2017 English Channel swim

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Peak season for swim training for the North Channel

Whenever I plan a marathon swim, I divide my training schedule into three segments.  I count backwards one year from the target swim date and divide it into three unequal segments.  Early  season is fairly light training, mid-season is longer workouts and cross training, and peak season is the the last five months before my target date (North Channel in July).  I have entered into my peak season of training.  I will train six days per week.  Three of those days will be long endurance swims.  Every two weeks I will add an hour to one of those days.  For example, I swam for three hours today. In two weeks, I will swim for four hours in one day (every week). The other two days of the three long endurance days will be three hour swims each day. The other remaining days of the week will be short swims of an hour and cross training. In four weeks, I will swim 5 hours in one day (each week) and the remainder of the three endurance swim days, I will swim for 3 hours each day and the remaining days of the week will be one hour swims.  As soon as the ocean temperature reaches mid-forties, I will start my transition from pool to ocean.  I will have split day training with long swim at the pool and short swim in the ocean.  With ocean temperature in the mid-forties I will swim no longer than an hour.  As the ocean temp increases, I plan to have longer ocean swims and shorter pool workouts.  During my peak season of training, I will lift weights (light weights) to build upper body strength.  On days that I work as a nurse (Yes, that's right I'm still working at the age of 64) and babysit my grandchildren after I get out of work (ages 6, 4, and 3), I plan to cross train on a stationary bike after I tuck my grandchildren in bed. My goal is to train six days per week in preparation for one the most challenging swims in world.  North Channel...here I come!