Open Water Swimming

[Angus**]

Here i am thinking my 3km pool sessions are tough.   

[breaker]

Before we get too technical, please can someone answer this. During those long 1km plus sets, does anyone else get sleepy? 

 

I don't, but maybe its due to lack of oxygen? 

I know that's something I struggle with ie exhaling and the build of of carbon is what ultimately leads me to cramping.

[Craai]

Before we get too technical, please can someone answer this. During those long 1km plus sets, does anyone else get sleepy?

Funny you should mention this, recently read this article http://www.triathlete.com/2012/12/training/ask-a-pro-why-does-swimming-make-me-so-sleepy_68669 Never had the problem myself though.

[Jurgens Smit]

How do you train for waves, and the people slapping while swimming.

 

My level of fitness in the pool is excellent(been a strong competitive swimmer since start of high school) and I work with a swimming coach for workouts etc. But each time I do a open water swim the chaos in the start makes me panic and I back off and ultimately end up in a bad position.

[Jurgens Smit]

Before we get too technical, please can someone answer this. During those long 1km plus sets, does anyone else get sleepy? 

 

If it's specifically during the set, try working on breathing drills.

about once every week or 2 we do this:

 

swim for laps until you have completed 3 sets

50m breathe every stroke

50m breathe every 3rd stroke

50m breathe every 5th stroke

50m breathe every 7th stroke

50m breathe every 5th stroke

50m breathe every 3rd stroke

50m breathe every stroke

 

This should be at a comfortable pace, not too hard. Focus on breathing out all the air under the water and inhaling properly once you breathe again. Teaches you to properly exhale and get fresh air, as well as improving lung capacity.

[Jewbacca]

A few years ago my sister and I were sitting in Kommetjie looking at the waves when she casually said to me "do you think we could swim to Hout Bay?"

 

3 weeks later, armed with Speedo's and a single cap we headed off, swam out amongst the surfers at Kommetjie main peak and finished near the base of Chappies on Hout Bay beach. The water was a roasty single digit the whole way. I couldn't find my willy for a couple of days.

 

We did some robben island/blue anchor bay missions and a whole heap of others. Open water swimming is awesome. It is however a bit silly.

 

3.8km at IM is far enough. Anything longer than an hour starts to get a bit boring!   

[Beesrib]

the problem with my swimming is that I cannot do it on a regular basis due to various reasons.  so when I finally get in the water, it is all about survival.  Hopefully one day this will change.

[Rachmaninoff]

I used to swim quite a bit. Never was one for anything longer than 400m though. Then I met a mate of a mate who planned to swim from New York to London this year. Not sure if he ended up getting the financial backing to do it. http://www.newyorktolondonswim.com/swim/ 

[shaper]

I have a friend who does the Bosphorus Cross Channel swim every year, 6.5kms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosphorus_Cross_Continental_Swim

[Fat Boab]

Nothing but admiration for you lot.

 

Swimming just seems so foreign, or at least a long time ago for me before the demise of my rotator cuffs.

 

Wish I could, but instead, I'll live vicariously through y'all!

[Bravo1]

A great friend of mine swam around Mallorca in 2014. ....a great read!

 

http://dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/2014/11/richard-krugel-looks-back-at-mallorca.html?m=1

 

https://mallorca360.wordpress.com/tag/richard-krugel-mallorca-swim/

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[Chris_]

I used to swim quite a bit. Never was one for anything longer than 400m though. Then I met a mate of a mate who planned to swim from New York to London this year. Not sure if he ended up getting the financial backing to do it. http://www.newyorktolondonswim.com/swim/ 

 

This is surely not possible.. 

 

People are (ridiculously) amazing 

[SwissVan]

Seeing as there is no real dedicated thread for swimming I thought it prudent to start one. All things swimming and when one considers that the cyclists with a running problem is by far the longest thread on multisport one realizes just how much swimming is the shunned discipline of multisport. its the shortest by a long way of any triathlon in time and distance but probably the one that gives the most anxiety and stress. It really should not be.

 

 

Hoping to swim the English channel in the next couple of years if finances line up, donations welcome

Good idea

Name change to "cyclists with a sinking feeling"?

[IceCreamMan]

Down at our KZN office this morning, took the opportunity for a run and swim in Durban from Durban north surf club (near the worlds worst restaurant) ... I reckon if I lived here I would be down there every morning of my life. Swam with a whole bunch of regulars..nothing like it swimming in the ocean and watching the sun come up. Glorious, reckon u live to be 150 if you do that every morning.

[EmJayZA]

If it's specifically during the set, try working on breathing drills.

about once every week or 2 we do this:

 

swim for laps until you have completed 3 sets

50m breathe every stroke

50m breathe every 3rd stroke

50m breathe every 5th stroke

50m breathe every 7th stroke

50m breathe every 5th stroke

50m breathe every 3rd stroke

50m breathe every stroke

 

This should be at a comfortable pace, not too hard. Focus on breathing out all the air under the water and inhaling properly once you breathe again. Teaches you to properly exhale and get fresh air, as well as improving lung capacity.

 

I don't think I am hypoxic when swimming. I think it's a combination between the gentle rocking and the steady noise of my breathing. I can see the value in learning how to breath bilaterally, and learning how to regain your breath while swimming in open water, so I take it that is one set (350m in total) and a short rest is taken after each 350m? 

 

Funny you should mention this, recently read this article http://www.triathlete.com/2012/12/training/ask-a-pro-why-does-swimming-make-me-so-sleepy_68669 Never had the problem myself though.

 

Not sleepy after, but during a long set (the ones to build endurance). I am usually ravenous after swimming. My go to snack is now watermelon after a long swim session. 

 

How do you train for waves, and the people slapping while swimming.

 

My level of fitness in the pool is excellent(been a strong competitive swimmer since start of high school) and I work with a swimming coach for workouts etc. But each time I do a open water swim the chaos in the start makes me panic and I back off and ultimately end up in a bad position.

 

https://www.facebook.com/ReplayVideoAnalysis/

 

Jana from Replay runs open water training sessions at Hobart Dam. It's either on a Saturday or Sunday morning, and she will teach you some open water skills, plus run some drills (like how to draft, how to sight, have people swimming in tight groups, etc). Was reasonable for the session (R150 iirc). It's a bit of a drive for me, but was worth the trip.  

[IceCreamMan]

I had to look up that word.... hehe you all know which one I am referring to. learn something every day.