Low Tide Boyz, a Swimrun Podcast

Welcome to episode forty-seven of the Low Tide Boyz - A Swimrun Podcast!We’re stoked to have Brent Molsberry on the show this week. He’s a race director, adventure racer, Annie Molsberry’s husband, and our tour guide for awesome Swimrunning spots in the great state of Washington.Adventure Time!Our plans are starting to come together for our Swimrun adventure in Lake Sonoma, CA. We will start going out there after Thanksgiving to start scoping out swim routes by running the trails the run pretty much parallel to the lake. We will bust out maps and everything.ShoutoutsWe have three extra special shoutouts this week. In the past few weeks we’ve added three (yes, three) new patrons on Patreon. Marcus Barton from North Carolina, Bob K. from Texas, and Miguel E. from California have all come on as supporters of the show. We really appreciate the support and these funds help us cover our production costs (and help justify to our wives that other people care about Swimrun as much as we do.) A tip of the hat to you three.This Week in Swimrun (Powered by Raceid.com)Two of our favorite people, Fanny and Desirée (reigning ÖTILLÖ World Champions), are putting on the Champions Christmas Challenge. What is this Challenge? Their idea was to bring some excitement to these otherwise quite dark and lonely times, make this strange Christmas a little less lonely (in a completely COVID-safe way of course) and for participants to get outside, get some exercise in, win some cool prizes, try something new, and help save the oceans in the process.Event Rules:All you have to do is move 1 K each day for 24 days. If you make it, you get an exclusive invitation to the Grand Champions Virtual Gala dinner on December 23. (This will be more of an early lunch for folks in the US) Weekly Challenge & Prizes - with a guaranteed laugh:Each week Fanny and Desirée will announce a fun challenge (mostly to do with what you wear during your daily exercise) that can make you earn killer prizes from the event sponsors (even some stuff from The Löw Tide Böyz)! The challenges will be communicated on social media each Monday. Documentation: To win outfit prizes and picture prizes, you must have a public Instagram profile and use the hashtag #ChampionsChristmasChallenge with your photo and mention @desireedessi and @fannyfromswe in your caption.So let’s do this! Head over to RaceID.com to register and we hope to see you at the Gala Dinner.UpdatesOur latest column in Triathlete Magazine, The Swimrun Pull Buoy – A Love Story, is out on the digital newsstands. You knew that a dedicated pull buoy article was coming and we delivered! Check it out and let us know what you think.Looking for something for yourself or that special Swimrunner in your life? Check out our latest Gear Talk episode where we give our thoughts on cool Swimrun-specific gifts.Do you need some new t-shirts and/or stickers? Are you trying to skip the Black Friday hysteria this year? Head over to our website and use the code LOWTIDE for free shipping on all orders through December 6th.This Week’s InterviewAs mentioned above, our guest this week is Brent Molsberry. We met him in Catalina earlier in the year and have wanted to have him on the show ever since. This interview was part Lonely Planet Guide for Swimrunning in Washington, the part origin story of Ödyssey’s Orcas Island race, and a part recap of Brent’s first Swimrun race in Catalina. This was a fun one and we think you will enjoy it.Brent shared with us some of his go-to Swimrun training grounds in the western part of Washington. We’re listing them here for anyone that might be planning a vacation in the Pacific Northwest.Bellingham, WA: Lake Padden ParkSite of the Bellingham Swimrun, this park abounds with swimming and running routes for any distance Swimrun.Bellingham BayThe bay offers some open water Swimrun options.Larrabee State ParkThis park offers some challenging climbs on the trails but swimming options are all over the place.Anacortes, WA:Deception Pass State ParkThere are beautiful bays and lakes that give a nice mix of cold water and warmer lake swims.Seattle, WA:Seward ParkIt’s on a peninsula in South Eastern Seattle that sticks out into Lake Washington. There are tons of options for swim and run routes.It’s very close to the city so this park is great for a casual afternoon Swimrun practice.San Juan Islands, WA:Orcas IslandLocation of the Ödyssey Swimun Orcas Island race but it’s also a great place to just go explore the lakes, mountains, and trails.That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star review. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback and/or suggestions. Finally, you can support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

