So, I’ve done a training plan for April. This is also the plan that will take me up to the 2swim4life event on May bank holiday weekend.
I estimate that I’ll do about 45kms in April if I stick to the plan, which feels at least 15kms light if I’m honest. Just like any other event though I have to manage life stuff as well and right now that all comes before swimming.
Here’s the plan:
April training plan
The trick now is to stick to it and make it effective.
The swimming will be a mixture of distance sessions (I’ll aim to do a kilometre every 22 minutes to give me short rests in between them) which I’ll do in the mornings, then still some drills and technique work in the evening sessions. I’ll need a mixture of both on the day itself, so I need to practice both.
As it gets closer I must admit I’m getting a bit more nervous about 2swim4life!
1000kmstowindermere 
I am having a (second crack) at 2swim4life…just wondering what your fueling strategy will be. I have seen some people get by on hardly anything but seeing as I ‘fell off a cliff’ when I tried this in 2011 and have the same issue when I run this time I am going to try and have x-calories after every swim and drink loads (x will be somewhere close to 400).
Good luck and I hope we bump into each other at some point
Danny
Hi Danny, say hi if you get chance during the day.
My feeding plan will be to have something to eat and drink after every swim. I’m going for the little and often approach. I haven’t worked out the details yet, but I’ll also try to have ‘time appropriate’ food as well (so breakfast type stuff in the morning) as I think my body will best cope with it that way.
Having said all of that, it’s a huge step into the unknown for me – part of the joy of it, but also much of cause for nerves!
I’ll be sure to say hi if I see you, I’ll be in the hotel opposite on Friday night with masses of other swimmers. Like you, I’ll have time appropriate food, unlike you I’ll be going for the “lots and often approach”. I swam 24 miles last week with 2 big days. What I learnt is that given I can stomach quite a lot of food as long as all I do is ‘turn my arms over’ – go too fast and I feel ill.
I think I have got most of my training in now – just maintenance now and a semi-taper. I am swimming less often now but keeping up the intensity to keep up the fitness – so I’ll be bashing out the swimathon.
Good luck with your training. When I attempted this in 2011 I saw lots of fantastically quick swimmers fall by the way-side, whilst the ‘slow-and-steadies’ got into their groove and just kept plugging away. I think the cold and tiredness and lack of food is most people’s limiting factor.
I have an entry time of just under 30 mins/mile. If you’re there or thereabouts there’s a good chance we could be in the same lane – me and my buddies are wearing silly checkerboard swim hats.
best wishes
Danny