Hi everyone, I'm hoping you might be able to help or point me in the right direction: I've been in the pool consistently training since Feb. Did the Chesa Bay Mile on Sunday, nice conditions. I'm very comfortable at this distance, in rough water. I'm at about 3k yards in the pool. I train about 3x per week in the pool. Here's my question -- there's a 3-mile ocean race I'd like to do in July -- about 7 weeks. I've never completed that distance. Is there enough time to increase my yardage w/o overtraining? If so, can you point me in the direction of a good plan? I honestly just get in the pool, swim whatever feels good and challenging to me, increasing yardage each week by about 10%. I don't think I can get away with this loosey-goosey style at 3 miles! Let me know what you think. Thanks!!!
I'll tell you what I did before my first 5K. I just swam the open water workouts in these forums. If your'e a USMS member, you can access them. If not, follow a plan like Swim Smooth or some other program you can find.
I don't think I ever did a 5K in the pool prior to my first 5K in open water. I just got my shoulder used to doing lots of stroking. I didn't worry about speed, but still did interval workouts, but did "longer" ones, like 500s. I knew I had the mental stamina to do the 5K, I just wanted to make sure my body could take that much time (I guessed 1:45) horizontal. In the end, the swim was no problem. I completed it in 1:48 or something like that. The problem I had was navigation. I wish I had a gps, because I probably really swam 5.5K or more.
Bottom line, search around in these forums and the marathon swimmers forums and you'll find lots of advice.
Good luck. What is the race, btw? If you're in the DC area, don't forget WaveOne's 5K and 10K in September at National Harbor. Very nice race; only problem is you have to do so many loops (4 per 5K) so you gotta remember what lap you're on!
erin - if you're comfortable in open water I do not anticipate you having any problems. 9K weekly in the pool and the Chesapeake 1-Mile Swim should have you capable for a typical 5K, but if you do have any reservations or do not like conditions do not hesitate to DNS or DNF. You did not mention your time for the 1-mile swim. As miketyson notes you should anticipate being in the water on the order of 75 - 120 minutes. best of luck.
I'll disagree with others here and say definitely do the 3-mile distance in the pool, and more than once, before the event. Bump up some other days to 4k in the pool.
Ocean swimming will present enough challenges that you'll want to be very confident in the basic endurance to go that distance.
Thanks so much Mike -- I apologize for taking forever to respond . . . husband had a fall, surgery, blah blah blah. :) Mike, the race is in OC MD, benefits Hopkins TBI research. There's a 1, 3 and 9-miler. NINE-MILER. I'm sure you all around here don't find that shocking. But I do! My time in the one mile was 25:25, PR for that race, 5th in my age group. I was hoping to place, but my husband's injury the day before the race kind of interrupted that goal. Thank you thank you thank you all!
I'll disagree with others here and say definitely do the 3-mile distance in the pool, and more than once, before the event. Bump up some other days to 4k in the pool.
Ocean swimming will present enough challenges that you'll want to be very confident in the basic endurance to go that distance.
I agree, thank you ViveBene -- I'm pretty comfortable in open water, bay, ocean, etc. My hesitation is the distance, so the confidence builder of a 5k in the pool will definitely help!!
