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I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims
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 2009-07-13 11:37 PM |
Master  2372   |  Subject: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool SwimsI have swum for years (picked it back up after swimming seriously 20 years ago) but never done a long OWS. Ended up with a nice long vacation at the beach and did a mile a day down the beach. After all the talk here about OWS issues I figured there may be some issues. The swims were glorious. It got the point that I was pretty bummed about coming back to the pool, to be honest. No turns, just hit your pace and keep going. Navigating waves. Sighting. Sooo much more fun. Heck, on the last day the wind was whipping at about 20mph from the south, which made for a very choppy swim. On the way back I was getting airborne every few strokes (most fun I've had swimming in a long, long time - my own personal roller coaster). The folks on shore thought I was nuts. The consensus here seems to agree from the number of "OWS freaked me out" threads. Maybe I am. I haven't seen a lot of mention here about the virtues of a good OWS, so here is the devil's advocate argument: They're much more fun. Really. |
| 2009-07-13 11:59 PM in reply to: #2283161 |
Regular 95 Oregon City, Oregon | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims |
| 2009-07-14 12:01 AM in reply to: #2283161 |
| Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims you need to read more posts. there's tons of us that prefer ows |
| 2009-07-14 12:05 AM in reply to: #2283181 |
Master 2372 | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims ChrisM - 2009-07-14 12:01 AM you need to read more posts. there's tons of us that prefer ows Says the guy with 10k posts. LOL (Seriously, I guess I have missed them) |
| 2009-07-14 12:41 AM in reply to: #2283161 |
Veteran 215 | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims I participated in an OW swim clinic a few weeks ago...my first OWS...and I have to agree. I had a blast. We swam the Pacific Triathlon half mile sprint course and there were times I rolled on my back just to look around and enjoy the experience. I felt so much more alive than when I'm just trudging out the pool laps and counting. Of course, there were lots of lifeguards and swim angels around us, checking on us every step of the way. Still...it was the most fun I've had in a long time. |
| 2009-07-14 2:05 AM in reply to: #2283161 |
| Master 2460 | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims I'm not a great swimmer, but I've come to love the OWS here in the Pacific. Nothing like sun and fun. Unfortunately, severe wave action can humble you as well. I thought I was getting "good" at this, swimming through chop rough enough to bounce you around, sighting across decent-sized waves, and bodysurfing in. Then I went out on a recognized "big surf" day and got absolutely crushed by the first 3 sets which rolled me so badly that I didn't even know what direction was up. That's been the only time I felt really scared out there - I called it a day early. You can never have to much respect for the ocean. |
| 2009-07-14 5:59 AM in reply to: #2283161 |
Veteran 407 | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims I love OWS, it's the sound of the gun and 100 other bodies near me that gets my heart pumping and throughs off my breathing rhythm, have to work on that. I think it is "all in my head" issue.  |
| 2009-07-14 6:04 AM in reply to: #2283161 |
Expert 1123 Falls Church, VA | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims sand101 - 2009-07-14 12:37 AM I have swum for years (picked it back up after swimming seriously 20 years ago) but never done a long OWS. Ended up with a nice long vacation at the beach and did a mile a day down the beach. After all the talk here about OWS issues I figured there may be some issues. The swims were glorious. It got the point that I was pretty bummed about coming back to the pool, to be honest. No turns, just hit your pace and keep going. Navigating waves. Sighting. Sooo much more fun. Heck, on the last day the wind was whipping at about 20mph from the south, which made for a very choppy swim. On the way back I was getting airborne every few strokes (most fun I've had swimming in a long, long time - my own personal roller coaster). The folks on shore thought I was nuts. The consensus here seems to agree from the number of "OWS freaked me out" threads. Maybe I am. I haven't seen a lot of mention here about the virtues of a good OWS, so here is the devil's advocate argument: They're much more fun. Really. well speaking as someone who still gets a bit wiggy in OW swims, swimming in traffic has as much to do with it as not having a bottom/wall to use as security. |
 2009-07-14 6:14 AM in reply to: #2283161 |
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| 2009-07-14 6:21 AM in reply to: #2283181 |
