swimrun training

Welcome to episode 165 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!

This week we have another installment in our Swimrun 101 series. In the episode we share our thoughts on Swimrun training…thoughts formed from our many conversations with coaches, athletes, and our own training and racing experience. For this episode we break up our discussion on Swimrun training into three distinct training categories: physical fitness, fueling and hydration, and mental preparation.

Why are we doing this? 

We’ve noticed in our own training what has helped us show up to the start lines confident for the challenges (known and unknown) and we’ve developed a pattern or rhythm to our training, with the help of our coach, to get prepared. We obviously don’t know or claim to know all there is to know about endurance training but we’d had a lot of guests on the show that do. Make sure to check the show to get hyperlinks to our interviews to the coaches and experts that we’ll be alluding to during this episode. 

Anyway, we hope that you find our musings on training helpful.

Physical Fitness

Swim Training 

We’ve found that building a giant base of swim fitness leads to better race experiences and that the base helps increase your run fitness in the process. We think that de-coupling your swimming so that it is something that is always happening in the background at least 2-4 times per week will get you more than ready for any Swimrun outside of something like the One Water Race.

There are a ton of resources out there to improve your swimming but at the very least any organized Masters Swim group will help get you on the path.

Run Training

When it comes to training for the run portion of any Swimrun, we’ve found that getting specific to both the distance and terrain in your training is the best approach. If your upcoming race is super hilly, then you know what to do. Remember that a Swimrun that has 17 miles of running doesn’t mean that you need to be able to bang out 17 miles in one shot before race day. Since the run sections are broken up, you’re usually able to get by with shorter runs in the lead up. Obviously, the fitter you are on the run, the “easier” the race will feel and the more fun you’ll have out there.

Strength/Cross-Training

We all know that we need to do more strength/stretching/yoga/cross-training. Our approach is to start small and try to be ultra consistent. Keep nailing the fundamentals and you’ll soon build the habit and see the results on race day. 

Swimrun Training

Nothing simulates Swimrun better than a good’ole Swimrun practice. When you’re new to the sport these sessions are integral for you to learn the technique of Swimrun and work on all the little things that take up time during a race such as dealing with the tether, cabbing down, etc. 

We’ve found that as we have gotten more experienced in the sport these sessions are less about making sure that we have all the mechanics down and more about working on intensity and pace. We definitely do less Swimrun practices that we used to but we’ve developed the muscle memory for what works for us.

Previous LTBz episodes about Swimrun training:

Mike Olzinski (EP 3 and EP 108)

Nicolas Remires (EP 14 and EP 126)

Nate Helming (EP 17)

Mario Fraioli (EP 30)

Gerry Rodrigues (EP 32)

Coach Jim Lube & Megan AMA

Ville Enburgh

John Stevens (EP 46 and EP 124)

Joe Friel (EP 115)

Fueling and Hydration

Gut Training

Just like anything else in Swimrun, you need to adapt to the unique challenges that these events can present. One of the biggest is fueling and hydration. Practicing what you will do on race day and having a nutrition plan in place is instrumental to maximizing your race performance on race day. Just as one would plan how they would tackle a difficult Swimrun course, you should also plan what you will do fueling wise. 

This is definitely a place where we feel that we have learned a ton as a team. We feel so lucky to have been able to work with Precision Fuel and Hydration and it’s no coincidence that our race performances have improved as a result. We highly recommend checking out all the free information that they offer and start working on your fueling and hydration training for your next Swimrun. 

Practicing Race Day fueling During Swimrun Training Sessions

This is a moving target that practice is key to nailing your strategy on race day. Just as you wouldn’t show up at a Swimrun without at least going through the paces a few times in your gear, practicing your strategy for race day is just as important.

Note that this is a moving target and as you get fitter, your fueling needs will evolve. 

Previous LTBz episodes about Fueling and Hydration:

Andy Blow (EP 25 and EP 118)

Abby Coleman (EP 120)

Mental Preparation 

Getting ready for the adventure of Swimrun isn’t just about being physically ready for the challenge, it is also about being mentally prepared for what lies ahead.

Get Aligned on Goals

Swimruns are great adventures that will test your body and mind. Whether you are racing solo or as part of team, getting aligned on what your goals are is key. Susie Moonan recommends that athletes be able to answer the question of “why?” Why are you doing this race is a great way to crystallize what you're hoping to get from the experience and this will help you if/when you hit a low point during a race. 

Be Realistic 

What does success look like? Or what should it look like? If you can go into a Swimrun with clear expectation on what success looks like you will be way more likely to find what you’re looking for in the sport. Swimrunning well is its own skill so don’t expect to be an expert at it your first time out. 

It has taken us years to get to the point where we feel like we know what we are doing…and we still take wrong turns sometimes.

Embrace the Ambiguity 

Similar to being realistic, embracing the nature of Swimrun is also key to having a successful race. Distances aren’t exact, aid stations may not be where you thought they were, and the weather can change rapidly. At risk of sounding totally tautological The more prepared you are for the randomness that you will experience during a race, the less of a mental challenge it will be when random things happen.