26 Nov 202048min

Welcome to Gear Talk: The Löw Tide Böyz and Swimrun Labs review show!In this episode, the gang shares their holiday gift ideas for the Swimrunners in your lives…or just yourself.Before we get into that, we have some gear updates.Gear UpdatesJust a few short gear updates this week.Annie tried out the Seavenger SeaSnug socks during a walk in her neighborhood and got a blister on her foot. She pretty decided not to even try them on a run after that. (Sorry Brooke!)Chris used the SurfEars 3.0 ear plugs during Ödyssey Swimrun Austin and they worked beautifully. Chipper could rest assured that Chris could hear him even though Chris may have been ignoring him.High Gear, Low GearNew segment alert!!! In this new segment, the crew will break down what gear they wore at their latest race and give their High and Low rankings on what worked well and what didn’t work so great. Chipper and Chris recently raced Ödyssey Swimrun Austin and shared their kit setup and what they liked/didn’t like.Chipper’s Swimrun Kit:Speedo Vanquisher 2.0 gogglesArk Sports ORNO 2Ark Sports Kangaroo topRegular sport underwearSwiftwick Aspire 12 socksHoka One One Speedgoat EVO shoesArk Sports Keel+ (Lasso Mount)Ark Sports Blade Swim Paddles (Medium)High Gear award: The Keel+ worked perfectly and Chipper had no issues whatsoever. Low Gear award: Chipper thought that he had his shoes dialed in but during the race it felt like the uppers of the shoes felt a little stretched out and his foot was moving around in the shoe.Chris’s Kit:Aqua Sphere Kaiman gogglesArk Sports VIGGArk Sports Kangaroo topSwiftwick Aspire 12 socksSalomon Slab Amphib shoesArk Sports Keel+ (Simple loop waist mount)Roka Swim Paddles (Medium)Ultimate Direction waist belt (Discontinued)High Gear award: Pretty obvious here, but Chris thought that the Ark Sports VIGG was the perfect wetsuit for the air and water temperature in Texas.Low Gear award: Chris thought that the Ultimate Direction waist belt was less essential this race because of the Kangaroo top from a storage perspective and it was basically being used to store the compression bandage and attach the tether. Holiday Gift Guide for SwimrunnersNow for the main event! The gang broke our ideas for cool gifts into three categories to take into account different budgets.Stocking Stuffer/White Elephant Gift Level (Under $30ish)Annie:  Ödyssey Swimrun hand-Thrown, Custom Glazed Coffee Mug ($30)Brooke: Zoggs Predator Next Gen Swim goggles ($19.99)Chipper: Swim Stretch/Bands ($15.99)Chris:  Swiftwick Aspire Socks ($14.99-29.99 depending on sock height)“Nice” Gift Level (Under $100)Annie: NU Orza Pull Buoy ($50)Brooke: Wild Swimrun Annual Club Membership ($58)Chipper: NU Lapa Bra ($60)/NU Lapa Shirt ($90)Chris: SurfEars 3.0 Ear Plugs ($59.95)Trying to Impress/In the Doghouse/No Limit (No $ Limit)Annie: “Year of Swimrun” (Price Unknown; Entry to either Orcas Island or Casco Bay Swimruns, Two full Swimrun kits (a beginner kit and an intermediate kit, training camp weekend in Europe with Wild Swimrun, and private coaching by Swimrunner John Stevens)Brooke: Ödyssey Orcas Island Long Course Swimrun Race Entry ($450-$650 depending on when you register)Chipper: Ark Sports VIGG ($430)Chris: All expenses paid trip to ÖTILLÖ Malta (Flights: ~$2,000; Hotel: ~$1,000; Food/drink: ~$500; Race entry: ~$650)Closing ThoughtsThat’s our best thinking on what to get to that special Swimrunner in your life. If you’re on the fence about what to get, giving the gift of race entries is a great way to support race directors and help keep the sport of Swimrun growing in the US and elsewhere. We hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving holiday and remember to stay safe, wear a mask, and all that.That’s it for this week’s Gear Talk show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram and on Twitter. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback, suggestions, and/or meme suggestions. Finally, you can also support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

