Fear of Breaking Waves

I've been swimming since I was little. But as a little one, my ocean swimming was off the coast of North Carolina, where I grew up.  I remember many a summer at the beach, playing in the water, and getting swept off my feet by breaking waves. The feel of tumbling in the ocean, unsure which way was up or down, with salt and sand in my eyes and nose taught me to fear the breakers.  That fear has stayed with me as an adult.

Luckily, where I swim now is usually protected and fairly calm.  Usually. Until it isn't. Like the day I'm writing about today, where there was a strong north wind. And a high tide.  And that led to three foot waves at Alki.  And Breakers. It was a day like this:

But this story isn't really about breakers. It is about friendship.  There is a guy I swim with named Jerome who is the "dad" of the swim club. The unofficial greeter, babysitter, lifeguard, bouncer, security agent, and cheerleader, among other things. He is an accomplished swimmer in his own right, having done an ice mile and the swim from Bremerton to Alki (a 10 miler). 

Jerome knows I'm afraid of breakers. And on the day in question, he said he'd get into the water with me, talk me through it, and help me get to the other side of the breakers, where I could play in the waves, or swim.

So I waded into the water. And immediately felt the force of the waves and the cold spray on my chest. I backed off, out of the water.  Jerome called to me. "Come on in, Rebecca, you can do it". And I inched deeper back into the water. I felt like I would drown. I felt like I would cry. I felt panic set in. I backed off again. And started in on the self talk, bargaining if I made it past the breakers for 30 seconds, I could consider it a "swim" for the day.  "Reebs," I said, "you can do this. Just do it." It didn't totally work. I turned toward Jerome for help.

Jerome is a large man. Both tall and broad shouldered. So he stood in the waves, literally letting them break over him before they hit me, and slowly walked me into the ocean. On the third try I was able to do it. I still felt the force of the ocean. I still had the cold spray hitting my chest and face. I still had the fear. But I also had the friendship, and someone rooting for me.

Triumphantly, I made it past the line of breakers and into the churning ocean. I swam for 30 seconds.

A true friend will try to hold the ocean back for you.

Training Goals

I grew up with San Francisco being my home away from home. My grandparents, aunts, and uncles all lived in the greater Bay Area, and I was out there visiting annually, at least. 

My Grandmother had a flat on Vallejo with an amazing view of the bay. It was there that I learned that Alcatraz was the one on the right and Angel Island was the one on the left.  I used to walk through the tourist areas in Fisherman's Warf and Pier 39 and admire the Alcatraz Swim Club t-shirts, understanding the joke that swimming from Alcatraz was impossible.

This September I will turn 50.  So I will attempt the "impossible". On September 5th, if all goes well with training and this pandemic we are living in, I will swim from Alcatraz to the San Francisco Aquatic Park.

The distance is 1.22 miles. Of course it is impossible to swim it that straight. But if one could, it is shorter than the Park to Park that I've done often.  The current could also be impressive that day, making it harder than anything I've done, including Swim Defiance. 

So the plan is to revamp the blog, and follow my summer of training for Alcatraz!!!

#2 Challenge

 One of my  most frequented posts on this blog is about peeing in the pool.  This isn't that.

About 6 months ago, a friend issued a #2 challenge. The first to complete the challenge during a regular weekend swim at Alki would win $5 from the other participants.  The challenge was won, about three weeks later. Not by me.

But this week I completed the challenge.  And I have a few tips.  It is easier in a "seated" position, not a swimming position. Pull your bathing suit WAY to the side. And make sure you are away from others.

Not a challenge to take every week. But I'm proud to say I'm #2.

Swimming through the Lockdown

I've been working from home for nine weeks now, and my state has been on a "Stay at Home" order for almost as long. Pools are closed. And I'm antsy. To add to the difficulty, the main bridge between my house and Alki beach, where I swim in the Sound, is closed for repairs, indefinitely.  So I head to my little local lake- Green Lake.

This little, 5k circumference, lake, is about 60* now. I swim from the Rec Center to the Bathhouse and back, an approximately one mile route. At 60* I swim skin and have a few observations from my swims.

