Mary Meyer Open Water Swim Workout

Saturday at o-dark-thirty (okay, 7:15--not that bad) D and I jumped into the lake with the advanced swim group that self-selected into the Mary Meyer Open Water Workout. (Briefly, for those who might be considering doing these things, the workout is an almost unsupported 40 minute out-and-back swim that follows the shoreline of Lake Washington. The clinic is a very supported, directed class where you learn more about open water swimming, proper stroke mechanics and participate in a mock ~300 meter open water race. You can read my experience with the Mary Meyer Tri Clinic and Mary Meyer Open Water Clinic here.)

The water was warm, and of the 8 or so people attending, 3 were wearing swimsuits (including D, who really needs a littler suit) and the rest wore wetsuits, so it was about even. The swim leader pointed downshore and said we were going to swim out that way until 7:35, then turn back. So we did. I swam like a pinball; my sighting is so bad I bumbed D several times as we were swimming abreast, and on the return trip I swam into another guy. Sighting is tough for me; I need to get in the pool and work on integrating sighting more fluidly into my stroke. As it is, I feel like I have to choose between a nice rhythmic stroke I can relax into and...um...knowing where I'm going. Bad choice to have to make.

But all in all I felt okay. Not real panicky, though I did switch to an every-two-stroke breathing cycle. I think that was another reason I kept pulling to the side. I got out of the water third or fourth...maybe a minute behind the first person, so a mid-pack finish but one I'm totally happy with at this point.

The soreness of my shoulders and lats after the workout tells me I was inefficient in my stroke and was trying to use my arms to muscle through the intimidation of the open water. Things to work on: sighting; complete body rotation in the water, even with a wetsuit on; follow-through of the stroke; sighting; keeping up a nice mellow two-beat kick even with the wetsuit on; rhythmic breathing incorporated into sighting. And, oh, did I mention sighting?