5K Open Water Swim Race

Thats exactly why I'm doing this - for the experience, for the challenge of finishing. I'm not really racing, I'm simply swimming. I expect to finish in 1:30-1:40, hopefully thats a good enough time to not be last place!

I'm pretty stoked, though. This is gonna be cool!

I did a couple of Open Water Swim Races in Melbourne's summer - I did a 1.4km and a 1.5km - what a blast!  So nice to get out of the water and that's it, no need to run off to transition, no need to focus on what's next!

I'm pretty much at the back of the MOP in triathlon swims, in these OWS races - BOP if not last!  Real swimmers are in abundance and are amazing to watch!

Certainly signing up for a couple next summer too.  have fun.

I'm sure there will be a wetsuit division. I wont wear one.

Generally speaking, the people that do the longer open water distances don't want to wear wetsuits...ruins the fun.

This is pretty much how I feel about it. I'm guessing the majority of the other swimmers will be of a similar mindset. Theres a whole 'purist' culture when it comes to distance swimmers - wetsuits are like training wheels.

Having been to only one 5k OWS, I saw the majority wearing wetsuits. Perhaps those were all the triathletes, and the "real" swimmers were the ones without. FWIW, I wore mine, and it was a mistake. It was still too tight, and I couldn't breathe, and DNFed. This year is another story though. I am signing up for another one in August, and may or may not do a wetsuit.

You won't even be close to last.  I'd say you would be well up in the front, but this being the National Championship there should be some ridiculously fast people there.

Also, many of the longer open water swim races use "channel rules" which specifically state no wetsuits.

ChrisM - 2012-06-18 2:26 PM I'll be wearing my "training wheel" wetsuit at my 10K swim this summer in So Cal.  Same as I did last year for the 4.8 miler. 

I cringe thinking about how chafed that will make you....