Open Water Swimming Myths Busted with Hilda Lopez

How different is open water swimming from training in a pool?

Far more than most people realize.

This week, Natalie Hood is joined by ultra-endurance swimmer Hilda Lopez, fresh off completing the 50th Annual Swim Around Key West—a grueling 12.5-mile marathon swim that tested her endurance, mindset, and determination.

Hilda shares her inspiring journey from struggling with her health and being significantly overweight to becoming an accomplished open water swimmer tackling some of the world's most demanding marathon swims.

Together, Natalie and Hilda break down some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding open water swimming, including:

• Why pool training alone isn't enough for marathon swims
• The reality of swimming in currents, tides, waves, and changing conditions
• Why your open water pace rarely matches your pool pace
• Building endurance without swimming race distance every training session
• The importance of strength training for injury prevention and performance
• Why hydration and nutrition can make or break a long-distance swim
• Managing fear, self-doubt, and race-day nerves
• The critical role of a strong support team during marathon swims
• Why pacing—not sprinting off the start—is often the smartest strategy

Hilda also recounts the emotional final mile of her Swim Around Key West, where exhaustion, heat, and powerful currents nearly ended her race before encouragement from her support crew—and especially her son—helped carry her to the finish.

Finally, Natalie announces her own next adventure: taking on the Tennessee Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming while raising funds for Every Child A Swimmer, helping provide lifesaving swim lessons to children.

Whether you're an experienced swimmer, training for your first open water event, or simply love hearing stories of perseverance, this episode is packed with practical advice, inspiration, and an honest look at what it really takes to conquer the open water.

Topics Covered

• Marathon swimming
• Open water training
• Swim Around Key West
• Endurance sports
• Race preparation
• Hydration and nutrition
• Strength training
• Mental resilience
• Swim myths
• Every Child A Swimmer
• Tennessee Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming
• Swimming safety
• Long-distance swimming

Transcript

SPEAKER_07 0:53

Welcome back to the Talking Pools Podcast, your go-to source for everything wet, wild, and wonderfully misunderstood in the pool world. I'm Natalie Hood, Director of Education and Events for The Grit Game, and today we're taking a deep dive in part of the swimming world that looks simple from the shore, but gets very real the moment you step out into the open. Open water. If you've ever trained for an open water swim, you already know the stories people tell, the assumptions that get passed around like gospel, you know, the things that the pool training alone will carry you through a long distance swim, or that pace in open water should look anything like pace in the lane lines. But of course, there's that classic race day advice that says you should blast off the start to stay with the pack, even though that's one of the fastest ways to burn out before you've even found your rhythm. So we're gonna unpack a few of those today. Not all of them, but just the ones that matter most when you're preparing for a long swim in unpredictable conditions. And to bring it all to focus is Hilda Lopez, who by day works in real estate, but recently completed the 50th Annual Swim Around Key West, which is 12.5 miles. And you know, this is one of the most iconic marathon swims in the country. And Hilda's experience is the perfect lens for understanding what preparation really looks like, what surprised her, what challenged her, and what she wishes more swimmers knew before signing up for a race like this. So settle in, grab your coffee, your water, and let's really talk about the realities of open water swimming. So, Hilda, can you give our listeners a brief history of how you you came to doing this open water swimming and really what got you into the aquatics?

SPEAKER_04 2:33

You know what time it is? Wednesday vibes on the talking pool's porch.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

The future of our industry is shaped by those willing to invest in it. The following companies have stepped forward to support education, leadership, and mentorship across the swimming pool industry. These are the sponsors of the 2026 Talking Pools Podcast Mentor Award, Title Sponsor, Blu-ray, XL, Title Sponsor, United Chemical, Gold Sponsor, Lamotte Chemical, Silver Sponsor, Revved Up Apparel, Supporting Sponsor, Aqua Comfort Water Group. Thank you for helping us recognize and celebrate the mentors who continue to shape the future of the swimming pool industry, and God bless the Pool Pro.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

Hey Pool Pros, tired of roasting under the sun in gear that doesn't hold up? Revved Up Apparel has your back with the SPF protected apparel made for the Pool Pro. Want to stand out from the competition? Done. No minimal mortars, no inventory scraps. We handle the design, hoosting, printing, and fulfillment. So you can focus on the grind. Whether you're single folder or managing mobile. We handle the design, hosting, printing, and fulfillment. So you can focus on the ground. Whether you're single folder or managing mobile tweet.

SPEAKER_06 6:15

The first adaptive flow pump with EcoFlow technology. It adjusts to real-time conditions to maintain constant flow, cut energy costs, and extend equipment life. No guesswork, just a smarter pool with Nodis VSF from H2 Flow.

SPEAKER_07 6:32

So, Hilda, can you give our listeners a brief history of how you you came to doing this open water swimming and really what got you into the aquatics?

SPEAKER_02 6:41

Thank you so much, Natalie, for having me today. I am very excited to share this time with you. What got me into this body of water? Yes. So I grew up in Cancun in very, very beautiful waters. And my family, my father had his real estate office on the beach. So by default, every day we would be picked up from school and we would be taken to his office. And there we would, you know, eat our snacks and whatnot, do our homework. And then our after school activity was always to be at the beach. While he worked, we were playing at the beach and wait for him, right? Wait for him to finish his work day so then we could all, you know, the family go home. So that was every single day. And then the weekends we had a very small boat, like a flats boat, that we would go and visit like the mangroves and the cancun and so on. So when I was little, most of my happy moments were in the water with my family. Fast forward, you know, fast forward to adulthood or teenage years, my father was always a uh a swimmer, an endurance swimmer, and he would do this swim between Cancun and Islamoketis, which is kind of like from land to an island, right? And it's six miles, it's a six mile swim. So as I was younger, back then, 20-something years ago, back then you would have a small boat support with you to give you hydration and so on. So my father did this swim a couple of times while I was younger. And naturally, my older brother decided to do the swim. I thought that they were crazy. I didn't I I really didn't understand why anybody would want to willingly choose to be in the water for so many hours to do these type of swims. But when my brother did the swim, I remember thinking maybe I'll do something like that, maybe not. You know, it kind of stayed in the back of my mind. But the years passed on. Um, I moved to Miami, where I live now. Married children, careers, life takes place. So 20 years later, I was severely overweight, and I was I was 60 pounds overweight, and I was in and out of the hospital the entire time. Had you know, in and out of the hospital, would always have backaches, so many different problems. I had gallbladder surgery, like all these like digestive problems happening. And I am so young, and I was like, why? You know, why do you have to live like this? So one day I just decided, hey, I had I had been running like um a couple years ago. I had tried running, did a couple half marathons. I liked it, it was nice, but I was so overweight that running was not an option for me at some point. Yeah, it was. So I remember one morning waking up and I said, Okay, I'm gonna start running, put on my running shoes. Mind you, I'm overweight. And that didn't work. So sadly, I went and sat by the bay. We have like a bay that uh we swim very close by. Sat by the bay and I was almost crying, like, what am I gonna do? I'm overweight, I can't do anything, you know. And it was about a couple months before that, or maybe a year before that moment, a couple more long months before that, one of the um ER nurses at the hospital that I would frequent for injections and pain relief and all this stuff had mentioned about a swim group because she had asked me, like, what do you do? You have to change your life, you're so young. I was like, Well, I c I like running, I can't run, I'm too overweight. But I like swimming, maybe, you know. Mind you, swimming, not professionally. I never swam professionally. This is like, you know, with your family swimming in the water, beeping in the water. And she was like, Oh my goodness, I know this great group of swimmers that you can join. Yadda yadda. I didn't really pay attention to her because again, I'm overweight, I'm being horrible, I just want my baby.

