I have a question for marathon swimmers...
I've been prepping for a 10k swim that I'll be doing this coming Saturday. I live in coastal southern New England. I really began training in late Feb or Early March by doing longer pool swims. Once the open waters warmed up enough for wetsuits, I moved outside in late May/early June. I completed a full 10k+ with my kayaker today and practiced feeding/drinking him. I feel ready. In the future, I'd like to maintain fitness for doing swims of this long, and longer. But my question is...how do you maintain fitness for doing swims of this distance through winter? I just don't know if I can handle six months of long pool swims.
Dan
The Sachuest Ocean Swimmers group originated about 10 years ago. Mike Garr and, to a lesser extent, I coordinated regular group swims and communications via email and the Sachuest Ocean Swimmers Facebook page at www.facebook.com/.../. I am now more involved with other groups but Mike continues to coordinate SOS, which has a devoted following of friends and acquaintances.
During those first few years there were regularly scheduled 4:30pm and 5:30pm weekday swims at southward-facing Second Beach (Middletown, RI) and weekly Sunday morning swims from First Beach (Newport) to Second Beach around Tuckerman's Point. People also coordinated ad hoc swims at other times via the FB page.
The group has gradually changed with people now swimming more regularly at Mackeral Cove (Jamestown) as well as a smaller group of people meeting at Second Beach and elsewhere in the Newport/Jamestown area, including the McCorrie Point area (Sakonnet River estuary) in Portsmouth.
The current regulars in the SOS group largely swim for recreation, mindfulness and the pleasure of each others' company without worrying much about pace or times, as depicted by their mantra "Swim Well Seek Peace." Some pick one or more distance-oriented goals each year to set their sites on, like the Jamestown "Beavertail 10K," which is not a race per se but rather an expedition-type swim consisting of 8 or 10 SOS swimmers with boat support.
SOS is friendly, welcoming and supportive of others of all abilities. However, if you're a very fast (relative, I know), competitive swimmer or triathlete who likes to go for it every time you get in the water, then you might want to seek a more competitive group.
There are other open water groups such as the Barrington Open Open Water Nadadores (BOWN) at Barrington Beach in upper Narragansett Bay and the Narragansett Ocean Swimming Enthusiasts (NOSE) at Narragansett Town Beach -- the latter is a beautiful eastward-facing open ocean venue with perhaps the cleanest water around this area. NOSE is the largest OW group in New England that swims regularly (4x week) -- and in midsummer there can be up to 90 swimmers, which allows for pods of various speeds/abilities.
For more info/links/contacts see swimri.org/practice-schedules and scroll to the open water group info at the bottom of the page.
The Sachuest Ocean Swimmers group originated about 10 years ago. Mike Garr and, to a lesser extent, I coordinated regular group swims and communications via email and the Sachuest Ocean Swimmers Facebook page at www.facebook.com/.../. I am now more involved with other groups but Mike continues to coordinate SOS, which has a devoted following of friends and acquaintances.
During those first few years there were regularly scheduled 4:30pm and 5:30pm weekday swims at southward-facing Second Beach (Middletown, RI) and weekly Sunday morning swims from First Beach (Newport) to Second Beach around Tuckerman's Point. People also coordinated ad hoc swims at other times via the FB page.
The group has gradually changed with people now swimming more regularly at Mackeral Cove (Jamestown) as well as a smaller group of people meeting at Second Beach and elsewhere in the Newport/Jamestown area, including the McCorrie Point area (Sakonnet River estuary) in Portsmouth.
The current regulars in the SOS group largely swim for recreation, mindfulness and the pleasure of each others' company without worrying much about pace or times, as depicted by their mantra "Swim Well Seek Peace." Some pick one or more distance-oriented goals each year to set their sites on, like the Jamestown "Beavertail 10K," which is not a race per se but rather an expedition-type swim consisting of 8 or 10 SOS swimmers with boat support.
SOS is friendly, welcoming and supportive of others of all abilities. However, if you're a very fast (relative, I know), competitive swimmer or triathlete who likes to go for it every time you get in the water, then you might want to seek a more competitive group.
There are other open water groups such as the Barrington Open Open Water Nadadores (BOWN) at Barrington Beach in upper Narragansett Bay and the Narragansett Ocean Swimming Enthusiasts (NOSE) at Narragansett Town Beach -- the latter is a beautiful eastward-facing open ocean venue with perhaps the cleanest water around this area. NOSE is the largest OW group in New England that swims regularly (4x week) -- and in midsummer there can be up to 90 swimmers, which allows for pods of various speeds/abilities.
For more info/links/contacts see swimri.org/practice-schedules and scroll to the open water group info at the bottom of the page.
