under-trained at swim time - what would you do?

SuePSueP Oregon, USAMember

So the swim you signed up for many, many moons ago is now weeks away, and all your grand plans for training were not realized. You're roughly half-trained, and although you've done the distance several times before, you've never done it under-trained. Do you try the swim and hope that guts and prior years of long swims will carry you through, or do you back off and vow to train for another day? Does your answer change if trying on guts will be somewhat expensive?

Comments

  • CazzwimCazzwim UK.New Member

    I would consider the following...
    Firstly is the event mass participation or solo?

    Would participating in the event undertrained put you, other swimmers or the water safety team at risk?

    Are you undertrained for the distance or the conditions/temperatures?

    Is there an option to exit the water if all or some of the above become a negative factor during the swim?

    Does your maximum weekly km roughly equate to the total length of the Swim?

    Only you know I your heart of hearts how ready or not you are. We all get pre event nerves from time to time. Is it possible for you to swim slow and complete the swim?

    Hopefully some helpful food for thought!

    SuePKatieBunevmoJSwimcurlyMLambyjendut
  • SuePSueP Oregon, USAMember

    Cazzswim, this is an amazingly helpful checklist that helped me focus on the sources of my angst.

    Cazzwimbahsan22
  • j9swimj9swim CharlestonSenior Member

    @SueP i just did a 10k undertrained. Did I enjoy as much as I could have, no. But was there still joy, was I glad I jumped in, yes. someone reminded me to be grateful and enjoy the moment and I did.

    KatieBunbahsan22
  • brunobruno Barcelona (Spain)Senior Member

    @Cazzwim 's list is very helpful, indeed.

    @j9swim 's advice is the best you'll get: do it just for the sake of enjoying it.

    I said this somewhere else last year: doing a swim undertrained is a good tool, because it will let you know how far you can go with the training you had these past months. Therefore you'll know how much you have to train for a future specific swim (minimum training required). And it will serve you as a lesson (or rather, motivation) for next season.

    bahsan22SuePwendyv34
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    I'm agreeing with the people who are saying just go for it and enjoy it. Don't worry about racing or personal bests or whatever performance goals that are eating your head. You might amaze yourself at what you are capable of.

    Food for thought. I've significantly undertrained this year due to life getting in the way. Every time I've been able to go for a swim, it's been marvelous. My performance did not drop off as much as I feared. It's funny, when I was swimming daily, some of my best workouts appeared when I really wasn't psyched to even swim that day. I had to push myself to even get in the car and go. So maybe you are just getting hit by a dark cloud. Go out and enjoy the swim just for the heck of it.

    Worst that can happen is you blow off the swim and then wonder about your decision for ever.

    bahsan22SuePCazzwim
  • CazzwimCazzwim UK.New Member

    @SueP please let us know what you decide and if you go for it how you get on!

  • SuePSueP Oregon, USAMember

    @Cazzwim said:
    @SueP please let us know what you decide and if you go for it how you get on!

    I decided to go for it based on your checklist and the other good words above. It's a well-run event with great safety protocol; no one should be put in danger if my arms give out. My weekly training is above total distance. I'm very well trained for the likely range of conditions and temperatures. Going through this gave me confidence I needed to buy that plane ticket. And bruno's thoughts about seeing how far this level of training gets me has got me really psyched to find that out. THANKS all! I'll report out in a few weeks.

    Cazzwimj9swimOpenh2opavlicovcurlyKatieBunLakeBagger
  • Openh2oOpenh2o Member
    edited September 2022

    Good luck!
    Wish succeess and joy swim!
    I was in same situation before few weeks .but all was OK and I survived! Feel great!
    But in my case I have one unexpected challenge. PEOPLE ORGANIZED SWIM! They was totally joke!
    But I have now one swim to remember forever!
    Health and all the best

  • pavlicovpavlicov NYC USASenior Member
    edited September 2022

    Suck it up, hope for the best, and learn for the future.

