Open water endurance swimming 50+

[Wotrewelookinat]

Posting here for traffic.I’m 51 and quite slim and petite; have always swum in pools and open water, not competed and don’t want to race. I have no desire to swim in pools these days and do drills, I’ve swum outdoors through the winter and loved it and now I want to aim for 1 mile, 2 miles etc. Anyone done this at my age? Any tips on how to increase distance without training in a pool? Is my body type against me? All the long distance swimmers I know or read about seem naturally to carry more weight which seems to equate to insulation and time in the water.

TBH, to go further you just need to swim for longer, so each time you swim aim to go a bit faster and further. Its a bit tricky at the moment when most organised venues (where it is easier to just get on and swim without having to think about boats) are limited to hour slots, but you may be able to book 2 together to expand your time, or if you are lucky enough to live somewhere with good access.
Do you wear a wetsuit? Without one it is an advantage to have more natural insulation if you want to swim for hours and hours obviously, but there are plenty of people that swim 10km and are slim.

Thanks for your reply. I live coastal Suffolk, so swim in estuaries and the sea. It just means I need to work around tides, and can mean measuring distance a bit tricky as you’re either swooshing with the tide or swimming on the spot!!

Your acclimatisation builds up with time. I am small/slim, 50 years old and can swim for several hours in the summer in lakes/sea and for about 40 mins at around 5% in the winter though I struggle with lower temperatures - at 0% earlier this year I could only stay in for a few minutes. However, a friend (male but very slim) stayed in for 20 minutes.
I think people with more weight do find it easier but it's absolutely possible to train yourself to stay in longer, it just takes time and understanding of how the water affects your body, and understanding how to overcome the limitations we place on ourselves.
I'm very envious of you living by the coast

Sorry, should be degrees not percentages - doh!

Thank you @InsanityRocks. Do you wear a wetsuit?This was my first winter swimming and I could stay in about 10-15 mins at most temps in a wetsuit, gloves, socks, hats etc. Coldest I went in was 1.5 degrees but that was only for 5 mins.

I don't like wearing one. The first winter I stayed out only a few minutes, and each winter I increased the time I could stay out. I think it took about 3-4 winters before I could manage a 20 min swim, and as I say this winter in 1 degree I only managed a few minutes, but I think that was because the air temp was -10 and that makes a difference too. Whether or not you wear a wetsuit your acclimatisation will increase, and in a few winters time you should be able to stay out for a good swim.