Training Update: When there's no black line, you have to work with the water.

 Team Goldfish is ready to hit the water!

One of the toughest things about training for open water swimming, is finding ways to actually practice in open water.  I'm fortunate that my gym is 4 blocks from my house and has a pool, and that on weekends in summer, I can use the outdoor, 50 meter East Potomac Pool down at Haines Point for free.  I love my pool workouts (especially the outdoor ones).  The pool is where I've been able to develop my stroke, build my endurance, and improve my speed.  That's the beauty of the clear water, the black line at the bottom, and the walls.

But open water has no black lines, no walls, and more often than not no visibility.  That's why siting is so important, because if you site poorly you can zig and zag and end up swimming much further than you intend to (not something I want to do in general, let alone on a 3 mile swim like the one in September). 

The chance to practice siting and swimming in open water led me to sign up for the Wave One Swim Clinic at Sandy Point State Park out in Annapolis.  Wave One is run by seasoned open water swimmers and coaches, and providing a chance to practice in open water with lifeguards and kayak support. 

About 30 of us headed out to Sandy Point State Park this morning for an 8:30 am session under overcast skies, and with choppy water in the Chesapeake Bay.  Denis Crean, who founded the US Open Water Swim Association kicked off the clinic with guidance, and then there was a 350 m practice course set up in the water for us. 

On my second lap, one of the other instructors--Kurt Thiel--paddled up to me in his kayak.  I held my hand on my head to show that I was okay, and he acknowledged that I was okay, but that he wanted to give me some advice--to stop focusing on my stroke and start feeling and working with the water.   The next lap of the course was easier to complete, and while my siting is still far from great, now that I'm aiming for big landmarks, not tiny buoys, it seems to be getting better.

All in all, it was a fun morning, with some nice people.  And I learned that Wave One does Thursday night swims all summer at National Harbor on the Potomac River, so I'll be able to get lots more open water practice in. 

 

View of the Bay Bridge from Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis, MD