The clouds are forming, the wind is picking up, the water looks foreboding. You are excited to swim, but there is a slight apprehension that the open water swim will be more difficult than you anticipated.

You are standing on the shoreline and looking out over the course. You are not quite sure exactly where to go, and you are just hoping that the other swimmers in front of you do know where to swim. You can feel your heart beating and are wondering why so many swimmers around you are smiling and looking carefree. People to your left, people to your right.

Swimmers in front and swimmers behind. The web of swimmers around you are like a protective cocoon.

Standing onshore…where a deeply embedded feeling of anticipation and anxiety can overwhelm you, but the calm ambiance of the others around you helps calm you.

Above is a photo of the field just standing onshore at the Swim the Island event, a race organized by Matteo Testa around the Marine Protected Area of Bergeggi in 3 different distances: 1700m, 3500m and 5000m.

Photo courtesy of Vittorio Zanoni.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming