Category Archives: Swimming

Öloppet swim-run 2015

Competition, running, swim-run, Swimming

Rest weeks. So, that was the idea after Ironman Zurich. But then I got a question by Magnus Carlsson if I wanted to run Öloppet with him. The sprint that was, 20 kilometres of running, and 2.6 km of swimming. I was up for it, but had to consider and reconcile with the wife. We were, after all, going away the day before. But we wouldn’t sleep over, and I accepted.

But swim-run, I was aware of the concept, but not how it went into more detail. So I sat one evening in front of the computer and studied. In particular, there was a very good post on Icebugs page, http://icebug.com/se/swimrun/. It turned out later that it was Magnus who wrote this.

I did not want to cut off my wetsuit, and I knew I would not be ready to run in my full suit , so I did a quick order of a shorty outfit online. There are not so many models of swim-run outfits, and those are pretty expensive, so I settled on this model: http://www.seapro.se/sv/artiklar/vatdrakt-shorty-limax-herr-3.html. Fast delivery, I received it on Wednesday after being ordered on Tuesday, and on Thursday I thought to test the equipment. Had decided to run without paddles and car body repair, then it went slower when I tested in pool.

And what a feeling! just being able to throw himself into the water, swim a little, running up on the other side and continue run! Sure, it was a little cumbersome at run in wet suit, but it was still ok. Ran a short pass in the surtsjön.

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So it was time to start! Me and Magnus had decided that we would see this as a fun thing, and not press too hard on the run. I hadrest week, and did little or none training before. Only a few small workout to keep running the body a bit.

10:00 and the race was on. We placed ourselves somewhere in the middle of the field, among the other 250 teams in the Sprint. But it was hard to hold back as much on the initial races down to the water like the other teams, so we ran up some places before it was time for the first swim. 620 metres from Styrsö to St. Mosskullen.

And at swimming, we are about as good, or bad, on. I put myself first, and then came Magnus on my feet with paddles and floater. I put myself a little to the left of the rest of the field to get some free water, and the swim went quite well, although it did not go particularly fast, so 12:30 later, we were able to step up and run. Or so we thought … Crowded on the cliffs above, and no ability to pass made us walk more than run. It wasn’t until we got to Köpstadsö that we could run on a bit, and then we took a wrong turn ….

I had written down all the distances we would run/swim on my arm, in order to keep track of whether it was worth taking off our swimming caps or not, and it wasn’t until we came to Brännö as it really was worth removing the caps. 6 km running with only two short water passages as we waded through.

 

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Swimming had gone well so far. Small, short and, in some cases, muddy banks distances in calm water. No jellyfish or waves to speak of. But after krokholmen we would take us 570 metres to the Känsö, and here it was more high seas. Bigger waves and deeper water.

I found it difficult to stay the course, and when I checked back, Magnus had left my feet. I was waiting for him a few times, but with 50 meters left I swam on. 16 minutes took the route, and even though it was 50 metres shorter than the initial swimming, we were over 4 minutes slower. Magnus had trouble in the waves, and now the jellyfish had also begun to show itself.

But the team that had past us in swimming we outrun on the Islands in between. Magnus kept up the speed on trails and gravel roads, and I on the stones and rocks.

Two swims in the same hard conditions and then we were arriving on Styrsö again. Now waited over 6 kilometres of running before the finish. Magnus had a lot of energy, but my legs didn’t want to really keep up before I got the heat up. But after a couple of kilometers in 4:30 speed, I started getting the heat up, and the last few kilometers we could press the speed closer to 4 minutes per kilometer. We could pass som more teams, and as the finish line approached, we put on a final sprint.

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We had no idea what place we finished in, but were very happy with the race overall. Under 3 hours in total time was good for a swim-run debut, and we placed in 12th place in the men’s class and 19th in total by all teams, which is perfectly ok.

It was, after all, the experience which was the main focus, time and the placings were completely secondary this time. But it left me wanting more! Although I am lousy at swimming, it’s a fantastic feeling to be able to throw myself into the sea and get to where you want. The body becomes the vessel so to speak.

So this am I going to do again, thanks Magnus for taking me with you on this adventure!

Here are the official results:
http://oeloppet.r.mikatiming.de/2015/?pid=list

And here is the link to activity at garmin connect:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/853309884

 

Ironman Zurich 2015

Competition, cycling, Ironman, Marathon, Road running, running, Swimming, Triathlon

Here is a summary of the actual race. I post a separate post about preparations for the race later.

