Long Distance OW Swim

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  • So the 10k swim is on in 2 days. I haven't really gotten quite as much swimming in as i wanted because of other events eating into my training time. 3k this morning will be my last swim. Ideally i'd rest until Saturday but I'm kind of committed to a long cycle this evening and a long run on Friday so i'll just take those very easy and rest as much as possible. I guess lots of extra food and water between now and then is a good idea? On the day i'm thinking i'll stick with my usual big bowl of porridge 2 hours before then a bottle of lucozade or something similar near the start. We have a personal kayak so we can bring food with us.. i'm thinking water, a couple of snickers, a bag of nuts and a banana should be enough to get me through.

  • OH has 3 times swum the 12km OW in Cologne, it is 6 x 2km laps, he survives well on just drinking every couple of laps and eating pieces of banana.

  • That's come around really quickly B_Kins.  Really good luck.

  • Tell me about it image Thanks! There's one other thing i'm wondering on how to approach the swim mentally.. during the swim would you go by time or distance? Treat it as a 4 hour swim, or as a 10k swim? I wonder would it make it easier either way.. when i'm running i tend to go by approximate time left rather than distance left so i might do the same here.

  • I usually go by distance, I'm a fifth of the way there, half way there etc as I never really know how long it'll take when you're swimming so far, you don't want to have a time in your head and then discover at 5km you're behind where you thought you would be.

    I personally would avoid nuts when swimming, great food but also get pesky bits in teeth and throat, taking nutrition when swimming arguably harder than when running so unless you've tried it before I'd think hard about that one. Bananas are great though, just wish I could eat them. 

  • Good point about the nuts.. i had them on the bike during the week and yeah they were a bit awkward.. could be worse when swimming. Also with the time v distance thing, i guess i really don't know what i'm in for here so I couldn't predict the time left or how much i'll be struggling and slowing down towards the end. Distance makes more sense.

    Even watching the worlds best taking on nutrition in the 10k yesterday didn't look easy! Unbelievable that after 10k of swimming it was fractions of a second seperating them. I suppose the drafting keeps them close together.

  • Do you have enough carbs there B-Kins? I don't have experience of a swim that far, but given water can sometimes be colder than we expect and you will be in it for some time, you might need more fuel? If you have too much you can always save it for post-race.

    Good luck and have fun.

  • And its done. Made it difficult for myself by running a faster than planned 10k race the evening before but got around the 10k swim in a decent time. The first 8k was a straight swim with the wind blowing across us and choppy enough conditions. I made a point of stopping every 1k for either 1/2 banana, 1/2 bar or a gel. In total i had 3 gels, a banana and a snickers and about 500ml water. At 8k i took my last gel and turned right to have a nice wind on my back. From here i knew i would finish and was already a little ahead of schedule. I decided to push a little harder and ignore my burning triceps! I went hard to the end and climbed out the ladder to be greeted by the mayor, free food and a big crowd in a better than anticipated time or 3:05. I had 3:20 in my head and i think the wind pushing along at the end definitely helped to beat that time.

    Great swim, tough challenge and i'm sure i'll be back. 60 swimmers all finished, from a little over 2 hours to 5 hours. Just need to shake of the hangover now image

  • well done, excellent performance!

  • Well done, what a great result!

  • Thanks for the advice guys. It all helped!

  • SlugsSlugs ✭✭✭

    Well done & a nice time as well. 

  • SuperCazSuperCaz ✭✭✭

    Well done B_Kins!

    I'm swimming around Brownsea Island this weekend.  I've done almost no training for it as I have moved house and started a new job in the last two weeks and have been too busy trying to get my life organised, but it wasn't that long since the relay so I should be alright

  • SlugsSlugs ✭✭✭

    Got a mile (1.1k down & 400m up) in the Severn at Shrewsbury to do on Sunday. Entered as a non wetsuit swim. Now find that 90% are racing in wetsuits. Think I'll have to switch to rubber to keep up, particularly as I'm ranked into the fast wave & there are some 'proper' swimmers entered. Should be good river practice for the Dart 10K

  • Sounds cool Caz. I didn't know what Brownsea island but i checked the map and it looks like a nice swim. Does it start and finish in Poole or how does it work? Slugs, the way i see it is if you're not in a wetsuit you're in a different category really. If i wanted to go without then i wouldn't worry about the wetsuit swimmers being quicker, especially if the Dart 10k will be non-wetsuit. Saying that i wouldn't want to swim without a wetsuit image

  • SuperCazSuperCaz ✭✭✭

    Registrtation is in Sandbanks, then you get a boat to the island, swim around the island and get the boat back.  Entries fill up really quickly so if you were thinking about doing it next year then you need to sign up for the FB page so that you get warning of when entries open.  I think it filled up within 24 hours this year.  I've been trying to get in for about 3 years

  • SuperCazSuperCaz ✭✭✭

    Brownsea Island was fabulous!  The island itself is beautiful and I wished that it wasn't a race so that I could slow down and take in the scenery.  The water was shallow and had heated up so much with the sun.  In places it felt hotter than a swimming pool and those who were wwearing wetsuits had to move into deeper water so that they wouldn't overheat.

    It was a well organised event and I will certainly be attmpeting to get a place next year.

