Open water swim and training plans

Yes some suggestions:

You can either do some quick math, and adapt the meters to intervals, for example:

5x200, can become 5x3´30"

10x25mts sprints: 10 x 20 full strokes

and so on...

But the best is to do some open water specific sessions:

5' Fast/ 5' Steady/ 5' easy x 3: Train yourself how to recover from a fast start and get into cruise pace.

Have fun, Open water is awsome

Vinnie

Look at a map for distance, and use a watch.

just learn your times in a pool. I swim 14 minute 1000's in the pool and that translates to 15 min 20 sec 1000's in the ocean. Probably a little less drastic of change in a lake.
So if you swim a 14 min 1000 in the pool, swim 15 mins in the lake and you should be at 1000. Then all you need is a waterproof watch.
Time=distance.

I wear a sports watch on my wrist and then put my garmin in a ziplock under my swim cap.  I generally know I swam around 2:00/100mtrs so if I need 40 minutes I swim that time and look at my garmin for the distance.   Other than that just swim by time and stop periodically to look at your watch and tread water.

I wear a sports watch on my wrist and then put my garmin in a ziplock under my swim cap.  I generally know I swam around 2:00/100mtrs so if I need 40 minutes I swim that time and look at my garmin for the distance.   Other than that just swim by time and stop periodically to look at your watch and tread water. 

I am looking at my swim workouts that include things such as 3x100 on 20" rest and 6 x 100 w/paddles on 20" rest 5 x 300 on 30" rest. (this plus more in one session).  How would these translate? 

Not sure of others opinions but for me OW swim's I just swim. If you choose to do it instead of a pool you throw your planned workout out the window and just swim for time or distance.

You can't tell your times by looking at a workout. You need times within the workout...
If you are doing 5x300's on 20 seconds rest I am sure you can swim 1000 yards without stopping. Just go back to a pool, swim 1000 yards while timing yourself. That time will be the basis for how far you are swimming in the lake. After a swim or two in the lake, you'll know it's dimensions pretty darn close to accurate.