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
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.
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.
