10Kmarathonswim

Comparing oneself to others

I was intrigued today while reading friend of the blog, WaterGirl's post about her best stroke. She includes a link to Masters Motivational Times, sets of times one can use as motivation. The times are divided into grades, B (slowest) up to AAAA (fastest). 

Much like WaterGirl, I'm not near any of the times. On my best day in 2005 (the last time I had access to a "standard" pool), I missed the B time for 100 SCM free by 10 seconds. Even using my recent 200y and 400y times (when computing my CSS), I'm way off the B times. Jeez Louise. Unsure where author Steve Stuart got these times, but yikes, they're hard. 

I have my own standards. I've spoken before in this blog about my 1997 Navy PT test, where I swam 500 yards in 9:33 at the age of 30. Fast forward 14 years and I swam the same distance in 7:55. So as far as PRs go, I'm improving. But, apparently I need to get a coach soon so that I can drop my times closer to these motivational times.

Or find the chart with the "C" times. 

H2Open National Series

Across the pond, our friends at H2Open Magazine have developed a national ranking system. You swim at least 3 OW swims out of 7, and you are ranked amongst your sex and age range. They've got races all over Scotland, England and Wales, so Brit swimmers from all over can probably find 3 swims they can do. This got me thinking...

I know in the states we have the GLOW series, in the Great Lakes states. A series of seven (7, Evan, is that right?) OW races in the states that touch the lakes. You earn points then a series winner is crowned, as I understand it.*  But are there others? USMS has OW championships, but do swimmers earn points and then get placed among their peers?

And why not have these series in other areas of the country?  How about US-wide?  How about every USMS-sanctioned OW race have some sort of points system. At the end of the year the guy/gal with the most points gets the label "Most OW Swims Swum," or, more appropriately, "OW Swimmer with Biggest Expense Account"?

I like the idea of the most well-rounded OW swimmer. A swimmer who's done the widest range of distances and conditions. Perhaps everything from 1-mile to 10K, from lake or river to sea or ocean? There are so few races at the 25K or so distance, and many of these have limited fields, so I think 10K would be the best for the "long-distance" category.  There are plenty of 10Ks in the states. 

I like how H2Open does the point system. Basically, first place in your sex and age group equals 1000 points, with each place below that being 10% less (rounded up to nearest whole number). In my imaginary well-rounded swimmer series, I envision three race categories: sub-5K (but at least one mile, perhaps?), 5K-9.9K, 10K. You can race as many of them as you want, but your total standing will be based on your best points in each of the categories. But how do you think we should integrate different water conditions?

What say you, dear reader(s)?

*I can find info all over my internet machine about the GLOW series in 2010 and 2011, but nothing on 2012. I hope they haven't stopped doing the series...

Winter Swimming World Championships!

Sadly, I just found out about the Winter Swimming World Championships in Latvia in January. I'd love to not only swim in the championships, but I'd like to see them. Even worse, Riga is only an 1:45 from me now. Unfortunately, registration is closed, and the next championships isn't until 2014, when I'll be way more than two hours from Latvia.

Reading through the crazy peoples' blogs about ice swimming, I figured there'd be a couple dozen people signed up. Nope. Way more than that. Substantially more than that! Over 1400 people are competing. Incredible. Now I really wish I'd heard about this in November.

There are many events, and you can sign up for as many as you want. From simply dipping in the barely-above freezing water to doing the "endurance" freestyle swim event: 450 meters in icy-cold water! You can do some events freestyle, if you're experienced. If you're new, you can do breast-stroke for 25 or 50 meters, but the crown of your head must be above the water at all times. You can also do relays.

Reading further, it seems advisable that if you're going to swim free, you should wear ear plugs and a serious cap. All swimmers, actually, must wear a cap of some sort. And some swimmers on the websites are wearing wool stocking caps. And no gloves or booties. No wetsuits, no suits of neoprene. 



Open Water Advent Calendar, day 25

Merry Christmas! We've made it the 25 days of advent. (However, technically, I should have started this series on November 27th, the start of Advent in 2011, and today should be day 28. But, I was using the consumer advent calendar.)

For this day, we should all be thankful for our health. For our families. And for our fitness. In Russia, this is the season of the polar bear swim. Which is much more serious than in the west. Hell, there's a long history of polar bear swimming in Russia, starting with the annual baptism on Epiphany of children in freezing water. The priest would have a cross cut out of the ice, and the child would be dunked three timess in the icy cold water. 

If you read the book, Empire of the Czar, by the Marquis de Custine (highly recommended, btw), you'll read about an incident he witnessed. He observed a baptism of a newborn. The priest was dunking the child in the freezing water, when the priest's slippery hands dropped the kid into the river. The child's body sunk and went away with the current. The priest turned and stated, "Hand me another." 

So, one must be careful when completing polar bear swims in Russia. For the historical reason, as well as more practical ones.

 

Open Water Advent Calendar, day 24

This will be similar to a Christmas advent calendar, but I'll list OW swims I'd love to take part in or products that I would love to find under the tree.

Day 24:

Vacations are important. Trust me! The family and I took our first vacation in about, oh, 7 or 8 years this last summer. It was so nice. Talk about decompressing.

So why not mix swimming with vacation? And see some wonderful locations! I'm talking Swim Trek swimming vacations. 

I haven't done a Swim Trek vacation yet. I had to choose from doing one in Turkey (the famous Europe to Asia crossing) or doing a marathon in the UK. I chose the marathon. But I'd still like to take one of their trips. Malta? Slovenia? Almost too many to choose from.

Open Water Advent Calendar, day 23

This will be similar to a Christmas advent calendar, but I'll list OW swims I'd love to take part in or products that I would love to find under the tree.

