What to expect your first race?
alfreddiaz
United StatesNew Member
Currently training for El Cruce (10K) in Cancun this May. Along with swimming, I am reading a lot of articles, but most about training and eating. I have yet to find a basic article of what to expect on race day and other how-to details.
Here are some questions I have:
- What is up with the grease? What type do you use? Where do you apply it? How thickly? And why? Can I skip it? The water temp will be around 80 degrees.
- What is the preferred sunblock? Can you get grease with sunblock in it?
- Do those inflatable PFDs that you tow slow you down? Where can I get one to practice with?
- How do you go about hiring a Kayaker to guide you?
- There is a 3K before the event. Is that recommended? Or would it be best not to swim at all the day before?
- Where do you stow your food and hydration that you will consume during the crossing?
- Where do you stow your gear? I don't want to walk from the hotel to the event in just my swim trunks. So, where do I stow my warmups to pick up later? And how about having a towel or change of clothes for the other side, as well as some cash to spend? Right now, I am traveling solo. This will be solved if I find someone to go with me.
- Tinted goggles or clear? Which are preferred? The water is supposed to be very clear.
- What things am I missing that would be nice to know?
So many questions. And I am sure there will be more. If you can help, please do.
Al
Walla Walla, Wash.
Comments
That race is so fun. I will try to answer your bullets:
I used to squirt Sport Slick under my arms and in between my thighs.
Bullfrog sunblock. Don’t forget your ears.
For your swim. Start off easy and slow down.
So. It sounds like I put my sunblock on first, and don't forget the ears. Then maybe some petroleum gel where I might chafe. I think that would by my inner thighs and my inner biceps and sides. So, I will do that just to be safe. I have done plenty of 1 and 2 mile swims in the ocean and never had a problem with chafing. I have really good skin.
So, I am probably going to skip the 3K the day before. I will arrive Thursday night. Enjoy Friday and Saturday. Swim along the coast for a bit those days. Nothing to strenuous. Just get my stroke used to the chop. Then Sunday I plan to be there with everyone. God willing.
I hope to meet many people there. I am not much of a partier. But I am a good talker. I fly in Thursday and fly out Tuesday. So this is also a nice vacation for me.
By the way, is there a place where the marathon swimmers congregate?
Thanks for the help.
Alfred
Have so much fun! I literally flew in just for the event last time so I do not know where folks congregate. Good luck!
I echo the comments of @abbygirlrose (i.e. skip the kayak) and @swimmer25k (i.e. start off easy).
I swam El Cruce a few years ago and didn't have the best experience in terms of logistics so here are a few tips:
Apart from those little things, a very enjoyable swim and a great vibe all around, enjoy it!
This swim is really fun, it's beautiful and I agree with Abby that a kayaker isn't necessary. If you swim with a swim buoy, you can clip a water bottle to the buoy or put it inside, depending on the model you get. I'm too slow to have an opinion on whether one will slow you down, but my guess is no, unless there's a tailwind. I don't recall whether many swimmers used them for this swim. I didn't. There are bag checks so you can dry off and change when get across.
There is a side current. Several swimmers got caught by surprise and swept past the finish line so keep a good line as you're crossing.
We rented a condo through AirBNB and had a great experience, but I went down with a few friends. If you're going alone, you probably want a hotel instead. Maybe email the race organizer for a recommendation?
Have a great swim!
What he said, but vaseline instead of sport stuff. What's sunblock? The sun doesn't shine here.
And go flat out for the last 50m. Fly. Assert your dominance.
You know, these are two great tips that are overlooked due to their subtlety.
A piece of advice that I was given prior to my first race (12.5 miles) was to absolutely EAT prior to the race. I am a one-meal-a-day person....always have been. I also have a really hard time holding anything down while performing. So, I was told to eat a big, carb-filled dinner the night before, and a big, carb-filled breakfast the morning of. I listened, and I was glad I did. I had no "hunger" during my swim and had no real serious fatigue issues until the last mile and a half (although that may have been due to swimming against the current in 89 degree water)
All the best.
