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!
Let me add my two cents.
Two summers ago my son - 11 at the time - was gung ho about his first open water swim as well.
He trained very hard all summer long and it was agreed he would not be able to compete until he could swim 1 mile in the pool in under 40 minutes.
The week before the swim he suprised me by swimming 1.5 miles with out stopping.
We headed to the event confident in his ability. When we arrived he began to look less confident than he had all summer. I assured him he was ready - but could tell he was hesitant.
Moral of the story - he did not swim - and to this day I think he made the right decision.
If your son is properly trained, you are confident of his ability, and he is confident on the day of the swim you should be fine. Remind him his first swim is not a race and to enjoy the swim.
Thanks for that story. We also have a bottom-line about what he needs to be able to complete before can do the swim.
For me, it's really about him learning about himself, feeling strong and healthy, and learning what his body is capable of.
If that doesn't end with him actually doing the swim because it doesn't feel right to him, that's ok. He's a kid with good instincts and if his gut tells him that it's not right on that morning, I trust him to make the right decision. And of course, my husband will be right there to support whatever that choice is. (He's a kid who, thankfully, could completely care less about peer pressure and is very able to decide what's right for him without the "everyone else is doing it" pressure.)
I still marvel at the 11-year-old girl who flew from India to compete in the Kindgom Swim 10-miler a few years ago. I cannot imagine having had that ability to commit at that age. She was incredible!
Is your son still swimming? And how much did he train at the time?
Thanks. Seems to be working! Today he did 1800 yards, and then told me he could have gone longer!
He has actually asked if his next workout, he can do just a quick warm-up, then a straight 2000. Um--okay. :)
