Open Water Swim Clinic - Another day in paradise

I conduct Open Water Swim Clinic's for people that are afraid or have anxiety about open water swimming.  Most triathletes don't like the swim.  The swim is my favorite part, I would like it to be longer.  It's the smallest part of a triathlon :(

I swim in the ocean often.  As I may have mentioned I live in South Florida near the beach which is usually warm, clear and beautiful.  There are also a lot of other people in the area that like to swim so I never have to swim alone :)

I often find myself helping out people that are very anxious in the water so I decided to do clinics to help people conquer their fear of open water swimming.  There are techniques and tools you can use for this.  The open water swim can be the most fun part of the triathlon, plus there are numerous open water swim events throughout the year that can be lots of fun too.  I teach people how to turn it around from fearful to fun.

This morning I had two ladies that are signed up for their first triathlon in Key West.  Today was, for one lady, her first swim in the ocean and she had a wetsuit on (no anxiety there, right?)  Yikes!  She did amazing.

The water was beautiful, not too cold, actually perfect temp.  Fairly clear with some swells.  The ladies did amazing.  Each of them had breakthroughs about swimming in the open water and are looking forward to more!

I am so lucky to be able to share part of their journey, one of the many things I love about triathlons.

Life is amazing, it can take you where you never thought you would ever go.

I never in my life thought I could do a Half Ironman Triathlon let alone a full Ironman.  Sometimes circumstance and the stars just align and things come together to make it possible.  I never understood those crazy triathletes that put themselves thru incredible training and events.  Why?  I get it now.  It's so empowering, it shows you that you are capable of more than you ever thought.  It teaches you that you can endure thru tough conditions.  It toughens you mentally to get thru extreme conditions and adversity.  This all translates to real life, it's so much bigger than just competing in a triathlon.  It's the camaraderie of all your fellow triathletes and the support of family and friends along with those training with you.  I can only speak for myself but triathlons have changed my life, how I think.  Anything is possible.  And I have such admiration for everyone that does them, from the pros to the last person thru the gate.  I know what they've done to even get there, the sacrifices, the hours of hard work and the obstacles that get in the way.

No one ever has to do triathlons to learn these things, everyone has their own journey and it's different for everyone.  I find that fascinating.  I've started a few new projects and will be posting about them in the future.

1) Open Water Swim Clinics - I love swimming, I love swimming more in the ocean than the pool but love both.  I'm fortunate to live near a beach that is warm, clear  and usually calm most of the year.  But I've been surfing and swimming in extremely rough water with 6-10 foot waves.  Not much bothers me, I understand the risks and how to navigate rough water and big waves.  I also know when it's too much and not to go on.  I know that the swim in triathlons is usually a  problem for most triathletes.  It's my favorite part and too short for me.  So I'd like to help others overcome their fear/anxiety of open water swimming.  With a few tools open water swimming doesn't have to be terrifying.  Some of our swims in rough water has been lots of fun.

2)  I'm actually writing a book,  Survival Guide for Your Orthopedic Issues.  From being a Personal Trainer and a triathlete, from my own experience as well as all the people I work/train with, I've received a lot of knowledge about how to cope with orthopedic problems you may have.  How to manage it and get the best results you can.  It's a work in progress at the moment.

3)  I've just signed up for a full Ironman in Panama City, FL.  That's going to be one heck of a journey, will post the journey as I go.

And looking for a new job.........  as well as trying to keep up with my husband, never enough time in the day!