So last year I did a horrific (to me) 5K and averaged 2:30/100m. It was awful. I was a little shocked as the previous 7 weeks were: 6.5, 4, 6, 7.75, 8, 8, 10.4 (total K/week). total swim last year was 262,000m.
so now I’m thinking about a 5K next weekend. REcent “training” has been 3, 1.5, 1.5, 3.5, 4, 4.25, 6.3, 4, 9, 8, will be at least 8 this week.
ASSuming I get through that, do I have any reasonable expectation of entering a 10K in May if I consistently get my weekly totals higher? I found the DART 10K training plan (just long distance swim though) and woohoo but i’m actually 14 weeks out! Yay. I thought I was already under that. So weesh, that’s good right? If I can do their 2.5, 3, 3, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 6.5, 8, 7, 5 (but weekly distance would likely be these plus whatever to hit 12K+, right?) I should be able to finish the 10K in May, right? I figure I will really need to gauge more off the 5K next week though, maybe?
From a personnal point, I think you should up your swim volume. 1,5km is really low for a week. More km/week = more time spent in the water = better “feel” and more confidence to hold a good pace.
From a personnal point, I think you should up your swim volume. 1,5km is really low for a week. More km/week = more time spent in the water = better “feel” and more confidence to hold a good pace.
yeah, i got that and I’m at the mercy of the weather. i get most training when nortes roll in and the seas calm.
For reference, what your most rescent 3.8k IM split?
For a swimmer, that not a lot of yardage… especially for long distance. You probably want almost 2x that for a good time. to swim “to your potential” (bike & run aside) a swimmer would need to do 3-4x that yardage.
It also matters a lot what type of workouts and quality your doing. If you just swimming mostly straight efforts and not doing 500s, 400s, 300s and 200s repeats, you’re wasting your time.
For comparison, I’m doing anywhere from 10-16k yards per week for my first IM. I wouldn’t consider myself in very good 5k shape and wouldn’t even consider doing a 10k.
But take my advice with a grain of salt, I’m was just a swimmer in HS, not a swim coach, ultra distance swimmer or collegiate swimmer.
While I’m no expert either, I’d agree with moto. I think your weekly yardage for 5k was low, so it’s not surprising that you found the race difficult. It’s been awhile since I raced a long OWS, but from what I remember, my peak weeks for a 5k race were in the vicinity of 16+k. It wasn’t unusual for me to swim 5-7k for one workout alone. If you get the training yardage in, you could do 10K. I vote “go for it”!
FWIW, I’m not a “fish” and I spent about 2 months training for a 5 mile ows, my peak weeks of training were in the 30-32k meters range. During the second month my shortest workouts were 4K, and at least once a week I would hit 8K (usually done as 1x 400 warm-up; 3(3x800, ns; desc); 400 cool down, swam in open water and 50 lcm pools whenever possible. I swam 5-6 days a week.
So lots more volume, in which you pay attention to pace, would be my rec.
One should have a goal before paying an entry fee for an event.
Here are some goals I might have:
To try to achieve a competitive time or result. (I am always competing against myself or some theoretical version of myself.)
Do a fun event as a training activity.
Test how my training is going.
I do Not enter an event just to prove to myself that I can complete it. I want to do well. “Seat of my pants” is for activities I do reluctantly.
A 10k swim sounds a lot like a marathon (only with drowning opportunities and a higher barrior of entry).
To be competitive with myself- I think i would need at least 6 weeks of 30000 yds/wk.
As a fun activity or as a training activity, I would want to have at least 20,000 yds/wk.
I run a 10k swim in November and train open water swimmers for 5k, 10k and longer swims.
The volume that you posted isn’t enough. If you are going 2:30/100m that’s not fast enough for a 10k swim. Most 10k swims have a pre qualification time and or the race director will interview you and get your swimming resume. I do both for my race. Based on what you described for your training and your time from the 5k, you wouldn’t be qualified to swim the 10k. As the race director, those standards are put in place to keep you safe.
If you have some questions about training and racing a 10k swim, please feel free to contact me. I am happy to help. I’ve gotten a bunch of adult swimmers through a 10k.
For reference, what your most rescent 3.8k IM split?
For a swimmer, that not a lot of yardage… especially for long distance. You probably want almost 2x that for a good time. to swim “to your potential” (bike & run aside) a swimmer would need to do 3-4x that yardage.
It also matters a lot what type of workouts and quality your doing. If you just swimming mostly straight efforts and not doing 500s, 400s, 300s and 200s repeats, you’re wasting your time.
For comparison, I’m doing anywhere from 10-16k yards per week for my first IM. I wouldn’t consider myself in very good 5k shape and wouldn’t even consider doing a 10k.