24 Nov 202037min

Welcome to episode forty-six of the Low Tide Boyz - A Swimrun Podcast!This week we have John Stevens on the show. He’s a coach with Purple Patch Fitness, Assistant Race Director with Ödyssey Swimrun, endurance adventurer, and a stud Swimrunner in his own right. We had a really great chat with him and look forward to sharing that with you later in the show.Training Update/NEW SEGMENT ALERTNo update this week because it’s the off-season!! We still plan on training and stuff but we will be pretty unstructured outside of continuing to swim on a regular basis. Our goal is to not eat our way through the holidays but that’s still TBD.In other news, we are starting to plan an epic Swimrun adventure in Northern California and will be documenting the journey in a new segment called “Adventure Time” where we will keep you all informed on our progress. This adventure could be epic or an epic fail but either way, strap in for the ride! ShoutoutsThis week we’re shouting out all of our listeners that use CastBox to listen to our podcast. We’ve never heard of this app but here’s a tip of the hat to the 1.48% of our listeners that use that app!Feats of EnduranceWe’re going to put a pause on this segment until 2021 but we will still be keeping tabs with kudos to everyone in our Strava Club and look forward to following everyone’s training and adventures. On that note, if you’re planning Swimrun adventures, let us know! With no races happening, this will be a fun way to keep folks engaged in the sport that really doesn’t require events in order to take place.This Week in Swimrun (Powered by Raceid.com)With COVID cases on the rise in Europe, the U.S., and elsewhere, there were no events this weekend and it’s looking like Swimrun Austin may end up being the last race of the year. While this is a bummer, we urge all our listeners to exercise caution, listen to the scientists, wear masks, engage in social distancing, and stay safe. We will get through this. UpdatesOur latest column in Triathlete Magazine, The Swimrun Pull Buoy – A Love Story, is out on the digital newsstands. Check it out and let us know if you share our love for all things pull buoy. This Week’s InterviewAs mentioned above, we have John Stevens on the show this week. He’s a close to a household name (among U.S. Swimrunners) as you can get. He’s raced almost every Ödyssey Swimrun event (in addition to being an assistant race director) as well as ÖTILLÖ events including the World Championship. In this interview, we touched on a bunch of topics. John gave us his mini-race director report of how Ödyssey Swimrun Austin went. We chatted about his origin story and how he found Swimrun. We also talked about his newfound enjoyment of endurance adventures. Finally, we peppered him with questions for swim training during the offseason.There was a lot of good stuff in this interview and we think that you’ll enjoy it.Listeners can follow John on Instagram and sign up for coaching through Purple Patch Fitness.That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a review. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback and/or suggestions. Finally, you can support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

