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Pool vs open water swim

Julie huppJulie hupp
in General Training Discussions

I have a lake in my neighborhood that I can swim in very easily.  The pool is about 10 minutes away.  Does it really matter where we get the swim in?  I know I probably work harder in the pool because I have the set workouts but the lake is so much more enjoyable.

I was thinking 1 day a week in the pool and 2 in the lake.  

Thoughts?

 

 

 

Comments

  • Gordon CherwoniakGordon Cherwoniak

    Julie,

    If going to the lake gets you in the water more then hit it 2X week.  If you are a weak swimmer and need more drill work or breaks to keep your form then maybe the pool would be a better option as you don't really want to be swimming with poor form. Maybe alternate 2x lake one week and 2X pool the following to get a little more balance. 

    I don't have a water proof GPS watch but I'm sure you could get in some semblance of distance based on number of strokes you do in the pool.  In the end don't make it too complicated or you might not like going to the lake swimming out and back to shore for your sets. 

  • Julie huppJulie hupp
    Yes. The triangle swim I do is exactly .5 miles and I can rest for a minute by the raft.

    FYI - I always swim with a safety device. Not sure others do but I have found it very comforting to know I am ok if I cramp.

  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

    Depends on your goals and needs, I'd think. If you're slower than, say 30-32 minutes in an olympic swim or 40-42 minutes in an HIM, then you could probably benefit from the intervals and drills which I believe are better done in a pool.

    For me, the distance to each is about equal. The downside of OWS is all the extra admin time dealing with a wetsuit (our water never gets above the low 70s)

    Personally, I swim 1x/week in the lake and 2x/ week in the pool, but that;s mainly cause I can;t get my wife to go twice a week to the lake - we go every Sunday AM May-Sept.

  • Chris CiannellaChris Ciannella
    Julie - since there is no line on the bottom of a lake, it is beneficial to swim in open water. You'd be suprised how many of us find it difficult to swim in a straight line. Having that practice and knowing which side you favor is great info to have.

    Also, I get you have a safety device, but you shouldn't swim alone - just my 2-cents. Also, its a good idea to wear a highly visible swim cap.

    Have fun!
    Chris
  • moetai@gmail.commoetai@gmail.com
    I would swim 2Xin the pool for drills and hard sets and 1xin the lake to practice sitings and longer intervals (+in water mass start and drafting if u swim with a group, racing each other for a given distance or time)...but that's just me
  • William JenksWilliam Jenks
    This is just me... but my feeling is that you swim in open water enough to develop the specific skills needed there. That's sighting, swimming straight, not getting freaked out, and (hopefully) swimming with some people and getting bumped a bit. (And if it gets you there more often, sure, why not.)

    But I'm confident you're right that you do a better quality swim workout in the pool....and it's much easier to be objective about how much and how fast you're going.
  • Julie huppJulie hupp

    Thanks everyone.  All good perspectives.  I think I will stick with 1 time per week in lake and 2 in pool.

    The most annoying thing in the lake is the garmin is erratic and my pace per mile is super slow.  Totally should not bother me but it does. 

  • thekidduxcthekidduxc
    Good call Julie. Put the priority on what makes the most sense for you and the least cost to your bandwidth.

    I spent a lot of time in the open water this season and it paid dividens. Helped me with a lot of the issues WJ mentioned.
  • John WithrowJohn Withrow

    I do 100% of my swims in my lake (but my admin time is zero since it's in my back yard and I don't wear a wetsuit unless it's below 60 degrees.   I do wear a SafeSwimmer buoy when I swim (and don't even notice it) as theoretically boats could be in my lake but its very rare at 5AM when I'm usually out there.  I also break all of the other safety rules in that the vast majority of my swims are alone and many of them now start in complete darkness.  I would guess that I would get a slightly better "pure swimming workout" in a pool, but I just like swimming in the lake and am certainly getting the other benefits mentioned above (learning to swim straight, sighting, no resting on walls...).

    SafeSwimmer:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...&psc=1

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