All from experience.
I forgot my ears (and nose) in Key West once and they all about snapped off. I’ve got a nice gash in my beak from Mohs surgery three years ago.
My first 25K was Pan Pac trials in Atlanta back in 1995. I won the GCBS and was second at USA 5K Nats a few months earlier.
I wanted to be in the lead at the first turn, which was 800m into the race. I had a huge lead at 5 and 10K (5X 5K loops). I didn’t make it to 15K and got to visit the hospital with rabdomylitis.
That was the last time I made those mistakes.
I always like your posts because you are sharing your experiences some of which obviously are hard earned.
I will share one of mine using your succinct style which states the advice and leaves the experience to the imagination. Here's the rule, for men swimmers because I don't think women swimmers have this issue.
Always make sure you have tied your suit before your race.
This is the crap I used. It was in a tube, so it was easy to apply by yourself without getting it all over your hands.
http://www.sportslick.com/
Do you know what the jellyfish situation is like? If there are many, my go-to product is Safe Sea (plus anti-chafing prodict which for me has been Tri-Slide).
https://www.safesea.store/
https://www.swimoutlet.com/p/trislide-4oz-10450/
(Re latter especially... wosh it were less expensive.... still, worth ot in salt water)
Jellyfish situation in Key West?
Wow. Looks like it isn't the Jellyfish but the sea lice to worry about. Just saw some pictures.
Safesea is supposed to fight against sea lice also. But I am curious. Whatever sunblock I use, it needs to provide coverage in the water for up to 4 hours (I am not that fast).
Does anyone have experience with using Safesea for that long in a race? I don't want to finish the race with a fried back.
Thanks.
So, it really depends. Jellyfish are always possible, and if they're there, so are sea lice. I'm super sensitive and get bit by sea lice no matter what salt water body I swim in, even the Hudson River. I never travel without Fluocinonide cream (prescription required, at least in the US). It is a quick cure for sea lice and gives 6+ hours relief. Gladly never had to use it for a jellyfish sting but I am sure it will work when that time comes. I tried SafeSea and it did nothing for me.
There are several threads on this forum with sunblock suggestions that last well over 4 hours.
Let us know how it goes. I would love to return one day, I loved the swim but missed out on lots of fun swimming before the official swim because of a tropical storm.
@alfreddiaz Safesea has worked for me!
One thing I learned about Safe Sea was that it helped to put it on UNDER my suit not just exposed skin. That seems to be the fave territory of sea lice in my experience. I got cortisone by mouth for relief on one occasion.
@alfreddiaz I've found that Safe Sea lasts about 2 hours, so the trick is to cover it with a couple of heavy coats of long-lasting sunscreen, like Headhunter or SolRX. I got over 6 hours of coverage with 2 coats of SolRX on top of it. You definitely want to put it on EVERYWHERE before you don your suit. Don't forget your ears. Getting stung anywhere on the head is especially unpleasant.
It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.
I am a week away from my trip. I am pre-packing and making a list. I am spending 4 days in Cancun. Sunday I will do El Cruce. So what do you thin of my Swim Gear list?
SWIM GEAR
___Goggles (2 pairs)
___Jammers (2 pairs)
___Trunks (2 pairs)
___Swim Shirts (2 pairs)
___Sunblock (SR and Jellyfish type)
___Swim Cap (2 pairs)
___Swim Buoy
___Ziplocks (several)
___Small Water Bottle
___Squeeze tube Nutrition (2)
___Backpack and beach towel
___Petroleum Jelly
Some of the items, like the beach towel and swim shirts, are for the other days that I will be there frolicking in the ocean and enjoying the surf.
Alfred
The Sea Lice in Cancun are AWFUL. Gave me a horrific rash the last two times I swam there.
Dont forget few Corona (beer)!
My advice!