19 Nov 20201h 8min

Welcome to episode forty-five of the Low Tide Boyz - A Swimrun Podcast!We’ve got a special episode this week. We just finished racing Ödyssey Swimrun Austin on Sunday, November 8th and we’ll be sharing our race report from our weekend in Texas. We were super stoked to be able to race and hope that you enjoy our thoughts on how that whole thing went. (Spoiler alert: Stoke level is still super high!)Initial ThoughtsIt was a stressful week with the election, COVID, travel, and a race on the horizon. We felt better once we got to Texas and we were really happy with our performance on race day. Sure, we could have trained harder…but we probably would be saying that regardless of how hard we trained. Regardless of our level of fitness, we managed to put together a strong performance and that only a small part of what was an amazing weekend.Getting to Texas/Pre-race MeetingGetting to Pace Bend Park from AUS was pretty easy (Chipper picked Chris up from the airport on Saturday afternoon) and we managed to show up only slightly late to the mandatory pre-race meeting.Shout outs to folks that we connected with this weekend: (We’re really sorry if we missed anyone)Drew and MichaelBrooke and SamanthaAdrianTrevor AKA The Copper PaladinTrista and Amy (Who brought us a giant donut from Round Rock Donuts)MelJennyBobRick (from Florida)ChaseChrisMattMelissaGemmaKristen (RD at Swimrun Lake James in April 2021)Lee Green LIKE THE COLOR (Chris’s new bestie)The entire Odyssey team!It was also great to see previous guests of the show as well:Bronwen and Greg AKA The Boston Wet SoxAndy HewittBlake and Beek AKA Team Envol BaywatchSean and Phillip AKA The Swimrun MonksMarcus BartonJohn Stevens (he had a cameo on Gear Talk. Future full episode with John coming soon!)Lars Finanger, Race Director for ÖdysseyIt was really great to see everyone and we really appreciated all the kind words from folks saying that they listened to the podcast and found it helpful in their race prep. That night we put into practice a lot of the advice that we had learned from previous guests of the show and made our plans for the race. The main things that we wanted to put into practice on race day were: having a detailed plan for nutrition, hydration, and when to cab down (Team Precision Hydration UK and The Boston Wet Sox); focusing on technique especially fast transitions in and out of the water and at energy station (Andy Hewitt and Nicolas Remires); stay mentally engaged in the race and problem solve quickly (Mario Fraioli, Johan Carlsson, and Oscar Olsson); and Swim straight (Megan Melgaard and Jim Lubinski).Race Day: Leg by leg (Play by play)The weather on race morning looked pretty great but we were worried about it getting hot during the race. Ödyssey did a great job with their COVID precautions and the race started on time with a time-trial start where teams started 5 seconds apart. Run 1 - 2.11 miles: The start was pretty straight forward and, frankly, it was nice to finally get to race again!Swim 1 - 663 yards: The swim felt a bit short. There was no significant current in the water and the water temp was very pleasant.  Run 2 -  1.28 miles: This run was pretty straight forward. The classic Texas trails (rocky, rooted, etc.) made their appearance.Swim 2 - 1,166 yards: This swim was pretty straight forward and sighting was not a problem at all.Run 3 - 2.12 miles: This run was getting into the meat of the course and we started pushing on the runs a bit more. We made the decision to keep the tether attached the whole time. It was a new experience for us to race that way and we both felt that it was major benefit to not have to worry about putting it away and then attaching it again before a swim saved a lot of mental energy.Swim 3 - 1,145 yards: The swim entrance was at the end of a steep boat ramp. This swim was against the water current, but it wasn’t really noticeable. It was cool to swim next to the limestone cliffs.Run 4 - 3.33 miles: This was the longest run of the day. We got to see a bunch of our friends on the out and back portion. We had planned for Chipper to cab down as soon as we got done with Swim 3 and that happened smoothly.Swim 4 - 536 yards: This short swim started at the end of another steep boat ramp and Chris led the entire swim like a big boy. The swim exit was the most technical water exist.Run 5 - .56 miles: This short run led to the cliff jump section of the course. We ended up not doing the cliff jump because we were moving so well and wanted to save time by not having to swim another 300 yards or so.Swim 5 - 955 yards: This swim also felt short and we started mingling with the short course athletes. Run 6 - 2.49 miles: This run was the most technical of the day and we were moving well. So well that Chris missed a turn and did a bonus cruise by the finish line (we probably lost a few minutes but not much more than that) before we got back on course. The entrance to that swim was down a bunch of stairs to a boat ramp to jump in the water. Swim 6 - 1,582 yards: We definitely felt the water current on this swim and we were moving pretty well. Chris was supposed to take over leading after Chipper started the swim but he was doing so well (and Chris was staring at the cliffs) that he closed it out.Run 7 - 1.15 miles: The last run was uneventful until Chipper tripped on a poll (that a volunteer warned us about). Like a graceful cat he did a roll and got right back up. He managed to mask his embarrassment and we finished the race. We got a nice shout out from Lars’s dad on the mic.Our finishing stats: we finished in 3:30. (9th place Men’s team and 14th overall out of 65 long course teams)We felt like this was our best race performance. We put into practice everything that we had been learning throughout the year. Chipper gave our performance 4.5 pull buoys.Post-raceÖdyssey had masks at the finish line for people to don. The finisher sweatshirts were super high quality and the food was great.It was really great to hang out at the finish line and see a lot of our friends and folks in our Strava Club cross the finish line. It was great to see Lars and the Ödyssey Swimrun crew so stoked with how the event ended up. Given that three of their races got cancelled this year, we were so happy that they got to close out the year with a success.Overall impressions of the eventWe would definitely recommend this race to everyone who’s curious about Swimrun and experienced Swimrunners alike. The race was a lot of fun! Logistically, it was super easy to get to the park and there was good food all around.Final ThoughtsHuge shout out again to Lars and the Ödyssey crew for putting this event together during COVID. It was not without risk to try to put on this event in the age of COVID and they did an awesome job!To be able to race and forget about everything that was going on in the world for a little while at least was like a salve to the soul. We look forward to going back in 2021 to race the event again.That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a review. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback and/or suggestions. Finally, you can support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

