As a new open water swimming season gets under way, I ask you, why do we do this? What do we hope to achieve? Some people swim for the glory of a record, be it speed, or distance or even a world first, some to challenge themselves and test their mettle, some for the camaraderie of working as a team as everyone pulls together to achieve the perceived impossible. There are probably as many reasons to swim open water, as there are swimmers.
I swim for the challenge. I loved selecting goals that others believe impossible, and attacking that challenge one stroke at a time until the goal is achieved. We never do it alone, because there are always 20-30 crew- members on a swim to help us achieve our goal, but it is a lonely undertaking.
The purest form of the sport is you and the water (taking each challenge on, one at a time and not giving in). Temperature, waves, illness, body failure, physical exhaustion, wildlife, flotsam, equipment failure, crew challenges, navigational errors and mental anguish all play into it.
I think one of the things that I love about the sport is tackling these challenges one at a time (or in a wave if that’s how they arrive) and overcoming them. The swims I am most proud of are the ones where I overcame the most challenges.
When I speak publicly about my adventures, I talk about the most agonizing challenges that I faced. I explore how they affected me mentally and emotionally, how they impacted my crew, and how they made me a stronger person (or how they broke me down so I had to face the challenge again and again until I finally was able to break through the barrier and win).
I believe that I am who I am, more because of the challenges that I overcame, than for the distant shores where I arrived. Being a marathon swimmer isn’t about being the first to reach a new shore or to reach it fastest youngest or more times, it’s all in the journey that we each take.
We all look for ways to make our journey more palatable. We check the weather; we chose a season that is more favourable, we learn from those who went before. I wonder if we are taking it to far however when it comes to our use of pacers.
When I began my marathon swimming, It was explained to me that pacers were used for short bursts to reengage a swimmer, boost their speed, or help them refocus. Now we seem to be using pacers continually from the first moment it is permitted until the swim is completed. We are even using them to maintain a speed to set speed records. This would never be allowed in competitive swimming, where speed records must be achieved in races with other swimmers who are trying to do the same thing (not by having swimmer after swimmer dive into the adjoining lane fresh and ready to go).
One of the most excruciating times of my marathon swimming career was the seclusion, but it was also one of the most rewarding. I did use a pacer a number of times to help me refocus (usually around the 36 hour mark for a little emotional contact). The most memorable time was during my 80 kilometer butterfly swim. I had been in Lake Ontario for around 60 hours and I was hallucinating and confused. My thoughts had fragmented and I couldn’t figure out if I was participating in a training swim or the actual event. Logic told me that it was the actual event, but my confused mind wasn’t convinced. I asked my husband John to come in and swim with me for a bit, so I could ask him the question (in part because I was embarrassed to ask it out loud and in part not to overly concern the crew). I got my answer, John got out and I continued forward.
My request is that we consider how and when we use pacers. I don’t believe that we should use pacers as soon as possible and as long as possible. An open water swim should not be comfortable. I’m not saying don’t use a pacer. I’m saying when you use a pacer for an extended period of time; you are cheating yourself out of valuable life lessons and opportunities to grow.
I encourage you instead to accept the challenges and keep pushing through. Every time you think you can’t go on, or cant go on alone, wait an hour. Push through the emotions. When you come out the other side (and you will) you will have learned some valuable things about yourself, your mental toughness and your fortitude.
As you move forward in life you will take this new knowledge and new skills. As you face challenges in other parts of your life you will have the confidence and knowledge to push through and as a parent, partner, coach, or friend you will be able to share your life lessons with others and help them overcome as well.
I am not a swim coach, I am a coach who teaches life skills through the sport of swimming. My job isn’t to make it easier for my athletes, it’s to teach them the skills that they need to take into the rest of their lives. As a parent or coach of a young person attempting an open water swim, the goal shouldn’t be to make it as easy as possible for them, but to teach them how to face challenges head on and overcome them. As a more mature open water swimmer I encourage you to take heed to these words as well. The goal shouldn’t be to cross a body of water at all cost, but to push through and keep fighting as you develop personal skills as you work to achieve your goal.
Both ways, a strong-minded person will succeed.
Vicki Keith - Beside The Boat 