Where the Road Ends, the Water Begins

Summer weekends have a rhythm of their own.

The pace of life slows down, but my training doesn’t. If anything, it becomes more enjoyable. Escaping to my summer house gives me something I can’t find in the city—quiet roads, open water, and the freedom to combine different disciplines in a way that feels completely natural.

This weekend was a perfect example of why I look forward to these short escapes all year.

Just before the start

The pool is where I build technique, consistency, and speed. But the sea offers something the pool never can: freedom.

This Saturday’s session wasn’t just another open water swim. Instead of swimming parallel to the shoreline, I decided to circle the small island just offshore.

What looked like a short loop from land quickly became a completely different experience once I was surrounded by nothing but water.

The route constantly changed my perspective. Every few hundred meters, the coastline looked different. The sunlight reflected from another angle. Small waves appeared as the wind picked up, forcing subtle adjustments to my stroke and navigation.

I covered 1,803 meters in just over 42 minutes, averaging 2:19 per 100 meters, but the numbers weren’t what made the session memorable.

Swimming around an island transforms an ordinary workout into an adventure.

There are no lane ropes. No walls every 25 meters. No black line to follow.

Only you, the sea, and the next landmark.

Those are the sessions that remind me why I fell in love with swimming in the first place.

Sunday morning shifted the focus from the water to the road. The plan was straightforward: a controlled 10K run before the temperature climbed too high.

The course around the coastline is anything but flat. Rolling hills force you to constantly adjust your effort, making it difficult to settle into one pace.

Enjoy the run

10.36 km

• 1:00:57

• 5:53/km average pace

• 165 bpm average heart rate

• 4:31/km fastest pace

Photo time

If it is not on Strava, it didn't happen

Looking back at the data, what stands out most isn’t the average pace.

It’s how consistently the effort stayed under control despite the elevation changes. Every climb pushed the heart rate upward, while every descent became an opportunity to recover before attacking the next hill.

I wasn’t chasing a personal best.

I was building endurance.

With my Dagestan training camp approaching, sessions like this matter more than running one fast 10K. Strength, durability, and aerobic efficiency are the priorities.

Fitness isn’t built by one spectacular workout.

It’s built by showing up again and again.

The run wasn’t the end of the day.

One of the biggest advantages of spending weekends by the coast is having the perfect recovery tool just a few steps away.

After breakfast and a little rest, I headed back into the water for an easy 1,427-meter recovery swim.

There was no pressure to swim fast.

No intervals.

No watch-checking every few minutes.

Just relaxed strokes, cool seawater, and tired legs slowly coming back to life.

Swimming after a run has become one of my favorite recovery methods. The water removes impact, encourages mobility, and leaves me feeling fresher than almost anything else.

Sometimes recovery doesn’t need to happen on a foam roller.

Sometimes it happens in the sea.

People often ask why I enjoy combining swimming and running so much.

The answer is simple.

Each sport makes me better at the other.

Swimming teaches rhythm, patience, and efficiency.

Running builds resilience, strength, and mental toughness.

Together, they create a balance that keeps training both challenging and enjoyable.

But beyond the physiological benefits, weekends like these remind me why I started this journey years ago.

Not for race medals.

Not for Strava statistics.

Not even for personal records.

I train because I genuinely enjoy moving.

Whether it’s running over rolling hills or swimming around an island under the summer sun, these moments make every early alarm worth it.

As summer slowly slips away, I’ll keep making the most of every weekend escape.

Because sometimes the best place to train is simply where the road ends and the sea begins.