You seasoned open water veterans have any tips for a pool guy who is clueless without walls and a pace clock?
I did 2 miles in a lake with some friends this morning. It was the third time I've done an open water workout. I've also done 3 races (1994, 2008, 2009).
It was unpleasant to have no idea how much farther I had to go. We were turning around at the other side. At one point, I thought the shore looked around 50 yards away but based on stroke count it was 200+.
I knew it was around 700 yards from the last buoy on the way back. I just tried to go as fast as I could maintain, and hope the other side eventually showed up.
Don't get used to swimming with the Garmin, or, rather, don't expect to be able to swim with it during an OW race. Normally those things (swimp3s, garmins under the cap) aren't allowed. Better to judge distance by things that don't change, like trees.
When you're in the lake and ready to start, look behind you. If you're doing an out and back, then look at the tress before you start, get an idea of what you can see (individual leaves? branches?). Swim your "out." Once you're at your turn-around point, turn around and look at the trees. As you get closer, they'll get bigger and look more like they did when you started.
I used to know how to judge distance based on: vast green-ness w/o seeing individual tress equals X miles away; individual trees but no branches or leaves equals X miles away; can see groups of leaves on branches, etc...you get the idea.
Don't get used to swimming with the Garmin, or, rather, don't expect to be able to swim with it during an OW race. Normally those things (swimp3s, garmins under the cap) aren't allowed. Better to judge distance by things that don't change, like trees.
When you're in the lake and ready to start, look behind you. If you're doing an out and back, then look at the tress before you start, get an idea of what you can see (individual leaves? branches?). Swim your "out." Once you're at your turn-around point, turn around and look at the trees. As you get closer, they'll get bigger and look more like they did when you started.
I used to know how to judge distance based on: vast green-ness w/o seeing individual tress equals X miles away; individual trees but no branches or leaves equals X miles away; can see groups of leaves on branches, etc...you get the idea.
