It is three weeks since the Rottnest swim and I am now back into swimming and also excitedly starting to think about my next swimming challenge.
I have had lots of people ask me about the logistics of swimming Rottnest as an interstate swimmer. So below is a list of the main points of note that i would past on:
Don't forget to follow my next swimming adventure: Gibraltar Straits Crossing in 2015.
I have had lots of people ask me about the logistics of swimming Rottnest as an interstate swimmer. So below is a list of the main points of note that i would past on:
- Set your goal(s) for the swim:
- I had two:
- To successfully swim the Rottnest Channel
- To ensure i trained enough to enjoy the day, not just struggle through it
- Early preparation is the key:
- Make yourself aware of three key dates as soon as you decide Rottnest is for you:
- The registration period (its only open for 1 week)
- The qualifying swim and a backup swim (just incase)
- The Rottnest swim
- Book accommodation immediately. Hotels in the area book out well in advance.
- Make enquiries into hiring a support boat. Getting a boat and experienced skipper is probably going to be the hardest part of your preparation.
- There are skippers out there who just want to be part of this huge event. They won't charge you excessive amounts either. I was lucky and found a wonderful skipper who refused to let me pay for a single thing, it was clear he was just honoured to skipper a solo swimmer. So get going ASAP...
- I hired an endurance coach in July
- I have completed lots of 10km swims but moving up to swimming 20km means different challenges.
- A good coach who knows about endurance will be able to help you to peak at the right times (qualifying race and again for the actual race). They will also be able to help you out with nutrition plans, endurance sets, recovery plans and advice, and also help you through those down times (trust me, there will be downs time where you just want to throw the towel in).
- Join a swim squad
- Speed work as part of your drills is vital to your success, swimming with others makes this easier.
- Start experimenting with food during your swims now
- It took me 3 months to find food that settled in my stomach well
- Practise eating during your training swims
- Practise treading water. I was incorporating 5 min periods at the end of my sets.
- Resistance, resistance, resistance; Use resistance to simulate longer swims. For example i would put the hand paddles on and get in the habit of doing 500m before the warm down at the end of each squad session.
- Get ready to eat like you have never eaten before. As the training ramps up so does the food bill.
- Put good stuff in and your body will perform well. I found on the odd day where we had take away food my body did not perform well for the next few days.
- I also found drinking milk immediately after long sessions helped with recovery.
- Find out which sea sickness and nausea tablets work well for you. TIP: forget the herbal crap, i did that at the beginning and they don't work anything like the medical stuff.
- Get a good support team together
- Make sure you find a few good paddlers
- I started practising 3 months out with the kayakers.
- Practise your feeding/drinking from the kayak. Get them used to your likes/dislikes.
- You want everything to just go smoothly on the day.
Don't forget to follow my next swimming adventure: Gibraltar Straits Crossing in 2015.