| Extreme Veteran 317 Chelmsford, MA | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims ChrisM - 2009-07-14 1:01 AM you need to read more posts. there's tons of us that prefer ows You folks need to post more. I've been reading here for about 2 months seriously and haven't seen that opinion often  I think I will probably join your bandwagon shortly, though. The tri swim this weekend was my favorite part and the OWS practice I did leading up to race really flipped a switch in my head for the enjoyment of swimming. I went in thinking 'swim to survive' and came out thinking 'that was fun!' |
| 2009-07-14 6:30 AM in reply to: #2283161 |
| Veteran 196 Arlington, VA | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims I dread the idea of getting back in the pool. I just started swimming a few months ago, and apart from one race and a swim in the sound in NC, it's all been in the pool. Last week, I was on vacation on a lake in northern Minnesota, and had three great OWS. The first was 1250m across the lake. A couple days later, I swam in choppy, windy conditions back and forth along the shore for 30 minutes. And then on the last day, I swam across the lake and back--2500m according to Google Earth. |
| 2009-07-14 6:33 AM in reply to: #2283161 |
| Veteran 238 Iowa | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims Grew up in Hawaii and MUCH prefer OWS, until I am doing it with 100 of my closest friends. Nothing better in a recreation or training setting though! |
| 2009-07-14 8:22 AM in reply to: #2283161 |
Extreme Veteran 597 Fairfax | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims Give me OWS any day of the week. I live in an area where OWS is not only forbidden, it can get you fined and arrested for trespassing unless you have a special permit (which nobody has). Unfortunately 95% of my training is done in a pool. |
| 2009-07-14 8:34 AM in reply to: #2283161 |
| Regular 94 Seattle | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims I also prefer OWS, and am not a big fan of swimming in the chaos of a mass start. Of course I am also not a huge fan of having more than a couple of people in my lane when doing a pool swim. |
| 2009-07-14 8:50 AM in reply to: #2283583 |
Champion 6539 South Jersey | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims I definitely prefer OWS over pool swimming. Unfortunately, they're just not convenient |
| 2009-07-14 10:07 AM in reply to: #2283161 |
| Regular 186 SW VA | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims A redundant endorsement of OWS... I love the open water. I prefer to have atleast one swim buddy and it is certainly not as convenient as the pool... but doesnt everyone prefer the road to the trainer or the treadmill too? |
| 2009-07-14 10:14 AM in reply to: #2283339 |
| Master 1651 Breckenridge, CO | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims Beej - 2009-07-14 5:21 AM ChrisM - 2009-07-14 1:01 AM you need to read more posts. there's tons of us that prefer ows You folks need to post more. I've been reading here for about 2 months seriously and haven't seen that opinion often I think that's because the better swimmers are probably the ones who enjoy OWS more and in typical BT style they don't want to brag and/or make beginning swimmers feel bad. IMO, OWS is all about your confidence in the water and your ability to swim a straight line. If I lived somewhere with clear and (relatively) warm water like Florida or Hawaii or Calif., I'd VERY MUCH prefer an OWS workout over one in a pool. |
| 2009-07-14 10:18 AM in reply to: #2283161 |
| Pro 4507 Simpsonville, SC | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims I like OWS too. I am with ya on the finding your rhythm and best of all, NO TURNS! I don't get many chances to practice OWS because I would never swim solo, especially in the lake with boat traffic. So it's stroke, stroke, stroke, turn for me most of the time  Pam |
| 2009-07-14 10:40 AM in reply to: #2283161 |
| Champion 10471 Dallas, TX | Subject: RE: I guess I am strange - OWS>>>Pool Swims sand101 - 2009-07-13 11:37 PM I have swum for years (picked it back up after swimming seriously 20 years ago) but never done a long OWS. Ended up with a nice long vacation at the beach and did a mile a day down the beach. After all the talk here about OWS issues I figured there may be some issues. The swims were glorious. It got the point that I was pretty bummed about coming back to the pool, to be honest. No turns, just hit your pace and keep going. Navigating waves. Sighting. Sooo much more fun. Heck, on the last day the wind was whipping at about 20mph from the south, which made for a very choppy swim. On the way back I was getting airborne every few strokes (most fun I've had swimming in a long, long time - my own personal roller coaster). The folks on shore thought I was nuts. The consensus here seems to agree from the number of "OWS freaked me out" threads. Maybe I am. I haven't seen a lot of mention here about the virtues of a good OWS, so here is the devil's advocate argument: They're much more fun. Really. Some people get freaked. Others do not. I wasn't necessarily freaked by OWSing, I just wanted to make sure I did it right... and took some clinics on sighting and what not. Being a competitive swimmer... I wasn't sure how my skill set would translate to open water. It translated fine. I also enjoy the challenge of waves, but I hate not being able to breathe w/out a mouth full of water. |
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