'Open Water' swim

[Kimmyt]

Last night at swim class we did a T-30. Usually we just do laps, but recently we have been focused on open water techniques, so tonight we took down lane lines and swam the 30 minutes around the perimeter of the pool so we got the effect of not touching a wall or pushing off. I was a bit nervous, I haven't gone to a swim class in the last two weeks (maybe 1.5 weeks) so didn't know how I felt about doing a T-30 much less one when I didn't have a wall to launch off of. We would all be swimming en masse so that, too would be different.

And guess what? It was fun! It was really awesome, so much less boring than swimming in a lane. We got to deal with choppy water, experienced some passing people and light kicks and such from others in the class. For the most part, I was in a zone. Towards the end of the 30 minutes I was getting abit tired, but still felt like I could continue. I front-crawled the whole tiime except for two quick treads where I was blocked by two slower people and couldn't possible swim any slower. My feet didn't touch the ground at all!

All in all, it made me feel very positive about the upcoming tri and I think I'll do okay in the swim, as long as I remember to sight (haven't ever swam in murky water before).

Yay!

[alpinerabbit]

sounds like fun... I get to swim in busy lanes so I've had the occasional kick but it will be an "interesting experience" in competition

[leulamax]

I am training for my first Tri in June. Our group that is training together did a relay back at the beginning of May, and I did the swim leg (my first open water swim AND first time in a wet suit). Our coach took me out the week before to swim in the lake and I totally freaked out even though I am a good swimmer (The water was 66!). However, on race day I dove in and finished! It was a blast. There were so many rescue people in the water that I almost felt that I had a lifeline at a moments notice. No worries. Start at the back of the pack, that way you will have less of a chance being kicked.