OK I got in. The most I have swam is 2 miles open water. I swim about 10K yards a week with 2 masters workouts a week. Now what. This race is 4.4 miles.
The race date is June 8. I think I can answer my own question... double (or triple!) my weekly yardage, hold yourself back on the start, finally, grit your teeth and "enjoy" gutting it out.
Ideas for training?:confused:
Parents
Former Member
I'm still reading with interest here. I've decided to do the swim "sans rubber" for a variety of reasons and figure that if the water will be above 62F I'll be fine. Regarding workouts??? I switched from distance running to swimming about 2 years ago when the knees and ankels started to protest beyond reasonable pain. Swimming is the perfect endurance substitute for me because I can do it every day - pain free!
So for the Bay Swim, my question for the group is more along the lines of gaining a better understanding of what I would gain from interval training vs. the long smooth workouts I've been doing for the past two years. I know I can improve my speed and form with intervals, but I'm wondering how much I'll need to change the 15K yard/week I've been holding as a base fitness level. I get in the long course pool about once/week and do 3K or 4K meters freestyle continuously. I also have a nice course I've been doing off the beach at Grandview Island - about 2.5K, but can't touch it this time of year due to water temp icecream headache/brain freeze.
I'm really not worked up about going faster, but rather more concerned about making the distance. In my prior fitness existance I was a sub 3 hour marathon runner and have been applying the same principles of training (10 percent per week build with alternating hard/easy weeks), only I've left out the intervals - equivalant to track workouts for a runner, and am wondering what I might be missing in the way of endurance and ability to make the 4.4 mi without bonking. I guess I could develop/borrow a training sched...
So there it is - a long litany of pontificating to maybe get some experienced swim fit folks to encourage another wannabe with some good advice on how best to plan for the event.
I'm still reading with interest here. I've decided to do the swim "sans rubber" for a variety of reasons and figure that if the water will be above 62F I'll be fine. Regarding workouts??? I switched from distance running to swimming about 2 years ago when the knees and ankels started to protest beyond reasonable pain. Swimming is the perfect endurance substitute for me because I can do it every day - pain free!
So for the Bay Swim, my question for the group is more along the lines of gaining a better understanding of what I would gain from interval training vs. the long smooth workouts I've been doing for the past two years. I know I can improve my speed and form with intervals, but I'm wondering how much I'll need to change the 15K yard/week I've been holding as a base fitness level. I get in the long course pool about once/week and do 3K or 4K meters freestyle continuously. I also have a nice course I've been doing off the beach at Grandview Island - about 2.5K, but can't touch it this time of year due to water temp icecream headache/brain freeze.
I'm really not worked up about going faster, but rather more concerned about making the distance. In my prior fitness existance I was a sub 3 hour marathon runner and have been applying the same principles of training (10 percent per week build with alternating hard/easy weeks), only I've left out the intervals - equivalant to track workouts for a runner, and am wondering what I might be missing in the way of endurance and ability to make the 4.4 mi without bonking. I guess I could develop/borrow a training sched...
So there it is - a long litany of pontificating to maybe get some experienced swim fit folks to encourage another wannabe with some good advice on how best to plan for the event.
