In the book El mar ya casi termina – basada en la vida de Antonio Argüelles (The sea is almost over in English), Oceans Seven swimmer Antonio Argüelles (66, Mexico, MSF bio here, @arguelles7mares) was inspired by Mexican Olympic swimming champion Felipe Muñoz at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games when he won the 200-meter breaststroke. As a result of watching the only Mexican ever win a gold medal in Olympic swimming, swimming became Argüelles’ passion.
In his subsequent books (A cada brazada: el azul interminable or Each Stroke: Endless Blue in English that he wrote with Nora Toledano, 55, Mexico, MSF bio here, @noratoledanoswim) and Travesía Interminable (The Forever Swim in English that he wrote with Adam Skolnick @adamskolnick), Argüelles describes other challenges, obstacles, frustrations, and successes during this career.
Like his crossings of the English Channel, Argüelles’ routes to success are never in a straight line. The currents, tidal flows, and waves challenge him to have to stay in the water far longer and require much more effort that he originally thought. The jellyfish and cold present additional obstacles that are painful and difficult to overcome.
But Argüelles trains so he is prepared physiologically and psychologically for every challenge he encounters. He explains below what his typical ocean workout is in La Jolla Shores in San Diego below with this escort kayaker, Dan Simonelli (59, USA, MSF bio here).
Ocean Workouts in La Jolla
In his first 3-hour workout in the 19°C Pacific Ocean, he does the following:
- 30-minute warm-up (entrada en calor)
- followed by 15 minutes of variable pace work (cambios) where he rotates between 2 minutes of R3 pace, 1 minute of R4 pace, and 2 minutes of R2 pace
- followed immediately by 15 minutes of R3 pace
- followed by 20 minutes of focus on a pearl (concentración, perla), explained in his video below
- followed by 10 minutes of recovery (recupera)
- followed by 20 minutes of focus on his dragon (concentración, dragón) explained in his video below
- followed by 10 minutes of recovery
- followed by 30 minutes of variable pace work (cambios)
- followed by 30 minutes of recovery (recuperación)
His R3 pace is aerobic work that is sustained fast swimming, performed at a comfortably hard pace, designed to improve his aerobic capacity and lactate threshold. His R5 pace is high-intensity anaerobic work while his R1 and R2 pace is easy recovery swimming at a comfortable pace.
His Roots
But Argüelles did not start his life so simply. He was a young Mexican teenager who worked hard enough to graduate from Stanford University. He had to work extra hard as a non-native speaker of English to graduate. While his career successes in oceans around the world has been prolific, not every crossing has been victorious. Four years ago, after 23 hours and 15 minutes of swimming — only 4 kilometers from the English coast — his attempt at a two-way crossing of the English Channel due to pancreatitis.
His Road Back
2026 is a year of maintenance and building towards his dream swims in 2027 whether it is swimming in an unheated 50m outdoor pool throughout the winter, in a freshwater river of Las Estacas Parque Natural located 2 hours south of Mexico City, or flying to La Jolla in San Diego, California.
Healthy Longevity Outlook
Even at the age of 66 and a lifetime of competitive swimming and solo channel crossings, Argüelles continues to seek improvement in his technique, mobility, and strength, which allows him to not only be more efficient in the water, but also have enough energy and strength to play with my grandchildren.
In terms of his health, he maintains normal glucose levels, and overall, he feels and look good every day, a life without pain and immense joy. As he describes, “I live happily while swimming. I enjoy swimming very much. My daily joy in the water — whether it’s a training session in the pool, Las Estacas, or the sea off La Jolla Shores — is a powerful feeling as I look forward to crossings in 2027.”
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