SPEAKER_07 10:15

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:17

But that day that I just had decided to go for a run that turned into sitting by the sand, I ran into the swimming group, like not even knowing it was them. But I ran into this group, swim group, and uh at chosen, I was like, my goodness, it's Friday morning, and this nurse had mentioned that Friday morning this group meets at the bait to swim. So I got in my car and I approached them. I was like, Hey, are you guys swimming group so-and-so-and-so, full circle, coaching third? And they were like, Yes, that's us. And I was like, Oh, okay, great, you know, didn't pay too much mind to it, and I left. And I think it was maybe that well, that day I was like, Well, maybe I'll start swimming in my pool, you know, kind of like it's a little embarrassing to, you know, join a group when you don't know anything. So I started kind of like dabbling into the pool, my own pool, you know, bought my little swimming cap, my goggles, okay. And then I started following the group on Instagram. Like what they were doing, I was like, This sounds very interesting. And two years ago I decided to join the swim group. So I went for for a swim test to see how advanced I swim. And I contacted the coach and I went for this swim uh meeting with this idea that maybe I wanted to do the same crossing that my father and my brother did. And two years ago I did that test and we got to work. And last year I completed my swim of six miles from one point to the other. So I was very excited. So that's how I got into swimming because I wanted to do something um A that I can physically do because I was overweight, and that actually propelled me and gave me the motivation and the need. You know, I had this goal that I wanted to do, but I needed to lose weight to be able to attain that goal. So that gave me into like, okay, let's start walking, nutrition. My my coach has a nutrition class as well, and I joined her nutrition class, so I I was able to lose weight with that running and then you know, walking and kept going. That's how I got back into or into swimming professionally, if you would say, because I was not a professional swimmer at all. And then what continues to get me there, I think it's the connection with all my like childhood memories, and it's one of the ways that I keep connected with my father who lives very uh in another country. So I stay connected with my you know childhood memories, my father, and it all comes together into very nice time in the water. Well, sometimes nice times in the water. Right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 12:34

Sometimes they're nice. No, I think that is such a beautiful story, and you know, you're absolutely right. It's you know, when you're first getting into something different, it can be scary. And when you're uncomfortable with yourself, that can be really hard to navigate those new waters, right? No pun intended. But swimming is such a wonderful exercise, and it's such good movement, and it's really good on your joints because I'll tell you, I mean, we've all been there. Life happens, you have kids, you put on weight, and I was, you know, I was a bodybuilder for six years, and I was in the best shape of my life, and then I had two kids, and I was busy with work, and I was just, I didn't have the time. And I could not go back to the same type of fitness routine of spending three, four hours in the gym like I had the time before, right? I was busy. And I will say, every single time I've always gone back to the water because it's easy on my joints. First off, it's home for me. But it's just, it's, it's, it's a great overall body workout. It it just really hits all the muscles. It really, truly does. You know, it it's just and you just feel you feel so good after. And I truly think too, when you feel good after a good workout, you really do make better nutrition choices versus if you don't work out that day. And you know, quite frankly, any movement is better than no movement at all. Absolutely. You know, but I yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, there's days that I'm like, I really don't want to do this, but I know if I just get those cap and goggles on and I get that got the suit on, and I just go in the water and I do the swim, I will feel much better after. And so that's just what I do. But and so you recently completed the swim around Key West, and that was 12 and a half miles. How was that swim?

SPEAKER_02 14:15

Mechanistical, I am still like that was your eye just thinking about it. I w I haven't taken off. This is the metal that they give you, the pendant that they give you when you swim. And I it's been maybe two weeks since my swim, and I haven't even taken it. I don't take it off.

SPEAKER_07 14:29

Yeah, that's hard earned. That's a lot of sweat, girl. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 14:33

That's a lot of yes, that's a lot of um hours in the water. I do you know, this swim is one of those things that I was talking to somebody this morning. It's one of those things that you prepare so long for and it's gone in a blink of an eye. I mean it is, yes. It was it took me seven hours and a half, but that's not a blink of an eye.

SPEAKER_06 14:53

It doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_02 14:55

It be it felt kind of like so many months of preparing for it, you know? And then all of a sudden it happened and it was over.

SPEAKER_07 15:02

You know it's like now what?

SPEAKER_02 15:04

Yeah, exactly. I have to say that that swim, I think it's life-changing when you do something like that. Even though I had done the six mile swim, the eight mile swim, but this to me was like the eight mile swim was hard. Yeah. But I don't think I came out of that water the way that I came out of the water this time around. And I can tell you in my eight mile swim, there was a portion in that swim that I almost gave up and it was like, I can't do this anymore. Um, I injured my shoulder, I was done. But this 12-mile swim, it was one of those things that you kind of prepare so much for, and you really don't know, like I don't think it's talked about enough how much you change in those moments. And even though you're preparing so long for it, those moments, it just changes you completely. It it's it's a lot of hard work, but I can tell you it's been one of the best things next to having my I have two two boys. Next to having my two boys, it has been the best moments of my life. And it was just incredibly challenging, changing. I did very well for the first mile one through eleven. Mile 11 was the mile that gave me the run for my money.

