Did my first ever OWS this evening. Very enjoyable. I've swum in pools all my life, but never went more than a few yards in a lake. So I joined a local Tri club and went to their Tuesday night practice, a 1/2 mile loop around a small, quiet lake. There are no motor boats allowed. I'd say it's a little bit tougher than pool swimming.
It was different. I'm not accustomed to a hundred other arms and legs flailing around me, and I probably went a tad faster than I should have. I may have gotten just a bit carried away with the mass start. In the beginning, it was very muddy and weedy but once away from shore it was OK. There was only a tiny chop from wind, but more from other swimmers, and I had to keep looking forward to stay in line with the buoys. After a couple hundred yards though, I was pretty much alone and on cruise control.
Lake Placid is beautiful. There are also several swims in Lake George this summer. http://www.lakegeorgeswim.com/
For your first swim, my best advice is to start out mindfully. Unless you're a pool sprinter, don't get caught up in the start, get your breathing and your stroke smooth and easy before pressing for speed. It's easy to end up out of breath in the first few hundred yards. A friend uses the mantra, bubble, bubble, breath but whatever works for you.
Caution: open water swimming is highly addictive! You'll know you're hooked when the pool becomes a necessary evil.
Lake Placid is beautiful. There are also several swims in Lake George this summer. http://www.lakegeorgeswim.com/
For your first swim, my best advice is to start out mindfully. Unless you're a pool sprinter, don't get caught up in the start, get your breathing and your stroke smooth and easy before pressing for speed. It's easy to end up out of breath in the first few hundred yards. A friend uses the mantra, bubble, bubble, breath but whatever works for you.
Caution: open water swimming is highly addictive! You'll know you're hooked when the pool becomes a necessary evil.
