2009 Ocean Speed Circuit info and FAQ's

2009 Wednesday Morning Ocean Speed Circuit

presented by Triathletix

AN OFFICIAL TRAINING SWIM OF PLAYA del RUN!!!

You don't need to be speedy to be a part of the best weekly ocean swim in the greater Ocean Park area. You just have to want to be a better ocean swimmer. We have athletes ranging from total beginners to Kona-bound professionals and everything in-between. We average about 100 to 120 swimmers per week at our peak. So you do NOT need to email me asking if you can come. Just show up. Seriously.

Here's what you need to know.

Who – Anyone who is comfortable in the ocean environment and capable of swimming about 500 yards non-stop. You do NOT need to be fast. Because these are loops, you won’t get left behind…you’re just wayyyyyy ahead of the people catching you ;^)

o If you do NOT meet those criteria, please keep your eyes peeled for Tim Bomba's equally ballyhooed Ocean 101 series starting in early-May

When – Every Wednesday at 6:30A starting April 21st and ending in late-September. BE PROMPT. We start at 6:30A so be there early to plug the meter, put on your wetsuit and chat with friends. There WILL be a line at the meter so do not show up at 6:28A and expect to be with us at the start.

· Where – Ocean Park, Santa Monica, where Ocean Park Blvd. meets Barnard Way. Here’s a map link that shows where we park, walk out to the water’s edge and then swim our circuits: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1773243

o Directly adjacent to the parking area towards the beach are two concrete restroom structures. Between then is a wooden boardwalk that leads out to the sand. Directly out from that boardwalk is Lifeguard Tower 26. That’s where we start. Or just look for 100 people in wetsuits.

What the hell are we doing, anyway? – The Ocean Speed Circuit, now in its fifth year of providing the joys of swimming in the “cleanish” water of Santa Monica Bay. It is a circuit swim. Rather than run way down the beach and swim back, we do loops around a buoy.

o We put two cones in the sand. We start at one cone, swim out to a buoy roughly 250 yards from shore, round the buoy, and then swim in to shore. Run up the beach to the second cone, and head back to the starting cone. That completes the triangle. Participants do between one and five loops depending on their speed and desired length of workout. What does it look like? Here’s a few ways to see –

o On a map: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1773243

o On Google Earth (thank you Paul Impellezzeri who swam with a GPS transponder in his cap. Nice!) http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=6ftx1s&s=3

o From a traffic helicopter: http://youtube.com/watch?v=YA6cbXsXGSk

Additional FAQ type of stuff:

How long is this workout? – Most people wrap it up in about 45 minutes. If you only have 30 minutes, you can still come. Here's a helpful hint: Get out in 30 minutes. If you only have 20 minutes, get out in 20 minutes. You get the idea.

Bonus runs - Many people also run afterwards. Two main options:

o 4-mile run afterwards, 2 miles out-n-back to the end of the Venice Pier http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1860981

o 5-mile run, 2.5 out-n-back to Ocean & San Vicente http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1860985

Why do this swim?- Because your swimming could use some work. Seriously. I’m not even kidding. I was watching you.

Flotsam

Water temp - ranges from below 60 in mid-April to low-70's in mid-summer. Check www.watchthewater.org for current conditions.

Surf - ranges from flat as a lake to big & beefy. Check www.wetsand.com for surf reports.

Parking - You have a few parking options. Parking is $2/hour at the parking lot starting at 7:00 AM when it opens. Or you can park for free at the meters on