SPEAKER_07 16:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:12

I had only one mile to go after.

SPEAKER_07 16:14

Yeah, it's it's it's not mine.

SPEAKER_02 16:16

And it the the you in open waters, you know, you are dealing with it's so different than running and biking and doing other sports because the water changes in just a blink of an eye, and in a second, the water can just change on you. And that's what happened to my I was, you know, mile one through eleven. I I was perfectly fine. I was going with the tides or not with the tides, but I was I was doing well and I was having fun and I was enjoying everything. Mile 11 came around, which maybe could have been I could have finished that mile maybe like in 20, 30 minutes, maybe. I was stuck for like 45 minutes.

SPEAKER_06 16:49

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

It felt like an eternity because I got you did it. Yes, I was stuck for so long in a current where I felt like I wasn't moving, but thank goodness I had very good support. I had a kayak supporter, and I also had a boat with support in the boat as well. So I have two sides of support. And it was very frustrating because I kept stopping, getting frustrated, thinking I wasn't moving. I was I thought I was seeing the same rock. Your mind starts playing all these tricks on you as well, you know? Which don't help. I thought I was seeing the same rock. I thought I was seeing the same building. And I kept complaining to my support, like, I can't do this anymore. We're not moving. You know, get me out of here. It was excruciating hot. The water temperature must have been like 80 plus degrees. The sun, it was already like beating on me. I mean, it's seven hours, you know, it's already almost it's like 145 in the afternoon. So I've been in the sun the whole day. And thank goodness for my support system and they didn't allow me to, you know, to quit on on on them and on me because I only had one more mile to go. I remember so one of the rules is you can't stand and you can't touch the boat or kayak. You can't touch any of your support.

SPEAKER_07 17:59

There's a lot of rules, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:00

Yes, and uh there's nothing to hold on on to. And I was done. I was I was extremely exhausted already. I was dehydrating faster than I can take in liquids because it was so hot. And I remember I was done and I was about to grab onto the kayak, like, you know, get me out of here. And my support kept smacking my hands. They were like, Don't you dare touch No But what my younger son was on the boat support and I rem I was at this point, I was already crying. Like I was begging to get me out of the water, I was done. And my younger son screamed from the boat, Dale mommy, come on, you know, like keep going, mom, you know? And that was it. There was just no way, that's all I needed. There was no way I remembered he was on the boat, and to me, I kept saying to myself, You can't quit in front of your son. Like, what message are you giving your son? Yeah the last 20 minutes, 30 minutes of your son, you know? You've gone so far, you've missed so many hours being with them because you were trained. Right. You missed so many moments with them this past eight, nine months of training with your family. How are you just gonna like turn around and quit in front of your son? Like, that's what my mind started saying, you know.

SPEAKER_07 19:06

Yeah, your mind was going through all the up and down, and yes, I get it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:10

So thankfully, I was so thankful that he was there and you know, everybody of my support didn't let me. I mean, my coach was there and she kept telling me, like, you've done this millions of times, so though, what are you doing? It's one mile. What's one more mile for you? You know, like this is that last mile, though.

SPEAKER_07 19:25

That I'm telling you, that last mile. When when when your brain knows you have so many miles left, you're like, you're locked and loaded. But when you when you know you have one mile left, your brain's like, okay, almost there. And it's almost like your brain, it's it flips the switch on you, right? And then that confidence starts to slowly fade.

SPEAKER_02 19:41

Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 19:42

So but to do that.

SPEAKER_02 19:44

I I did, I did. I'm very, I'm very proud of myself. I'm very fortunate to have had a great support system in my office, you know. My my team, you know, giving me the support system in the office, which is very important as well. As a business owner, it's hard to sometimes take off all these hours for training. My family was a huge support, allowing me, and I say the word allowing freely because it's it's it takes a toll. I'm family and on work, it takes its hole everywhere. But I was very, very blessed to have a great support system at work, at home. My coach, my my team that I trained with was an incredible support as well. Family, friends, just it was very, very moving.

SPEAKER_07 20:23

That's amazing. Yeah, I was I was following your journey um on social media, and I was just like, that is amazing. I saw every child the swimmer had posted something about it, and then I I started following you, and I was just like, You got this, Hilda, go, go, go, go, go. So I'm I'm proud of you. I think you did fantastic, and I think it's absolutely honorable what you did, and and and working with every child the swimmer, I think that's just absolutely amazing. I mean, and and you your your son got to watch you along the way, so I know.

SPEAKER_02 20:52

And then he unfortunately didn't get to see me at the finish line, like right because the boat support couldn't go come around fast enough. But then when I got to the fin, my older son was at the finish line. So it was kind of nice. Like I both um both best of the both worlds. So it was good.

SPEAKER_07 21:08

Yeah. That's awesome. Well, girl, you continue to wear you wear that necklace for as long as you want. I mean, I you wear it. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 21:15

I was never to take it off. I I only take it off like when I go swim like in the ocean, just because I know that if I lose it there, I'm done, you know? Oh, but other than that, you know, it's been with me at the pool, sh like I I don't take it off.

SPEAKER_07 21:26

Take it off either. Wear that, wear that with pride. I mean, I I have some medals behind me from bodybuilding. If they weren't, if they hadn't have been so heavy, I would have continued to wear them long after. So you wear that necklace with Pride Girl. You certainly earned it because that is not an easy swim.

SPEAKER_02 21:40

No, no.

SPEAKER_07 21:41

So that is not easy. Well, I can't thank you enough for being here. And who better to bust some of these open water swim myths than with you, darling? So let's get into some of these myths. And I mean, I think obviously we're gonna bust all of these. We're just gonna have way too much fun with these. But the first one, and I think this is a big one that many people don't realize. And you know, right now, this is the time where people are really starting to get in triathlons and to marathon swims, right? There's the Iron Man, there's tough mudder, there's there's a lot of things out there, right? And the big one is is pool training is enough, especially for swimmers. And it just, you know, if you're if you're tra well, let me put it this way if you were training for this this Key West swim, do you think you would have been able to do this 12 and a half mile swim alone in the pool?

