Just a tip for open water, lift your head but keep breathing on your side. Don't lift too much, it
consumes energy and slow you down. Leandro.
Cam Wilson wrote:
> thanks for the thoughts, Martin. I would never have thought of some of these things. Yeah,
> swimming straight will be interesting without a line on the bottom of the bay/lake to guide me
> I have already been practising lifting my head periodically during pool swims, mainly just to see
> if people are coming at me from any particular direction.... it's a madhouse at the pool
> sometimes, with kids everywhere.
>
> thanks again,
>
> Cam
>
>
> In article <
[email protected]>,
> "Martin W. Smith" <
[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>Cam Wilson wrote:
>>
>>>any tips for an OW swim newbie? like keep my mouth closed more often so the weeds and dirt don't
>>>float in? or don't swat at the fish?
>>
>>Learning how to draft will help, but in the absence of a suitable draftee, you have to learn how
>>to swim in a straight line. It's a gift. If you don't have the gift, you will want to get used to
>>lifting your head about every dozen strokes to see that you are holding your line.
>>
>>How and when you lift your head depends on whether you are swimming in the sea or in a lake. If
>>you are swimming in the sea, then you want to lift your head when you are at the top of a swell,
>>because if you lift your head when you are in a trough, you won't see anything. In a lake, unless
>>we are talking about Lake Michigan, you won't have swells to deal with, so you can lift your head
>>pretty much any time.
>>
>>You will want to find a fixed point on the shore ahead that you can easily see when your head
>>comes up. You're up; you see your point, and you're down again in a single arm pull. If you can
>>draft off someone, you can let him be your guide.
>>
>>The hardest part for me is always the run up the beach at the end. Trying to stand up and run can
>>be very disorienting after you have been swimming in swells for a half hour or longer. Most
>>swimmers stand up way to early. Keep swimming until your hands hit the bottom. Pull yourself along
>>the bottom if possible. Body surf if you can, but, again, beware of disorientation at the end of
>>the race. If you are coming in through a drop zone, you could get slammed hard.
>>
>>At the starting line, don't try to get in front of the pack if you don't have a realistic chance
>>of leading the way early. Choose a starting point on one end or the other, or in the back. There
>>can be massive thrashing and kicking during a mass start, and you can get kicked in the face. If
>>you see someone you know, who is your speed or a little faster, stand behind him at the start and
>>let him clear the way for you.
>>
>>Again, most swimmers start swimming too soon. Watch some old reruns of the Baywatch opening, where
>>Mike Newman is going out through the surf. He runs as far as he can, and when the wave hits him,
>>he dives under it, swims a bit, and if the water level drops enough, he stands again and runs some
>>more. Running is faster than swimming at the start.
>>
>>Don't worry about swallowing water, because you will swallow water. And don't worry about things
>>biting you.
>>
>>martin