hi all - i'm considering a marathon swim of 20 miles next july. My concern is this: i've lived the last few years at 200 feet elevation and the lake is at 6000 ft. I'm sure in the months as I train i can get some time in at higher elevations, but they would probably be no more than 2000 feet. How significant is this change in elevation and would it drastically affect my ability to swim for 20 miles, even if i have the endurance?
My endurance is another question. I've completed one Ironman triathlon, meaning i've never swam more than 2.4 miles. I'm very comfortable in the water though and feel i can be disciplined over the next 10 months to get the training in. Anyone have thoughts on training tips in order to complete a 20 mile swim 10 months from now? Thanks much.
My response must be qualified with a "I've never swum 20 miles":
I used to swim in high school living in Florida. When I would visit family in Denver, I would get in the water and train. There was a major difference in my stamina between sea level and 5200 feet. I would have to cut a 6000m workout down to about 4000m at the beginning of the week. However, by the end of 5 days or so, I had acclimated. So I think it may be possible that if you can train for at least a week before hand at altitude, you might be OK.
As far as getting to distance, that 20 miles is a bit beyond my comprehension, though, I have found with consistent training over the last year and pacing, I often feel as if I could swim much farther than the 3 mile distances I typically swim.
I recommend getting Open Water Swimming by Penny Lee Dean AND Dover Solo: Swimming The English Channel by Marcia Cleveland. Both are excellent references.
I’ve done a few marathon swims, none at altitude. With that said, I’d be more concerned about the cold than the altitude. You can get acclimated to altitude in a few days but it takes months to get acclimated to cold water swims.
Do you know the anticipated water temperature?
If you would like to experience what it is to swim at elevation, I would try first to swim the Horsetooth 10 K swim just outside of Fort Collins, CO, elevation of 5700. If you have time before you swim 20 Miles at 6000 feet. The event is held early in August. Age is another factor in how well you will adjust to the change in oxygen.
At 6000 feet, the time adjustment is about 24 seconds per 1650, so that may help you gauge the time it may take you to swim the 20 miles. Go to www.csi.org for adjustments.
Last note, I live at 5400 feet. I just competed at 6300 feet, I could feel the difference in the lack of oxygen. It hurt, not a great deal, but there was more raspying at the bottom of my lungs that hurt. This occurred in warm-up and the 800 meter race.
Good luck!
Thanks everyone for the input. The temperature of the lake is low to mid 60s in mid-July. However, I WILL be wearing a wetsuit. Sorry I didn't clarify, I'm not that masochistic just yet to go wetsuit-less, but at 145 lbs i have little fat layer for insulation so i'm going to go the wimpy route.
I'll check out those books as well!
In Track & Field, it is felt that for endurance events there is a significant change above 1000 meters altitude. So much so that in the past they have had adjustments in qualifying times (I think it was 3%, but don't trust that memory) for things like the nationals and olympic trials.
I lived at 6000 feet for years in Colorado Springs and there was a difference. However, if you deliberately slow down slightly, it makes the distance more doable. One thing that I always found was that if I was coming from sea-level to 6000 feet and racing, I either wanted to race within 36+ hours of arriving or wait about a week and then race. There seemed to be a performace "dead zone" between those days and the same was true for going from 6000 feet to sea-level.
Going from 2.4 miles sea-level to 20 miles at 6000 feet is a big leap, but it can be done. You may find that the psychological factor is bigger than the physical factor.
One thing I'd be VERY concerned about is the sun - UV rays are much more intense at 6000 feet and you are going to be in the water a long time. Make sure you have polycarbonate goggle lenses. Serious sun protection is in order.
-LBJ
I've done some elevation swimming, although nothing like that distance. It was no easy feat. I was dizzy, and lightheaded, and definitely felt the lack of oxygen.
It also felt decidedly different than running, which I was able to do for much longer and much more comfortably.
I guess I would ask myself why the big jump so dramatically?
The reason for the quick change in elevation is i'll be going from where i live (east coast) to a family reunion (northern utah) and want to swim the lake where we vacationed growing up. I'll hopefully have 2-3 days of acclimating.