SPEAKER_02 22:27

Absolutely not. You can't. Because yes, so pool swimming to me, and again, I'm not a professional pro in my book.

SPEAKER_06 22:36

Come on.

SPEAKER_02 22:37

You know, but I mean, like I'm not a coach, maybe to explain it, but to me, and from what I've understood and learned, the pool A doesn't have the temperature, doesn't have the currents, doesn't have it's you know, your body reacts differently and chlorine water, fresh water, you know. pool pool, lakes, rivers, oceans, the your body reacts completely different to all types of water. So if you're doing an open water swim in the ocean, you you need ocean training as well. Um if you're doing an open water swim and if you're doing like an Iron Manatriathlon it that has involved like a lake or a river, you have to do, you know, that type of training as well. The pool is good for, from what I've understood and learned, for your drills that you do, different like kicks or arms, you know, perfecting your swim. That's what your pool sessions will be for or for me. And to work on speed, right? So technique and swimming and your stroke count and your delivery of your swim. But you do need your the body of water that you're going to be racing in or your advance will be housed.

SPEAKER_07 23:43

Yeah, no, absolutely. And the other thing too with swimming in a pool that you don't get is you you have to be able to sight properly, right? So when you're swimming in a pool, you're looking down that black line, right? And when you're swimming in a river, ocean, like what have you, there's no black line. Like you said, you can't, you can't if you if you even if you can reach the ground or and you're tall enough or what have you, if it's shallow, if you step up, you're gonna be disqualified, right? You're out. No medals for you. And so when you're swimming, if you can't properly sight where you're at, it you're gonna have a horrible time swimming. I will say the first time I did an Iron Man, I did not properly train in the water. I thought, I got this, no problem. Man, I jumped in and I did jump in before I actually swam. I just kind of fill out the river and I swam where did I swim? It was the Savannah River and it was downstream. So I was like, I got this, no problem. I jumped in and I was like, what was I thinking? It was only a little over a mile. I swam in extremely quick because I wanted to get out of there and something touched me and I was like I don't know if it was a person. I don't know if it was a leaf I don't know if it was a fish get me out of here. I swam quick and I was like I made great time but I didn't properly train for it. And so massive regret but it it is so different than pool training. And pool training is also really good for building your endurance right and kind of giving you a good idea. But you know if you're swimming a 140 if if you can swim a minute 40 in four like 104 laps, you're probably not going to swim that in ocean water or in the river. It's you have to have very different expectations.

SPEAKER_02 25:14

That has been my frustration trying to get my same pace from the pool into the open water.

SPEAKER_07 25:19

Yep and that actually that's one of our myths is that open water pace matches your pool pace. And it it's so not the truth because it's you have to keep in mind is it going to be windy? Is the water going to be choppy? Are you going against current? Are you going with current? I mean in when you were assuming you said the first 11 miles you were you you know you were you were going with it but then that last mile you were having a hard time getting back in the motion and you were you felt like you just weren't moving.

SPEAKER_02 25:48

Right. Absolutely yes no it it's not it's completely different. And I've spent the last two years that I've been doing this trying to match that pool and up pace to that open water pace and it's frustrating but it just is not the same.

SPEAKER_07 26:01

Yeah yeah well and then you know I think too some people believe um you know you when you're training for these long marathons that you have to swim you know the full race distance in training to really get a good idea. And that I I don't believe that's true. You know you you don't have to do these these mass mega sessions. I think as long as you're getting in the water and you're really building up that endurance you're getting you know it's good to do these it's good to do pool swims and but it's definitely good to get out there and do the actual swimming in the in in the environment in the body of water you're gonna be actually doing it in. But if you're doing too much swimming um you're doing all these mega sessions you're gonna burn yourself out.

SPEAKER_02 26:41

Right. So at least on in my case, the way that my training program with my coach, the way that she did it is that we broke it up. You know, you have your pool sessions like we sat for drills and whatnot and some pool sessions were longer to get some endurance into the pools. Especially here in Miami the weather sometimes doesn't help. So the pool would be the option to do. However we did do a lot of longer swims in either the bay or the ocean whichever one cooperated at the training time. But my training did break it up into kind of like a build week let's say so we'll we'll start building an endurance and swim I don't know three four miles that week and then we'll do build it up in two for two weeks so we'll be building up to mate that last day of the week and or something do one long swim. So my longer swim started getting you know longer and longer and longer just because I'm I was preparing for 12 miles swim 12.5 mile swim.

SPEAKER_07 27:37

Forget that point five and actually you probably swim a lot more than that.

SPEAKER_02 27:40

Absolutely yes and it's funny because I I correct everybody point five please yeah add the that last point five almost killed me so please don't forget that one. Yes but yeah so the way that we do it in at least in my training is that we break it up we never I never got to do the 12.5 miles swims in my training program. But the farthest that we got was 11 miles. So the goal was if you get to 11 miles you can get to 12 you know that's the the thinking behind my my this program that I did this training program. The one that I did before this one it was kind of similar but we didn't get we never got to the eight miles we didn't we never get to the mileage of our swims but we get close to it to make sure that our bodies can take it. Quite slowly you don't just one day wake up and oh I'm gonna go swim 11 miles you know we built it slowly. Yeah it took it was an eight for this swim was an eight month training program that I did but I had just come off of my eight mile swim so I I already had that with me right oh that's nice. Yeah and then before that eight mile I had already done my six mile swim. So I I've continued you know building it up it's not like right it's not like one day we just decided hey we're gonna swim this much you know we build it up little by little yeah which is smart and I think it's really good that you worked with a trainer so that you weren't just going you you weren't burning yourself out because I think a lot of people tend to do that.

SPEAKER_07 29:02

They they burn out really quickly if they're not sure you know how to approach it or they they just sign up. They're like all right let's do this but you know they're really good at the running part and they're really good at the cycle but they're not good at swimming.

SPEAKER_02 29:13

Right. And it's incredible because I thought I knew how to swim, right? And so I met, you know, my coach and my group and it's it's mind bottling everything that you are, you know, I mean running is hard, right? I'm not even gonna get into biking biking because I have not been able to get that part yet. And I'm kind of like scared of it still. But running is hard biking is hard but there's something about the water that is just it's hard, you know? And I've been doing this for years. And I gotta tell you that even though I've been training with my training group full circle coaching and we have been training like nonstop I still had to do like one on one sessions with my coach because and it's crazy to me and it's frustrating I would get in the water it's like how how am I forgetting that I have to say 11 and 1 that is the simplest thing like 11 and what like that's it.