    I was 13th non-wetsuit Lady and finished in a time of 1hr 51 min.  I think the distance was about 3.5 miles or something like that.

  • Hello everyone. Don't know where the time goes. B-kins - sounds excellent - well done! SuperCaz - as you know loads of the Seals did Brownsea yesterday. A few of us swam in the normal place yesterday and, although flat as a millpond, was cold for some reason - we all thought so. Mind you, I spose if Brownsea is shallow and in an enclosed harbour...

    Super Caz - have you found anywhere good to swim yet? Can't believe you won't be able to find somewhere that will let you swim sans-wettie.

    Am LOVING swimming in the sea. Wish I lived closer and didn't feel so guilty about the petrol money...

  • I miss living by the sea so much image  And didn't really appreciate it fully enough at the time.  Mind you, it was the north sea so it was always bloody cold image

  • And yay on the new job et al Caz image

  • SuperCazSuperCaz ✭✭✭

    I am swimming in a lake wwith the local tri club, but they are a bit tame really.  I am only allowed to go in naked if the water is above 14 deg, whereas I believe that the water is warm enough to swim in when it gets to 10 deg C.  However it is only 5 min from my house and when I get organised enough I will sttart cycling there.

    I need to find other groups, but I've been so busy unpacking and getting my address changed with everyone that I haven't had time to hunt people out.

  • Anyone doing the postponed Hampton Court swim?  I couldn't do the original date but it seems there are places now it's moved to 7th October so I've entered to try and swim a better line and beat my time.

    best get back more serious training image

  • It's a no from me, ITB.  My son's 18th bday that weekend.  Am not feeling the need to enter events like I did a few weeks ago, now that I've found the Seebrook Seals. As much sea swimming as I can handle (well, it also depends on petrol and time because it's a 100 mile round trip... but SO worth it, even if it's only once a week).

    I've ditched the wettie, too, and a channel relay is on the cards next August.  The only prob is of course at the mo that I'm fit enough to swim a lot further than I can manage before becoming an ice block. I've got a lake 5k next weekend so might don the wettie for a good long swim in the sea this weekend.  But after that....

  • SuperCazSuperCaz ✭✭✭

    I've found a group of long distance swimmers about an hour's drive from me.  I joined them yesterday for the first time and did a 10k river swim,followed by a pub lunch and cakes.  It was fantastic and I think we are doing another 10k this weekend.

  • AH - A channel swim relay, I'm impressed ! How did you find ditching the wet suit?

    Supercaz - Great news that you've found a new group to swim with imageimage

  • So how does the channel relay work? Is there one route that you take with an official boat? Are there limits on team size? Its definitely something i'd love to try some time. I guess there is another month or possibly two of 'comfortable' swimming before it gets too cold. Would you swim in open water through the winter? Apart from tris it looks like my OW swimming is almost done for the year image

  • Caz - good news on finding some nice people. Just trotting out 10ks sounds quite hardcore!



    B-k - channel relay same process as solo swim. Don't think there are rules on numbers but I guess there's an upper limit. Still have to do a 2 hr qualifying swim in cold water with no wettie, only one hat etc.



    Purple - not hard to ditch the wettie when it had a big rip in the arm and the sky was blue and the sea blue and calm. Only downside is I an only do 1:15 befor I know I'm too cold. I might wear the wetsuit this Sunday just so I can get a good long swim in before my 5k next weekend. I do like being without it though. Very freeing. And invigorating. Apparently if I keep going I will gradually acclimatise. Some people take longer than others.



    As for whether I keep going through the winter, the Seals do, even if it means splashing around for just 10 mins. But it's a 100 mile round trip for me so am not sure. Simon says he'll just hose me down in the garden on a cold day. Could work! But it would make starting again next spring harder.



    Anyone else any views on this?
  • SuperCazSuperCaz ✭✭✭

    The official options for Channel Relays are two person, three person and six person.  In reality if you have a 6 person scheduled and someone is ill on the day then they will let you go with only 5 people.

    You generally swim for 1 hour each and rotate round until you reach land.  For two and three person relays you can chose to do 2 hour legs instead, but whichever you chose you have to stick with that all the way through.

    You need to book a boat quickly as there is a two or three year waiting list for the best slots.  Or you can find a charity that will do the organisation for you.  I did mine with Diabetes UK but there are other charities that regularly organise swims.

    You don't have to swim outside season for a relay, but you do need to get into cold water at least once per week in season to get acclimitised.  If you can go in two or three times per week then that is even better.  You can do some of that in unheated lidos, lakes or rivers but I would strongly recommend getting some sea experience in as it is quite different.

    I do intend to swim all year round this time, but that is because I have a solo booked for quite early in the season so I will be needing to do 4-6 hour swims outside by May.  For a relay I would suggest that you aim to be doing only 20-30 min outside in May.

  • Thanks for this, Caz.  All useful stuff. 

    Re 'my' relay, it's just that Dee was talking about how we had enough people for another team and I suppose I assumed she could somehow get a boat at roughly the same time as the other two teams that are going in Aug 13.  Unless you coudl have two teams with teh same boat? Would only work I suppose if they swam at exactly the same pace which isn't really going to happen is it?  I would love to do it but perhaps I ought to chat to her now that I've kind of got used to the idea.

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