Should I register for two 10K swims in two weeks?

sarahcassidysarahcassidy Las Vegas, NVMember
edited July 2022 in Beginner Questions

I'm thinking of registering for both the Castle Mountain 10K on August 27 and the Horsetooth 10K on September 11. Both are in Colorado.

Would doing two 10K swims in two weeks be too much? I've done shorter open water swims in the past and have only started increasing my distance this year. If it matters, I'm also registered for the 2022 Swim the Suck in October.

Although I live in Las Vegas, I've been in Colorado most of this summer with my kids because of work being done on my house. I'm swimming at Chatfield Gravel Pond and Boulder Reservoir (at BAM's OWS workouts) several times a week, doing between 4,000 and 9,000 yards per swim. I scoped out Wellington Lake yesterday with a short swim and didn't have any issues with the 8,000+ feet altitude.

I will go back to Nevada at the end of July and then would come back at the end of August for the Castle Mountain 10K and stay in CO through the Horsetooth 10K if I register for both.

I'd appreciate advice on whether I should do only one 10K or if I'd be fine doing both. Thank you in advance!

Laurie

Comments

  • abeabe australiaMember

    I would do both but that is just me - sometimes more opportunity to get out there in an event is good practice to be in that environment.
    Also good excuse to celebrate twice

  • heartheart San Francisco, CACharter Member

    @bresar , I was in this exact situation in 2011: a 10k followed by an 11mi a week later. I emerged from the 10k with a painful rotor cuff injury, which resulted in a week of stress and consternation. I got lucky: my massage therapist (someone I found by chance while out of town for the swim) turned out to be an absolute genius (myofascial release is magic, y'all) and my shoulder patched itself up in time to do the 11mi successfully. It remains a wonderful memory.

    So, here's what I would recommend: Register for both and cultivate some mindfulness and equanimity about your physical and mental situation when you emerge from swim #1. Then take swim #2 as it comes, if it comes. I wish you much success and joy!

  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member

    My vote: register for both and enjoy both. Take them each nice and slowly.

    My very first Swim the Suck was in 2012. A month before it, I swam a 10K here in National Harbor. It was 8 x 1250m laps. I managed 7 laps with only 10 min of course-time left. The last 4 laps my lower back was in agony. I was literally side-stroking around the buoys so that I could touch my knees to my chest to relieve the pain. I DNF'd. I worried forever about the 10-miler a month later.

    But that 10K made me realize a few things. I need to eat more than 2 cold slices of pizza prior to 4 hours of swimming (yes, I did that). And I need more swim-time "horizontal" than 5x one-hour swims a week. So in that month I adjusted to a few 2 hour swims (4 x 30 min, that's it) per week with the regular 1 hour swims.

    That 10K taught me so much and as a result, I'm 3 for 3 in my Swim the Sucks. (Or is it "Swims the Suck"?)

    Castle Mountain may not only teach you some things for Horsetooth, but they both will teach you some things for STS.

    Good luck and let us know what you choose.

    MLamby

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • wendyv34wendyv34 Vashon, WASenior Member

    Since you're routinely doing 9000 yards, two 10Ks should be a snap. Do it!

    MLambyLakeBaggerJSwimdc_in_sf

    It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.

  • brunobruno Barcelona (Spain)Senior Member

    Yes, do it!

    I try to do something similar every summer (a 10K + 15K, or a 15K + 20K, usually with 1 to 3 weeks in between - for the last 5 years). My experience is that one of them goes very well, and the other one not so well. But as the other ones have said, you'll enjoy and learn a few things from each swim.

  • abeabe australiaMember

    great feedback - Bresar looking forward to how you enjoy both swims

  • swimmer25kswimmer25k Charter Member

    IronMike
  • sarahcassidysarahcassidy Las Vegas, NVMember
    edited July 2022

    Thank you, everyone, for the advice and encouragement! I just registered for both 10Ks.

    I waited to register so I could see how I felt after completing yesterday's 3-mile Carter Lake Crossing OWS near Loveland, CO. I was happy with my time and pace there, so now I'm all set! Please let me know if any of you will be at either 10K. I'd love to meet more open water swimmers since I've met only a handful.

    Openh2oIronMike
  • bahsan22bahsan22 United StatesNew Member

    Hi. Your swims sound just like my upcoming swims. I also did the 3-mile Carter Lake yesterday, am registered for the Horsetooth 10k and also October's Swim the Suck. I also swim at Chatfield Gravel Pond and live in Boulder. I've decided against the Wellington Lake swim this time but good for you for registering for both. I've been ramping up for some bigger swim goals in the next 2 years. I've just gotten back into swimming over the past year after about a 40 year lapse and am loving it. Not sure how best to connect but wanted to reach out and say hello!

  • sarahcassidysarahcassidy Las Vegas, NVMember
    edited July 2022

    Bahsan22, I too am ramping up to bigger OWS goals after a lapse from swimming due to the pandemic! Great to hear that you'll also be at Horsetooth 10K and STS. I'll send you a message.

    Have you gone to any of the Boulder Aquatic Masters (BAM) open water swim workouts on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings this summer? I've gone to them for the last several weeks since my kids and I are staying with family in Golden, CO this summer while work is done on my house back home in Las Vegas. I too swim at Chatfield Gravel Pond other days of the week. I'll be there Wednesday morning for a 6-mile swim.

    @bahsan22 said:
    Hi. Your swims sound just like my upcoming swims. I also did the 3-mile Carter Lake yesterday, am registered for the Horsetooth 10k and also October's Swim the Suck. I also swim at Chatfield Gravel Pond and live in Boulder. I've decided against the Wellington Lake swim this time but good for you for registering for both. I've been ramping up for some bigger swim goals in the next 2 years. I've just gotten back into swimming over the past year after about a 40 year lapse and am loving it. Not sure how best to connect but wanted to reach out and say hello!

  • bahsan22bahsan22 United StatesNew Member

    Yay! Thanks for the message. Great to make the connection!

    sarahcassidy
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