SPEAKER_07 29:59

You just and I there's there's so many things you have to remember when you're swimming. There's all these things I mean you know I I I swam professionally and I'll say I was built for speed when I was younger. I was built for speed it was speed speed speed speed and you know I've I've talked about it a couple different times my last episodes I've been doing something different in the water and my training has shifted and everything that I've learned I've kind of had to I'm still using it but I've kind of had to toss it aside a little bit and relearn how to do swimming right because there's different rules pending on what you're doing right you still apply the same rules but there's so much you have to remember. And I'm sorry your face is in the water exactly so yeah it it it it's hard swimming is hard it's a full body workout and it requires a lot of upper body strength. It really does it's a lot of upper body strength so it's not easy right at they say one mile of swimming is is almost equivalent to four miles running.

SPEAKER_02 30:58

Yes so right before my swim I learned that three miles swimming it's equivalent to a half marathon and running.

SPEAKER_07 31:05

No joke.

SPEAKER_02 31:06

Yeah so my 12 mile swim was two four running marathons to me that's like mind blowing see you're a rock star and you didn't even know it.

SPEAKER_07 31:13

You're a rock star. See girl come on well and I think another thing that people tend to forget or well I guess it's a myth I just kind of busted it without saying it is you know there's a myth out there and it's strength training slows swimmers down. And I'm sorry but it's just it's so wrong.

SPEAKER_02 31:29

You you need to strength train in order to really help build your muscles right you got to give your body a chance and I I think if you don't strengt strength train as well you're more prone to injury you know so I I have to agree with you and even though I didn't take it as serious as I should have because I have no upper body uh strength whatsoever and that's been one of the challenges with my coach and I is the fact that you know she would tell me you gotta do your strength training you gotta do and it was something that I just kept putting off putting off even though in this swim I did take it a little more serious or I did do a lot more strength training than the B4 swims, it is so important. And it does like you said it does prevent your injuries and I see it because in my swim the eight mile swim I did not do any strength training at all. And I completely injured my shoulder where I was in physical therapy for months after I mean still to this day it it can act up a little bit. Whereas in this preparing for this 12 mile swim I took it a little I should have taken it more seriously but I took it a little more seriously and I did a lot more strength training than the last training cycle and I can see the difference. And now I'm kind of like I kick myself over the head like darn it if you would have done it just a little bit more can you imagine what you could have accomplished in that swim. So yes it's definitely a myth it's you you need that strength in your body it it really does make a difference.

SPEAKER_07 32:54

I mean I won't lie swimming while you're sore that's not fun it's it's a drag it's it's not fun at all you're just like man my arms are sore like my legs are sore my my abs are sore but it really does make a difference and it really truly helps avoid those injuries. I mean because I I as well I suffer from an injury and um even swimming this morning my my arm was kind of acting up a little bit and I was like no no no stay with me we're good we're just gonna readjust do I did a quick stretch and back in I'm like we're we're still going girl come on stay with me but yeah no strength training is such a big difference. You know another thing about open water it changes daily is and it's a myth is that the water will feel the same on race day. Let's talk about that.

SPEAKER_02 33:36

It absolutely is not correct. It's I can't even tell you how like incorrect that is so when you're training unless you're some people do get the fortune to train where they're going to race yeah but that doesn't happen all the time. And even if you are training where you're going to race the water changes by the second so even if you're training today and tomorrow's your race you're not gonna have the same temperature you're not gonna have the same wind you're not gonna have the same life out there in the water that you're having or you might experience for example like my coach has us do say the day of the race we all go in 10 15 20 minutes maybe not 20 minutes but 10-15 minutes just so you can get a little swimming and feel the water right before you race. Kind of like a walk but that does help out because you're getting familiar to what the water is now like where you're going to be racing right and you're not that you know the temperature changes sometimes the morning can be colder or hotter you know so yes it's not it's definitely not the same. And if you're training in a different body of water and you're going to a different place it's it's not the same at all. I can tell you because I trained in Miami and my my swim was in Key West is totally different. And not only that swim in Key West I was in the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of Americas and in the Atlantic Ocean the same day. So that to me was another mind blowing. So yes the water's not the same.

SPEAKER_07 35:01

Yeah it it it changes so quickly too my always the the thing that always got me I'd be swimming and all I it'd be a great current and all of a sudden it would just get really cold and I was swimming against it and I was like why? What is this? Why no let me get me get get me back to that other spot that was much better. But I always have to like swim back to that spot which was the worst. So yeah exactly here's a fun one and I always I always love this one and I always laugh because whenever you tell people you swim in a river or lake they're like but you can't see the bottom I'm like yes Deloch this monster he's down there waiting for you and it's it's what everyone fears right what prehistoric creatures down there. But it's uh a lot of people tend to think that clear water is safer than murky water. But what do you think? You certainly might feel safer.

SPEAKER_02 35:48

I think that your brain wants to feel safer because you think you can see everything. I however I I trained in Miami and sometimes we have very clear beautiful water beautiful water and sometimes you do not and you have no idea what's what's under you you know yeah and even on days where the water is clear I can tell you that in all my hours in the water there have been moments in clear water where yeah maybe I can see the large tarbon under me or the jellyfish you know right but that doesn't mean I've gotten really bad rip currents you know you can't see those and that's in clear water yes and I've been stuck for while in there and trying to get out of it and that's clear water. So not just because it's clear water you're safer. I I don't believe that and I've had my my share of some murky water and I'm head I'm heading my next swims are in very murky water. So I I won't be thinking about your monsters but I know they're on there. So last year I went to swim in July I was trying to get a taste for cold murky water for my future swims. And last year I went and I swam in Brooklyn okay yeah I'll do it that was very murky water and I can tell you I swam in there and I was like I don't know what's touching me. I don't know what that was I have no idea what's underneath swimming.

