So, how was your 2014 swimming year?
loneswimmer
IrelandCharter Member
loneswimmer
IrelandCharter Member
loneswimmer
IrelandCharter Member
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We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
Excellence is born of preparation, dedication, focus and tenacity; compromise on any of these and you become average.
I had some good moments though, knocked 19 minutes off my 2013 Coniston time, so I was rather pleased with that one. Took part in a 3 person Channel relay in "interesting" conditions. Swam various local events from 3.8K to 10K. I survived Cork Distance week, despite swimming through cowpats on one swim and Ned kindly pointing out sharks to me during the TBBC.
I even found time to take a rather nice photo at one point during the year.
Had another flying visit to Ireland for a bit of swimming in August when some very nice people looked after me. This cheered me up hugely at the time.
I think that 2015 will be a very good year though, if all goes to plan!
In 2015 I plan to complete a ~15 mile solo swim in Puget Sound, crew for a friend on one of his mighty endeavors, break my PR in a pool 1650 and have respectable finishes at as many open water races as I can fit in. I have some interesting swims on my to-do list, which I may or may not get to in '15, Highland Lakes Challenge and Bear Lake Monster being two of them.
In 2016, I'll be turning 50. I'm planning an epic swim season including 10K OW Nationals and hopefully SCAR!
It's time to get in the pool!
It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.
I had the opportunity to swim across a gorgeous glacial lake in the Grand Tetons, and have pictures that are sponsor worthy to prove it! My first swim at altitude and with my family supporting me, very weird experience. The altitude had me swimming maybe 50 m before I had to flip over and get my heart rate back down. But I did it and it was fantasti.
This was the year that I was going to be a "real" marathon swimmer and swim my first 10k. The official 10k swim did not happen because my build training got derailed by a surprise pregnancy. I learned a lot about swimming though nausea and about accepting that if you can't eat enough to fuel your training, and if all you are doing is lying around your home and dreading your training, it may be time to revise goals. My DIY 10k swim got derailed by a funeral and dropping water temps that were giving me visions of my poor inner child swimming frantically "in utero" trying to stay warm. I know, silly, but there it was.
But I did revise some swim plans and swam the entire Highland Lakes Challenge(1 mile distanes) again, but this time pregnant. Most of the world doesn't swim at all, so I'm pretty proud of pulling it off tandem and handling the logistics of food and rest to race 5 days in a row.
I also swim almost 600 miles this year, half of that pregnant. So I'm calling it a badass year.
I was happy w/ my swimming year! I participated for the third time in 7 years in the Great South Bay Cross-Bay Swim, and my time this year was almost 40 mins. faster than the previous time I did it (although 16 mins. slower than the first time--so I want to PR this year!). 2010 I was way undertrained so I wasn't expecting too much and didn't get too much but scratched and clawed my way across (not literally but you get the picture). This year, I worked with a wonderful coach who, besides assigning some killer workouts, also gave me excellent feedback and tips on my technique and on nutrition, etc. Plus, he hosts several short open water races during the summer and weekly open water practices, which meant that by the time I got to the race, I was much better prepared. I'm not fast, probably speed just isn't in my wheelhouse, but I keep on working at it and make gradual improvements.
Really cool thing about my coach is that he encourages my goals--doesn't write them off b/c I'm not fast--and that by itself is huge. He also keeps raising the bar--believing in my ability to stretch further.
After my bay swim, during which at one point, I SO wanted it to be OVER, I decided that my next goal would be the Boston Light Swim--not this year--I still want to improve my speed so I can make the cut-off--but next year. This year, I'm looking to do the bay swim again at the pace I need for the BLS cut-off. I also want to try one other longish swim, maybe one in colder water. The bay temp typically is about 70-75, pretty comfortable--I've been able to do some colder water swimming during the weekly o.w. swims, but need to develop even more tolerance. Just for fun, I did my first Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day (was told the water temp was 37!). Was going to swim a few strokes, but the water was so muddy and the footing so unstable that I contented myself with just ducking under and getting entirely wet--mildly disappointed that I didn't make the attempt to swim, but I figure that will come. I didn't feel as cold as I expected--just a little uncomfortable but more b/c of the mud than b/c of the cold.
I'm grateful to have the health to swim--so many my age have health problems due to smoking and such--and I hope to keep up the momentum, not let age be a barrier!
2014 was also my first year of tracking my miles - and i swam over 500 between the open water races, chelsea piers pool, riverbank, and lots of hours at Brighton Beach with CIBBOWS. I'm lucky to live in NYC - not for the museums, restaurants, or broadway - but because of the amazing and diverse open water swim community that stretches across ages and abilities - but unites us in our love of jumping in the waters surrounding us. I also did my 1st wild swimming sneaking into the Harlem river one afternoon. in 2015 i hope to sneak into the Hudson.
