I have swum a handful or 5K open waters over the past few years and am seriously considering swimming my first 10K next August (National Championship in Little Traverse Bay, MI 8/1/2009). In most all of my 5Ks (even the rough/cold condition ones) I felt pretty good afterwards, could have swum farther, and luckily didn't cramp up at all.
My question for those who have swum a 10K and 5K, how much of a difference are they on a pain/exhaustion scale? Like is swimming a 10K 30% more painful and/or exhausting or is it more like 500% more painful/exhausting.
I am a relatively slow open water swimmer and would be aiming just to complete the swim in or around a time of 3 1/2 to 4 hours (barring any major route miscalculation or dibilitating physical side-effect).:drown:
Thanks for your thoughts!
I don't find a big difference. Both need to be controlled pace with something hard at the end when you get close. If you extend yourself too much, 10K can hurt a lot worse. You essentially go the same pace, it's just a little mental as you are doubling the distance. I used to to do the Harbor Springs 3 mile race every year up that way. It should be beautiful. Good luck.
Former Member
Depends on how hard you go, but usually it is safe to say, you will certainly sllep better after a 10K than a 5K!
One big difference is that you will need to feed during a 10K and you may not have needed this in the 5K.
Beyond that, yes, it does take more out of you than a 5K, but how much is a function of how hard you are pushing it. If you are racing to win, a 10K can be significantly more painful. If you are swimming to complete the distance, it won’t hurt as much.
I'm not sure how the race will be set up; if there will be a feeding station or if your paddler can have your fuel.
One way is to have a squeezable water bottle filled with your fuel and have your paddler toss you the bottle during the race. There are lots of endurance/energy drinks out there such as Accelerade, Heed (Hammer), Powerbar, Nuun, etc. Just look at a sporting goods, bike or triathlete shop in your area. This is a good way because you can turn over on your back, keep kicking and take your drink. When you're done, toss the bottle back to your paddler and let them pick it up out of the water while you turn over and start swimming again.
I've heard some swimmers tuck a pack of energy gel (Gu, etc.) in their suits so they can take that during the swim.
Depending on the water temp and conditions, unwrapping a solid bar and chewing it can be hard to do but doable for some people. Some people like those jelly type of fuels like Clif Shot Blocks but, again, they can get hard to chew during a swim.
You should always practice with your fuel BEFORE the race. Sometimes, the mixture or food may upset your stomach. You don't want that. Find something that agrees with you and will keep up your energy. And, practice the way you're going to take it.
Good luck!
Former Member
I would be going pretty slow and definitely NOT trying to win! How does a person feed while swimming--what do they eat? Do you think I'd have to bring my own support person or do 10Ks usually provide support people for feeding breaks? Thanks for the info, I appreciate it!