SPEAKER_07 37:11

Yep you know I I was lucky I grew up uh my uh and uncle in California so I grew up in the Bay Area they had in Merced California they had this massive ranch it was a cattle ranch and they had a bass lake and so every summer we would always go swimming in the lake and that lake was murky you could not see a thing there there was fishing and we'd always jump off and we'd have like you know we'd have all the the adults would be floating and they'd you know they'd have their their flotillas and the kids would be jumping in we'd be on jet skis and water skiing like that's we lived out there. We loved it we'd go camping it was it was always a good day when we went to the farm I was actually just talking to my parents about that earlier how we missed going to the farm. But that really helped prepare me. But I will tell you I actually have a bigger fear of swimming in the ocean than I do rivers or lakes because the the the sharks and the jellyfish and the stingrays actually not even the stingrays it it's the uh sea lions are what scare me those I've never encountered sea lions just yet I'm heading for waters with sea lions so I I still have to I'm just I'm not making this any better for you am I?

SPEAKER_02 38:17

I just I'm just like I don't know if this is a good conversation to have with you today. But um yeah so I don't know at least I've encountered nurse sharks and lemon sharks and thankfully they have wanted nothing to do with me. Oh good and it's kind of like they'll see me and they'll swim away and the stingrays I have encountered so many stingrays and manneres and I can tell you that at the moment especially the very large ones I mean I am 5'1 so anything that's bigger than me five five three the other these matters are very large and these stingerys can be very large here they can get huge they're humongous and I can tell you that maybe years previous previous years I would have maybe been scared of seeing some of these vibes that I've experienced but for some reason it's been so nice. I've even gone out like chasing after them but I must say like in one of my last long swims I was by myself in the bay and this humongous like it was ginormous thing right floated right under me and I'm not gonna lie it startled me I was a little scared I was like I am by myself and this life is bigger than me. Yeah probably just swallow me in one chom you know but up then I remember you know and it's kind of the like the whole mind thing the mind games that you have to play with yourself. Yeah when I you're not their food and then I have this very weird thing where I try not to eat seafood at least two days before I go swimming out of out of respect and also like I don't want to smell like seafood. That's funny. I don't know it's something that I do like mindfully yeah or maybe not just gonna like I don't want to smell like seafood I don't want to taste like seafood I won't you don't want any aroma of seafood you know just I want to make sure that they know that I'm here as their friend.

SPEAKER_07 40:04

Fisher friend not food.

SPEAKER_02 40:06

Exactly that's what I replay myself in my mind I'll talk about it.

SPEAKER_07 40:09

I love that I'll I'll have to keep that in mind. I'll have to I'll have to think about that for uh the future swims that I do in the anyways yeah I'll have to we'll have to come back to that you know another thing with swimming you know whether it's in a pool or um you know indoor pool outdoors beach rivers lakes and it's hydration doesn't matter because you're in the water. And I think uh you know I've said this before you know you sweat when you're in the water especially when you're swimming and when you're swimming a lot I don't think people realize how much you have to rehydrate.

SPEAKER_02 40:42

I mean how much were you rehydrating when you were doing that 12.5 mile swim so I haven't done the math but in how many ounces or gallons gallons I took in but I can tell you we counted I drank drank about 16 I'm sorry 19 bottles of 16 ounces. So that's a lot of water I have to do the math on that. So I had about 19 bottles of not only water but uh the 19 bottles included electrolytes and carbs that had a little powder in it that had electrolytes and carbs in it besides that I was also consuming you know gels and gummies and all this stuff that had carbs and electrolytes. Besides that I was also um taken in every half hour I don't know how many milligrams or whatever but they're um electrolyte sticks salt sticks.

SPEAKER_07 41:29

Yes I love the salt I do the I do the fire salt sticks.

SPEAKER_02 41:32

Those are really good so I was every half hour I was uh having one of those pills plus uh aminose pills you know protein pills just to make sure that I I was having and I can tell you that that definitely helped I had some caffeine gels as well I had probably two or three and um I believe I had honey as well yes honey is great yeah I had to and usually in some of my longer swims I have a lot of pickle juice in this long swim I did not because the last day of my long swim training for some reason the pickle juice was upsetting my stomach and we couldn't have that that day. So um I took out the pickle juice which was odd because I had trained with the pickle juice but that day I felt fine without it and I think it had to do a lot with the salt taps that I was taking the electrolyte that I was taking so hydration I don't think that I was un until I got to the 11th mile where I feel like I was losing more of my hydration faster than I was hydrating. Because you know you're losing hydration oh yeah you're sweating like you said. So yeah I definitely think that's a complete myth you need to rehydrate fast and fast. There's a there's a a way to the madness right there's depending how well how you're going how hot it is so in colder months of my training I would maybe hydrate every 30 to 45 minutes. Yep for Key West I had to show in that it's uh I went from 20 every 20 minutes hydrating to probably like every 10 minutes the last you have to you have to it's so important. And people don't understand how important that is even if you're cold you have to hydrate.

SPEAKER_07 43:09

Yeah and I would say too if you're if you are planning to do you know a marathon triathlon anything you know swimming bike run whatever it is you you actually before you even get out there you need to practice in your training your hydration your your your nutrition you need to practice that before you actually get out there so you're not like oh no and you burn out quickly. It really is a big thing. Yeah it's I I've I definitely learned the hard way about a 10 years ago I I I learned the hard way that I wasn't hydrating enough and I definitely burned out in an Iron Man and I was like never again it's it's so important.

SPEAKER_02 43:43

I remember in one of my training sessions where I had just started my the longer swims I think it was I was training for four miles or something like that. Now I say kind of like oh four miles, right? Yeah yeah it's just four miles. But one of those days I remember I would never forget that I was not hydrating correctly. I was not hydrating period because I didn't have the support I don't know what happened it was so hot but I was having severe dehydration um it was so bad that I almost ended up in the hospital. That's how bad it was it was really I dehydrated really bad that day.

SPEAKER_07 44:18

Yeah and you know you have to hydrate really well before and after your training too like you have to be so careful.

SPEAKER_02 44:24

I mean hydrate hydrate hydrate I think you start at least I start like two or three days right before any major event the hydration the salt tabs the extra protein you know so Oh yeah you have and you have to eat you have to stay up on those carbs too so you can really you have to store them.

SPEAKER_07 44:41

Yeah. It's such a big difference. You know I think another thing people tend to not realize or well another myth if you will is people think well I have to start fast to stay with the pack. What would you say to that? So when you when you started with the others, uh in the your recent twelve and a half, twelve point five swim, did you start out as fast as you could?