I am so incredibly thankful that i stumbled upon this weird little sport which now defines who i am - not my job or my demographics - but my swims! Like @dpm50 i was lucky enough to find a coach who believes in me regardless of my lack of experience, speed, or any natural abilities here, but he does get my passion and commitment to swimming and the joy the water brings me.
I'm really excited for 2015 and the places i'll go! I'm going back to the Hudson for Stage 6 , I'm traveling north to check out the Kingdom swims in Vermont and what its like to go distance in a lake, a Catalina relay - swimming in the dark in the Pacific with all those big critters...this one will test me psychologically , and my go big or go home swim of the year is MIMS. Somehow Morty has figured a way for the slow girl in the slow lane to have a shot at successfully completing this iconic swim around the island i call home. I'm pumped for this!
and i'd like to say thanks to the Forum - its so cool that all this wisdom, experience, and support gathers in this one place for the sole purpose of sharing....and maybe a little bragging
I had a lumbar fusion in September and hope to be back swimming, probably not competing at anything resembing the same level in 2015. But I hope to be back out there!
Equals more time around the house = happy wife = happy life!
-LBJ
“Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” - Oscar Wilde
Decided against Catalina when I realized I was not putting in the required training, but did manage to get swim 491 miles in the end after the slow start to the year.
Looking forward to Rottnest again in 2015 and whatever else seems realistic given everything else that goes on in life (but am aiming for a full Donal i.e. a million meters swum)
http://notdrowningswimming.com - open water adventures of a very ordinary swimmer
gw
But the best of the best was about the great people I met, re-met and swam or crewed with along the way - from the Alcatraz / Golden Gate swims in April with a bunch of 8- 10- and 12-year olds (and some adults!) to swimming a 2 miler on Xmas eve with Roger Finch in the Atlantic off South Africa, it's been a great year.
I set out last December to be the top 60+ year old OW swimmer this year, and to push my limits in terms of distance, stage swims and training. Learned a lot, met the challenges and wound up feeling like I had...an AWESOME year.
Just started training for 2015, and can't wait to see what lies ahead - I love this sport, and I love the people who populate it - thanks all for a wonderful year!
This year I'm hoping to swim about the same 1M meters. Maybe, if I have a bit more free time and motivation, I'll spend more time working on my other strokes. I probably only swam five miles of butterfly all year.
Set goal, achieve goal. That was the story of my year.
Trained well and did well at SCAR in May.
Met amazing people/swimmers!
They helped me expand my realm of possibilities.
Next planned swim event was cancelled, so I simply continued training and did many long swims in our unusually warm waters this summer.
Just kept going longer and feeling good.
Observed and supported many Catalina Channel swims and one awesome Anacapa swim.
Crewed more than Observed this year and really enjoyed it!
(Always amazing being part of someone's swim and helping them achieve their great goal!)
Also helped a friend by swimming along on his 6hr EC qual swim...and in 54f water temp!
That wasn't really a planned goal, but great to have achieved it.
Had a blast at Swim Camp Catalina!
And with all the swimming accumulating the miles, I reached (just in time for Xmas) a goal I set at the beginning of the year that seemed fanciful (especially since it was double my 2013 goal): swimming 1000 miles.
That felt good!
Best part: 2014 left me wanting more...so gonna stroke it up a notch in 2015!
Excited to take on more!
What was this training camp in Maui that had you swim 62 miles that week? Because I want in!
https://infinityswimming.wordpress.com/maui-swim-camp/
The camp was once to twice a day plus I swam in between
However, the main event that I was training for (the portland bridge swim) was cancelled about two hours into it on account of weather. I was a crushed. I was incredibly nervous leading up to it, but when i got in the water it felt like i was flying. I think what upset me most about being pulled out of the water wasnt that i had shelled out a decent amount of money to register whilst unemployed, but that i was doing better than i could have hoped.
In any case, I have high hopes for 2015!
Looks like there is no open water swimming as part of the camp, am I reading the website correctly? All in the pool?
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
This year, back to Boulder 70.3, that 1.2 mile swim is going to be a cakewalk
I also completed my longest race to date, 10 miles, at the Kingdom swim in Vermont. It was such a gorgeous race, and I can honestly say that after that experience I am hooked.
I think the best part of the year had to be winning the raffle from the Kingdom swim and gaining entry to SCAR for 2015. I can't wait to really test myself at that race.