Sunday morning 4 am the bell rings, and it's time to get up and make breakfast. We are staying at Fischer's Fritz campsite 2 km from the event area, so there's only a short walk to the start. Last minute additions to the various Exchange bags. The forecast has said rain and thunderstorms during the day, so I add an extra bicycle shirt. Watch the bike, peel off the protective cover and head off to the swim start. On site I get confirmation that it's wetsuit prohibition, since the water temperature is 25.2 degrees. No direct benefit for a guy with very heavy legs, but you have to accept.thumb_IMG_3167_1024

New this year is that it's rolling start with självseedning. I am in the next slowest group, 80-90 minutes, and waiting for the start. The pros start 06:40, and I'm going in the water at 07:00. The start is quiet and nice compared to the usual mass starts.

I think I look a bit muddy, and watch glasses. Notice that I have not taken them at all, and drag them down over your eyes and continue swimming. I have come off a bit with the crawl in the final weeks, and swum almost every day for the last 14 days, so I'll soon into the rhythm. But I like to take at all to be confused with the other and swim, then I do not want to be bothered with kicks and nudges, so I put me 10 metres to the left of the entire field. Here I can swim undisturbed, although there will be a little longer way, and even if I do not get the help of being behind someone.

But oh how long it was to the first buoy… look at the clock, and it shows 735 metres. But that's just to round it and continue. It floats on well until turning processes were, but where it will be crowded again, and it's hard to get past. Once at the island, I am the missions out of the water to run over and jump in on the other side. I know I'm not even halfway, the official distance is 1500 metres the first lap and 2,300 others. But my watch is already showing 1996 meters … Have been swimming too far out from the track … The time halfway is 48 minutes, which is a little more than I bargained for.

The second round will be heavy. It has begun to blow, and the waves beat into the mouth and nose on the way out. I can still only breathing in one direction, so just to stay afloat. And continue to crawl. The last stretch toward switching is the waves towards my left, so it runs better. Now swallow I don't quite as much water. Up from the water bells I by at 1:48. The GPS on the clock stopped working half way into the final stretch, so the distance was just key 3.7 km, but more likely be I swum just over 4 km in total. And I crawled all the way! time was less important, since the main objective of my swimming was able to crawl over the long haul. And now I can, even in open water with a lot of people around me.  And without wetsuit in addition.

First switching to the bike. Now it was my concern out of the way, and now I was on safer ground with my two best branches left. Exchange area is large, and it's long way to get around. I took it quite calmly, for quiet indeed if I compare my switching times with others. But it was nice to get everything in place. Fixed when I would press firmly the shoes in the pedals they wanted to click in, and I realized that I have not removed the block guards. Of them, and discard them. Up on the bike and set off.

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I thought open half quiet to get into cycling, but at the same time, bring up the heat. I had a stomach ache after swimming. Almost 2 hours in the water meant I got stomach cramps when I drink sports drink. But the first three miles were the rather flat, and where could I average around 35 km/h. And now I began to pass a lot of people. A bit in order to have something to do, I started to count how many times I passed. There will also be a good way to divide the space into smaller stages.

Then it was time for the slopes. I dreaded the beast, but found it was not so bad halfway through the first lap. Now should the Hill have come, and sure enough, I had climbed some, but not as much. Fixed then I had of course not come up to the Hill yet … After having climbed standing in the pedals in 1 km I thought that now takes the Hill end. but it did not. It just continued. 3 km steep uphill. I made sure to lie just below the acid threshold, and could climb the large rack up all the time. But then it perform, I knew. And it made it a little while before the next climbing started. Not as steep, but more than 5 km long.

And then it performs a. .. Really very performing. I lay in the speed position, and looked at the speedometer to the began approaching 80 km/h. Great I thought, good with speed. But when I approached a curve at the bottom and would slow down, Mark I to fly barely decreased slightly, and it started smelling burned… So I had to stand up, put on as much braking could be, and hope it doesn't come a sharp curve. But it didn't, and now it was flat again. A little climbing on 1 km before turning at Heartbreak Hill. But a steep one at that. First lap took 2:50, so I was well above 30 on average.

