How many of you stop and for how long to fuel/ hydrate during the 10K postal swim? What do you drink if anything?
I can't decide if I should do this and when in the race. Is it allowed? I barely made it through the hour swim (and did just over 5,000 yds) last year.
Thanks for any thoughts!
Among others, I interviewed Ann Grandjean, a nutritionist for the US Olympic teams, who concluded, among other things, that caffeine is NOT a diuretic in anybody who uses it regularly. Even in caffeine-naive individuals, it is only very mildly diuretic--not that water mongers would have us believe this.
Along those lines...a friend of mine drinks beers pretty regularly (2-4 a day). She was on some medication and needed to stop for awhile. She went to a doctor complaining that she didn't feel well and he determined that she was simply dehydrated. Beer was her main source of water, apparently!
So -- even though alcohol is also a diuretic -- you can definitely use beer to stay hydrated. Good news for many on this forum, I'm sure...though I don't necessarily recommend it just before the 10K...
Do you guys get really significantly thirsty during workouts? Is your pool temperature 84 or above?
I don't get terribly thirsty during workouts. I always have a water bottle and take sips throughout the workout as that's what my coaches always told me to do. It's maybe half empty at the end of practice. Even when I swam with National group I sipped water or Gatorade only during set explanations (9200 yds in just over 2 hours).
I just noticed that when I did the 5K postal last year, towards the tail end of the swim my legs cramped up and I got thirsty. I now *think* it was b/c I did not hydrate well before the race; was on antibiotics; and ingested too much caffeine (a diuretic) before the swim.
On my 5K OW swims, I've never gotten thirsty. With the 10K postal, I want to make sure that I am hydrated and avoid cramps (which I've never gotten since the 5K postal). But I don't want a repeat of the 5K postal! I think based on Kristi's answer that it would be smart to hydrate at the 5K and 7.5K mark. Awesome job on your 6K swim. Great 5K split!!
Sounds as if stopping to drink is legal as well on the postals. Thanks Anna Lea.
Glider - you could totally do a 10K if you wanted to. :bouncing: But, I don't think you are dying to do so!
The pools I swim in are fortunately below 84 degrees. I know that heat will really change things up. . .
