open water tips?

Leaping_Lemur

I've been lap swimming in the pool for years, but have only started to take it a bit more seriously over the past two years (partly because my son, now 9, has become a competitive swimmer). I'm not terribly fast or proficient, and I'm mostly doing it for health and fitness. I usually swim 40 laps (1.14 miles), two to three times a week (generally about 55 minutes in the pool; if I were to do solely freestyle I could do that in under 50, but I tend to get bored and like to switch my strokes around).

However, my son and I have just signed up for the Tallchief Open Water Challenge in Sand Springs Oklahoma in early September. We chose the half mile (certainly not going to try anything more than a mile my first time out). I have never done any kind of competition before, nor have I swum much in open water (apart from paddling around in a lake a few times this summer). We plan to practice once, maybe twice, in late August, swimming a half mile in a nearby lake.

I know I will have no trouble completing a half mile. My main concern is doing it in a time that won't embarrass me. (I suspect that a lot of the crowd will be masters swimmers and triathletes and people who are much more athletic -- and competitive -- than I am.) Does anybody have any tips for an open water newbie? (The water will be warm -- over 80 -- so there's no need for wetsuits.) What should I be aiming for -- 20 minutes? Less than that?

holly1283

I'm really not much help but I had to chuckle because you expressed my same concern. I know I can do the distance but not so good at the time. I of course could be you mother or maybe grandmother so my time is slower than yours. A couple of hiints Macstraw on this site gave me. Change up your routine. Some days I swim 100M breast, 100M freestyle(my warm up) and then alternate 50breast with 100 pushing myself on freestyle for a total of 2000M. Every other week I swim my mile of freestyle in the pool. Yes, it can be boring. I swim laps 3x a week. Another thing I do is I don't do any kind of push off the wall on my turn. I touch with my hand and turn since there are no walls in open water. There are times I just don't feel like trying to sprint and just swim for my hour. It is so great that you and your sone will be doing this. I will be doing my first OW swim Aug. 10. Fortunately the 2 milers will be going at the same time so even when they pass me they still have to do another pass so I shouldn't look as bad.:laugh:

holly1283

I got to thinking about my post yesterday. I only do my hand touch turn when timing myself not for just workouts. When you practice your OW swim one thing that is very different is spotting to keep yourself focused on where you're going. In the pool we don't need to worry about that. Some swimmers prefer to breathe on every third pull. I only do that when I start out too fast. I'm one of the old timers that breathes every 4th. I'm sure you'll do just fine.

Leaping_Lemur

Thanks! I usually breathe every third stroke; I do every fourth when I start out, for one or two laps, and I breathe every other stroke when I'm sprinting and need the oxygen.

Today I tried doing two sets of 20 laps each (0.57 mile per set -- I figured the little bit of extra distance will make up for the fact that I'm pushing off the wall every 25 yards). The first set took me just under 23 minutes. The second (which I lost count on, twice, so I may have swum farther than I thought) took me just over 24 minutes. I normally take a break for water every 10 laps, and then change my stroke, but I'm planning on doing this -- two unbroken half-mile freestyle sets -- as much as I can before the race. Unfortunately we'll all be traveling the first half of August and I'm unlikely to get much, if any, swimming in then. But my goal is to do the half mile in under 23 minutes.

I found some websites listing times for the past several years at this event. The range for the half mile is 17 - 26 minutes. I may possibly be the slowest person that day, but hopefully I won't break the record for slowest ever. (Incidentally the one mile race last year was won by a 55 year old man, who finished in a blistering 27 minutes!)

ashenriver

I recently completed an 2.1 km (just over a mile I think) open water swim. I am currently training for a 3.1km (2 ish miles) swim Aug 9.

I posted about it in the "From splasher to swimstar...I hope! " thread, its near the end.

I hope some of the information helps.

And be prepared for things that may not be in your plan. My goal was 45-60 minutes. I swam for over 2 hours. This was determined later to be caused by an underwater Seiche wave which resulted in a strong current.

Leaping_Lemur

Yikes about the underwater current! Fortunately my swim is in a lake ... I don't think it's large enough to have currents. Also, I just looked at your other post ... wow, that's hardcore! Congratulations on making it, that sounded grueling! This event is very small, in a quiet lake with no powerboats but lots of people in kayaks as safety spotters. The water will be warm (80 degrees F) so we're strongly discouraged from wearing a wetsuit as we might overheat. Best of all, the swim is followed by a pancake breakfast!

holly1283

Well Leaping Lemur, I got news for you this 63 yr.old nanny will not blister anyone with my time. I'm built like a partially deflated beach ball. All I have to offer as a swimmer is that I love to do it. Just an FYI I did run into underwater currents while swimming in lakes in Vermont. The one lake which was the bigger of the 2 was a bit worse. I don't think either of us has to worry about a seiche though. Ashen was awesome in finishing. WE are not allowed to wear a wetsuit in the one I'm in. No pancakes either! bummer

zerryz

The very first skill to develop when open water swimming (assuming you're already breathing both sides) is sighting. Just because you no longer have a black line to guide you to help u swim straight and also because you are now swimming in a wild environment, with possible unexpected events, unlike the usual flat, safe pool. Another important skill is to learn to remain calm. We tend to build our own demons in our head when we swim out in the open. Last piece of advice is to just go out and swim in the open waters as much as possible. There s no other better way to learn. Any OW coach, book, website, videos, out there will never be as good as good as putting in the OW swim hours. In the meantime, for useful tips and videos, check out Paul Newsome's website, swimsmooth.com. Good luck!

