The plan behind the story · From the Golden Gate to the Farallon Islands: Amy Appelhans Gubser's 17 hours in open ocean
Twelve weeks to your first open-water mile
By the end of twelve weeks you will have swum a continuous mile (1.6 km) in open water, with a partner, having built the distance in a pool first. If you already swim, the same twelve weeks take you to a 5 km (3.1-mile) event.
Why this works
Amy Appelhans Gubser did not start with 29.7 miles. She started with a relay, then five years of planning, cold sessions at Aquatic Park and a crew that studied the currents for three months. The method is the lesson: build distance where it is safe and boring, add cold and open water in small doses, and never do the hard part alone.
A pool gives you a wall every 25 metres and a clock on the wall, so progress is easy to measure. Open water takes away the wall, the lines and the warmth, so you add those challenges one at a time. Three or four swims a week also covers the 150 to 300 minutes of weekly activity the World Health Organization recommends.
Before you start
- Check with your GP (family doctor) before cold-water swimming if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure or asthma, or if you have not exercised for a while.
- You should be able to swim 100 metres without stopping, any stroke, before starting the “getting going” track. If you cannot yet, take adult lessons first; our swimming and cycling guide explains how to find them.
- Kit: costume, goggles, a bright silicone cap, a tow float for open water. A wetsuit is sensible for most people in UK waters and in the northern US; Gubser’s swimsuit-only swim followed years of acclimatisation.
- Where: a supervised open-water venue with safety cover, or a lifeguarded beach. Ask your local masters club where its members swim.
- A partner. Do not skip this one.
The plan
| Week | Do this | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 (getting going) | Pool: 400 m total as 8 × 50 m, resting 30 seconds between each. | 2 swims a week | Any stroke. Finish feeling you could do more. |
| 1–2 (already swimming) | Pool: 2 km a session, including 4 × 400 m at steady pace. | 3 swims a week | Note your 400 m time. It is your benchmark. |
| 3–4 (getting going) | Pool: 600 m total as 6 × 100 m. | 2–3 swims a week | Breathe out under water; most tiredness is breath-holding. |
| 3–4 (already swimming) | Pool: 2.5 km a session; one continuous 1.5 km swim each week. | 3–4 swims a week | Practise sighting: lift your eyes forward every six strokes. |
| 5–6 (getting going) | Pool: 800 m, including one continuous 400 m. First open-water dip: 5–10 minutes, close to the bank. | 2 pool, 1 open water | Get in slowly. Stay within your depth the first time. |
| 5–6 (already swimming) | Pool: 3 km a session. Open water: 20–30 minutes continuous. | 3 pool, 1 open water | Swim next to someone to get used to company and chop. |
| 7–9 (getting going) | Pool: 1,000–1,200 m, including a continuous 800 m. Open water: build to 400 m, then 800 m. | 2 pool, 1 open water | Add a few minutes per open-water swim, no more. |
| 7–9 (already swimming) | Pool: one 3 km continuous swim a week plus two interval sessions. Open water: build to 3 km. | 3 pool, 1–2 open water | Practise feeding: a drink at 40 minutes without touching the bottom. |
| 10–11 (getting going) | Pool: a continuous 1,600 m. Open water: 1,200 m. | 2 pool, 1 open water | You have now swum the mile indoors. The rest is confidence. |
| 10–11 (already swimming) | Open water: 4 km once; pool sessions drop to 2 km, relaxed. | 2 pool, 1 open water | Enter a 5 km event if you have not already. |
| 12 | Getting going: a continuous open-water mile. Already swimming: your 5 km event. | Once, with two easy swims earlier in the week | Tell your partner the plan and agree a signal for “I want to stop”. |
If it goes wrong
- You gasp when you get in. That is the body’s normal reaction to cold. Enter slowly, keep your face out until your breathing settles, and wear a wetsuit.
- You panic without the wall. Roll onto your back, hold your tow float and breathe. Swim parallel to the bank at standing depth until it passes.
- Sore shoulders. Drop the distance by a third for a week and book one technique session with a coach.
- You miss a week. Repeat the last week you completed.
- The water is too cold by week 12. Do the mile in the pool and pencil in open water for spring.
Track it
| Measure | Start (week 1) | End (week 12) |
|---|---|---|
| Longest continuous swim (metres) | ||
| Total distance per week (metres) | ||
| 400 m time (minutes:seconds) | ||
| Longest open-water swim (minutes) | ||
| Coldest water swum in (°C / °F) | ||
| Swims done with a partner or club (count) |
What next
- Join a masters club and swim with it weekly: U.S. Masters Swimming in the US, a Swim England masters club in the UK. Coaching and company are what keep people at it.
- Getting going? Enter an organised one-mile open-water event next season. Already swimming? Look at a 10 km (6.2-mile) event, the marathon distance of the sport.
- Strong at 60: the 12-week strength plan pairs well with swimming, which does little for bone on its own.
- Read about Natalie Grabow, who learned to swim as an adult, and Betty Brussel, who took up competition at 68.
General information, not medical advice. Check with your GP before starting a new exercise programme.