I was able to registered for Alcatraz last week and was wondering how much swimming I need to do be ready. I havent really swam since August 2009. Went to the pool this past weekend and was able to do half a mile with no problem. EFA will be on June 5th. What do you guys recommend the volume of swimming I need to do?
1.5 miles.
1.5 miles. Yes I know that’s a given. I can probably swim 1.5 miles right now but will be spent after. What’s the volume necessary so I can do the 18 mile hilly ride and 8 mile run after. =P
The distance isn’t the problem, it’s the currents. I would be comfortable doing 2-3 Miles open water and come out feeling reasonably fresh.
I was intentionally being an ass of course but when you ask such an open ended, subjective question with about 100 variables involved there is no way at all to give you a specific answer.
You don’t state current/past times, goal time, current fitness, etc, etc, etc. If you’d like an exact non-scientific answer to give you comfort we can do that too… Dev Paul can also be a resource in situations like this. He’s super groovy.
How’s about swim 3x week for 3k,4k,5k each session. Yep, that should do it.
Have to agree with the Slayer. If you mentioned you swam Division I distance freestyle, I would say get a few good swims in and have fun. If you wonder in the back of your mind that you might not be able to finish, I would worry. SF Bay can be a real bitch if the currents or the winds are strong. Out of all the triathlons in the world, that is one of the ones that will raise my eyebrow as a “swimmers” race.
The bike has hills, the run has sand and a couple of hills that make you take notice, but that swim is not that good of one for a not too confident swimmer. I do not think they have a really high DNF compared to other events, but it is your job to know your limitations before you do stuff.
Dev Paul can also be a resource in situations like this. He’s super groovy.
I concur. And yes, you’re an ass.
The distance isn’t the problem, it’s the currents.
And your experience in open water. And the cold (water and air).
and fog…
Someone once said (maybe it was you) that for Alcatraz you don’t have to be a good swimmer (as in technically sound), you have to be a strong swimmer. I thought that was accurate.
Get some long swims under your belt and get in big waves too if you can. It’s not just currents as another pointed out…This swim can get really big, steep waves if it’s been blowing hard the previous day - which happens a lot in the summer (like 4’ or higher waves). I’ve not raced it but done kayak escort duty a couple times. Once the water was like glass and once it was so bumpy it was really hard for any of the swimmers to know whether they were coming or going. Both times, many, many swimmers were rescued by the Sherrif’s jet boats.
thanks for the advice. I think 4k 4x a week should be sufficient then. I live near SF and have swam in Aquatic before and know how cold it can be. I’m hoping to finish 30 or so odd minutes. With less than two months before the show, I was just trying to get a feel of how much swimming I need to do per session.
definitely sufficient
.