The Night Before The Main Event...

jcmalick

Here's something I've never gotten before a marathon swim...a full night's (classified by minmally 6 hours) sleep before taking the impending plunge! This comes on the eve as two great friends are about to swim the Cook Strait and should theoretically be slumbering before their latest journey (GO DARREN @ForeverSwim and CRAIG!). Not sure if it's because I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve (or perhaps a kid in a candy store would be a more appropriate analogy), but I get so racked up with anticipation that I lack the full Zzzzs. Anyone have any suggestions on how to best get sleep before a marathon swim?!? Nyquil? Sleeping Pills? Heavy doses of alcohol?!?!

LSjswims

Great photo!
My understanding is that we compete on the sleep we get two nights before the big event. In other words, one night of sleep deficit is outclassed by the adrenaline of the swim. If nothing else, that understanding has kept me from worrying too much as I stare at the ceiling...

Franco

For morning starts, I don’t seem to have much trouble sleeping. I find that most of my big events require some travel and I usually leave early in the morning the day before the event. By the time I arrive, check in hotel, hit the local store for food and drink, go to pre-swim meeting/dinner and get back to hotel, I am exhausted.

I lie down on hotel bed and put an episode of an old show on Netflix on the iPad and I am usually out within 15 minutes. As long as the pillows are decent, I seem to get a solid 5 or 6 hours sleep which does the trick for me.

I go to bed early most of the time so this isn’t that hard for me. I really try and focus on getting a good night sleep all week prior to a swim. It conditions me for falling asleep early that night. In the event I have trouble sleeping, I have at least had decent rest for the week prior.

I also try to limit caffeine on day prior to swim. It seems to make a difference for me. I can’t imagine alcohol can be that good for you before a big event. (Although it sure is a nice treat when you are finished)

I have never done a swim with a night start and imagine that would pose a problem for me.

evmo

For me, it's usually the last-minute errands & preparations that keep me up late, not nerves. After a couple bad experiences I now try to get all errands done by 2 days before, all feed mixing done by early afternoon the day before, leaving the evening for an early dinner and relaxing evening off my feet (assuming a morning start). Avoid alcohol.

jcmalick

Although...I have started a gluten free diet and had potato vodka and Red Bridge/Omission Beer made with Sorghum and neither one left me feeling drunk or hungover this past Saturday in celebration of St Pat's Day...perhaps this is a revolutionary new beginning to alcohol and open water swimming?!? Next we will see more swimmers posing mid-way through an event with a beer in hand although this may make us more tired and longing to get back on the boat!

bobswims

I have found getting to the venue a few days ahead helps calm me down. No caffine once I leave for the trip. Swim 2 hours in open water easy the 2 days prior to the swim, and 1 hour the day before. Ambien 2 nights before the swim, and a high calorie mostly liquid diet the day before the swim. I don't worry about getting a lot of sleep the night before; and keeping the stress down and just resting is good enough. I haven't always been able to execute the entire plan all of the time, but when I did it worked great.

loneswimmer

@jcmalick, I'd like to make an Admin announcement that under no circumstance should it ever be called St. Pat's or St. Patty's Day, without earning the scorn and approbation of Irish people everywhere! <):)

IronMike

Melatonin.

Bill

A couple pints always get me a solid 8 the night before a race.