum. Most OW races I do are at least a mile and I probably add more distance due to mis-sighting during the race than I do from starting a bit widely. I just don't think the benefits of starting center outweigh the potential costs of getting whacked in the head or kicked in the gut. The other positive of starting wide is that, when I sprint, I tend to breathe to only one side: starting on one side of the field allows me to keep my eye on everyone else while maximizing my speed (such as it is).
Before the race starts, ask if others have done the race before, and if they have any tips. In my experience, people are very willing to be helpful. Usually the most important piece of advice to get is what to "sight" on -- this may *not* be the finish line for most of the race, as the finish line may not be visible from the start. It could be a building or a mountain or some other landmarkVery good point. In many races the buoys aren't visible until you're close enough to them.
Draft off of someone a little faster than you who seems to be swimming a good line. But be careful, because if you pick the wrong person, you may swim off course if they do or swim slower than you could be. Someone once told me that you've got to get into a Zen-like state and trust the pack. I've found this generally works well. For the Gatorman at LaJolla, this has worked beautifully for me and allowed me to hang with stronger/faster swimmers on the outbound portion of the race and to waste less energy sighting. In local races where I know the competitors, I generally know that Kurt Dickson sights way better than me so I just try to hang with him :)
I really just think pwb is scared of combat swimming.Hit the nail on the head! However, I still don't think the extra 'width' of going wide in a field matters much in terms of the overall distance swum. Most OW races I do are at least a mile and I probably add more distance due to mis-sighting during the race than I do from starting a bit widely. I just don't think the benefits of starting center outweigh the potential costs of getting whacked in the head or kicked in the gut. The other positive of starting wide is that, when I sprint, I tend to breathe to only one side: starting on one side of the field allows me to keep my eye on everyone else while maximizing my speed (such as it is).