holly1283

Tomorrow is my big day. A little bit anxious. Been takiing it relatively easy this week as far as speed but got my distance in. I will post tomorrow with my tidbits of wisdom. Right!!! Remember my goal is not not humiliate myself. I'll let you know eitther way.

holly1283

Oops don't know why I put 2 nots in there. That's a double negative meaning I do want to humiliate myself. Please forgive my typing.

holly1283

Well, I completed my mile OW swim. I came in next to last in all the age groups. However, since there were only 2 of us in my age group, I got the silver medal. I thought that was hilarious. 3tips from my experience today are 1. Make sure you keep spotting your bouys. This one lady swam into me, then cut me off and then swim to the middle of the lake using way to much energy. 2.Make sure you do warm up. I did not warm up enough and my arms were tired until about 1/4 of the way through. Then I was fine. Lastly, just finish. I swam all freestyle, even though it was slow, and because I fiinshed I did get my reward. I never dreamed there were so few old ladies. Good luck to you and your son.

60sPanda

Well done on your swim Holly - Silver medal - Wooo Hoooo! Love it.

holly1283

Sounds good anyway! Thanks

Ms_J1

That's awesome!

Leaping_Lemur

Holly, that's awesome about your swim! I think my event is small enough that they just do two age groups: kids and adults. (Last year it looks like they split it by USAS swimmers and non-team affiliated swimmers. Which basically amounts to the same thing.) So I'm in no danger of medaling! Previous years there have been about a dozen grownups, so I won't be surprised if I'm the last one finishing. My goal is simply not to set the record for slowest time ever. Also, I want to finish before the first of the milers do!

Leaping_Lemur

Zerryz, thanks for the advice! I haven't been able to get in any open swimming practice yet (parts or all of the family have been on vacation the whole month so far). On two weekends before the event, my son and I will be able to swim in a nearby lake (about an hour away). It looks, from the maps, that we'll need to cross it three times to make a half mile, so it's not a perfect practice setting but we'll take what we can get. I hadn't thought about the lack of a black line, and the difficulty sighting! I am terribly nearsighted, but I have contacts which I never wear (due to astigmatism). I might dig them up and give them a try. Though I'm slightly nervous about that -- if contacts slip or you get something in your eye, that's really going to mess up your swim. I guess I'll test it out at the lake first, and see how it goes.

Leaping_Lemur

Today, my son and I went for our first half mile open water swim, at a lake in a national park about an hour from our house. (We visited this lake many times in June and July, but hadn't ever tried to swim across it, except with the whole family, in inner tubes.) I estimated the distance across the lake using a rather small map I found online. It seemed to be about 800 feet, so 3.3 times across would be a half mile. Today it took me 25 minutes to swim what I thought was half a mile. (By comparison, it takes me about 23 minutes, sometimes less, to swim 1000 yards -- 0.57 miles -- in the pool. I always go a bit over a half mile because I know that pushing off the wall every 25 yards will really increase your speed.) That's not too bad; there was some wind, which definitely pushed us both a bit off course. (And occasionally blew water into your face when you tried to breathe.) And there's no line to follow in the lake, so you frequently have to break your stride raising your head above water to sight your goal. (Sighting is definitely a challenge!)

Later we stopped by the ranger's station, where they had a larger map. Based on that, our "half mile" swim was really about 0.61 miles (and in reality probably a bit longer, since both Lemur Jr. and I didn't make a straight linear swim across the lake). So I probably did my half mile swim in a little under 24 minutes. That's what I'm hoping to shoot for at the open water event (two weeks from today!).

We're going back next weekend, for one last open water training session before the race itself. Now that I know it's exactly three times across, I can time it more accurately. At least I know I can swim across a very deep lake without panicking or losing my bearings! My goal for next week is to shorten my time, if I can.

Incidentally, my son whupped my butt in terms of speed. However, he was exhausted afterwards. He's on the swim team, and swims for 90 minutes, three or four times a week, but never for very long continuously. Whereas I've been practicing doing 0.57 miles, and sometimes one full mile, without stopping. So he's got more speed than I do, but I might have more stamina.

AquaticQuests

No worries about coming last holly!
I did a 5 km in December and there were only 3 of us in that category, 2 of whom were Olympic level swimmers (and one briefly held the world record at the last Olympics)!
So they finished the thing in almost half the time I took, but I still came 3rd anyway! Lol!
I even got my very own standing ovation!
Lol!

As for open water swimming, we don't do much of that here as most of our lakes and rivers tend to have hippos and crocodiles and other critters that would prefer to eat you before you got to the other side!

So enjoy those open water swims for me :-)

holly1283

You go Daddy Lemur!!!

Oooo!:noway: Too much livestock in the water for your open swim Aquaticquest. I only had a few 6-7 inch fishies. Where do you live? USA here.

Leaping_Lemur

I definitely wouldn't be getting in the water with hippos and crocs! Only things in this lake are fairly small fish. I can handle sharing the water with them.

AquaticQuests

Nairobi, Kenya!
Whenever i've swum in lakes in the US I've always had to keep reminding myself there are no.dangerous animals in the water!
:-)

Leaping_Lemur

Had my final half mile open water practice today. (The Tallchief Open Water Challenge is a week from today!) There was enough wind to make the water somewhat choppy, and to make a current you could definitely feel when swimming out. But I did my half mile in 23:14, which I'm very please with. (My son's time was 19:50, which is the advantage that being 34 years younger plus being on the swim team gives you.)

ashenriver

That is an excellent time.

Its great that you are getting open water practice in before your race.