With 2 big Solo swims in the diary for July 2019 it was time for Uswim to put their training in the hands of another and chose Swim Treks Long Distance Training Camp in Mallorca to do this. Being March we knew the sea would still be a little chilly and it didn't disappoint. 12 degrees of salty clear seas. Perfect.
We have been on several Swim Holidays but knew this was not going to be a break which meant lounging by the pool drinking cocktails. The schedule was busy with most days involving 2 swims and a presentation. As with all open water businesses the weather dictates and sometimes the schedule changes. Day 1 was rather a surprise , expecting a nice short acclimatisation swim, what we got was a 2 hour followed by another 90 minutes in the afternoon. Im not going to lie it was a tough first day, Dave being the lean bean that he is shivered and shaked his way around and finished after an 1 hour, myself managed a further 30 minutes . A shock to the system for sure.
What I liked about the organisation was the insistence of swimming to the main boat for a "welfare" check. Not that I would usually choose to come in for a feed every 30 minutes but it was nice just to see the friendly face of the crew to be honest.
An announcement was made on Day 1 - the 6 hour qualifier would be held the day after due to the weather forecast. this was not great news for those who struggled with the water temperature. For me I did not need a 6 hour qualifier having already completed it in Sept, but Dave did. Having struggled on Day 1 with the water temperature we both really didn't feel very positive about attempting a 6 hour and used the opportunity to push time from the day before.
As the days rolled Dave and I became stronger and had acclimitised to the 12 degrees sea. Feeding had been an issue on the longer swims with myself vomiting and Dave feeling very bloated. Perfect time to find out what alternatives sit well with the individual in the sea. Fructose and water was my go to feed and peppermint tea. Dave fructose and banana.
This camp was a great experience , meeting lots of different people from all over the world, each with their own goals to achieve. Getting the time in the sea every day was a great milestone for us and where we were in our training. Having focused on strength work , running and a strong indoor swim programmed, it was perfect timing. We both came back feeling like it was the beginning of our openwater training.