12 Nov 202057min

Welcome to Gear Talk: The Löw Tide Böyz and Swimrun Labs swimrun gear review show!In this episode, we discuss the NU Lapa Bra for women (and men.) Annie and Brooke swear by this undergarment for Swimrun and we get their full download in this episode. You can also read their review on the Swimrun Labs website.Before we get into that, we have some gear updates.Gear UpdatesBrooke has been training with her Ark Keel in the pool all year and has noticed that she started getting some lower back pain. She thinks that the pain might be from overuse (she uses it about 70% of the time) or muscle imbalance. She has started mixing the pull buoys that she uses during pool training to see if that helps.  This echoes what our guest Shane Chaplin mentioned recently on the podcast that training for Swimrun-style swimming is different than training for open water swimming and that doing both is probably the best practice in order to be a good overall swimmer…and survive if you lose your pull buoy for some reason.NU Lapa Bra ReviewWe briefly mentioned that Lapa Bra in our Swimrun Undergarments episode. We thought that it required a full review given how much Annie and Brooke love this piece of kit. Before they found out about the Lapa Bra they had tried a whole bunch of DIY options. When Annie discovered the Lapa Bra, she immediately called Brooke and proceeded to yell on the phone that they “cracked the code” for undergarment storage.The Lapa Bra ($60) has three pockets in the front of the bra that provides ample space for storage. Brooke liked the color scheme (not the “shrink it and pink it” approach) of black and yellow and it was specifically designed for the needs of female Swimrunners.General ImpressionsTaking into account that all bodies are different, Annie and Brooke found this bra to be very supportive. Sizing is based on chest circumference but the ability to use the pockets for storage might depend on chest size.The bra material is mostly mesh material and very breathable. It did not get soggy and would wick water well. The three separate pockets are also mesh and they have a lot of elasticity to expand to hold a lot of gear. This bra allows users to fine-tune a “system” that can always be helpful.The bra did have a lot of seams and Brooke in particular has gotten some chaffing under the arm from the seams. That would be the main thing that she thinks that NU could improve upon in future versions of the Lapa bra.Swimming ImpressionsAnnie and Brooke both gave the best endorsement for the bra…that it was a “non-issue in the water.” This is what we always look for how a product will work during the swim legs of a race. The last thing that you want is to be bothered or need to stop to readjust something during a swim.Transition and Running ImpressionsThe ladies thought that the Lapa bra worked well during transitions and during running legs. Annie was able to stuff her paddles in the center pocket and Brooke would use her pockets for a spare set of goggles, nutrition, and one specifically for trash. As mentioned above, they thought that the bra was very supportive but that might be individual to the chest size of the end-user.Annie’s Pull Buoy RankingAnnie gave the Lapa Bra 4.5 pull buoys. She wears it every time that she Swimrunners and hasn’t had any problem with it. She docked ½ pull buoys due to the seams being a bit thick and the need to make sure that it is lubed up before a Swimrun. Annie sees this as an “insta-buy.”Brooke’s Pull Buoy RankingBrooke gave the Lapa Bra 4 pull buoys. Brooke thinks that her Lapa Bra (next to her pull buoy) is a must-have. She docked it points for the reason that the bra drew blood once due to chaffing. Overall though, she thinks that this product is essential for female Swimrunners.Overall ImpressionsThis is a sport-specific piece of gear that is made for women (or people with breasts) that actually works. That, in and of itself, is a great thing. The NU Lapa Bra also reflects well the ethos of Swimrun of it being an inclusive sport and the fact that brands in the sport are designing products that are specific to the needs of female Swimrunners is really great…and we hope to see more if it down the road.The best part of this entire review is that Swimrun Labs now has an online store where they are selling NU products in the U.S. (rather than from Spain.) So head over to their website and order!That’s it for this week’s Gear Talk show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram and on Twitter. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback, suggestions, and/or meme suggestions. Finally, you can also support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

