I am doing the 1 hour swim Sunday. What are the basics for me to know? What should I eat the night before. Should I drink water during the swim. Are their any articles I can read online to learn about how to swim the 1 hour?
Thanks
I just did it for the first time. My advice:
1. Definitely agree--do not go out too fast. After my first 50, I dropped into holding the pace I intended to hold for the entire swim. That worked out well for me.
2. Keep your stroke long and try not to kick very much. Kicking takes up a lot of energy that you should be conserving given the length of the race.
3. Use long streamlines off the wall (but don't really kick). Just take it nice an easy. You'll save yourself a stroke or two per lap, and that will really add up.
4. I found breathing every two to work very well. Normally I breath every 3. I tried that for the first 1000 or so and that was too long between breaths. I wound up breathing half the length to the left, taking three strokes and breathing the rest of the length to the right.
5. The hardest part of the race came in the middle for me, not the end. This is where you have to be mentally tough. I managed to stay focussed and caught a second wind that powered me through the rest of the swim. On the back end it's somewhat downhill mentally (not physically) as you get closer and closer to completion.
6. The swim is even more mental than physical. Don't psych yourself out at any point.
Good luck!
I just did it for the first time. My advice:
1. Definitely agree--do not go out too fast. After my first 50, I dropped into holding the pace I intended to hold for the entire swim. That worked out well for me.
2. Keep your stroke long and try not to kick very much. Kicking takes up a lot of energy that you should be conserving given the length of the race.
3. Use long streamlines off the wall (but don't really kick). Just take it nice an easy. You'll save yourself a stroke or two per lap, and that will really add up.
4. I found breathing every two to work very well. Normally I breath every 3. I tried that for the first 1000 or so and that was too long between breaths. I wound up breathing half the length to the left, taking three strokes and breathing the rest of the length to the right.
5. The hardest part of the race came in the middle for me, not the end. This is where you have to be mentally tough. I managed to stay focussed and caught a second wind that powered me through the rest of the swim. On the back end it's somewhat downhill mentally (not physically) as you get closer and closer to completion.
6. The swim is even more mental than physical. Don't psych yourself out at any point.
Good luck!