SPEAKER_02 45:03

I think that everybody has a different method to it. I am not a speed swimmer, so I'm not going for podiums in my swims. So for me is a little different. For me is, you know, swim at the pace that you're going to make it through.

unknown 45:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:19

But yeah, survive. But I know that if I go back to train and the things that my coach has said, even when we are not doing when I wasn't not doing like a long thing, I'm doing actually like a triathlon, which I've tried to do, or smaller swims, she would always tell me to swim at your pace, like a different zone, like a slower zone, like a not slower, but like a good pace to where you're not burning yourself out. And then you push towards getting closer to the end. That's when you like when you push. And uh the last swim that I did that I was shorter and it was we just had wanted to swim. I think it was a two-mile swim or something. And I was able to put that to practice because I was actually for that one going not necessarily for speed, but I was trying something different, and I got second third place in that point. So actually, yeah, but that was not long swimming, it was two miles, you know?

SPEAKER_07 46:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:11

Uh for these longer swims, I I personally don't do speed yet, just because I'm not there, just yet. So hopefully one day I'll I'll get there.

SPEAKER_07 46:18

And I would say too, you know, especially with these some of these longer swims, I think you have to base off how long the swim you're doing, right? If it's two miles, uh, I still wouldn't start out as quick as depending on what the podium looks like, depending on what you're trying to race for. But there's always that that first initial you get in the water, and then there's always a period of adjustment, right? You have to get used to the temperature of the water, you have to get used to the surroundings, you have to get used to the pack, right? Because there's so many people at once that are in the water, and then people tend to kind of disperse and go, you know, they they find their position, right? And then you have to get your breathing down, right? There's all these elements that you have to take in. And then of course, it's the actual swimming part, right? You have to get used to it. And for me, depending on how long I'm swimming, I unfortunately, my body and I have we always have, you know, communications about this back and forth, and we don't always get along. But typically it takes me about a half mile to really get into a good rhythm. It's getting shorter, but it takes about a half mile for me to get into a rhythm where I'm comfortable. And I'm like, okay, we're good, we're good, let's go. But I would say I don't ever start out fast. I start out and I get into my groove. I find my space where I am, depending on where I'm swimming, and I just go. And as each mile starts to get, you know, I start to get closer and closer to the end, I'll start to build up and build up. And depending on where I am with others, I might start to kick up the speed a little bit. Now, if something touches me, I kick it up the gear, depending on what it felt like. But we're just gonna return it's a leaf or a stick, depending on what type of body of water I'm in. But yeah, I mean, I think you just have to kind of, of course, base it on the type of swimmer you're you are, what type of race you're doing, and of course, where you want to end. But again, even if you're just getting in the water and doing that, you're still a rock star because swimming's not swimming is not easy, and it's not easy to go out and do something like that. So again, if you're doing that, you're already a rock star. You're you're already a winner. And this kind of leads us into our last myth, and it's that everyone feels confident. And this could be whether you're swimming in a pool, whether you're swimming, you know, you're you're a triathlon, you're a marathon, or you're one of the Olympic swimmers. And I'm sorry, but I think this myth keeps coming around because swimmers might stay quiet about their nerves, but quite frankly, I think every single person out there gets nervous before a swim.

SPEAKER_02 48:36

I'm not going to disagree with you. There is there is nerves even in training. Like today, it was my first day back in the water, and I was so nervous to go back and I wanted to go back in the water because I missed it, but I was really nervous to get back in. So even for training, I I get nervous um all the time. Very nervous. Not only uh what's in the water, but She's like Natalie. Also, you know, I think it goes to am I gonna make it? Am I going to burn out? Is my body going to work with me? You know, is my mind gonna play games with me? Am I going to be able to beat the mind, body, soul? You know, sometimes you got it's it's a struggle. You're fighting yourself. And I mean that's the thing with swimming, is that nobody can do it for you, you know? It's not like running, somebody can come along and maybe like, come on, Natalie, like pet you in the back and swimming, you're you're it's a lot of solitary, you're you're there alone a lot, you know. So I I get nervous all the time when I'm in the in the pool. You know, sometimes I walk in for a training and I'm looking at my training and I'm like, am I gonna be able to do this today? Do I feel good? Am I gonna be strong enough up to do it? And the days of and that's just training, and the days of race or event day, my stomach's all over the place. I'm so nervous. I am so nervous for that day. And I can tell you there's been days where I've walked into the or gotten into the water for an event days, and I am so nervous where this last one, this key west one, I was so nervous. As we we had to like walk down the dock and then from there go downstairs, uh, go down the uh thing of stairs to get into the water. And I remember almost I was not even in the water yet, but going down the stairs, and I I wanted to turn around.

SPEAKER_07 50:19

I don't blame you.

SPEAKER_02 50:21

I wanted to turn around because A I wasn't feeling well. I had a very, very bad experience the night before where I got really sick from something I ate, so I wasn't feeling well. Worse.

SPEAKER_07 50:29

You're already dehydrated going into it.

SPEAKER_02 50:32

Yes, exactly. But also I was so nervous. I was looking at all these swimmers and they looked, you know, more you know, professionally built for this, and you know, they're some people were so excited about this, and I'm over here biting my nails like little. Why are you excited? We signed up for this. Yeah, exactly. So I I I get so nervous. It doesn't matter how long or how little, how big the swim is, I still get nervous. So it's a complete And I don't think there's any other swimmer that can tell you that they're they're walking in confident, you know.

SPEAKER_07 51:04

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:04

I think everybody's nervous.

SPEAKER_07 51:06

I agree. I mean, so there and you know what too? There's some days even in training where you might have properly hydrated, you've carb loaded, you've eaten enough protein, because definitely get your protein in. But you might show up for a training day and it's just awful. It doesn't matter if you slept well, you got good hydration. There's some days I've showed up for training and I'm just like, well, that was awful. I completed it in double the time, but I that was awful. You know, and then there's other days where you have a great training session. It's like, well, if only all days could be like that. You know, it's just every day is so different, whether it's in the pool, in the actual body of water you're gonna be doing. I mean, it it just it changes so quickly. So it's just you you gotta love the aquatics wherever you're doing it. So what's next? Wha w what's what's your next adventure? Do you have a next adventure planned out?

