Brian - as I stood on the bulkhead of the Covington Aquatic Center ready to time your 500, I had no idea how far you had come with your swim. I figured the 1:18 you led off with was probably a fluke - you'd certainly pile 15 seconds on that pace by the 2nd 100. But that was a 1:20, then a 1:21, 1:21, and 1:23. That's a 6:43. l'd like to say that I was 100% excited for you. But because there is something in me that wants to be faster than anyone else (it's an unrealistic obsession but gives me joy) I remembered back to my own timed 500 a few days earlier.....6:45.Great - like every other man I've ever started ahead of, you are catching, and passing me. But then I remembered, it's not about the pool - we're all about the open water...
I'm counting on the fact that you will gain great confidence as a 'Pool Swimmer', and will neglect those things that will make you a kicka__ "Open Water Swimmer". These skills involve treachery, sleuthlike pre-race line-finding, constructing your own picture perfect warm-up, and uncovering YOUR best race strategy.
I suppose you'll never think to swim UNDER the turn buoys when you're caught in a pack? How about developing an obsession to leave an increasing number of swimmers in your wake until the very last stroke of the swim: (the ones that went out too hard and have settled into complacency as they found clear water).
And maybe, just maybe, you'll forget often enough between now and next June that you must tell yourself that you BELONG with the boys (or girls!) in the front. You may not think to remember that they are YOUR pack - not the pack you have to catch - that's the pack you belong in. And that would make it so.....if only you remembered to do that.
Maybe you'll start looking at your 500 pool time (as impressive as it is for someone that's only swam for what - 2 years?) and compare it to the 500 times of others you train with (a lot of very experienced swimmers) and assume you're going to exit the water behind them. Because when you think that, it will certainly come to pass. There are always factors that effect those great pool-swimmers as they move to the open water.....but you may not be aware of those, new to the sport as you are.... You won't have heard the 15-year old nickname "Wrong-way John Doe-emo".(name changed to avoid lawsuit) You might not be aware of a certain chiropractor's reputation of epic pool-swimming prowess and picture-perfect wall action that makes him a 1:10 (or less!) swimmer in the pool. But alas, no walls exist in the open water...
And sadly, you may start listening to the many many EXPERTS who have innocently spread the cancerous idea that triathletes who don't grow up swimming will never make it to the lead pack, but will have to rely instead on their biking and running to get back to the front. Ah....that is sad. Because there are triathletes among us that were not club-swimming gradeschoolers and a few of them are exiting the water in the FRONT.
As your team manager, I look forward with great anticipation to the day that you learn these lessons and have willed your way to the lead pack of swimmers, because shur as shootin' there are NOT a lot of folks out here that can catch you on the bike or the run. But as your fellow competitor in swimming (only), I will continue to fight with you for the fastest 500 time in our category: Adult-onset swimmer.
Maybe you'll start looking at your 500 pool time (as impressive as it is for someone that's only swam for what - 2 years?) and compare it to the 500 times of others you train with (a lot of very experienced swimmers) and assume you're going to exit the water behind them. Because when you think that, it will certainly come to pass. There are always factors that effect those great pool-swimmers as they move to the open water.....but you may not be aware of those, new to the sport as you are.... You won't have heard the 15-year old nickname "Wrong-way John Doe-emo".(name changed to avoid lawsuit) You might not be aware of a certain chiropractor's reputation of epic pool-swimming prowess and picture-perfect wall action that makes him a 1:10 (or less!) swimmer in the pool. But alas, no walls exist in the open water...
And sadly, you may start listening to the many many EXPERTS who have innocently spread the cancerous idea that triathletes who don't grow up swimming will never make it to the lead pack, but will have to rely instead on their biking and running to get back to the front. Ah....that is sad. Because there are triathletes among us that were not club-swimming gradeschoolers and a few of them are exiting the water in the FRONT.
As your team manager, I look forward with great anticipation to the day that you learn these lessons and have willed your way to the lead pack of swimmers, because shur as shootin' there are NOT a lot of folks out here that can catch you on the bike or the run. But as your fellow competitor in swimming (only), I will continue to fight with you for the fastest 500 time in our category: Adult-onset swimmer.
submitted by Patty Swedberg
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