I'm entered in my first long swim, the Potomac 7.5 mile race, on Saturday and have some last minute questions. Goal is to finish (I don't care if I'm last or if I set a new record for slowest finish; just want to get from one side of the river to the other).
I've never done a swim long enough to require a taper. When should I do my last long swim, or should I do only enough short swims and cross training to prevent lactic acid buildup? (I did 5 miles on Saturday, two on Sunday, took yesterday off). Should I take the two days before the swim off completely or do some easy swims/ cross training?
How often to stop for hydrating and feeding? I know some stop every half hour to hydrate and every hour to feed, but that seems like a bit much. Would every hour for both hydrating and feeding be OK, or is there a psychological benefit in stopping every half hour? And is it better to stop more frequently just in case? And what have you used for feeding? I've tried gel packs and Power Bars and Larabars at different times and they all seem to work OK. Would bringing some sort of hot or warm drink help with preventing hypothermia? And any advice on what to eat right before the swim?
My plan is to start out very slow and easy, about a 45 minute mile pace (don't laugh); I can pick up speed later if I want to and can. (I did a two mile race last Sept. at about a 38 minute pace). I'll probably do some breastroke to spare my shoulder and save energy, and going at a slow pace will save me for any current/ chop/ waves at the end. Fortunately there are no time limits on this race!
I appreciate any advice any of you have. Thanks!
Sandra
Sandra,
There are a number of threads that go into detail about feeding. You may want to check them out.
When should I do my last long swim, or should I do only enough short swims and cross training to prevent lactic acid buildup? What do you consider a long swim? Usually the days before a long swim I would try to get in a 45 to 90 minute swim every day, preferably in the open water. Swimming an easy pace with a couple of moderate 5 minute swims in the middle.
As for feeding, do you have a kayak escort , power boat or are there feeding stations? My usual advice is to race with the same fuel that you train with. For my marathon swims, I would train and race with Endurox. In escorted races, I would feed 24 ounces every 30 minutes, every 4 hours I would include liquid Advil. I never did solids or gels during a race.
For pre-race meals I would usually go for carbs and protein (steak and pasta) the night before and for race morning I’d go with plenty of fluids, bananas, power bar, bagels with peanut butter and oatmeal for cold swims.
If you have a kayak escort, make sure all drinks are premixed and ready to go. Also warm/hot liquids don’t do much to prevent hypothermia (it is a psychological boost), 16 ounces of hot liquid at 120F will raise your core temperature by about one tenth of a degree. If your boat crew can warm your drinks then by all means have them do it, but if they don’t have an on-board stove, then don’t worry about it.
Note the best way to stay warm is to burn calories by maintaining a decent pace. Starting out very slow and easy may not be the best strategy in cold water.
And most important… HAVE FUN and Good luck!
Sandra,
There are a number of threads that go into detail about feeding. You may want to check them out.
When should I do my last long swim, or should I do only enough short swims and cross training to prevent lactic acid buildup? What do you consider a long swim? Usually the days before a long swim I would try to get in a 45 to 90 minute swim every day, preferably in the open water. Swimming an easy pace with a couple of moderate 5 minute swims in the middle.
As for feeding, do you have a kayak escort , power boat or are there feeding stations? My usual advice is to race with the same fuel that you train with. For my marathon swims, I would train and race with Endurox. In escorted races, I would feed 24 ounces every 30 minutes, every 4 hours I would include liquid Advil. I never did solids or gels during a race.
For pre-race meals I would usually go for carbs and protein (steak and pasta) the night before and for race morning I’d go with plenty of fluids, bananas, power bar, bagels with peanut butter and oatmeal for cold swims.
If you have a kayak escort, make sure all drinks are premixed and ready to go. Also warm/hot liquids don’t do much to prevent hypothermia (it is a psychological boost), 16 ounces of hot liquid at 120F will raise your core temperature by about one tenth of a degree. If your boat crew can warm your drinks then by all means have them do it, but if they don’t have an on-board stove, then don’t worry about it.
Note the best way to stay warm is to burn calories by maintaining a decent pace. Starting out very slow and easy may not be the best strategy in cold water.
And most important… HAVE FUN and Good luck!
