Mastering the Open Water For Fitness and Personal Bests

By Kristen Jurcsak

In 2017, I made a lifelong commitment to my health and fitness. I remembered how good being physically and mentally strong felt, that peaceful, centering, mind-body balance. With the daunting task of establishing a wellness routine from scratch once again, and certainly needing to lose a significant amount of weight, I headed to Masters swim practice at the Family YMCA of the Glens Falls Area. As a then “former” swimmer and triathlete, I knew the pool was where I needed to start.

Being back in the pool was very challenging at first. However, I knew if I kept at it, swimming was the perfect exercise for my fitness reset. Swimming is extremely appropriate for people with injuries, arthritis, and other conditions that make high-impact sports difficult. Running or high-intensity cardio workouts can exacerbate already aching joints. For me in particular, going for some pool laps instead opened the door to a world of good things to come because I could keep exercising consistently without the fear of serious injury. As water naturally supports the body, it can reduce moving body weight by up to 90%, also reducing the impact on joints, muscles, and bones by the same 90%. A swimmer can keep their heart rate up without stressing their body in a negative manner. This type of exercise is known as steady-state training and helps to build stamina – and it did exactly that for me. 

Swimming works the whole body and engages all muscle groups including the core and increases lean muscle mass, which in turn boosts resting metabolic rate. Swimmers who work hard in the pool can expect to see more definition in their arms, upper body, and thighs because swimming provides consistent resistance through the water. In a way, it’s similar to lighter weight, high-repetition strength training. Exercising in water makes your body work harder, so 30 minutes in a pool is worth 45 minutes of the same activity on land. Swimming is also an extremely efficient way to burn calories, and those big quad muscles burn a lot of calories! Mentally, swimming helped lower my stress levels, reduced anxiety and depression associated with being inactive, and improved my sleep quality. Feeling both physically and mentally better almost immediately encouraged me to well… keep swimming.

What exactly is “Masters” swimming? I definitely didn’t feel like a master of much of anything when I returned to the pool in 2017. Masters swimming simply means an organized program of swimming for adults – all are welcome, no experience needed. United States Masters Swimming was founded in 1970: usms.org. The program began when the first National Masters Swimming Championships were held with the idea that an organized swim meet for adults would give older swimmers (ex-competitors and beginners) a goal for keeping physically fit. Shortly thereafter, USMS was founded. Over the last 53 years, the message of encouraging adults to improve fitness through swimming has grown into a nationwide organization that currently includes more than 65,000 adult swimmers. Members participate in a variety of ways ranging from lap swimming to international competition. 

USMS provides organized workouts, competitions, clinics, and workshops for adults aged 18 and over. Programs are open to all adult swimmers (fitness, triathlete, competitive, and non-competitive) who are dedicated to improving their fitness through swimming. USMS and its 52 Local Masters Swimming Committees provide direct support to more than 1,500 clubs and workout groups. The majority of locations offering programs have coaches on deck that write workouts, provide feedback, and instruction. 

As an example, I worked with coach Dennie Wilson at the Glens Falls YMCA. Dennie started the Masters program in 2006 to foster a love of swimming in her children. The program quickly grew to 25 regular swimmers. She then moved on to become the head coach of the Gators swim team at the Y. Not surprisingly, her three children all swim. When she returned to competitive swimming after being out of the pool for 10 years, Dennie was a top finisher in many local races. She is a five-time All-American, champion in the two-mile cable open water distance, and set an Adirondack Masters record in the 50 and 1,650 freestyle. She has earned national top 10 times in the 1,650 and 1,000 freestyle, 50 backstroke, and 200 backstroke distances (yards and meters). In 2016, her relay team broke the record for swimming the length of Lake George in 13 hours, seven minutes.

