As part of the final preparation for my upcoming Swim to the Moon 10K in Michigan, I did a “dress rehearsal” at Parker Canyon Lake on Friday, July 27. The goal of the swim was to do a full 10K (6.2 miles), with deep water stops to take gels (Accel key lime are my favorite) at miles 1, 2, 4 and 5, and a short break at the midpoint for water and food (Allen Lim’s rice cakes). As much as possible, I was trying to simulate the Swim to Moon event, which is an out and back through a series of 3 lakes with aid stations every mile, and the option to pick up your “special needs” bag (food, beverage, etc) at the 5K turnaround.
– Similarities: Gear (no wetsuit), 10K Distance; Nutrition; Distance between fuel stops; Air and Water temperatures.
– Differences: Elevation- Parker Canyon is 5400′ and Halfmoon Lake is 883′; Start time- Swim to the Moon is 7am EST; Support- none today.
I started the swim at 8:30am – air and water temperatures were roughly the same at 76F, with very little wind. There were only a few boats and I was the only person swimming (not unusual for this lake on a Friday). For the first 2 miles the water was surprisingly flat, which made for an easy, relaxed warm-up. After 3 miles I returned to the boat dock for water and food. Even with taking gels every mile (I put one on each side of my head under my swim cap), I often get hungry toward the end of a long swim, so I opted for real food. Allen Lim’s rice cakes are a great combination of sweet and savory, and easy to digest. Total time out of the water was about 10 minutes.
When I resumed swimming there was more surface chop – the wind had picked up and it looked like thunder clouds were moving in. The rest of the swim took a lot more effort, both physically and mentally; but once I completed 5 miles, stopping to stretch my arms and take the last gel, I knew I could finish the remaining distance.
According to my Garmin data, which I uploaded to Strava, I swam 6.4 miles in 4 hours and 42 minutes, which included the non-moving time for breaks. Not fast, but it’s my longest swim to date and at least now I feel confident about finishing Swim to the Moon within the allowed 5 hours. Overall, I think my training plan has worked well and I’ve got the nutrition right.
I started training for this event in February, loosely following the Horsetooth Open Water Swim 10K Training Plan. Their 39 week plan calls for swimming 2 to 3 times a week, with a long continuous swim increasing about 1000 yards every 3 weeks. Hopefully, 3 weeks from race day you reached your 10K goal (which is where I am now). I started doing weekly lake swims in March when the water temperature was around 60F, and my long swims were around 3 miles. My weekly distance has varied from 12,000 to 20,000 yards, but I’ve averaged about 16,000 (swimming 4-5 times per week). My practice swims alternate between technique drills, high intensity interval training, and long continuous swims at a comfortable pace. I cross train with running, a little cyling, yoga, and strength and stability exercises I’ve learned from various physical therapists over the years. In hindsight, I wish I had focused more on upper body strength training, but that’s for next time. Barring injury or illness over the few weeks, I should be prepared for the event!
The water was exceptionally calm at the start of my swim.
There’s one buoy on the lake, which is about a half mile from the boat dock.
Parker Canyon Lake Swim, Strava map. From the boat dock, (bottom right) it’s about one mile to the top of the “L”.
Relive ‘6.4 Mile Parker Canyon Lake Swim – 76F’