Making the Case for Open Water

We just got back from a local open water swim and it sure was fun to see so many swimmers from around the area as well as a few famous ones who traveled in for the event. Today was the Tiburon Mile; the 10th annual time the event has been staged with the money raised this year going to Hospice by the Bay. This swim in San Francisco Bay begins with folks gathering in the town of Tiburon, CA doing all the usual things: registering, picking up numbers and ankle bracelets, goodie bags etc. Then all the swimmers get on one of two ferries and head across the open water known locally as Raccoon Straits to Angel Island. There they disembark and head for the beach area for the starting line.

Once the gun sounds it is a mad dash for the water and the best spot in the pack. Depending upon your goals, you either charge toward the front, enduring the rough going as swimmers vie for their preferred line or you hang back a little looking for your own "sweet spot" as you settle in for the more or less one mile swim back to the town. As you get into the harbor there is a well marked chute which leads you up onto a small patch of sand and gravel where your ankle bracelet trips the electronic eye and records your finish with both elapsed time and place.

There are multiple divisions from elite to age group to wetsuit. It is fun and challenging all at the same time. You swim with some of the world's fastest open water swimmers even if you are a weekend warrior type. The finish area is complete with ardent well wishers and curious town folk just out for a Sunday morning coffee.

But what is extremely fun to watch is the expressions of the predominant pool swimmers who are making their annual open water swim or even perhaps their first attempt. The water is a chilly 55 or so degrees, you cannot see the bottom, there is no line to follow, people are pushing each other - sometimes intentionally, most times not - there is a current to deal with and usually some wave action plus today there were seals frolicking near the entrance to the harbor.

Most folks learned something about themselves today in their pursuit of adventure. We saw lots of smiles and folks being proud of their personal victories. What we liked was the fact that many of the pool only swimmers got out of their comfort zones today. Regardless of how fast they were in comparison to the field they all had an experience they will remember for many years. Nearly all who started finished; to our knowledge no one was seriously injured and several hours later we are guessing that most if not all have warmed back up enough to allow themselves a well earned feeling of contentedness.

So if you are a pool only swimmer check your local listings for an open water event near you and give it a try...and conversely, if you are an open water or tri-athlete check with your local Masters swim scene and go racing in the pool sometime before your season is over. It is always interesting to step outside your immediate comfort zone! Let us know how it goes for you!

Break Out of the Box

Every now and then it is good to shake up the routine, to break out of the box as it were. We continue to challenge our swimmers and ourselves to seek new pursuits that compliment what we are trying to do in our sport that are also "outside of the box".

This weekend in northern California we had an opportunity to do just that. Several of our pool swimmers swam in the annual RCP Tiburon Mile open water swim. For many of them it was the first time they had swum in San Francisco Bay. Several overcame anxiety about being able to see the bottom. We encouraged them to do this because, in life, we often never "see the bottom" as it were.

We encourage you as well to try an open water swim. There are many every year in lakes, rivers and the bays that are near you. Pick one that has good support and safety features. The RCP Tiburon Mile had numerous chase boats, kayaks and support staff. While this swim annually features top Olympians and Open Water professionals swimming with amateurs, many of the swims in your area are less formal. That doesn't mean that they are not equally valuable to you. The value, we believe, is in the trying of something new. Each time you step outside of your own comfort zone you have the opportunity to learn new things about what works for you...both in and out of the pool!

Let us know how it goes for you!