Open Water Swimming Success!

The end of the swim. That's me with my arms up high-fiving and hugging.

Today was a big day for me. I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and could not go back to bed. My stomach was turning because I knew in a few short hours I would be on my way to the beach and facing one of my fears. Swimming in the ocean.

I'm not going to lie I was scared so scared and nervous that I had to hug and kiss my kiddos about 10 thousand times before I felt I could leave, they thought I was crazy. When my husband told my son that I was going to swim in the ocean and not the pool this morning he looked at me and said "I hope a shark doesn't get you". So much for not thinking about things that live in the ocean.

I got in the car with my friend and we started to drive she kept telling me that it was all going to be okay and that I could do this. I just started crying. I cried for about five minutes and then felt much better. I was still nervous and scared but I think the cry helped release some stress. (Thanks K for putting up with my teary self.)

We got to the beach and it was beautiful and peaceful. There were already people in the water swimming, paddle boarding and kayaking. The waves were calm and the water was super calm. Which helped me feel much better.

We met up with the rest of our group and got our wetsuits on. Wetsuits are really tricky to get on. Luckily I wasn't the only first timer we had one other person today trying this for the first time. That helped me feel better too.

Going into the water was a little more scary than I thought it would be but lucky for me my friend Tiffany brought her husband out with us. He is a great swimmer and really good at instructing and keeping you calm. He helped us get out past the waves told us to get under them and got us to the first buoy without any major panic attacks.

This was right after a wave.
I tried to go under but hesitated and got hit a little harder than if I would have went under.

Once we got to this buoy I felt good. It was great to feel how buoyant the wetsuit was and that I definitely wasn't going to drown. Plus if I had to I could have probably floated back to shore. We swam all four buoys stopping for breaks in between. It's harder to swim in open water. 25 yards felt like 50. I'm sure I will feel better over time.

I think we look pretty cool coming out of the water!

I had a really hard time putting my face in the water. It was really cold so cold it would take my breath away and I would feel my chest start to constrict. I got better at putting my face in on our way back. Tiffany's husband stayed by my side and every time I came up for a breath I could hear him saying "Good job" "Good" and that helped me feel relaxed. I kept my eyes closed underwater. I tried one time to open them and felt nervous so I shut them quickly.

I ended up swimming all four buoys and back which is about 1/2 mile. My original goal was just to get to the 1st or 2nd buoy.

I am extremely proud of myself! YAY ME!! YAY to our other first timer!! She looked great. And a big thank you to the whole group for their encouragement and support! Thank you Kim for all the awesome pictures!

So if you haven't been swimming in the ocean because you are scared please just give it a try. It was a great experience and I can't wait to go again. If I can get out there so can you!!

Our group minus two, one in the water and one behind the camera. The boy on the end was amazing he did this swim without a wetsuit and I believe he did three or more laps, future Ironman for sure!

Open Water Swimming

Me. I will be swimming in the ocean tomorrow morning.

Source

I don't know if I've told you before but I have never really been a great swimmer. I have always wanted to be but I just have a lot of fears of the water that make it hard for me. Some of my fears are rational and some are not.

I have been swimming for over a year now. I can proudly say that I do not look or feel like a drowning cat anymore. The pool has become a close friend of mine. I love the feel of my body gliding through the water. I really enjoy pushing my distance and trying new swim drills. I have been working hard at learning flip turns because they are cool. And I especially love how I feel when I finish.

One of my goals has been to complete a triathlon. With triathlons comes open water swimming. I have talked myself out of this goal several times and then talked myself back into it. I am terrified of open water swimming. I don't think this is uncommon but I need to get at least comfortable with open water if I am going to sign up for Pacific Coast Triathlon.

I really want to sign up for this triathlon. I will have a good support/ training group since most of my friends will be competing in that race. I hear that it's a great first. I cannot logically sign up for this triathlon until I get into the ocean and see if I can swim without hyperventilating. Okay maybe I won't hyperventilate but maybe I will. Who knows?

I went to the beach yesterday and watched people joyously play in the water, swim out far from shore, paddle board, surf and what not. All of them seemed to be having a wonderful time and didn't seem worried or scared in the least bit.

So what am I scared of? I am just going to put it all out there, get it out of my head and then move forward and not think about it again.

• Sharks--I'm told that you are more likely to get hit by lightning before this happens. But I can't stop thinking that I'm invading their home. I can't out swim them!!
• Dolphins, otters, seals--Not cute. Okay, cute from afar but not near me when I'm in the water and especially not touching me in anyway.
• Really deep water-- The water is deep and I won't be able to touch if I panic. I know I can float on my back but I am wondering how I will feel about it all.
• What am I going to be looking at?--I hear it's just dark. I have heard that you just close your eyes and swim. I may just close my eyes.
• Being far from shore--What if I can't get back? This won't happen I know because I have friends that will be there with me and they will help me.
• Panic--What if I freak out and can't calm myself?

Now the good parts of getting out there in the open water:

• Conquering this fear of mine. Priceless.
• Checking open water swimming off my imaginary bucket list. 
• Doing something I never ever thought I would do.
• Proving to myself that I am strong enough to do this.
• Enjoying the ocean in a new way.
• Wetsuits are like a superhero suit I may feel like a superhero in it. 
• Signing up for this triathlon when I return from the swim.
• I have great friends and they will take care of me because they are awesome.

Ahh see I'm feeling better already just getting my fears out there. I refuse to let my fears hold me back. I am going to do this!!

If you would please say a little prayer for me in the morning because I will be out there in the surf. I will keep you updated on twitter/ fb before and after the swim.





Are you an open water swimmer? Is ocean swimming something you would ever do? Any tips?