I hope no one minds, but I could use your input. And if I repeat myself, it is for the benefit of any new people to this forum.
I am training for what I call an epic swim; a swim from the island of Roatan to Utila in August of 2008, the year I turn 60. The distance is about 19 miles. After months of not swimming by choice, I started re-training this past January 15th. Due to previous swimming injuries, I decided to not leap into it but to train smart so I don't have any downtime due to injury flareups.
In January, I only swam Monday-Wed-Fridays and the yardage started small. My total from Jan 15 to the 31st was 8,800 yds.
In February, I added a fourth swim day, Saturdays. I decided to make Mondays and Fridays drill and sprint days, and Wednesdays and Saturdays are distance days, many times I time them to see progress. My total yardage from Feb 1 to Feb 24th is 26,980 yds. There were 6 days in there the ocean was angry and the swims were of short duration.
Two weeks ago, I timed my 2nd 2 mile swim and it is down from a 54:07 to a 51:02 so I see progress, and not just in time but how trashed I felt hours after it. Last Wednesday, I timed a 1 mile swim and it was a 27:01 so that is rather slow compared to the 2 mile, but hey, we all have off days.
Since that time, I have been extremely fatigued, I actually did not swim this past Saturday because I needed the rest. It is difficult doing a load of laundry. Now, I do not take vitamins because there aren't any here but I plan on getting a suitcase full when I go home to Texas in April. Also, it is hard to hydrate during training because the little island kids steal my gatorade and water off a chair on the beach. But I am not sure how important hydration is for a mile or 2 mile swim, but when I get into the 4 milers and I am about ready to break into those, I guess I'll have to figure a way like wear them around my neck or something.
My questions are: do I need to incorporate periodization into my training routine (periodization is where you swim so many weeks on, and so many days off on a regular basis); what vitamins or replacement products would benefit me as I move upward into more mileage? The reason I am asking these questions is when I go home the end of April for a visit, I will be able to buy anything that may help my body regulate the training I am incurring. The only thing here is Gatorade and my problem with that is it may take so much of it, that my stomach will be sloshing around full of liquid; not a good thing.
Sorry this is long, but wanted to layout the groundwork. So, periodization, pros and cons? Replacement products? Vitamins?
Donna
Parents
Former Member
Leonard,
Thank you ever so much for sharing your knowledge and in the order of priorities. I think I need to incorporate periodization as you speak of it, so I will work out a plan for each level of fitness that I achieve.
The good news here is I have been told by world class coaches that I have excellent swim technique; one of those strokes that looks effortless and like gliding through the water with no break in form whatsoever regardless of speed or distance. This may be why distance comes so easy for me once the conditioning is in place.
A couple of things you mentioned such as speed strength I am incorporating now because I also will be swimming a 1 mile triathlon race shortly and I have to change gears throughout that mile due to passing people. So, I do work on this a lot, swim pace, then some race pace, followed by pace again, and I have felt the improvement.
I think my main concern is getting enough rest from training during the training, as well as product supplements for hydration, etc. as the mileage piles on.
I know you are a well-known distance swimmer and I value your guidance. If you have any hydration-related products you find beneficial, I'd sure like those recommendations.
Today was a magnificent 2 mile swim, I felt like I could have swum for 24 hours; it just felt better the further I went. Maybe the conditoning is coming into place now for that distance.
Thank you for sharing your experience and clarifying further periodization. I hope I can call upon you in the future as I need to, and there is no reason why you can't join me in this epic swim; no one in the world has done this stretch of water. And there are some folks in the States that may be doing it separately from me as a relay.
Donna
Leonard,
Thank you ever so much for sharing your knowledge and in the order of priorities. I think I need to incorporate periodization as you speak of it, so I will work out a plan for each level of fitness that I achieve.
The good news here is I have been told by world class coaches that I have excellent swim technique; one of those strokes that looks effortless and like gliding through the water with no break in form whatsoever regardless of speed or distance. This may be why distance comes so easy for me once the conditioning is in place.
A couple of things you mentioned such as speed strength I am incorporating now because I also will be swimming a 1 mile triathlon race shortly and I have to change gears throughout that mile due to passing people. So, I do work on this a lot, swim pace, then some race pace, followed by pace again, and I have felt the improvement.
I think my main concern is getting enough rest from training during the training, as well as product supplements for hydration, etc. as the mileage piles on.
I know you are a well-known distance swimmer and I value your guidance. If you have any hydration-related products you find beneficial, I'd sure like those recommendations.
Today was a magnificent 2 mile swim, I felt like I could have swum for 24 hours; it just felt better the further I went. Maybe the conditoning is coming into place now for that distance.
Thank you for sharing your experience and clarifying further periodization. I hope I can call upon you in the future as I need to, and there is no reason why you can't join me in this epic swim; no one in the world has done this stretch of water. And there are some folks in the States that may be doing it separately from me as a relay.
Donna
