Total Immersion
Derek B (Whitecaps) sends this information on next
weekend's Total Immersion clinic:
"Note that unless they have built a new pool since 1984, the pool at St.
Andrews College is really crappy; one of the worst I've
encountered. It's 20 yds., about 2 1/2 feet deep in the shallow
end, dark, cold and has torture racks for starting blocks (I cut my foot open
on one of them when I was swimming a meet in high school). The college
may well have built a new pool but it would be worth checking out before
anyone spends $600!"
More Open Water Swimming Tips
Some people may be interested in these tips. Note that anyone
following number 10 or number 1 would be disqualified under Masters Swimming
Ontario and Masters Swimming Canada rules!! Note also that women are
well established in the history of Open Water swimming (it's nothing new as is
implied here), and in many cases have equalled or surpassed men's
records.
By Alex Kostich from Active.com:
"Open-water swimmer
Dawn Heckman (hey, what about those goggle straps?)
In the
male-dominated world of open-water swimming, 23-year-old Dawn Heckman has been
creating waves.
A member of the USA Swimming Open-water National Team
for the last two years, Dawn burst onto the scene after retiring from
competitive pool swimming, carving out a name for herself as one of America’s
rising long-distance stars.
Her growing list of recent accomplishments
includes bronze medals in both the FINA World Open-water Swimming
Championships and the USA 25K National Championships last year, in addition to
numerous accomplishments from her days as a collegiate swimmer for the
University of Florida.
Having profiled swimmer John Flanagan earlier
this summer, who provided a useful list of top 10 open-water tips, I wanted to
revisit the formula with Dawn, who I thought could offer a “female”
perspective to what is still considered a primarily male sport.
While
women everywhere are venturing into open-waters for triathlons and other
aquatic competitions, Dawn has managed to excel and put a few established men
in their place (i.e. behind her at the finish line).
I was interested
in finding out the secrets to Dawn’s success; after all, any swimmer — male or
female — can learn and benefit from a champion of her caliber. Dawn’s list of
top 10 tips will take you by surprise; not only is she a smart and ruthless
competitor but she has a sense of humor, too!
A woman’s guide to
open-water racing: Top 10 list of do’s and don’ts
10. Grow your nails.
In an open-water race it is not uncommon for people (men especially) to swim
over you in order to get by. When you find yourself being plowed over by some
huge guy, let them know they’re swimming in your territory by giving them a
little scratch! When they realize they can’t just push you aside, they’ll
usually back off and chart their own course.
9. Pace yourself. Often
men dash out of the start, using testosterone to their advantage by swimming
as fast as they can. Then, somewhere near the middle of the race, they get
tired and start to slow down. This is the perfect opportunity to reel them in
and pass them one by one. The race hurts a lot less, and to be honest, it’s
quite fun passing men near the end of a race! Their egos are a little crushed,
and passing them gives you that extra mental boost to finish the race
strong.
8. Relax your stroke. The ocean is more powerful than you are.
It’s not worth wasting energy fighting it. Try to develop a rhythm with the
current conditions. Don’t worry about technique. Technique is something you
practice in the pool. Your work in the pool will pay off in the
ocean.
7. Avoid unwanted hickies. Use Vaseline around chafing areas.
There is nothing worse than having your swimsuit straps rub against your neck
in salt water for a long period of time. If you don’t wear Vaseline, you’ll
end up wearing a turtleneck for two weeks, or you’ll have to constantly
explain to everyone (including your boyfriend) that Dracula wasn’t sucking on
your neck!
6. Don’t shave right before the race. Razor burn and salt
water — need I say more?
5. No itsy-bitsy teeny-weenie yellow polka-dot
bikinis!!!
4. Race sans jewelry. Although necklaces, anklets, and
bracelets are fashionable, they are also very enticing for someone to grab on
to. (And if sharks and other forms of carnivorous wildlife are a concern for
you, eliminating all shiny things — earrings included — is highly
recommended.)
3. Wear your goggles under your cap. If you start the
race with goggles, most likely you want to finish the race with goggles
(especially if you wear contacts). The start of an open-water race is very
crowded and hectic. It is not uncommon for someone to knock your goggles off
(intentionally or unintentionally). If you put your goggles on before you put
your cap on, they will stay put and not fall off.
2. Carpe diem! Seize
the moment. Enjoy your surroundings. Embrace nature. Swimming in the open
water is very refreshing. Most people are afraid of it. You’re doing something
most people would never even consider doing, so live for the moment!
1.
Draft, draft, draft. Generally speaking, men create larger waves than women.
Use this to your advantage. Swim directly behind someone who is slightly
faster than you, and let them do the work. When you’re close to the finish,
pull to the side and use the energy you’ve saved to sprint the rest of the
way.
As I predicted, Dawn’s list has something for everyone, and her
accomplishments are no surprise given the strategies above. Open-water
swimming can be intimidating for first-timers, and some women may feel
especially vulnerable given the nature of the beast (that “beast” being men,
rather than the ocean!). It is encouraging to see a woman asserting herself in
a sport as potentially rough and intimidating as open-water swimming, and it’s
impressive that Dawn is beating her male counterparts on the national and
international level.
I was not familiar with Dawn’s
goggles-under-the-cap approach until now, and I consider myself privileged to
know that should I ever compete against her, I best keep my distance to avoid
getting scratched, drafted off of, or perhaps even ... beaten !"
Private Masters Lessons
Fall times and costs for private Masters lessons will
be published in September.
