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.
I recently returned from swimming the Henley Classic in England. It's a 2.1K swim upriver in the Thames on the course of the Royal Regatta (rowing). It's swum on the rowing course the Sunday before the regatta begins. Water was about 65F and, as I understand from others, the current was much stiffer than in years past. Out of 590 entrants, only 50 of us swam without wetsuits. I noted that open water swimming is more popular in the UK than in the US for all levels of swimmer. If you have time and access to water you get in -- but with a wetsuit. A wetsuit seemed to be a given for almost everyone. While there were some triathletes in the swim, most weren't. I stuck to my skin and garnered plenty of awe for it.
Later that week, I swam in Queenford Lake with an open water swimming club. Out of about 80 people who entered the lake at some point, I was one of two who entered in skins. Water there was about 67F. I loved every minute of the 5K or so I chose to swim.
I recently returned from swimming the Henley Classic in England. It's a 2.1K swim upriver in the Thames on the course of the Royal Regatta (rowing). It's swum on the rowing course the Sunday before the regatta begins. Water was about 65F and, as I understand from others, the current was much stiffer than in years past. Out of 590 entrants, only 50 of us swam without wetsuits. I noted that open water swimming is more popular in the UK than in the US for all levels of swimmer. If you have time and access to water you get in -- but with a wetsuit. A wetsuit seemed to be a given for almost everyone. While there were some triathletes in the swim, most weren't. I stuck to my skin and garnered plenty of awe for it.
Later that week, I swam in Queenford Lake with an open water swimming club. Out of about 80 people who entered the lake at some point, I was one of two who entered in skins. Water there was about 67F. I loved every minute of the 5K or so I chose to swim.