But take my advice with a grain of salt, I’m was just a swimmer in HS, not a swim coach, ultra distance swimmer or collegiate swimmer.
last one was 3.1 i think and around 54 min or something (current assist). One before that was I think just under 1:30 (and 300 DNFs due to current) and one before that was 1:14 (normal currents) - all the same course.
workouts are 300m out and backs to reef or 750 loops of bay. so i guess i’m wasting my time.
shocked at your distance so I guess I need to up mine. we’ll find out how bad the 5K is next weekend. Thanks!
While I’m no expert either, I’d agree with moto. I think your weekly yardage for 5k was low, so it’s not surprising that you found the race difficult. It’s been awhile since I raced a long OWS, but from what I remember, my peak weeks for a 5k race were in the vicinity of 16+k. It wasn’t unusual for me to swim 5-7k for one workout alone. If you get the training yardage in, you could do 10K. I vote “go for it”!
ok, going to shoot for 15K week after next and 10K next week. I obviously need to up the distance. I’ve never swum more than 3K a session and normally swim 2K. I’ll have to change my baseline to 3K for now and see if I can handle that. thanks!
FWIW, I’m not a “fish” and I spent about 2 months training for a 5 mile ows, my peak weeks of training were in the 30-32k meters range. During the second month my shortest workouts were 4K, and at least once a week I would hit 8K (usually done as 1x 400 warm-up; 3(3x800, ns; desc); 400 cool down, swam in open water and 50 lcm pools whenever possible. I swam 5-6 days a week.
So lots more volume, in which you pay attention to pace, would be my rec.
holey moley! 30-32K??? for a 5k??? wow. I’m not sure I have that in me but I will definitely revise my thought of 12K/week being enough. Also going to try and figure out a minimum of 4 swims/week and more likely 5. thanks!
Please, for the sake of the good lord and your shoulders, don’t try to double your weekly yardage in 2-3 weeks. That sounds like a terrible idea. If it doesn’t seem like it’s going to work out this year, maybe try next year? No sense in pushing yourself to the ragged edge of injury and overtraining for a OWS race that you’re probably not even going to win, or be competitive in.
The training really paid off. Although I had a much faster swim on the race course a couple of weeks before the race, I survived the day of the race, which turned out to be brutally cold–air temp in the 30s and water temp of 62. That’s pretty cold swimming for our part of the world, and more than a few were pulled from the course because of hypothermia. A few brave souls went without wetsuits, but not me!
Please, for the sake of the good lord and your shoulders, don’t try to double your weekly yardage in 2-3 weeks. That sounds like a terrible idea. If it doesn’t seem like it’s going to work out this year, maybe try next year? No sense in pushing yourself to the ragged edge of injury and overtraining for a OWS race that you’re probably not even going to win, or be competitive in.
okeydoke. that makes sense…so assuming i’m comfortable at 8-9K (good weather I can do that easily) would this work:
W1 long 3 weekly 9K
W2 long 3 weekly 10K
W3 long 3 weekly 12K
W4 long 3 weekly 12K
W5 long 3 weekly 13K
W6 long 3.5 weekly 14K
W7 long 4 weekly 15K
W8 long 4.5 weekly 16K
W9 long 5 weekly 16K
W10 long 6 weekly 18K
W11 long 6.5 weekly 18K
W12 long 8k weekly 20K
W13 long 7k weekly 20K
W14 long 5k weekly 15K
maybe the weekly distance should be more?
or something like that? not looking to win, just looking to finish comfortably (assuming you can be comfortable doing this)
W1 long 3 weekly 9K
W2 long 3 weekly 10K
W3 long 3 weekly 12K
W4 long 3 weekly 12K
W5 long 3 weekly 13K
W6 long 3.5 weekly 14K
W7 long 4 weekly 15K
W8 long 4.5 weekly 16K
W9 long 5 weekly 16K
W10 long 6 weekly 18K
W11 long 6.5 weekly 18K
W12 long 8k weekly 20K
W13 long 7k weekly 20K
W14 long 5k weekly 15K
maybe the weekly distance should be more?
or something like that? not looking to win, just looking to finish comfortably (assuming you can be comfortable doing this)
That’s looking much better than what you originally posted from purely a yardage standpoint. I would like to see it be more but I would describe that as likely “adequate” if the goal is simply to finish the event.
That’s looking much better than what you originally posted from purely a yardage standpoint. I would like to see it be more but I would describe that as likely “adequate” if the goal is simply to finish the event.
actually they are the same distances of long swims as my OP. I had questioned about how much weekly I should shoot for and if 12K would be enough. so what weekly distance do you suggest?
