I swam my first open water swim race 2 weekends ago. Well, the first one in several years. All went well except that I battled calf cramps almost the entire way. I NEVER (at least hardly ever) experience cramping in the pool, but my first cramp in my 5K swim struck at about 100 yards into the race.
I was able to manage things and did OK. Though every time I tried to swim faster, cramp! Darn it anyway. As a result, I finished with plenty of energy. 10th overall.
http://swimthebridge.com/truetime.racetecresults.com/results.aspx
So what, if anything can be done for next year. Stretch? massage? gatorade?
Does this sort of thing happen to anyone else, or am alone?
Some of the most common causes of cramping are:
1) Overuse of a muscle
2) Dehydration
3) Electrolyte imbalance
4) Alcohol consumption
5) Inadequate blood flow to the legs-
In your case, #1 seems unlikely. And if you hydrated properly in the morning before the race, #2 also is unlikely.
#3, #4 and #5 are the ones I've had the most experience with. Even just a couple of beers the day before a long-distance race can make it more likely for me to cramp. Also, I've worn suits that were very tight that I didn't have any trouble racing in when in the pool on shorter stuff, but that led to extreme cramping on longer swims. I now normally take a calcuim/magensium (500mg/1000mg) supplement and it has dramatically reduced the amount of cramping I experience on longer swims and longer workouts. This is the one I use:
www.amazon.com/.../
Thanks for the tips. Next year I'll forego the (1) beer for dinner and watch what I drink the morning of the race.
I drank green tea this year. Perhaps just water next time.
Regular pool swimmer here, and occasional open water racer. I would regularly get cramps in my calves for the first 6-9 months after I got back into the sport, but hadn't really had any problems in the pool for the last year +. But I got a pretty bad cramp at the USMS 2- Mile Cable National Championship earlier this summer. I was able to finish, but it really ruined my race. I was quite aggravated to walk out of the water and not really feel winded. Cost me two places in age group at a minimum, maybe 3.
Upon reflection, I realized I was quite tense in general because of the high density of traffic, and because the course markings weren't as obvious as I had envisioned. (There was no "cable," just small, spherical buoys every 10m which were difficult to see over all the bodies). I also realized I was drastically over-kicking to compensate for poor sighting technique.
The next weekend, I went to another open water event. I was much more mindful of staying relaxed, of not over-lifting my head to sight, and of not drifting into an extreme loping stroke. I had no cramping, and swam much a much better race, finishing 2nd overall.
