Hi. New to the board...I have a few questions:
I am training for a two-mile ocean swim in Southern California at the beginning of August. I have been in the water for about 6 weeks, swimming two days a week, around 2,000-2,500 yds.
My first question: How many yards should I be getting in at each practice? And will stepping it up to three days a week be adequate for the rest of my training?
Also, how much open water training do I need to do before the race? Will 3-4 times in the ocean be adequate? (I used to be a competitive swimmer and an ocean lifeguard...but I haven't been swimming for the last several years.)
I am not doing this to compete, but to finish solidly. Any and all advice is much appreciated! Thanks so much. Hannah
Hannah,
Since you used to be a competitive swimmer and an ocean lifeguard, you are ahead of a lot of folks in understanding how to swim in the ocean.
Without knowing more about your workouts and previous level of competitive swimming it is hard to come up with a definitive answer to know what it will take to make it. However, I would guess that if you keep up your training at your current pace and throwing in a few open water sessions, you should be able to complete your swim.
Now with this said, bumping up your yardage to say 3,000- 3,500 yards, swimming another day or two a week, and adding a couple of additional open water practices will definitely move you up in the field to a more solid finish. But don’t try to overdo it. One of the biggest problems with competitive swimmers coming back for a race is in trying to do too many yards too quickly. This can lead to shoulder problems.
Good Luck
Hannah,
Since you used to be a competitive swimmer and an ocean lifeguard, you are ahead of a lot of folks in understanding how to swim in the ocean.
Without knowing more about your workouts and previous level of competitive swimming it is hard to come up with a definitive answer to know what it will take to make it. However, I would guess that if you keep up your training at your current pace and throwing in a few open water sessions, you should be able to complete your swim.
Now with this said, bumping up your yardage to say 3,000- 3,500 yards, swimming another day or two a week, and adding a couple of additional open water practices will definitely move you up in the field to a more solid finish. But don’t try to overdo it. One of the biggest problems with competitive swimmers coming back for a race is in trying to do too many yards too quickly. This can lead to shoulder problems.
Good Luck
