Anyone have any experience training for Relay Swims? Our swim is 35 miles with each person probably swimming 5 or maybe 6 miles at most. With swim time being 1 hour non stop does that change your training routine? Say from training like for a 5K or 10K?
From an actual "swim training" standpoint, there would probably not be too much difference. That is assuming that each team member can reasonably recover within 5 hours...until their next slot.
However, there can be some unique issues associated with long relay swims: One of the biggest is seasickness. I've seen many teams easily handle the swimming, but the boat ride can be a deal-breaker. If you have the opportunity, swim with your team and RIDE IN A BOAT to see how they handle that.
I've worked with several people on English Channel relays, and the cold water recovery is a factor. Hypothermia has a tendency to accumulate, so one's ability to re-warm is important. With a 5-6 person relay, you may not have a problem, but I have definitely seen this with 2-3 person relays. So, if it's a cold water swim, make sure everyone is acclimatized and comfortable with 1 "IN" and 5 "OUT".
GOOD LUCK ON YOUR SWIM!
From an actual "swim training" standpoint, there would probably not be too much difference. That is assuming that each team member can reasonably recover within 5 hours...until their next slot.
However, there can be some unique issues associated with long relay swims: One of the biggest is seasickness. I've seen many teams easily handle the swimming, but the boat ride can be a deal-breaker. If you have the opportunity, swim with your team and RIDE IN A BOAT to see how they handle that.
I've worked with several people on English Channel relays, and the cold water recovery is a factor. Hypothermia has a tendency to accumulate, so one's ability to re-warm is important. With a 5-6 person relay, you may not have a problem, but I have definitely seen this with 2-3 person relays. So, if it's a cold water swim, make sure everyone is acclimatized and comfortable with 1 "IN" and 5 "OUT".
GOOD LUCK ON YOUR SWIM!