SPEAKER_02 51:57

I do. I think that you you get like uh addicted to it, right?

SPEAKER_07 52:01

It is, yes. Once you get in, you just don't get out.

SPEAKER_02 52:03

I know. And it's funny because my son gave me a workout journal. We were talking about it yesterday, where you know, so I can write down like all my my my journey to these trainings. And the first page uh he I asked him to write me like a little message, right? And his message stuck stuff with me, but they always do. Kids have a way of doing that, right? But he wrote me a little note saying, Don't stop. Oh that's so sweet. So I'm I'm I'm not stopping. My next journey, I recently booked my English channel. Go girl. I know. So that's a good swim from England to France. It's a 21 mile swim, I believe. 21 to 22 mile swim. So I'm excited. That is in my future for 2028.

SPEAKER_06 52:49

I love it.

SPEAKER_02 52:50

Yes. So between then and now, I am I want to do the swim around Manhattan. Yes. In twenty next year. Um hopefully summer or before summer of next year. I would like to do that and swim around uh swim the Catalina chap. So I would like to do that.

SPEAKER_07 53:10

Look at you, and this is just in the la and what this is just in the last two years, you were just like, I'm just gonna become a marathon swimmer.

SPEAKER_02 53:15

Yes. Well, I I I didn't even know a marathon swimmer was six miles. So yeah.

SPEAKER_07 53:19

I know a lot of people, and so when you tell people when you say, Oh, I'm gonna go do a 10K, they're like, Oh, I I can never run that long. And you're when you say, Oh no, I'm swimming, do they just look at you like you're crazy?

SPEAKER_02 53:30

Yes, yes, because there's not, you know, something I found there's not a lot of people that swim, you know. There's a very small percentage of Iron Man, triathlons, all this, but there's not a lot of people that just do or do other things, but but also swim these longer distances. Yes, very so you are a marathon swimmer at that uh distance, and then once you like go up in the mileage, so now I am considered an ultra marathon swimmer. And you'll be an ultra marathon swimmer when you finish your race too.

SPEAKER_07 54:03

Yes, I will. Well, let me ask this if people wanted to follow along with you, how would they do that? To stay up with your journey and your sw your your ultra marathon swimming. Because I know I I I'm following you, so I know I'm staying up to date with you.

SPEAKER_02 54:16

Right. They can you can follow me on my Instagram, which I don't remember the name. I think it's Hilda Lopez. Hilda Lopez Guzmán, right? Well, link it in. Yeah. Yeah, thank you. I don't remember. I think I changed the name to it or something. Or I tried, so I don't remember the name to my Instagram. Sorry.

SPEAKER_07 54:34

You know what? It it you're too busy swimming, girl. We're not gonna we won't. Exactly. I'm in the water. I don't remember. Yeah, you're too busy swimming. Well, Hilda, I can't thank you enough for being here with us. I again, and you you raised how you raised $12,500 for every child a swimmer, right?

SPEAKER_02 54:49

Yes, I wanted to make sure that the number meant something with the swim. So I didn't just want to like, you know, pick like a thousand dollars. So I wanted it to be a thousand dollars for every mile that I swim. That's awesome. Yes.

SPEAKER_07 55:02

I love that. Yeah, so I love that.

SPEAKER_02 55:04

It all camo cars.

SPEAKER_07 55:06

That's amazing. Well, I'm gonna follow along with your journey, and I certainly appreciate everything that you've shared with us today with the myths that we've gone over. So open water, it it humbles you fast. It doesn't care how fast you are in the pool or how confident you felt yesterday. You know, it it really demands adaptability, patience, and respect. And understanding these myths is what prepares swimmers for the reality of long-distance swimming. And before we wrap up today, I wanted to share something I've talked about a little bit, you know, I've kind of joked around in the last couple episodes and about, you know, why I've I've been in the pool a lot lately and what better to share this than with Hilda. And I could be crazy, but I've decided to take on the Tennessee Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. It is three swims in three cities over 21 days, and it is over 21 miles. It is the bridges to bluffs, swims, swim hob island, and the swim to suck. And yes, it is really called the swim to suck. And these three iconic marathon swims, they will push navigation, current, endurance, and mindset, like we talked about in ways a pool never could. And you know, I'm not just doing this to test my limits, which will be tested by no means. They they're they're gonna be tested, but I'm doing it for the very same reason Hilda did, one of the reasons she did it for hers. I'm doing it because every child deserves to learn to swim. And, you know, very similar story. My mom taught me to swim when I was very young. And that gift shaped my entire life from club swimming to lifeguarding, coaching, teaching, and to now this wonderful career I have in the aquatics industry. And now as a mom myself, I'm passing that same gift along to my daughters. And I want more families to have that same opportunity. So I'm turning this fun challenge into a fundraiser for every child a swimmer. And if you're not familiar, this this Every Child a Swimmer was founded by a mother who lost her daughter to a drowning. And she turned that grief into a mission to save others and that their transparency through their impact, it makes them a cause worth swimming for. So to support this mission, I'm doing three things. I'm gonna swim 21 plus miles in 21 days. I'm raising funds through Every Child to Swimmer to expand access to swim lessons, and I'm partnering with Revved Up Apparel to launch fundraiser merchandise. And if merchandise is not your thing, you can simply donate. But you know, really every contribution makes a real impact. And these swims are more about finish lines. They're about honoring the woman who taught me to love the water, inspiring my daughters, and they're about helping more children learn a skill that could save the lives because every child deserves the chance to learn to swim, gain confidence in the water, and come home safely. So, Hilda, I can't thank you enough for being here with me, for sharing your story and helping me announce my swims. And I will definitely have you in mind. And again, I will follow along with your journey and thank you for helping announce mine.

SPEAKER_02 58:03

Thank you so much for having me. It's been an honor to be on your show and also in your announcement of your swim. I'm very excited to follow your journey. I hope that you share it as well so we can follow along and see how you're progressing to it and to follow that same day.

SPEAKER_07 58:19

Yes, yes. And again, thank you guys for tuning in week after week for supporting this mission, helping us push the message. And for part two of my conversation with Eric, I did not forget you guys on specialty chemicals will drop next Wednesday. So stay tuned, stay safe, keep challenging the myths, keep expanding your knowledge, and as always, stay educated. Until next time, guys.