Public Service Announcement for Support Craft

Today our kayaker was given a citation by the Game Warden because she did not have a life vest in the kayak or on her person.  You are required by law to either wear or have in the vessel one life jacket for every passenger.  So if you are kayaking or boating in support of open water swimmers make sure you have a life jacket.

Nice swim with the IronTex group this morning.  The workout was 1500 meters but I managed to get in 2000 meters.  Water was great, not too hot.

Open Water Swims in DFW This Weekend

There are two open water swim opportunities this weekend in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Conveniently one is on the East side of the metroplex and one is in the middle.

IronTex is holding an OWS tomorrow at 7:00 AM at Lake View Park on Lake Grapevine in Grapevine. The swim is free and open to all comers, but if you are first timer you should check in with Coach Mike before starting.

New! NTX Open H2O Event and Training Calendar

NTX Open H2O now has a comprehensive event, training and clinic calendar for N. Texas and the surrounding states! The calendar includes all of the training opportunities and open water swim clinics I could identify in North Texas, plus races/events for Texas and the surrounding states. If you use Google Calendar you can add the NTX Open H2O calendar into your own calendar by clicking on the "+Google Calendar" icon in the lower right corner. If you know of any events not listed please let me know in the comments. Thanks!

Even More Local OWS Opportunities!

Thanks to some friends I discovered another local triathlon training program, IronTex.  IronTex offers open water swimming opportunities every Saturday at Lake View Park on Lake Grapevine in Grapevine.  The following information is from an email from Coach Mike Blankenship:

We meet every Saturday morning at 7 a.m. at Lake View Park at Lake Grapevine.  The swims are supported by certified lifeguards with swim buoys and certified triathlon coaches, both in kayaks and in the water. Distances vary from 500 to 4000 meters. The group is predominately comprised of IronTex-coached triathletes of varying swim ability and experience. Group runs follow the group swim. Cost is free for team members and currently still free for non-members, but that may change soon as our group is growing quickly. First time participants are required to register with Mike Blankenship. Updates and changes to the schedule are posted on our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/IronTexTriathlon

So again another great local opportunity to train for open water swims.  There are so many options now that I'm going to create a calendar to track them all.  Watch for the calendar coming soon!

Swim Across America - Dallas - Results and Pictures

The inaugural Swim Across America Dallas event was a huge success!  Participants raised over $357,000 for the Innovative Clinical Trials Center at the Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas.  Race results are available here, and pictures from the event are available here.  It was a great event, very well-run and well-organized, and the swimming venue was great.  Think about SAA for your 2012 race calendar.

More Open Water Swimming Opportunities in DFW

I just discovered that another triathlon training program, Triple Threat Tough, offers an open water swim almost every Saturday out at Windsurf Bay, Lake Ray Hubbard, Garland.  From the TTT website:

Secure swimming area. Kayak and flotation devices present for safety. Coaches in kayak as well as in the water. Beginner swimmers must check in with lead coach. Distances are 300 meters plus. Possibility to work on beach and in-water starts.
Followed by bike ride or run.

TTT also offers an open water swim at Pier 121 Marina on Lake Lewisville in Lewisville one Sunday each month.  Check out their team calendar for details.

There are lots of OWS opportunities out there!  There's no excuse now. ;)

Open Water Swim This Sunday!

Don't forget the open water swim training opportunity this Sunday,  July 10 at 7:00 AM with Tri-Now Endurance.  Members swim free, non-members pay a $10 drop-in fee.  Well-supported swim with kayaks and buoys in the water for over an hour.  Swim as little or as much as you like.  The swim is located at Cottonwood Creek Marina on Lake Lewisville in Little Elm.  Hope to see you there!