    SuePMvG
  • KatieBunKatieBun CornwallSenior Member
    edited September 2022

    I did a 10.5 mile lake swim on Saturday 17th, undertrained....mainly because of having 3.5 months out with a sprained shoulder from falling on it during Pilates. I lost speed and endurance and, although I got quite a bit of endurance back, my speed is fairly depressing right now...or it would be if I let it bother me too much.

    I set off on the swim, (Windermere, UK) wanting to go under 7 hours but, halfway, I realised that wasn't going to happen, so I changed my goal to under 8 hours and just set about enjoying the day. Finished it in 7 hours 29 mins, 40 minutes slower than my last go at that swim, but at 61, after so long out, I'll take that.

    I'd say go for it, Sue, and just be realistic. You can still change your goal part way through. The worst that can happen is that you get very tired and decide to call it a day. Very best of luck to you. Please report back!

    evmoOpenh2oMLambySuePsmithLakeBaggerCazzwim
  • minamina Newton, MAMember

    I decided to go for it based on your checklist and the other good words above. It's a well-run event with great safety protocol; no one should be put in danger if my arms give out....

    Glad to hear you're familiar with the event and its safety protocol - that makes these situations much more tenable.

    I would add that alerting the Race Directors prior to race day in the case of potentially not completing the course could be helpful to both you and the organization. It worked out very well for me in one of the stages of 8 bridges when I knew that a combo of shoulder issues and training would likely put me a few miles out from the finish.

    Rondi was super helpful to explain NYOW's strategy for pulling swimmers who get stuck as the tide turns, and encouraged me to go as far as my arms would take me. That made my decision to swim it an easy and exciting one - I could really challenge my limits at that time while not being worried that I would be taking away from the safety of others; my kayaker could radio ahead that I was ready to stop, but not in distress. I didn't finish, but it was a great swim to test my limits (I went far longer than anticipated!), and a beautiful swim overall.

    KatieBunLakeBaggerLaurieCazzwimjendut
  • CazzwimCazzwim UK.New Member

    @SueP I just wanted to add that I always build "sick leave" in to my training plan as I know from experience I'll inevitablely get a bug whenever the kids return to school and that I invariably get tonsillitis a few times a year. And of course covid has had a hand in things too! It may sound excessive to say that I'll add in around 8 weeks or buffer time, in other words design my plan and start 8 weeks early. I have never peaked early using this approach as I've always needed that contingency time!

    JSwim
  • thegoodnurse1thegoodnurse1 SpokaneNew Member

    Great advice from a swimmer who is half trained for Coronado. I will do it and have fun. Then I will know how much I will need to train for next time.

    JSwimmarysinger
  • SuePSueP Oregon, USAMember

    Update, I had such a great swim!! Really awesome kayaker, beautiful conditions, even busted out a spint-like-thing last 300m or so, 'cause I felt like it. Thank you all so much for the wise and encouraging words. This swim was exactly what I needed to get past my funk.

    j9swimcurlyKatieBunevmoLakeBagger[Deleted User]MvG
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    @SueP said:
    Update, I had such a great swim!! Really awesome kayaker, beautiful conditions, even busted out a spint-like-thing last 300m or so, 'cause I felt like it. Thank you all so much for the wise and encouraging words. This swim was exactly what I needed to get past my funk.

    Fantastic! I knew it. Like I said earlier, sometimes it's just a dark cloud. Most of the stuff we worry about really isn't worth the brainpower. I generally don't worry about things, but it's more my background than an actual philosophy. When I was young, my sister was always the worrier... about everything. We used to say that she worried about everything, so I didn't have to. She still does kind of worry about stuff, so I generally can lead a carefree life. I really appreciate her effort in that regard.

    So glad your swim turned out great. That's why we do it.

    Openh2o
  • KatieBunKatieBun CornwallSenior Member

    @SueP said:
    Update, I had such a great swim!! Really awesome kayaker, beautiful conditions, even busted out a spint-like-thing last 300m or so, 'cause I felt like it. Thank you all so much for the wise and encouraging words. This swim was exactly what I needed to get past my funk.

    Congratulations, Sue. So delighted for you.

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