Sixty is cold enough to get chilled, but not cold enough to go numb. So I continue to feel cold through the whole swim. However, I re-warm after far faster than I do in the sub 50* Puget Sound.

There is a lot less interesting to watch in the fresh water lake than there is in the salt water Sound. No seals or sea lions. No crabs or starfish. I did see a turtle. And often see large fish.

And the most important thing I've noticed, swimming in Green Lake.... It makes me happy. It may not be Alki surrounded by friends, but a good hard swim makes the day better regardless.

Open Water Swim FAQ

I wrote this FAQ for my Open Water Swim Facebook group.

Welcome to the Western Washington Open Water Swim Facebook Group.  The FAQ below is to help you get started in Open Water Swimming. Feel free to read it and then ask questions that aren’t answered here.  We are a social group with a swimming problem and always happy to meet new swimmers or potential swimmers.

Where do I swim?

Almost any body of water can be a swimmable body of water.  Some of the more popular places to swim around Seattle include:

Alki beach- start at the bathhouse and swim to the lighthouse and back

Golden Gardens- beware of strong current around the point to the north

Greenlake- Start at the bathhouse and swim to the rec center and back, or vice versa

Lake Smammish

Lake Washington- Madison beach is popular, swimming south, away from the 520 bridge. People also like to swim around the Seward Park peninsula. Much, if not all of Lake Washington is swimmable

Martha Lake

Wherever you swim, start out swimming parallel to shore and don’t go too far from your exit point. You can always do “laps” if you want to swim longer.

What do I wear?

At a minimum a bathing suit, cap and goggles are necessary.  Brands and styles of all of these are a matter of personal preference. Buy what you can afford, and don’t sweat fashion too much. Once you are in the water, no one really sees what you are wearing. The exception to that is the cap. A BRIGHT colored cap makes you more visible to boaters and other swimmers, and adds a degree of safety to your excursion.

Additional gear you might like:

Wetsuit- buy a suit designed for triathletes so you have the most mobility possible while swimming. These are usually thicker (3-5mm) on your torso and thinner (1-3 mm) on your arms. Some people think a wetsuit is essential for the temperatures in our waters here, others find them too restrictive to swim in.  It really is a matter of personal preference and no one can decide for you if a wetsuit is needed or not. Long or short on the sleeves and legs is also personal preference. Buy what you can afford and what makes you feel safe and comfortable. Blue Seventy is a local to Seattle company. Xtera also makes triathlon wetsuits.  One swimmer said this about wetsuits: “For me wearing a wet suit makes me feel warmer and I swim faster. Going skin makes me feel tough, strong and determined. Both choices are good things.”

Neoprene booties and/or gloves- like the wetsuit this is a matter of personal preference. They are pretty easy to find at the local dive shops, and often are made by major wetsuit manufacturers. Blue Seventy for example.  They will keep your feet and hands marginally warmer.  Booties also will protect your feet from all but the sharpest of debris on the ocean or lake floor.

Neoprene cap- some like to wear a neoprene cap to keep their head warmer. These also are available in dive shops, and often have a strap that goes under your chin. Most neoprene caps come in black, so folks still wear a brightly colored latex or silicone swim cap over them for visibility.

Earplugs- for some reason earplugs can help with both warmth and potential motion sickness for swimmers, and are therefore highly recommended. They also may help prevent some types of swim related ear infections. You can buy waxy ones at local drug stores (Bartells, Wallgreens) or you can buy swim specific earplugs from swim stores.  The goal is to keep water out of your ears. They do reduce what you can hear while they are in.

Swim Buoy- This is a brightly colored inflatable buoy that you wear tethered to a strap around your waist. The goal of the buoy is to increase your visibility in the water, so boaters, other swimmers, and/or your friends on shore can spot you more easily. Some buoys come with a dry bag feature, so you can take valuables (car keys, phone, etc) with you and not leave them on the beach. These buoys are inflatable, so are not life saving devices, but can be used to support a swimmer who needs to adjust equipment or take a brief rest.

Anti-chaffing cream- Body Glide, Vaseline, zinc oxide or similar may be useful for you if you are going for longer swims and/or swimming in salt water. Put it any place your skin might rub with other skin or with your gear. Wetsuit swimmers often have issues with their necks. Skin swimmers with their armpits.

