My son has decided that when we take our family trip to St. Croix so that I can do the lovely Coral Reef Swim (5 miles from Buck Island to the Bucaneer), he would like to do the 1-mile option.
He's got a great stroke, is really strong, but has never done anything like this before. He's going to do the fins option, since it's his first time, and I am wondering about anyone who has trained their kid for something like this.
He's comfortable in open water, and has grown up going to these swims with me, so he's not nervous about that part.
My concern is making sure he can complete the distance. My husband is going to do the mile with him, so he won't be alone, and my husband will pull an open water buoy, just in case. It's from one beach, around a point, and to another beach, so there is an element of being somewhat off shore for a bit.
Right now, he's swimming about 1300 yards a workout, with a combination of distances and intervals in there, and I'm upping it a bit each time. He is training every other day so he doesn't burn out. He's doing his training swims without fins, for the most part, so he can get accustomed to what that feels like.
The swim is in one month so he will need to increase his yardage fairly quickly. I'm trying to go gradual so he doesn't end up hating it.
He has NEVER expressed any interest in a competitive athletic event before so this is huge for him mentally. And he's very psyched for it.
Any tips from other parents? Or coaches?
Thanks!
I agree with not asking for advice from people who don't know my son or his stroke. That said, I guess I threw myself into it! :)
To start with, my son has a very high fitness level and has been swimming for years, albeit not on a team. (We have an indoor lap pool in our backyard.)
I teach young swimmers myself and feel confident about his stroke and ability. As a double-check, I also had my own coaches look at and evaluate his stroke. All three of us felt confident in his ability to swim and complete the distance.
My son has been to St. Croix with me 5x before, is very familiar with the water and setting there, both the entry and exit beaches, and is quite calm in open water. In terms of open water experience, while he hasn't done this distance in a competition, he's has done open water swimming and been in the water with sharks, barracuda, at a sea ray nesting area in Belize, in significant chop, etc., and has proven that he is not a kid who panics.
I don't see the fins being an issue as he's used fins there many times and never had a foot chafing problem. I've done the 5-mile race 5 times myself and also feel confident in the race organization. He and my husband will be doing it as a "fun" swim rather than a race. It's about him doing it and enjoying it. There will be no charging from the beach for him. If they decide to go in last and avoid the melee, so be it.
Bottom line: I would never put him in a position I didn't feel he was ready for and that could be done with the most safety precautions available. Having had some pretty intense experiences over the course of my open water life, I know that there are no givens. And if on race day, it's not right for him, that's okay too.
My question was more about particular training that has worked for other kids. I've got a training schedule for him, with increases in yardage as appropriate, and he's handling it really well. Motivated, able to do it, and asking for more. He is a goal oriented kid and when he sets his mind to something, the determination is fierce!
Anyone's kids want to weigh in on what worked for them?
I agree with not asking for advice from people who don't know my son or his stroke. That said, I guess I threw myself into it! :)
To start with, my son has a very high fitness level and has been swimming for years, albeit not on a team. (We have an indoor lap pool in our backyard.)
I teach young swimmers myself and feel confident about his stroke and ability. As a double-check, I also had my own coaches look at and evaluate his stroke. All three of us felt confident in his ability to swim and complete the distance.
My son has been to St. Croix with me 5x before, is very familiar with the water and setting there, both the entry and exit beaches, and is quite calm in open water. In terms of open water experience, while he hasn't done this distance in a competition, he's has done open water swimming and been in the water with sharks, barracuda, at a sea ray nesting area in Belize, in significant chop, etc., and has proven that he is not a kid who panics.
I don't see the fins being an issue as he's used fins there many times and never had a foot chafing problem. I've done the 5-mile race 5 times myself and also feel confident in the race organization. He and my husband will be doing it as a "fun" swim rather than a race. It's about him doing it and enjoying it. There will be no charging from the beach for him. If they decide to go in last and avoid the melee, so be it.
Bottom line: I would never put him in a position I didn't feel he was ready for and that could be done with the most safety precautions available. Having had some pretty intense experiences over the course of my open water life, I know that there are no givens. And if on race day, it's not right for him, that's okay too.
My question was more about particular training that has worked for other kids. I've got a training schedule for him, with increases in yardage as appropriate, and he's handling it really well. Motivated, able to do it, and asking for more. He is a goal oriented kid and when he sets his mind to something, the determination is fierce!
Anyone's kids want to weigh in on what worked for them?