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And out on the second lap. First 30 km was flat, and very be on barsen and pumping on. But I started to get very sore ass, and craved climbs where you could stand up. Though this time it was legs not as fresh, and it did not respond as good when I stood up. And when I got to the beast, only to switch down to the small rack up, and sit and chew themselves up. This time the climb took 2 minutes longer than on the first lap, and the next climbing, which I had thought was something other than a little tough on the first lap, was really annoying. But so shall it not be …

The last stretch toward heartbreak hill was flat, and I pumped in as best they could. It had begun to blow some, and it was an uphill battle most. And heartbreak hill was really tough the second time. The second round went on over 3 hours, but I had still made the 18-mile at 5:54 am despite all the slopes. So we should be happy with. And that's right, I passed 560 cyclists, and was passed by 15:)

Last letters before the races. I took once again good time on me, pinkade in 5 minutes, and got his back rubbed with lotion. Now it was really hot out there, more than 30 degrees in the shade and blazing sun. So you got a little triathlonbrännan though.thumb_IMG_3175_1024

I ignored the quick lacing, and changed the socks. Wanted good shoes before the final marathonloppet. Because I had taken it pretty quiet in Exchange I came pretty quickly into the races. Step sat quite nicely, and a nice and slow tempo just under 5 min/km was felt right nicely. Now I was in my element, and I continued to count how many times I passed.

First fluid control came after just 1 km, and they served both fruit and nuts in addition to all the junk food that are usually present. So I poured in me. Probably a little too much, but I wanted to have good energy. The checks kept coming with 2 km intervals throughout the race, and the first lap went relatively easy. Just over 50 minutes of 10.5 km is quite OK.

But then it got heavier. The second round began the bones speak up. No cramps, even though I only got in me 1 elektrolyttablett before I dropped the bag, but it hurt. But out on the 3rd lap, I stopped counting how many times I passed (I counted 560 before I stopped half way) and started thinking about what it was I was doing. Not in a bad way, but in the same way that I usually think when it feels heavy at the end of the course I have prepared myself long before.

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Now it's 18 km left. Enjoy them. You have been looking forward to this for 1 year soon, so enjoy the last few kilometers. See each felled kilometers as a dear friend who you take leave from, and all that is in front of you as great acquaintances. And enjoy every kilometre. Spring easy, running easily and effortlessly. You love to run, you can run much longer than this, and you will run much longer. The legs hurts is just a sign that you are where you should be. In step. In the entry step. Here and now.

So it hurt, but I ran with a smile on his face. And I continued to push into me energy, now in the form of gels. And kilometres floated on. Soon, I was in front at the last, and then it was just pressing. Right through the last water control, and into the finish.

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And to hear his name called, "Tomas, you are an Ironman!" was very nice. And the whole family was in place at the finish. And then I was just happy. Time, 11:42:59, was perhaps not what I hoped for, but I did not have it would be like. The final maran went at 3:44 pm, and it's actually my second fastest mara. I was tired, but pain in the body of course. No cramps. I've probably learned how to prepare before and during these races now.

 

And now I've done my ironman. I think this was a first and last given how much preparation you have to add that "disrupts" the rest of the workout. But I keep enough to swim a bit. That recovery after harder workouts …

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Here is the link to the race on garmin connect: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/838714281

And here is the link to the official result:
http://tracking.ironmanlive.com

 

Tjörn triathlon 2014

Competition, cycling, running, Swimming

So it was time. After running on to a training program customized for triathlon (-swimming) from Aktivitus so it was time to test on triathlon. Tjörn triathlon 11.3 seemed like a moderately good possibilities. The distance was no stranger, and I have run a number of brick that was harder during the summer, again without swimming.

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Förberdelserna pure body was decent, then Wednesday was quite heavy, and the 4 training session I did at that time was still sitting in the body even on Friday, but once I got started, so it felt good in the body.

I had packed complete everything during Friday evening, and after a havregrynsgrötfrukost I sat down in the car at 5:45 and drove to Skärhamn on tjörn. CJ and Carro met up at Exchange area with my support ticket, bag and tidtagningschip, and I put the prepared stuff. I added some extra clothes then it seemed like it might be a little chilly during the day, especially on the bike. Then I packed down wetsuit, plugs and goggles in case we had to, and passed away in joint procession to the start.

Ombytt and completed with wet suit, only to wait on startup that went 9:08 exercise class. Men's/ladies/masters starters went before, and it seemed to go pretty tidily. These groups were also not particularly big, because when our group would start the entire beach was filled to the brim by men and women in purple swim caps. When started, it was a pure chaos. Arms, legs and bodies everywhere. I could not get into the crawl at all, so I had to take it easy and let go past those who had the most urgent. At first turnaround after a few hundred metres the field began to get a little more spread out, and I was able to get into the crawl mode.