Previous LTBz episodes on the Mental Side of Things:

Susie Moonan (EP 54 and EP 122)

Brad Stulberg (EP 88 and EP 164)

Summary

So in summary, we think Swimrun training should look something like this:

1. swim consistently at varying intensities;
2. plan your run workouts to simulate the type of terrain and course that you will be racing;
3. do enough Swimrun practices so that you are comfortable with your gear and the mechanics of Swimrun transitions;
4. train your gut and start practicing your race day fueling and hydration well before race day; and
5. think about why you’re racing Swimrun and line up your goals and expectations accordingly.

This is our best thinking on what Swimrun training, on a straight-forward level, should consist of. That being said, we highly, highly recommend that listeners interested in taking their performance to the next level to look into coaching resources such as Envol Swimrun, Tower 26, Simcoachen, Purple Patch, and TOT Endurance.

That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star review. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, and on YouTube. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback and/or suggestions. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

Thanks for listening and see you out there!

-  Chip and Chris

Welcome to Gear Talk: The Löw Tide Böyz and Swimrun Labs review show!

In this episode, we break down all the different training aids that you can use to take your Swimrun training/racing to the next level.

Before we get into that discussion, we have a few gear updates.

GEAR UPDATES

Just a few gear updates this week.

Brooke finally tried some HOKA ONE ONE shoes (Speedgoats) and she’s really liking them as an alternative to her usual INOV-8 shoes that she uses.

Chipper finally pulled the trigger and ordered a Red Original Pro-Change Robe for those chilly mornings on the pool deck. That leaves Chris as the only member of the group just using a towel.

SWIMRUN TRAINING TOOLS DISCUSSION

Since it’s still the off-season, we thought that it would be good to talk about what people can do now to come back stronger for the (hopefully) upcoming Swimrun season.

We all recommend that if you’re planning on trying to improve this off-season that you get an understanding of your fitness metrics. Whether that’s heart rate zones or RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion), understanding where you are at will help you get to where you want to go. Chris used to use songs to calibrate what zone he was in. For example, if he could sign Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart” while on the bike it meant that he was riding his bike in zone 2. If he couldn’t belt out the lyrics, it meant he was above where he wanted to be.

Overall, we recommend that athletes have a plan for what they want to work on. Having a purpose for each session will help keep you focused on your progress. Along with purpose, since this is a gear show, we thought that we would list some of the types of training tools that you can use to take your performance to the next level. 

Strength Tools

Stretch cords, therabands and/or stretch bands are a cheap and effective way to add some resistance to your routine to add more strength that will help you become more injury-proof and, uhm, stronger. Check out the Swimrun Labs page of training tips for using stretch bands.

Bosu Balls or other products that create unstable or wobbly surfaces are also great for working on the smaller muscles to prevent injury.

There are also swimming-specific stretch cords that have paddles built in that are perfect for warm-ups before swims.

You can also check out Episode 17 of the Podcast with Strength and Running Coach, Nate Helming for more training tips.

Run Tools

Not a lot of tools here, just vary your stimulus by running hills or terrain that you’re not used to. Try different shoes, maybe load up a backpack with some water bottles, or work on downhill running. Don’t have a hill in your area? Maybe there is a bridge that you can do hill repeats on. Basically, where there is a will, there’s a way. 

You can also check out Episode 30 of Podcast with Running Coach, Mario Fraioli for great insight on how to vary your workouts while you prepare for a particular race.

Swim Tools

Swimming has the most training aids by far. Here we break down the tools that we use. As we mentioned above but especially with swimming, having a training plan or focus for each swim will help you improve.

“Essentials”

Pool Pull Buoy

Ankle Strap

Snorkel

Swim Fins

Swim Paddles

Depending on what you're trying to work on in the pool, these essentials can really help you work on your technique to become a better/faster swimmer. Just like strength or running, adding external resistance will help make you stronger. Note: if you’re new to ankle straps make sure that you pair it with a pull buoy because it will cause significant drag. Wearing an ankle strap can also simulate the resistance of swimming in shoes.

“Nice to Have”

Multiple Sizes of Swim Paddles

Kick board

Neoprene SIM shorts

Swim bands/stretch cords

These Swim toys are nice to have to mix things up and create new stimuli. If you’re Brooke, you can get a kettlebell and walk the bottom of the pool while holding it. (Just remember to drop it and get to the surface to breathe.

“Baller Status”

Dry robe 

Garmin Swim 2 watch (underwater wrist-based heart rate)

Garmin HRM-Swim Heart Rate Monitor (to pair with your existing GPS watch) 

Dry robes are pricey but they are super comfy and easy to change underneath. There are several brands out there including Red Original, Dry Robe, and Smoc Smoc. Here’s a video with a review of all the dry robe styles out there.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

We hope this episode gives you some ideas on gear that you can get to help make 2021 your best Swimrun season yet. Let us know if you’re using a product that you love that we didn’t mention and think that we should. Stay safe and happy training!

That’s it for this week’s Gear Talk show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram and on Twitter. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback, suggestions, and/or meme suggestions. Finally, you can also support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.