Hi everyone-
I’m still pretty new to the forum and had a question specifically for someone new to open water swimming. Over the past few summers I’ve swam a lot of .5 to 1.0 mile open water pond swims. My main problem is breaking out of my routine and going longer distance like the 5k to 10k races.
I’ve been reading how some people train by jumping in and just doing non stop distance. It kind of appealed to me as I was reading about a swimmer who does a 1 mile pool swim (no breaks) 3 times a week.
Right now I’m sort of used to training on a pyramid 100,200,300, 400,500. However I’ve been thinking possibly the non stop mile swims may be better from the endurance standpoint?
Thanks again everyone. Let me know if your looking for a training partner in Massachusetts!
A couple times a month I will swim a 2000 straight swim, just to make sure my mind can swim that long straight. I will followed that by a workout. When I am planning to swim a 10 K, I will beef that up to 3000 straight swim. When I was training for the Catalina I would do 5000 straight swims.
All will help in open water swimming. If you can get in a 50 meter pool that will also build strength.
I did a 5 mile race last summer. Prior to that I had done 1.5 mile swims and a few 2.5 mile swims. My practice included non-stop one mile swims broken up by swimming hard for a hundred and then backing off for a hundred, and so on.
Where are you in Massachusetts?
I typically include at least one or two distance days in my routine. Sometimes I do sets of 1000s, sometimes a straight 5-6000, sometimes sets of 2500--depends on the mood. When I'm training for a much longer race, I'll do a straight set longer than that. But then, I'd rather do a straight 10000 than one 50 fly....
I generally swim a few 1M to 3M o/w swims each year (maybe 3 to 6, depending upon the year). Unfortunately, I rarely get the chance to train in open water prior to those swims, so all my training is in the pool. I don't do any long swims in the pool prior to O/W swimming for two reasons:
I just get too bored and lose count swimming any repeat distance much over about 500 yards in a pool. Sometimes our master's coach makes us do 600s or 800s, but, rarely.
I find that, once in an open water race, there are so many variables at play -- adrenaline / excitement of the race, strategizing as to when to draft/when to pass, sighting, etc. -- that my mind is so engaged in the event that I don't notice the lack of prior long swims.
Now, if I had a body of open water where I could consistently train, I'd probably change my mind ... but I don't think I'll be adding long swims in the pool anytime soon.
I think the pyramid is fine. It's impossible to get a realistic "straight swim" in a 25 yd pool. Even if you swam non-top, the push off from the wall at each ends gives your muscles an unrealistic break.
I just do the same workout as everyone. During the summer I find some open water and practice but that's mainly mental preparation more than anything else.
Thanks everyone for the awesome responses. It was great to hear everyones training routine. I think now I'm going to mix it up and try some 1k straight swims just to get used to distance (as much as you can in a 25m pool). I can't wait till it warms up again. I'm going to try and find a beginner friendly 5k around my area.
Syd: I live in Worcester Massachusetts are you closeby?
When you train or race open water do you use wetsuits? I bought a tri suit but I notice they really take some getting used to. They keep your body on the surface of the water and it feels kind of uncomfortable. But the tri community seems to love them.
I don't swim or train in a wet suit, but then I haven't gone in water colder than 69 F for any prolonged period of time.
As to your original question, I have my :2cents::
I've done OWS of 3K, 1K, 3K, and 5K in that order over the last two seasons with the last three coming this past summer. I workout alone in a 25Y pool (only thing available on my schedule and budget), and over the last two years I moved myself from swimming workouts of 1800 - 2700 yards with nothing longer than 500 yards as a distance (using a lot of pyramids) to swimming workouts of 3600 - 5400 yards adding at least one long swim of at least 3K per week. All the above comments about 25Y pool swimming being very different are absolutely true, but for me, I find it necessary to do the long swims for mental training. About 3 weeks before the 5K I did three months ago, I swam one in the pool just to get over the mental barrier. While it's true that turns give the shoulders a break, I found myself more tired after the pool 5K than the lake 5K. I think the difference was 90% mental and 10% water temp (lake was much colder which I prefer for long swims).
I'm now thinking about what I might do to prepare for a 10K. I may have to change strategies.
Good luck. It's addictive.
At the Sharkfest last June 28 the water temp at Alcatraz was 52 degrees,...57 in Aquatic Park. Major shrinkage.
I swam a mile the evening before with WaterWorld. I do believe the water was colder that evening.
Read "Swimming to Antarctica" by Lynne Cox!
At the Sharkfest last June 28 the water temp at Alcatraz was 52 degrees,...57 in Aquatic Park. Major shrinkage.
I swam a mile the evening before with WaterWorld. I do believe the water was colder that evening.
Read "Swimming to Antarctica" by Lynne Cox!
Yeah, I don't know if I'll ever be able to acclimate myself to that, but a guy's got to have goals.
I double the recommendation on Lynne Cox's book ... now there's a person whose name needs to be entered in the thread on the greatest athlete. Her feats are mind boggling.