How do I handle the cold?

The best tip for handling the cold is to take your time to get used to the cold.  That means starting with a shorter swim than you might think—10-15 min without a wetsuit, 15-20 with—and working your way up. You may easily swim an hour in the pool, but the outdoor waters in the Pacific Northwest are much colder than your typical pool, most of the year. Your body will, over time, acclimatize to colder waters, and you will be able to swim for longer and longer.  Start slow.

The second tip for the cold is to get out of your wet gear as quickly as you can after you get out of the water.  Don’t plan to drive home in your bathing suit. If there aren’t changing facilities around, wrap a towel around you and do a “deck change”. Staying in the cold wet suit (especially women’s one piece suits) will continue to chill you.

Everyone has their own routine for re-warming after a swim. Many enjoy hot beverages, hot showers or baths, small microwaveable or chemical heat packs (like you would use for an injury) placed on their core, or exercises for the large muscle groups (squats, burpees, etc).

How do I stay safe?

There are no promises of safety in Open Water Swimming.  These are things you can do to reduce your risk:

Swim with a friend, or have a friend spot you from shore.

Swim parallel to shore.

Wear a bright colored cap and/or tow a buoy to stay visible.

Let wildlife have the right of way- we are visiting their home turf, don’t pursue or touch animals.

Be ready to re-warm when you get out of the water.

Use your best judgement, when in doubt, get out (of the water). If you think you are too cold, the animal is too close, the waves are too strong, or whatever, turn back and get out. Better to live to swim another day.

Labor Day Swim 2019- Fort Worden State Park

Every year my friend group and I get away for Labor Day. I've always tried to build a swim into this adventure.  This year was no different.

After last year's experience, leading a strong friend into harsh waters, I was very cautious with where we were going to swim this year.  I scoped out a lake, that ended up having toxic algae, so it was a no go. Then I found a city park, but the beach didn't slope down enough to swim.  In the end I found my way to the Fort Worden State Park.

The beach was ideal for swimming. The drop off is fairly steep, so you can be near shore and in plenty of water to swim. The swim area is mildly protected by the curve of the shoreline out to the light house point. And the temperature, though mildly colder than Alki, was warm enough. The red area on the map below is where I swam. You can see the protection the point gives.

Two of my friends took out an inflatable dingy, in the same water, and tooled around for a while while I swam.  The 10 year old "dunked" but found it too cold to swim.  As you can see, I was all smiles before the swim.

I was able to go for about 40 min. The currents were fascinating, pushing me towards the dock when I was near the dock and towards the lighthouse when I was near the lighthouse. It ended up feeling like I was always fighting the current.

After, I spent time on the beach shooting the breeze with my friends, a great way to cap off a swim!

GPS data from swim

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I got a new to me GPS system to track swims.  I'll do a full review of it in the future, when I've used it a bit more, but here's the data from this week's swim and a little about why it is interesting. (really, when is data not interesting?)

First, the GPS provides a map of the swim, with a heat map for pace.

The swim was a simple out-and-back to the third staircase. I was just shy of 800m with 16 "laps" of 50m each (the last one was 47m).

I like seeing how straight my swim was, and where I turned around (a bit past the third stairs). I would like to be able to zoom in a bit more. Which the ap doesn't seem to have the ability to do.

Now the more interesting stats:

That's my pace (in yellow) and my stroke rate (in pink).  Even if you can't read the numbers, you can draw a few conclusions about my swim.  The biggest one is current.  Knowing I turned around half way through (out and back swim) you can see what the current did to my pace. Sloooooowed it down!!  And, to compensate, about 100 m later, I picked up my stroke rate.  I must have realized I was going slower, or just wanted to finish.

I find the very high stroke rate for the first 100 m also very interesting.  That must be a response to the cold and wanting to just MOVE to warm up.  I don't think I realized it was that dramatic. I will want to see if that data is repeated in future swims.

I was having such a good time out there, that my 32 min earned me the "last swimmer" out there award this week.  Here's a shot a friend got before I got out.