Day 23:

Marathon swimmers many times are required to provide their own support. For many, smaller races, this means a kayaker. So today's recommendation is for a kayak for your special someone who is always there when you feel like quitting. Or eating. Or puking.

Unfortunately for you, dear reader(s), I know nothing about this subject. My wife has agreed to be my kayaker for my upcoming big swim, but we still don't own a kayak. I don't even think my wife has ever used one. (Paddled? Sailed? What's the verb?) But when we leave Moscow, one of the first things we'll do is get her a kayak. And then we'll practice the swimmer/kayaker relationship.

But, there are many helpful people on the internet machine who can aid one in finding the right kayak. Or you can just see what kayaks established pilots use, and buy one of those. Or you can take a class I suppose, and try some out?

However you do it, if you're going to use a loved one to be your slave, um, I mean, kayaker, shouldn't you buy him/her a nice one?

It's official

I'm registered for the 3rd Annual Swim the Suck 10-miler on October 6th. I've got a little under a year to get my butt in gear. This will be my big swim for 2012. I hope to make my inter-island attempt my big swim for 2013.

I will continue to use Munatones' Pyramid of Open Water Swimming Success to prepare myself for the swim. I think the Air Force will send me to the DC area next, so I'm looking at preparatory swims on my way to the 10-miler. Anyone have ideas for swims in that neck of the woods? Let me know!

Open Water Advent Calendar, day 22

This will be similar to a Christmas advent calendar, but I'll list OW swims I'd love to take part in or products that I would love to find under the tree.

Day 22:

As I've mentioned before, I'm a self-coached swimmer. And as I've learned a long time ago, I'm not good at it. When I was a self-coached lifter, I never really got very strong. (Although, in my coach-self's defense, I did get good at pull-ups.) When I was a self-coached runner, I got really fast (for me) at one mile (5:30-ish). Unfortunately, I always raced 10Ks.  As a self-coached triathlete, I never did very well, although I always finished.

I'm getting a bit better at it now. The self-coaching part. But I'd still rather have a knowledgable person, strong on swimming science, up there on the deck yelling at me. Since becoming a masters swimmer in late 2002, I've had a total of 3 years of coaching. Not much when it comes down to it. But those years were good.

Back in 1997, I swam the Navy PT test when I was stationed in Denver. (I tried to do everyone's PT test there, but never got to do the Marines' test, unfortunately.) At the time, I was an occassional swimmer, doing that and running. At my fastest, I swam the Navy's 500 yard test in 9:33. I was 30 years old.

Fast forward years ahead to 2005. I was finishing up about a year of swimming with the Alexandria (VA) Aquatic Recreation Group, at Chinquapin Recreation Center, under the able tutelage of Frank Shafroth. I went at least 3 days a week and got beat up every time. In May (or so) of 2005, we ran a swimming charity for the victims of the tsunami Thailand. Turned out that Frank, who used to be in the Peace Corps, knew how to get a village there a new fishing boat. It would cost. We got donations. We got enough to buy the village two fishing boats.

The point, however, that is germane to this story, is that I swam 100m SCM in 1:27.40. I was 38. Since then, no coaching (except a wonderful few days with the Fort Bragg Masters earlier this year). I might be able to hit that same time in the 100m. I might not. I need coaching.

So today, may I recommend every OW swimmer join a masters club? Find one near you with hours that work for you. Go at least twice a week. Get expert instruction on your stroke. Learn (if you haven't already) the other three strokes (yes, it'll help your swimming). Meet other swimmers. Meet the coaches. Let them see a real-live marathon swimmer (if they haven't already). But don't be a jerk, right Evan?

Open Water Advent Calendar, day 21

This will be similar to a Christmas advent calendar, but I'll list OW swims I'd love to take part in or products that I would love to find under the tree.

Day 21:

More DVDs! Yeah for simplified, mind-numbing boob-tube learning. Yes, it works. My CSS times have improved by staring at the TV and computer, letting my subconscious self memorize Mr. Smooth.

When I bought Swim Smooth's training plan, I also threw in their DVD entitled Catch Masterclass. (I've spoken about this DVD before, but not in the same detail.) I like masterclasses. They're taught by masters! And you learn from the masters. Win win, yes?

The cost, initially, made me question my decision. After all, of all the swim DVDs I've bought, only one (Fran Crippen's) was any good. Could this one also be for suckers?

NO! How wrong I was to think that. Great DVD. From the awesome videos of the drills, to the guests coach Paul Newsome has swimming in the DVD (fastest person around Manhattan anyone?), you cannot go wrong with this DVD.

There is an incredible amount of information in these DVDs. Included in the DVD is the ability to print off some workouts. Very possibly my favorite part is that included in the DVD are videos of actual mortal swimmers doing the drills. In one instance, there is a swimmer whose 100m CSS is around 1:40. See! An actual real-life average swimmer, like me!

Open Water Advent Calendar, day 20

This will be similar to a Christmas advent calendar, but I'll list OW swims I'd love to take part in or products that I would love to find under the tree.

Day 20:

This will be a gift that I have no personal experience with, but since I trust friend-of-the-blog and OW swimming documentarian Rob, I'll offer up for day 20 personalized swim suits.

The folks at Splish will make you a swim suit based on your specifications, and for not too bad of a price, especially now, during the holiday season. Rob has his own specially-designed suit, that even mere mortals like I can buy. And at Splish's prices, you might as well throw in a suit of your own design as well.

You can buy some pre-designed suits for as low as $12.50 for men and $25 for women. Or design your own grape-smugglers for as low as $34.95.