10 Nov 202037min

Welcome to episode forty-four of the Low Tide Boyz - A Swimrun Podcast!Like some of the most popular superheroes with alliterative names, this week’s guest definitely fits in. We’re not talking about Matt Murdock, Clark Kent, Bruce Banner, or Peter Parker. This week we have the one and only, Oscar Olsson on the show. While he needs no introduction, we should do one anyway. He’s widely regarded as one of the best Swimrunners in the world and is a great ambassador for the sport.This interview was a blast and we’re super stoked to share that conversation later in the show.Training UpdateIt’s race week!!! We’re super stoked for Ödyssey Swimrun Austin on Sunday. The hay is in the barn and we can’t wait to see a lot of our listeners and friends at Pace Bend Park. If you need to cram some last-minute racecourse info check out our Odyssey Swimrun Austin Course Preview!Shout OutThis week we’re shouting out the Commonwealth of Australia. They’ve been climbing the charts on our downloads list and we’re really happy that they are finding our brand of content interesting. We’ll keep it going!Feats of Endurance Weekly AwardThis week’s winner is Lee G. He’s a member of our Strava Club and has been putting in the work heading into Swimrun Austin. He’ll also be racing with one of our favorite humans, Marcus Barton. Enjoy the taper and see you there Lee!This Week in SwimrunWe have another short report this week.There were no races again this week because of increased COVID restrictions. In happier news, we are super stoked to announce that this segment is now being powered by Raceid.com. They recently rebranded from race.se to raceid.com in late October and we’re looking forward to beefing up our “reporting” with their help.Send us an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com and tip us off if there’s are a race that you are doing and we’ll do our best to include it.LTBz UpdatesWe don’t have any updates this week that you haven’t already heard before. Stay tuned for our race report of Swimrun Austin next week!InterviewNow for this week’s interview. Oscar Olsson is one of the most well-known Swimrunners in the world and has the personality to match. His enthusiasm for Swimrun and the community is infectious and we had a great time chatting with him about his Swimrun journey.In this interview, we chatted about his athletic background and how he found Swimrun and fell in love with the sport. We also chatted about his preparation for races including the ÖTILLÖ World Championship and races of the first impression. We talked about the mental side of training and how he’s been handing the curveball that COVID has thrown to the world. He shared his experiences racing Catalina and how he just popped in and raced the World Championship at the last minute one year.Oscar runs his own gym and coaching business, o2Tri in Gothenburg Sweden. He’s also super accessible on Instagram to answer questions from Swimrunners.That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a review. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback and/or suggestions. Finally, you can support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