Dennie’s current Masters program at the Glens Falls YMCA attracts many swimmers including beginners, fitness swimmers, accomplished triathletes, and experienced former collegiate athletes. She always has workouts planned for every level such that all of her swimmers consistently improve. Her most unique experiences coaching Masters is taking people who are nervous in the open water and helping them acclimate to the conditions. Dennie explained, “Helping them realize that they can do it is what I live for. I have taken swimmers that are good in the pool but slightly frightened of the open water. Fear can be overcome. When they return to the pool, they tell me of their open water adventures all the time.” Dennie summed it up perfectly, “I have watched swimmers improve not only their stroke but their confidence to break barriers and overcome hard things. The most rewarding part of coaching is sharing something that I love – I got that from my coaches!”

After being in the pool for many months, it’s finally time to move outside to race and train. And there are so many opportunities to do both in our beautiful region. Many of the local triathlon clubs offer open water swimming training opportunities so be sure to check out their websites for dates and times, registration requirements, and safety protocols. This includes the Capital District Triathlon Club at Crystal Lake in Averill Park, Saratoga Triathlon Club at Moreau Lake State Park, Bethlehem Triathlon Club at Lawson Lake in Albany County, and Adirondack Multi-Sport Club in Lake George.

As always, safety first in open water. Follow all rules if swimming with an organized group and never ever swim alone. Be on the lookout for some other open water training opportunities this season so stay tuned to local events. If you are interested in participating in or watching an open water swimming event in the Northeast, here are a few to consider:

Betsy Owens-Terry Laughlin Memorial Cable Swims on Saturday, Aug. 12 – This one- and two-mile cable swim event is excellent for first-time open water swimmers and swimmers who prefer usually calm water with no boat traffic and plenty of safety spotters in kayaks. The swim takes place in pristine Mirror Like in the village of Lake Placid. The course is a quarter-mile-long underwater cable marked with buoys. The one-mile swim is two laps around the cable, while the two-mile swim is four laps around the cable. I have personally completed the two-mile cable swim on numerous occasions over the years and absolutely love this event! Visit: runsignup.com.

Lake George Open Water Swim on Saturday, Aug. 19 – This 2.5K, 5K and 10K endurance swim event begins in the town of Hague and gives swimmers the opportunity to swim in beautiful Lake George. The course is marked by buoys. The 2.5K is one loop of the course, 5K is two loops, and 10K is four loops. Go to: lakegeorgeswim.com.

Lake George Virtual 32-Mile Marathon Swim from June 25 to Aug. 19 – This virtual event supports the Lake George Association and efforts to protect the lake’s water now and for the future. This is a way to connect swimmers who love Lake George, or who love swimming in upstate NY, or who just love swimming. You can earn virtual badges and stickers, fundraise for local causes, and collect some nice swag. Complete this swim in any lake, pool, ocean, river, pond, or other body of water and log your progress. Visit: lakegeorgeswim.com. 

Kingdom Swim on Saturday, July 29 – This “No lanes, no lines, no limits – a celebration of open water swimming” event starts from Prouty Beach on Lake Memphremagog in Newport, Vt. and features 25K Border Buster, 10M, 10K, 5K, and 1M distance options. Yes, you read that right – those are some seriously long distances! Go to: kingdomgames.co.

Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla on Sept. 9 – The Swim for Life’s essence embodies Provincetown, Mass. as a place of healing and compassion for health, well-being and Planet Earth. The 36th annual event is a 1.2M charity swim, not a race, along the shallow shoreline. According to Saratoga Springs resident, Sue Johnson, “Everyone is very friendly; it’s the most fun you can have in salt water!” More at: swim4life.org.

Kristen Jurcsak (kmjurcsak@alum.rpi.edu) lives a balanced, healthy lifestyle in Queensbury. As a true “Up North Girl,” she enjoys getting outdoors and experiencing all our beautiful region has to offer. Downhill skiing, hiking, and fly fishing are a few of her favorites. Her weekly fitness routine includes strength training with kettlebells, swimming with Glens Falls Masters, and yoga.