Time off of swimming during marathon training

Aug 21, 14 6:02

Post #1 of 17 (1993 views)

I just wrapped up my triathlon season and am getting into training for a late fall marathon (Philly). My goal is to run sub-3 - my last open marathon was a 3:11 back in 2011, but my HIM and IM runs have gotten considerably faster in the last two years so that leads me to think sub-3 is realistic for this year. I am following a fairly traditional training plan that has me peaking at around 60 miles/week of running.

I am considering just taking these next 3 months completely off from swimming. I swim 30-31 in an HIM and 1:04-1:05 in an IM, and my next Ironman won't be until September 2015. Is it reasonable to think I can take the next 3 months off of swimming and get my swim back back to where I was, or better, in 2015? If I DO swim during these next three months, I plan on just one easy ~2500M session/week as a substitute for one of my shortish weekday runs, so my peak run mileage would end up going down to around 53-54 miles/week.

The reason I ask is simple - I love running, period, and I am one of the lucky ones who doesn't get injured doing it. I would run 20 miles every day if I could. I don't HATE swimming, but, well, it ain't running. I would just prefer not to totally sabotage my 2015 triathlon season by forgetting how to swim :)

Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [UrsusMaximus] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 6:17

Post #2 of 17 (1974 views)

Maybe....

Depends on how much you were doing to get down to a 31 minute HIM swim...

My inclination is that you would be able to take 3 months off swimming and gain back what you lost within 3 months after that, but that's just a guess.

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Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 6:22

Post #3 of 17 (1960 views)

JasoninHalifax wrote:

Maybe....

Depends on how much you were doing to get down to a 31 minute HIM swim...

My inclination is that you would be able to take 3 months off swimming and gain back what you lost within 3 months after that, but that's just a guess.

I learned to swim as an adult when I got into triathlon 6 years ago - I didn't have to swim THAT much to get there - just a pretty conventional 3-4x a week of swimming a total of 8,000-12,000yds. I never had to do 20,000yds+ a week to improve my swim or anything - just steadily improved by a few minutes every year.

Last edited by: UrsusMaximus: Aug 21, 14 6:41

Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [UrsusMaximus] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 6:22

Post #4 of 17 (1960 views)

I once took 2 months off swimming and will never do it again. It was just too horrible and painful to get back into it. I was SO SLOW!
Last winter I trained for a marathon and swam once a week. This was enough to retain my feel of the water. When the marathon was over, I put in a big swim/bike block and that got me right back to where I was swim-wise, in about a month.
So that's your individual n=1 experiential data.

Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [UrsusMaximus] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 6:38

Post #5 of 17 (1933 views)

Almost identical as you, I swim sub 30min HIM and 1:00 IM, I am training for Sacramento in Dec, out of pool and hung my bike on the wall. No swimming background but have natural talent, so I am told. For me to swim 1:00 IM I need 12-15k per week, I usually come back to within 1-2% of my usual speeds within 8 weeks. Let you know how it goes this time. No swim since IMCDA, so here you go, will see. I am also gunning for sub 3 and will be running 70-75mi weeks in Nov. Now at 50mi/week and no cycling, no swimming.

Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [UrsusMaximus] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 6:44

Post #6 of 17 (1922 views)

Yes you should be fine taking a little break from swimming. Whether or not that is a good idea for triathlon is open for debate around here. Search the forum for Endurance Nation no swimming. There are a few threads about this.

Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [UrsusMaximus] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 6:49

Post #7 of 17 (1903 views)

Is it reasonable to think I can take the next 3 months off of swimming and get my swim back back to where I was.

Yes.

Perhaps try and wedge in one swim session/week if you can. Otherwise, when you get back at the swimming after the marathon, do a swim block, of swimming everyday for 2 - 3 weeks post marathon, and you will be back at your orginal level in no time.

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Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [UrsusMaximus] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 6:55

Post #8 of 17 (1882 views)

I use the swim as a good chance to take a day off and rest up those legs. I do a strength and flexibility session that day and then a swim. Nothing strenuous, just a decent paced 30-40 minutes in the pool.

