I'm a practicing Muslim and Ramadan is coming up very soon so that means I'm gonna be fasting. And due to time constraints I can only swim at one very tiny pool that must be less than 12.5 meters. The problem is that I've worked hard on getting my times low and the championship meet I want to compete at lies the day after Ramadan ends. So I can compete, but I don't just want to compete I want to win. I'm a freestyle sprinter and I focus on the 50 free and 100 free with a little bit of phases on breastroke. The question is can I do it? In such a tiny little pool, I'll probably train using USRPT but I'm not even sure if the pool is 12.5 meters.. What can I do? I just need advice, I've worked my butt off just to get to this moment and my religion is in the way
I have no opinion on if you should break your fast or not.
If you do, I'd like to point out that a lot of your speed can be maintained with much diminished exercise, particularly if you keep some sprinting. Short hard sprints against stretch cords could actually make you faster, as well. (See the Stretchcordz short belt). I've had a lot of friends take of for a few weeks and go faster than tapered times in short events.
Alternatively, there are other meets, not during Ramadan. It's one meet. So what?
Small hotel pools are a challenge. It is very hard to work on form and rhythm. You can work on turns and streamlining pretty well. At hotel pools I also work on kicking sets,pulling sets with no push off,vertical kicking sets,tread water sprints arms only(get as high in the water for 30 sec as you can) tread water sprints legs only(arms over head) etc.It takes ingenuity,but you can get a pretty goo workout.
I can try some of this stuff. I'm contemplating skipping 2 days
of fasting a week.. Ugh I'm just so unsure
20 feet is barely 6m.
You can still make the most of it with a little creativity. To sharpen turns, place a marker at the standard distance from wall to simulate the T markings (I have used ceramic tiles).
Just make the most of it and who knows, maybe it will work to your advantage since you likely have already done the training.
Can you get a power tower (www.totalperformance.org/power-tower), or something like it? I think you can get some serious sprint training over a pretty short distance with this. And I've often considered getting resistance bands (like the kind you tie around your waist and attach to a ladder or something) to use in small hotel pools when I travel and can't find another team to visit.
What can I do? I just need advice, I've worked my butt off just to get to this moment and my religion is in the way
This inquiry feels like a set-up.
Surely you can exploit some loopholes in your religious practice that allow you to adjust it to your lifestyle. I’d site some examples here, but the moderators are probably already squirming.....
Small hotel pools are a challenge. It is very hard to work on form and rhythm. You can work on turns and streamlining pretty well. At hotel pools I also work on kicking sets,pulling sets with no push off,vertical kicking sets,tread water sprints arms only(get as high in the water for 30 sec as you can) tread water sprints legs only(arms over head) etc.It takes ingenuity,but you can get a pretty goo workout.
Can you get a power tower (www.totalperformance.org/power-tower), or something like it? I think you can get some serious sprint training over a pretty short distance with this. And I've often considered getting resistance bands (like the kind you tie around your waist and attach to a ladder or something) to use in small hotel pools when I travel and can't find another team to visit.
Could you link me to one of these resistance bands?
how would I make the workouts using that? And I'll still be doing my usual weight training.
my religion is in the way
This comment concerns me. For me, my religion is a way of life, not something that gets in my way, ever. If you are more concerned about the swim meet than Ramadan, then you have your answer, right there. If I am not mistaken, you do get to eat during Ramadan, but only at night, right? So this is not a complete fast by any stretch - you will still have calories coming in during the evening. I would recommend training at the crack of dawn, if your faith allows, because many of us swim before breakfast, and it doesn't affect my personal training at all. If you are allowed to drink water after you train, all the better. They do say that racing is 90% mental, so perhaps doing USRPT for the month prior to your event could be considered your taper. You can carb load on the day of the meet. Best wishes on your conflicted interests.
If you are reducing your calories significantly you need to reduce all forms of exercise. If you break down your muscles without the food to repair them you will rapidly get weaker. I think a valid fast allows you to eat as much as you want when the sun is down. You should try to maintain your food intake when you are allowed and exercise in the evening/early morning. Rest as much as possible during the day.
