The gliding style in very rough O/W

[swim2Bfree]

Originally Posted by naj

In fact today we had a northwest wind which created big swells and lots of choppy water. When I'm in those conditions I concentrate on staying low in the water, gliding and using my hip drive to get me along.

I know, it was great! I was in around 6:30, went to Ft Mason and back with a few folks. Flood was picking up, so it was a bit of a slog getting there. Can't imagine fighting that current with any glide in my stroke.

Originally Posted by naj

Swim2bfree, I'll see you on the beach!

Monday, Ocean Beach, hopefully!

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

Originally Posted by naj

Hey Coach Stu remember swim2bfree ain't the only South Ender on this site! I've been in the bay year round since I first learned TI and, for that matter, learned to swim back in '08.

I enjoy what the bay throws at me each morning at 5:30am. In fact today we had a northwest wind which created big swells and lots of choppy water. When I'm in those conditions I concentrate on staying low in the water, gliding and using my hip drive to get me along.

Not gonna lie I'm not too fast, but I have strong endurance (I can go 2hrs in 52F/11C). I conserve a lot of energy, stay warm through yoga breathing and focus on just a couple of things while I'm out there. Rough conditions are without a doubt in my mind the best to train in for open water. All the better if you can go West of The Golden Gate Bridge and take on conditions out there on "bad" days, then your really ready for rough water!

Oh and BTW Coach Suzanne, I love to pilot kayaks in rough water. TI principles work well when your paddling up he face of a four ft wave in the ocean :-)

Keep Swimming!
Naji

PS Coach Stuart drop me a line next time your in town and we'll go out together. Swim2bfree, I'll see you on the beach!

Naji! That is awesome you're a South Ender too. I will look you and Swim2BFree up next time I'm up there, let's do an AP swim! Nice work acclimating to 52 degs (burrr) and swimming for two hours in those conditions - rockin!

See you soon and Happy Swimming!

Stuart
MindBodyAndSWIM

[CoachSuzanne]

Originally Posted by naj

Oh and BTW Coach Suzanne, I love to pilot kayaks in rough water. TI principles work well when your paddling up he face of a four ft wave in the ocean :-)

Yeah, that part is a blast...it's the side & diagonal hits, and trying to "ferry" across a chop while accomanying swimmers (who might be gliding) in open water.

One of my favorite memories of all time is being in t he front seat of a 2 seater fiberglass sea kayak and launching into 3-4 foot swells on Lake Superior...let's just say I was several feet up then a few feet under until the rear of the boat cleared the breakers as well.

[POLIDORI]

I just have a question:
once you lose that virtue of being able to swim fast (or run fast, or ride fast), what do you have left?
I will tell you:
no technique, pain, a sensation that you are completely unable to do what you used to.

In the other hand, I am bored of seeing triathlon participants (beginners and also people who already have a few Ts under their belts) who are unable to swim without anxiety, in a relaxed way, as they think the only way is to move arms and legs as fast as they can.

[POLIDORI]

By the way, yesterday I swam in one of the roughest sea conditions I had ever experienced.
My brother, who is a triathlon particpant (IM finisher in not a bad time) and no-fear swimmer like me since we were kids, decided not to enter the water and went for a cycling ride. He called me mad.

I swam only for 30 minutes, as the conditions were getting worse and it was plenty of jellyfish, while I could not see anything 30 cms from my eyes.

But I applyed my TI technique (as far as I believe I am doing it correctly, since I just read the book and read the blog and watch videos), and it is wondering how one can cross the water and manage to swim more or less at his/her normal speed while all around you have a mess of brown and sandy water, wind, algae, jellyfish...