Hi folk,
My goal may be a bit grandiose, but my aim in two years is to do the Boston Light Swim. I'm no star, no speedster, but I did complete the 5.4 mile swim about which I posted a few weeks ago. I'm not sure the water temp for that swim, but just my guess is that it was somewhere in the 70s, maybe high seventies? I didn't wear a wetsuit and never felt the need for one, although I was beginning to feel mildly chilly in the last half mile--nothing really significant. It wasn't to the point of real discomfort, and I wrote it off as a bit of fatigue--but as I was going to finish soon, it didn't bother me all that much.
I think next year may be too soon to aim for it, since I have a few things in mind that I need to accomplish before I take it on: 1. Improve speed--I did that to some extent to make the 4 hour cut-off for this year's swim, but I'd need to improve more to go under 5 hours for 8 miles. 2. Adapt to cold water. I will say I often have enjoyed cold water--during a hiking trip in NH, there was a swim break in a pond that was quite cold (not sure of temp but everyone gasped when the got in), and I was the only adult female to swim; during an Outward Bound course in Maine, the one thing I most enjoyed doing was taking that jump off the 12 foot pier into Penobscot Bay in late May. In a mile ocean swim I did several years ago, the organizers recommended wetsuits b/c the temp would be in the 60s. I didn't wear one and had no problems w/ the water temp (the breakers, now that was another issue--but water temp was fine). Still, I've become a bit too used to warmer water lately so need to find my way back to some more cold tolerance. Finally, 3. Need to save those pennies--I see it's a more expensive swim than those I've done! (My focus is on no. 2, but feel free if you have any suggestions for no. 3 to toss them into the thread.)
Okay, so experienced cold water swimmers, your tips? One thing I plan to do during the fall season: I belong to an open water swim group, and we do a river swim once a week (distance is flexible--people do what they feel ready for). I understand this swim could keep being held through October. So I see that as an opportunity to acclimate. I'm thinking of a longish swim next year in a colder environment--I want to still do the same one I did this year only improve the speed, but thinking to add another long one.
Do you necessarily have to gain much weight to deal with cold water swims? I also run so I don't want to gain if possible, but maybe it's a survival thing too.
I'm also posting here b/c if I put my plan on the internet, I'm less likely to back down and think, "Am I crazy? That's too long!" (Both true, btw, but that's what I thought of the 5 miler and still did it three times.)
So this is my way of committing to the plan--or some might say I should be committed, but no comment there! ;)
I did the Boston Light several years ago. I swim in the Pacific so found the temperature OK. I remember it being pretty close to 60 though so if you don't have access to cool/cold water to train, its challenging. I don't know what the situation is regarding boats--that was the major unexpected expense in my year. Neat swim--going past the islands and then finishing at a historic beach club is fun. When you start and look out past the lighthouse, you feel like the next land is Scotland. I don't know if it is, but it feels like it. I prepared by doing my usual pool interval work but doing regular longer swims. As a confidence builder look for some 10k and 6 mile swims. If you finish those comfortably, then you can stretch it to 8. Good luck.
Thanks for the comments! In my recent bay swim, I sometimes had that feeling about the next land, but I found myself needing to focus on just the present: as in Finding Nemo, just keep swimming. :)
Training for the 5.4 mile swim, I maxed in the pool at 10,000 yards. Also did 3 point something miles in the pool and the very next day took another 3 plus mile open water swim with my coach kayaking and giving feedback.
The water temp wasn't cold--maybe in the high 70s?--so that was never an issue, except late in the swim when I began feeling mildly chilly--but by then I didn't see it as any big deal since I knew I'd be finished relatively soon. And too, I just figured, keep swimming and you'll finish and get warm--and enjoy the post-race FOOD. (Actually once finished, I was all over the ice cream, so I guess I wasn't that cold.)
My coach is recommending a 10k swim next year by way of an intermediate distance so in 2 years I can be good for 8 miles--anyone know of cool/cold-water 10k's in the Northeast next year? (Horsetooth comes to mind, but as it's in CO, that could be a chunk of airfare.)
Other thought: cool/cold water 5k plus 10k not necessarily in cold water.
Any thoughts on Little Red Lighthouse? It seems like a pretty strong current assist which might not give me a true indication of what I could do over a longer distance. Not doing it this year, but looking at next year. (And the Hudson makes me a bit nervous but I won't let that stop me if the positives outstrip the negatives--actually if something makes me nervous it's part of the attraction, but I'm sick like that.)
The more I put this online, the more I make it real. So there it is! And that makes me nervous too, but I've already waded into this, figuratively at the moment, if not literally.
I did the Boston Light several years ago. I swim in the Pacific so found the temperature OK. I remember it being pretty close to 60 though so if you don't have access to cool/cold water to train, its challenging. I don't know what the situation is regarding boats--that was the major unexpected expense in my year. Neat swim--going past the islands and then finishing at a historic beach club is fun. When you start and look out past the lighthouse, you feel like the next land is Scotland. I don't know if it is, but it feels like it. I prepared by doing my usual pool interval work but doing regular longer swims. As a confidence builder look for some 10k and 6 mile swims. If you finish those comfortably, then you can stretch it to 8. Good luck.
Thanks for the comments! In my recent bay swim, I sometimes had that feeling about the next land, but I found myself needing to focus on just the present: as in Finding Nemo, just keep swimming. :)
Training for the 5.4 mile swim, I maxed in the pool at 10,000 yards. Also did 3 point something miles in the pool and the very next day took another 3 plus mile open water swim with my coach kayaking and giving feedback.
The water temp wasn't cold--maybe in the high 70s?--so that was never an issue, except late in the swim when I began feeling mildly chilly--but by then I didn't see it as any big deal since I knew I'd be finished relatively soon. And too, I just figured, keep swimming and you'll finish and get warm--and enjoy the post-race FOOD. (Actually once finished, I was all over the ice cream, so I guess I wasn't that cold.)
My coach is recommending a 10k swim next year by way of an intermediate distance so in 2 years I can be good for 8 miles--anyone know of cool/cold-water 10k's in the Northeast next year? (Horsetooth comes to mind, but as it's in CO, that could be a chunk of airfare.)
Other thought: cool/cold water 5k plus 10k not necessarily in cold water.
Any thoughts on Little Red Lighthouse? It seems like a pretty strong current assist which might not give me a true indication of what I could do over a longer distance. Not doing it this year, but looking at next year. (And the Hudson makes me a bit nervous but I won't let that stop me if the positives outstrip the negatives--actually if something makes me nervous it's part of the attraction, but I'm sick like that.)
The more I put this online, the more I make it real. So there it is! And that makes me nervous too, but I've already waded into this, figuratively at the moment, if not literally.
