Preparing For An Open Water Swim.

I just got back from Noblesville, Indiana where I swam in the USMS 5K National Championship. It was a great event and very well run. 154 swimmers finished the race.  I swam a personal best by 5 minutes. I did not win but I could not have swum any faster so I am happy with my swim. Along the way, I think I learned something about myself.

In previous years, I wanted to protect my strength prior to an event. So I would back down on swimming in the week before the event. This is called tapering. My coach would ask “tapering from what?” but that’s a subject for another day.  Lately, I’ve come to believe that I can lose my feel for the water very quickly. If I swim on a Monday and then again on Wednesday, by Wednesday I’ve lost the feel to the extent that it will take me 1000 to 2000 yards to get it back.

This year, I kept swimming right up to the day before the event. The event was on Saturday.  During the prior week, I alternated between pool and lake. I did not swim far. But I did swim each day. I worked on breathing and balance.  Monday – 2100 yards; Tuesday -  1600 yards; Wednesday -  2400 yards; Thursday -  2300 yards; Friday -  1000 yards. These are not great distances. They protected my strength and they allowed me to retain my feel for the water. It worked for me.

Open Water Plans for the Summer

I am preparing for the 5k open water swim in Noblesville, IN this weekend. Distance swum for that event may be applied to Judi's virtual swim across Lake Erie. I am at 26.57 miles since Memorial Day against a 57 mile distance across the lake.

I've entered the 1500 LCM at SPIRE, Madison, OH on June 30th. Also the 2.4 mile Search for Monongy in Pittsburgh, PA on July 14th. I'm directing the Lake Erie Open Water Swim in Cleveland, OH on July 28th. I've entered the 1-mile in Lake Lure, NC on August 25th. And I'm considering swimming Big Shoulders in Chicago, IL in September.

Lake Erie Open Water Swim

The 2012 Lake Erie Open Water Swim will offer three distances at ½-Mile, 1-mile and  2-miles. The ½-mile distance is NEW. We hope potential new open water swimmers might be more comfortable at that distance. We will also offer wetsuit swimmers an opportunity to swim for awards and official placing within the wetsuit division. The wetsuit division is a NEW feature of this event.

        DATE:                   Saturday, July 28, 2012

        LOCATION:         Edgewater State Park, Cleveland, Ohio

        START TIME:      Check-in                       6:45am  

                                     Pre-Race Instructions  7:45am

                                     Start of First Heat        8:00am

        WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND ONLINE EVENT REGISTRATION:

                                       www.ohiomasters.com

          CHARITY FUNDRAISER:  Proceeds from the event support the St. Malachi Center’s (Tax ID # 34-1506478) Urban Kids’ Swim Camp.  Donation Forms are available on-line at www.ohiomasters.com  and upon request from the Event Director. Awards for fundraising will be at the $125, $250 and $500 levels. We like the idea of big swimmers helping little swimmers.

        VOLUNTEERS:  The success we have enjoyed in previous years has been due in large part to the volunteers who have donated their considerable energy and time to this event. Once again this year we will need help from volunteers. We will need help in the areas of swimmer check-in, collecting and counting donations for the St Malachi Center, distributing t-shirts, managing the food table, backup timing, and other areas. If you are interested in helping, please contact Tom Spence at talltom13@msn.com.

How To Swim in a Straight Line in the Open Water

For the moment, let’s say you are in the middle of the ocean with no land, trees, buildings, shoreline, boats, buoys, or other swimmers in sight. It’s a windless, cloudy day which is good for your vision. But without the sun, you have no sense of direction at all. And you’re getting no hint from the wind either. What to do? You are having a bad dream. Wake up! Or start taking notes for your next adventure novel. In reality, you will have most if not all of these things: land, shoreline, trees, boats, buoys, other swimmers, sun, and wind.  You can probably see where this is going.

First of all, you need to be able to see where you are going. Wear goggles that will help you. Reflective goggles are recommended. If the day is bright and sunny, wear highly tinted goggles. If the day is overcast, wear less tinted goggles. This means you might have to bring more than one pair of goggles to your swim so you can make a last minute decision.  If you are starting your swim in the dark and ending it in the day, plan for the brightest light. Now you can see.

Now you can see a little bit. Your eyes will be about 3 inches above the waterline. Waves will interfere with your sightline making even big and bright buoys and other swimmers difficult to see. You will need something to look at that is higher than the next wave. The shoreline is good. A rocky cliff is better. Trees are good. Tall buildings are good. Smokestacks can work. Before you enter the water, make sure you know what your sight marks will be. After you enter the water, stop and look around. Make sure your sight marks are still good.

In Lake Erie, I tell swimmers that if they can see Canada, they are off course. A little bit of humor there. Just make sure you lift your head and take a quick look every few strokes.  How many strokes is up to you. It depends on circumstances.  I breathe on my left. If the Lake Erie cliffs are on my left, I don’t have to lift my head at all. If the cliffs are on my right, I have to alternate breathe from time to time.  If I don’t have a shoreline to steer by and my target is straight ahead, I’ll lift my head every 6 to 10 strokes.