Owwwww my arms are KILLING me after this years first open water swim. They are SPENT!
The water wasn't super-choppy but it had fair deep swells going on. I'm not sure if that's the reason why.... OR if it is just because it's been almost a year since I've been in open water... OR the fact that my wetsuit was just a wee bit too small pulling down on my shoulders (I was 30lbs less last time I wore it) but.... Ow ow ow...
It was just a bit demoralizing... I only swam half a mile and it felt like an entire mile. I was so much slower then everyone else in the group.
Guess I just need to get out there more often. Anyone want to guess which of the 3 reasons above caused the exhaustion or is it a combo of the issues?
Open water will do it to you. I think the swells and currents are probably what made it feel so much harder. Good job getting out there! Was this ocean or river or... ?
Open water swimming is difficult. When I first started trying to snorkel, I decided to do it without fins because fins scared me. After quickly tiring myself out, I put on the fins. Not that I'm an excellent swimmer but it is just hard stuff and definitely much harder than calm/indoor water.
I understand OWS is harder but it's not like I haven't done it before. I swam the same distances last year. I guess my arms are just lacking the same muscle strength I had last year. Or maybe the water was just more choppy. I haven't been back to swimming for long enough.
Sure sign of more OWS's needed before my Tri I guess.
CONGRATS on open water swimming... I am so afraid of it that I have never done a triathlon because of this ... I am in awe of anyone who attempts it...Some day I will do it...
I never properly prepare for the OWS portion of triathlons because I have shark AND gator phobia. I tell you what though, that fear makes it pretty darn motivating to get the heck out of the water as fast as possible during the race, lol. So that at least works in my favor!
Hi, Muse! I'll toss my vote in on the too-tight wetsuit. I have a really long torso, and any time I get into a suit that's too short, it pulls my shoulders forward. Swimming works them the other way, so IMO - you end up universally exhausted. I haven't tried a wetsuit, so I can't speak to that, but I would think that would be even worse.
Ilene - It's not so bad I hadn't swam since I was a kid. Took 5 lessons last Feb and by Aug I was swimming over a mile. OWS isn't as bad as people make it out to be you're surrounded by people so it's hard to feel too unsafe.
Ty - Yeah I don't want to ocean swim partially for the critter aspect. Besides the awful salt water... I drink too much of the swim as it is. I was considering IM FL but I think I'm going to aim for one w/o the ocean.
ICU - Yeah I think it was just a combo of the suit and the lack of recent swims and water a little bouncier then I'm used to. Hopefully I'll be losing another 20 before my Tri and the suit will fit like I'm used to. I don't want to buy another suit until my old one is too big on me.
Open Water Swimming
