I have been working on my base for swim training since the first of the year. Mon, Wed, Fri I am up @ 4am to prep for the day and in the pool by 5:30. I try to eat 1 hour before hand for digestion to kick in. I have been experimenting with different foods to take in before hand and the only thing I keep coming back to is a whole-wheat cereal with milk/ maybe jelly + English muffin. Bagel/peanut butter and Oatmeal give me the feeling like I’m drowning about 20 minutes in and throughout the entire 1:15/2300m (give or take) workout. I want to find something that I can stick to but feel as if I am wasting time with trial and error. Is my daily maybe weekly nutrition a bigger deal that I am overlooking? Or are there any breakfast ideas out there to fix this drowning/fatigue I am feeling. Right now I am not enjoying the swim, only suffering to get to the wall.
tricky one because you are are swimming so damn early in the morning.
I know at many high schools and colleges, swim teams that do 2 a days dont eat before the morning swim, they eat afterwards, so is there any way to maybe get a healthy snack in around 9pm ish that way you arent brutally hungry when you wake up? and then simply do your swim workout and eat afterwards?
as for food itself, I really don’t think it matters a whole ton pertaining to swimming itself. I have done swim workouts eating pasta, meat, sushi, etc. The big thing is waiting 1 -1.5 hours.
So if I were you:
- swim at different time (I found running in the morning before breakfast is alot better than swimming)
- eat after swim
- eat something small before swim and focus on gatorade or something.
Side note: if you are not enjoying you, stop doing it. Seriously, you probably aren’t improving anything by going through it.
Swimming 2 x a week for 1 hour really focused and strong > swimming awful 3x a week.
When I swam in high school and college, I never ate before my morning workouts. I just wasn’t hungry that early and could barely stomach anything. We were always told by our nutritionist to eat something before morning workout. She recommended just a handful of cereal on the go. I now usually eat 20-30 min before my morning swims with just a small bowl of cereal. I see too many people trying to eat a full course meal before a morning swim. Eat your full breakfast after your workout.
Sleep in a bit later, eat a sports bar and banana, drink water and coffee and you’ll be fine. You’ll be really hungry after, but you’ll swim well during.
A couple hundred calories is probably good enough … I usually just get through a package of two crunchy granola bars washed down with some water en route to the pool. If you’re feeling sluggish, maybe the problem isn’t calories, it’s rest?
A couple hundred calories is probably good enough … I usually just get through a package of two crunchy granola bars washed down with some water en route to the pool. If you’re feeling sluggish, maybe the problem isn’t calories, it’s rest?
X2.
Try something simple like toast and jam, or rice cakes and jam. You probably don’t need a lot of calories for a 2300m swim. Just make sure to fuel up after.
Eat before you go to bed or 2 pop tarts before you swim.
jaretj
I’m in the pool by 6:40, and usually eat either a banana or a granola bar around 6:30 and have never had a problem
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When I swam in high school and college, I never ate before my morning workouts…
Eat your full breakfast after your workout.
Same here, although I didn’t eat because that would have required waking up a little bit earlier. I set the clock for the exact latest minute I could wake up and still make it to practice with having to do the 500 yard butterfly late consequence.
However, morning practices were generally lighter and easier than evening. Now that I’m older and swimming a lot less, I drink a couple a hundred calories (no more than 250) about 45 minutes pre-swim. After the workout, I eat something bigger.
I’ve had good success with a gel and some sports drink beforehand and sports drink during.
Hungry afterwards, but it sustains through the workout.
I agree with what everyone else said. Getting up early to eat is crazy. A bite and a sip of anything is good enough unless you’re swimming for 2 hours. Eat afterward. Although some people say they get used to it, swims in the morning are rarely enjoyable.
I’m drowning about 20 minutes in and throughout the entire 1:15/2300m (give or take) workout.
100’s on the 3 minutes will get you 2500 m in 75 minutes. It does sound like you need to get off the wall. 
I agree with what everyone else said. Getting up early to eat is crazy. A bite and a sip of anything is good enough unless you’re swimming for 2 hours. Eat afterward. Although some people say they get used to it, swims in the morning are rarely enjoyable.
I’m drowning about 20 minutes in and throughout the entire 1:15/2300m (give or take) workout.
100’s on the 3 minutes will get you 2500 m in 75 minutes. It does sound like you need to get off the wall.
I know this person and I know that his coach is making him get out and do 40 pushups and 20 dips and right back into the pool several times during the main set. I think he’s dragging so much because this is a lot to do for a relatively new swimmer so early into his training season.
I know this person and I know that his coach is making him get out and do 40 pushups and 20 dips and right back into the pool several times during the main set. I think he’s dragging so much because this is a lot to do for a relatively new swimmer so early into his training season.
Ha, yes, that would make me drag more than eating an english muffin.
Dont eat before a swim, means you can get your metabolism going nice and early (pretty much one of the top pieced of advice from ‘experts’ is to exercise before first meal). I normally will have a gel before hand to give me a little kick, something simple and sugary, maybe a few jellybeans. If you are really in a rut try a caffeinated gel (e.g. Double Mocha Clif Shot with 100mg of Caffeine)
Thanks for all the valuable feedback. I admit this is only my second season and am putting a lot of time into training with the Central FL Tri Club. When I step back and think about the amount of time I am @ the pool, it adds up. My goal for Feb is to become comfortable with 3 days a week @ that intensity. Come March I can cut back to two a week with cycling on alternate days.
Eating less beforehand is easy enough and taking in simple sugars instead of complex carbs (which take longer to digest) should eliminate the sinking sensation. I’m also looking into adding a sports drink to my swim routine and yes eating a bigger breakfast afterward is possible and sounds awesome.
I wake up at 5:20, drink a whey protein shake before leaving, coffee on the way, and in the pool by 5:50. I sip on gatorade throughout the swim to keep the hunger at bay. Never get hungry during the swim, but am starving afterwards just in time for my breakfast.
I wake up at 4:45 3x a week, take a dump, gather all of my stuff for the day(packed the night before) drive 20 minutes and am in the pool at 5:30. I drink a glass of water with my vitamins before I leave at 5:00. Dont really drink much during the 3500-4000 yd workout besides the water I acidentally drink:)!
If its a big week, and im feeling really fatigued, I may eat a handful of figs, or a small apple, or something that I know will be easily digested. Not too much though.
After I usually eat a big breakfast.
Similar theme here. . . nearest pool for me is 35 min drive away. I have to be at work by 7 so, MWF up at 4:00 . . .coffee x1, small square of 72% endangered species toffee chocolate with my vitamins, then poo and out the door. I’m in the pool by 5:15 (gym opens), and I’m out at 6:15-20 depending on drills etc. I eat a big meal after while driving to work. I like “Rip’s Big Bowl” from Engine 2 diet.
Sleep longer and liquid breakfast, eat after…