How to Train For OW 10K

the 10k. over the past decade i've learned that i can race for 2 hours without feeding (that includes water)... anything longer than that and its bonk city. this means that if i think i will be swimming for more than 2 hours i need to have a feeding plan that will start somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes into the swim. as the 10k will be held in a lake, and conditions will be fairly predictable, it should be easy for you to predict your time if you know what kind of pace you can maintain. personally, i like big yardage weeks, but i know some swimmers that have completed marathon swims (>20 miles) on 15k/week, so its really a question of finding a pace that you can sustain for that distance. my tips: - do a 3 hour pool swim, feeding no more than every 30 minutes. - feed mid pool on your back... keep it brief. take an end lane and have someone hand you a cup or bottle... gulp... keep swimming. - have a friend kayak for you. practice with this person so that they know where you like them to be and you won't need to sight the course. - go over your feed plan with your kayaker... let them keep track of the time and your feed intervals. - have fun!

Thanks for the wonderful advice. The comments are getting me fired up and in the mood to train a bit more! I am going to ponder over some of this advice, devise some sort of plan, then most likely be back on this thread asking more questions. The water will most likely be around 80 degrees. It is much more likely to be too warm than cold. I am thinking I can finish anywhere from 3 hours to 3:10. I am very steady although I've never gone longer than 1:35 in my life so maybe I will be surprised. I'm going to think positive though and assume i'll be fairly steady.

I think it is a great idea and very doable for you. It sounds like you can swim a strong 5K so you should be able to make the transition to 10K. The biggest difference would be the need for water and calories during the swim. Water temperature can also be an issue. Water temperature which is comfortable for a 1500 may be down right cold for a 10K. This past year I swam a 4K OW lake swim in 54 minutes. 4 weeks later I swam a 5K OW ocean swim where the course was parallel to the shore. Given the surface conditions I anticipated finishing in about 1:15 but there was a very strong current on the return leg. I was in a small chase group fighting stroke for stroke the entire leg back. It felt like it went on forever. While I had done a warmup before the swim, I had not ventured out past the protective jetties so I was not aware how strong the current was. I finished in 1:54. This was the longest time I had ever raced in OW and while I was tried and a bit cold from the 61 degree water I never felt that I was physically in over my head. I'm sure one or both courses may have not been accurately measured, but I offer this for comparison purposes.

Can you swim a 10K on 15,000 yards a week? Based on your 5K time, yes. I've known a few swimmers who have, but don't do it. On 15,000 per week it will feel good to about that 5K mark but then you will start asking yourself how much further? the tempo will go away, when you feed you will start to linger, telling yourself just one more minute here hanging out and I will feel better. The freestyle starts getting broken up with breaststroke and backstroke just trying to relieve those arms. And as E=H2O stated, what seemed like a decent water temperature at the start, feels chillier and chillier and finally your mind might start playing tricks on you. The more you train, the longer you will feel comfortable in the 10K. Training for a 10K is one area where the so called garbage yards are good. I believe the race is in mid July, think about creating a plan by working backwards. Personally I like to have two to three weeks prior to the a race working about 30K per week then tapering off about 8-days out. So as not to wreak your shoulders have a plan that that takes you from the current 15K to the 30K plateau, where you add about 1K per week (3 to 4 months) A mix of standard masters pool practices and hopefully some long and regular openwater sessions. If your pool and team allow, think about doing a standard masters practice then when everyone else is getting out, swim a straight a 1000, 1500 etc. It doesn't have to be fast, your just trying to get your body used to going the distance. Finally you need to ask yourself are you swimming to complete it or racing it? If swimming to race, then long strong interval sets become important, 10 x 200's, 8 x 400 etc., concentration on tempo and maintaining pace a bit less of the long slow distance (LSD).

I remember reading on the USMS Features about Heidi George who competed in the USA Swimming Open Water Champs, 5K or 10K this summer. I think that she said that she did alot of 800s in Long Course. Since lovely Central Indiana has alot of LCM pools, this would be a problem to do. But, if you do a set of 1000 or 800 in the short course form, you should be fine. I know nothing about training for OW solely but My guess that you if you do a good month of training 20K a week, you should be fine. Heck, maybe have one of your many workout total 5 to 6K and you should have the endurance you need for this race. Also, maybe PM chaos since he is more of an OW guru.

Bob, you can do a 10k with your hands tied behind your back!!! What's the date? I'd love to come! I'll be looking on this thread for advice too cos one of these days I'd like to really improve my time.

I did two 5K's and a 4.5 mile OW swim last summer and plan on bumping up and doing some 10K and more this summer and fall once SCY season is over. I probably won't swim any more/farther than I am now which is 15K-25K a week. To me, its more about what you actually doing while you are in the pool, not how far you are going. I could get in a float 7500 4-5 times a week but its boring and pointless. Get in and mix it up....distance, quality, IM, kick, pull...it all helps. If you can run/jog/walk, any cardio, outside the pool that will certainly help with endurance. I was a distance guy in HS and college, my days of 10K-15K a workout, 10-12 practices a week, 100K yards/wk, etc......OVER. I swim now to enjoy it and just for the health benefit. Like everyone, I want to do well and place well, but I want to enjoy it this time around and not suffer burnout.

I'm planning on doing my first 10K in May. I'm glad to read all of these perspectives on training. In prep for the 5K's I've done, I typically average about 18K per week peaking at about 21K. I plan to hold a similar training schedule. I think my first goal, though, is to get over that mental hump and get in a 6 to 7K straight swim (will have to be in a pool) sometime before May. My biggest challenge will be finding a feeding strategy. Apparently the swim I'm doing plans to have feeding stations (boats) in the course. I haven't yet found one of the one market substances that doesn't make my bp go up and leave me nauseous and weak. A little bagel and gatorade works best, but I won't have a kayaker to carry what I like.

Besides the recommendations from other members, if I were you, I would try to swim at least 7K in a practice swim in the venue 2-3 weeks ahead of time. You should also be practicing feeding (i.e., hydration or fueling) during your workouts, if you are not already doing so. Nearly all the experienced elite swimmers stick 2-4 gel packs in their swimsuits in a 10K, so if they miss a feeding, they can always take a gel pack at their convenience. Most people would not do a 2-3 hour run without drinking something, so swimmers should not do a 2-3 hour swim without refueling. Good luck.

I'm planning on doing my first 10K in May. I'm glad to read all of these perspectives on training. In prep for the 5K's I've done, I typically average about 18K per week peaking at about 21K. I plan to hold a similar training schedule. I think my first goal, though, is to get over that mental hump and get in a 6 to 7K straight swim (will have to be in a pool) sometime before May. My biggest challenge will be finding a feeding strategy. Apparently the swim I'm doing plans to have feeding stations (boats) in the course. I haven't yet found one of the one market substances that doesn't make my bp go up and leave me nauseous and weak. A little bagel and gatorade works best, but I won't have a kayaker to carry what I like. What 10k are you doing? Can you arrange to have gatorade on one of the boats, if that's not what they serve? Are you ok with Gu? A couple of gu's up my suit works fine for me