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/.../
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/.../
