If you are the adventurous type, and you love to swim you should really try-out marathon swimming. This type of swimming activity is meant to test the swimmer’s endurance rather than speed. It is not only a test of your swimming skills but your willpower as well.
Moreover, long-distance swimming is like a marathon, and it is a great way to improve your cardiovascular endurance and mental strength.
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However, before you even think of trying out marathon swimming, you should consider practicing it from home. By doing this, you will be able to develop your technique and increase your chances of victory during swimming events. Here are 6 ways you can practice marathon swimming from home:
Table of Contents
6 ways you can practice marathon swimming from home
1. Pace Yourself
Before you even think of competing, you should know that marathon swimming is very different compared to other types of swimming. First and foremost, what is expected of you is very different. For most swimming events speed is key. However, with marathon swimming, you will need to learn how to pace yourself. You just can’t go all out from the start.
Remember that a swimming marathon takes a very long time to finish. There are so many miles you will have to swim, so you should not think that you can win through speed. When it comes to marathon swimming, a slow and steady pace is important.
One of the best ways to slow down your pace is to jog on a regular basis. By jogging, you’ll be able to change your breathing pattern and increase your stamina at the same time. You can do this from the safety of your home by using a treadmill, or by going on jogs around your neighborhood.
2. Equip Yourself With the Right Gear
If you’re going to take up marathon swimming you should make sure that you have the right equipment. Remember that you’ll be swimming for long periods of time, so every aspect of your gear should be at the optimum level.
That means your swimming gear should be as light and efficient as possible. You should also choose good quality bathing caps that are made of silicone or latex. Swimming goggles are also essential because you’ll need to see clearly while you’re swimming.
Months before any marathon event, you should make sure that you store your swimming gear in a safe place. Double-check them for any tears or other types of damage. This may seem like a tedious process, but if you want to do well on swimming marathons you should take the time to double-check your gear.
3. Utilize Floating Docks as Pit Stops
While practicing for marathon swimming, outside your home, you should place floating docks at key distances. These floating docks will not only act as distance markers for you but also as pit stops for you to rest and rehydrate.
Your floating decks should be both durable and buoyant. They should also be easy to construct and disassemble, that way you can just set them up with minimal hassle. You can purchase these floating docks from companies such as Hiseadock.com.
4. Have Your Support Team at the Ready
During the course of a swimming marathon, there is a chance you’ll lose energy or suffer cramps. This can be a dangerous situation because the other competitors will be too busy to help you out. There may even be a chance that you’ll get lost in the crowd during the race.
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Although accidents seldom happen during practice or events, you and your team should never get complacent. All it takes is a momentary lapse in concentration, and things could get deadly. So it is imperative that your team is as alert as possible.
Before swimming events, you should meet up and discuss these protocols. That way once the marathon events start, your team will know exactly what to do.
5. Learn the Proper Techniques
Like any other swimming activity, there are specific techniques that you should learn. By doing so you’ll be able to swim in the most effective and efficient way possible. Learning proper swimming techniques will also help prevent accidents.
The best stroke you can use is the open water stroke. This technique not only allows you to maximize your energy but also grants you lap eating strokes that will help you get ahead of other competitors. Here are some essential tips on how to use the open water stroke.
Limit Your Strokes
During more conventional swimming events most swimmers prioritize the number of strokes that they use. The more strokes they use, the more chances they have of coming up on top.
In swimming marathons, however, it is best that you limit the number of strokes. Remember that these types of events entail you to swim many miles of open sea, so you should learn how to conserve your energy.
Relax
Aside from learning how to limit your strokes and conserving your energy, you should also learn to relax during swimming marathons. While being in a tense and coiled state can be beneficial for short races, being in such a state during swimming marathons will just exhaust you. So it is best that you stay relaxed and loose during swimming marathon events.
Lengthen Your Stroke and Your Body
If you want to have any chance of winning swimming events, you should make sure that you lengthen your stroke and your body while you swim. Remember that this is a long-distance event, so you should learn how to optimize every aspect of your body.
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One way to do this is to use lap-eating long strokes, that will ensure the most effective and efficient forward propulsion for your body. When it comes to swimming marathons, it is not the swimmer that uses the most energy that wins. It is the swimmer that knows how to conserve and wisely expend energy.
If you have a pool at home, you should practice these techniques and hone them to a razor edge. If you don’t have a pool, you can go to the community swimming pool or the gym pool, however, you should be aware that there are other people using the pool, so you should make sure that you don’t get in their way.
6. Have the Right Mindset
The right mindset is key if you want to succeed in marathon swimming. Remember that this swimming event cannot be won with a sprint or burst of energy. It can only be won through slogging through lap after lap. So you should change your mindset. Don’t be shortsighted, and instead think of the long game. Learn to pace yourself, and conserve your energy for the long haul.
Conclusion:
If you are a proficient swimmer and you want to try a new challenge, you should really try marathon swimming. This type of swimming entails you to swim for many miles. In a way, it is a marathon that is conducted in the water.
However, before taking up the sport, you should make sure you practice from home as much as possible. By knowing these essentials, you’ll be able to take part in swimming marathon events in the best ways possible.
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