It was raining, but it did not so much when it was 17.1 degrees Celsius in the water. Really nice after a while, and the second half was the crawl all the way in force. I entered well in technology, and could switch to cycling after 45 minutes on the official timekeeping

the fluctuations are not my strong suit because I haven't practiced on it very much, or nothing actually, so it took her little time. 5 minutes before I was up on the bike. Got me new socks, and pulled on me softshelljackan as I cycled in during the winter, and even drove the vasaloppet in.

After just a few minutes on the bike, I felt that it was a really good choice. It rained and blew the whole first lap around Tjörn and it would have been really cold but. But now, I felt strong. Could lie and section of 30 km/h in the headwind, and up to 40 km/h in the downwind leg. I didn't have so much to do, so I counted how many I passed, and came up in 149 before it was time to switch. Had sensations in right back when I went on a bit too heavy in some steep sections, so I took it a bit easier up during the last lap. But 2:39 was a lot better than what I had expected on a bike part. Never snittat as fast as before, and it was not very good weather conditions. Pace sticks I put on last Wednesday was a really good investment!tomas_triathlon

Time for a switch to running. Here too, it was especially smoothly, it took a full minute to lump the shoes, and one to bring down the energibars in trisuiten. But I was dry on your feet, and it felt good in my legs. The first 3 km went in a little over 4 min/km pace. Though I was damn pissenödig… So after the first pass at the target ran behind a shed and kag managed to pull up snorren through the leg at trisuiten and pee. In an eternity it felt like, but 3 minutes in reality when I checked the clock.

After this floated it on. The pace was slowing down against 4:30 per km, but it is a vekvämt tempo to lie in. Heart rate low at around 145, but I felt that the back legs had krampat if I had pressed for more.

The slopes were heavy, but on the straights I could float on the good, and I came in towards the goal just over 5 hours in total with a time of 1:32 on the concluding half marathon. Ok, my next fastest half marathon after göteborgsvarvet this year. Forgot to set the clock after crossing the finish line, but the official time was 5:06:24. Here is a link to the results. MFigure 1et Erik and CJ directly into the goal. They had come in 9 and 1 minute before me, and after 7 minutes additional came johan. We took a break in the queue for massage, and got a proper review of the legs.

I felt incredibly fresh immediately after the race, and it is not impossible that I do about this. I think I can cut 10 minutes of swimming, 5 minutes on the whims and 10 minutes on the bike. Then I go for 5 hours with a good margin next time. If I do not run a full ironman next time …

 

Superklassikern!

A Swedish classic, running, Swedish super classic, Swimming

picture19 hours 13 minutes and 39 seconds. How long did it take for me to carry out my other classics, and fix superklassikern!

Latest race was Vansbrosimmningen. A little anticlimactic when the organizers had decided to shorten the race to 1500 m, when there were just 13 degrees in the water. I went up in the car on Friday afternoon, was arriving in Vansbro 17:30, and went directly to the pizzeria to eat and watch football after I had taken out my Starter Kit.

I found a good parking spot fairly close to the target area, so I had to pull the curtains and curl up in the back seat and try to sleep. Before a race, you like that, and to sleep in a hot car with a swimming party outside in the parking lot not.

Once in place down at the start, I decided to ignore the nose clip. It works when you swim by yourself, but now would it be full of others, and I would not turn in myself too much. CJ met down at the start. He started 10:30 in Group 3.

15 minutes later, it was my turn to jump in. After almost 1 hour in blazing sun, it was actually quite nice to get in the water. But the shortened course was much narrower, so it was legs and arms all over the place. But downstream it went anyway to choose their own path, and I crawled away.

It went well in Vanån, but when we turned up to the Västerälven, so it became suddenly more narrow again. The current was quite strong, and the water was colder. I'm not a good enough swimmer to be able to go out in motströmmen pass brästsimmarna which was closest to the bridge. I did a couple of tries, but then it got to be into line and swim breaststroke up towards the goal. I could pass a and other swimmers when there was a gap, but usually took it stop.

I headed in goals in 31:12. A time that was slower than last year's 59 minutes if one doubles it. On the other hand, should the swimming has been better this year, then the half man stroking was downstream.

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Even less tired than last year, so I stuck out and ran an interval workout before I dushade of me and got something in my stomach. So when I sat in the car for driving the 5 hours and 42 miles back, so I was atleast a little tired.

But still pretty happy.