You might be one of the lucky ones that doesn't get injured, but the big question will be, does one extra day a week of running make that big of a difference? It doesn't for me, maybe it does for you.

Ian

Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [UrsusMaximus] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 7:03

Post #9 of 17 (1870 views)

I usually take Nov-Jan off from swimming and cycling. I'm back to my usual swim times in about 6 weeks.

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Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [UrsusMaximus] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 7:06

Post #10 of 17 (1858 views)

Since you weren't a fish growing up, my advice would be to stay in the water 2d per week.

Can you get your swim back to where it was? Maybe. I took 8 years off and got my swim back to were it was for 2k and over but not 1k and under.

You don't have to do killer sets, hell you don't have to do any structured sets. I'd get in, do your standard warm up, maybe do a long pull set maybe a few fast 50's or 100's and get out. Or 5x200 and call it a day. Your swimming will thank you, you will thank you, your triathlon competitors probably will not.

I wouldn't even substitute it for a run as you said you would. The stress of that swim(s) will be so low unless you're already on the line between stressed out and over stressed out it's not going to matter.

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Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [UrsusMaximus] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 7:10

Post #11 of 17 (1847 views)

I took time off from swimming last winter when training for a HM and some other road races, and looking back, wish I hadn't. It took me a long time to get my stroke back and fine-tuned again. If I had to do it over again, I'd try to get to the pool at least once or twice a week with one session focusing on technique and one on fitness.

Mark

Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [Redcorvette] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 7:31

Post #12 of 17 (1829 views)

Definitely do 1-2d per week. Any less and it really sucks coming back. Plus I think it's beneficial for active recovery with running to a certain extent.

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Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [UrsusMaximus] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 7:42

Post #13 of 17 (1810 views)

UrsusMaximus wrote:

I just wrapped up my triathlon season and am getting into training for a late fall marathon (Philly). My goal is to run sub-3 - my last open marathon was a 3:11 back in 2011, but my HIM and IM runs have gotten considerably faster in the last two years so that leads me to think sub-3 is realistic for this year. I am following a fairly traditional training plan that has me peaking at around 60 miles/week of running.

I am considering just taking these next 3 months completely off from swimming. I swim 30-31 in an HIM and 1:04-1:05 in an IM, and my next Ironman won't be until September 2015. Is it reasonable to think I can take the next 3 months off of swimming and get my swim back back to where I was, or better, in 2015? If I DO swim during these next three months, I plan on just one easy ~2500M session/week as a substitute for one of my shortish weekday runs, so my peak run mileage would end up going down to around 53-54 miles/week.

The reason I ask is simple - I love running, period, and I am one of the lucky ones who doesn't get injured doing it. I would run 20 miles every day if I could. I don't HATE swimming, but, well, it ain't running. I would just prefer not to totally sabotage my 2015 triathlon season by forgetting how to swim :)

If you are planning to run 60 mpw, and at your pace prob all of that at 8:30 or faster, then 60 mpw would only be about 9 hrs/wk at most. So, you should have plenty of time to swim 2 or even 3 days/wk. As others have said, it does not have to be hard but just enough to keep your feel and basic swim muscle endurance.

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Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [UrsusMaximus] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 7:47

Post #14 of 17 (1798 views)

I would consider keeping swimming in your training program.
Swim one long session per week. It will not harm your run training and make that return to proper swim training so much easier.

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Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [Fleck] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 8:00

Post #15 of 17 (1786 views)

+1 for this, I thin that you should aim for 1-2 swims a week for recovery during you marathon training but you could bounce back without any issue after November.

Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [UrsusMaximus] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 8:01

Post #16 of 17 (1783 views)

To semi thread jack, if I want to do a bike focused winter on the trainer.. I assume a similar thing applies? Swim once a week, which would make coming back a lot easier come the spring?

Re: Time off of swimming during marathon training [TB3 Coach] [ In reply to ]

Aug 21, 14 8:13

Post #17 of 17 (1764 views)

+2. It's very hard to start from scratch in the spring. 1-2 short swims/week to keep your technique/

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