5 Nov 20201h

Welcome to episode forty-three of the Low Tide Boyz - A Swimrun Podcast!This week we have Shane Chaplin on the show. If you don’t know who Shane is, well you should. He’s an Australian living in Sweden who’s witnessed the early days of ÖTILLÖ, he’s sailed the world, skied all over the world as well, raced the XTERRA World Championship, he’s a marine biologist (that works at a bank), and last but not least, he’s a Swimrunner. More on this super interesting interview later in the show.Training UpdateWe’re getting super close to race day and we’re dialing in where we can before Ödyssey Swimrun Austin on November 8th. It’s officially tapered time so we apologize in advance to everyone that we may be grumpy towards.Shout OutWe’re doing a group shout out this week to everyone that joined us for our first Instagram Live event with Odyssey Swimrun’s Lars Finanger. It was great to see so many people on IG and we hope that folks found the Q&A useful. It was especially nice to see some of our friends from Sweden jump on to say hi!Feats of Endurance Weekly AwardThis week’s winner is Tom A. from Amsterdam. He’s been a member of our Strava Club for a while and we’ve been taking notes on where to train for Swimrun if we ever find ourselves in The Netherlands.This Week in SwimrunWe have a short report this week.There were no races this week because of COVID. Races in Portugal, Spain, Italy, and North Carolina were all scheduled but ended up being canceled or postponed. So be safe, wear masks, and practice social distance people!Swimrunners all over the world got the email this week from ÖTILLÖ with the sad news that their season is over. Given the COVID situation in Europe, their Malta race was canceled. In the same email, they also listed their tentative schedule for 2021. You can see that schedule on their website. Notably, for folks in the U.S., Ötillö Catalina is scheduled for November 20-21, 2021. We’re not sure when registration will open but we’ll make sure to let everyone know when we know.We’re sure that we may have missed some events. Send us an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com and tip us off if there’s are a race that you are doing and we’ll do our best to include it.LTBz UpdatesOur latest column in Triathlete Magazine, What to Expect at Your First Swimrun Race, is out in the digital newsstands now! Check it out and give it a thumbs up if you enjoyed it.Finally, head over to our website to pick up some cool Löw Tide Böyz shirts and stickers and show your Low Tide Pride in the streets. InterviewNow for this week’s interview. We’ve wanted to get Shane on the show since he first slid into our DM’s and dropped some knowledge bombs on us. He’s a super interesting guy who’s been all over the world…happens to be Michael Lemmel’s neighbor. We covered a lot of ground in this interview. We chatted about the early days of Ötillö and how the original race developed over the years. What it’s like to be Michael Lemmel’s sometimes Swimrun race partner. His thoughts about orienteering as a key aspect of training. How he thinks that Swimrunners in the U.S. should train on super technical to better compete in races in Europe. His thoughts on what swim paddles should look like. And so much more!Shane shared his thoughts on how Swimrun is changing the way people train for open water (OW) swimming. This part of the interview was so rich that we asked him for some notes to share with everyone.OW swimmers with good natural buoyancy and/or kick driven stroke are relatively penalized compared to the pack in Swimrun mode. This is because the buoy conveys little extra buoyancy benefit and the legs are immobilized. Or if you do try and kick your legs, you will go backward.Conversely, sinky-leg swimmers and those with more upper body power get a relative boost.Swimmers with over-glide or dead spots will be relatively penalized because they can’t use their legs to iron out the dead spots. So, don’t worry about fast or slow cadence. Focus on ironing out dead-spots.Other elements of the bad technique can be masked over in Swimrun mode. Particularly any actions which would normally result in the legs sinking (push-down during the catch phase, breath-holding underwater, and head lift during breathing).Braking actions with the hand paddles (upward glide), will be magnified and penalized - which is why some people aren’t faster with paddles at first.Swimrun swimming is flatter – i.e. less rotation. It, therefore, favors swingers and those with flexible shoulders. You need to try and generate rotation a bit more from the core because the legs are out of action.Paddles – most paddles on the market have way too much area out around the fingertips. This puts unnecessary strain on the forearm muscles and the elbow joints and burns energy in these muscles unnecessarily. There’s a real niche still waiting to be filled by paddles that have the center of the area further back in the hand, which transfers the load to the lats (and pec) muscles instead. This is where the real power lays. If you’re stuck with the existing offering, try and get your hand as far forward a possible on your paddle. Fingers hanging over the front edge even. Drill holes and mount new straps with gay abandon!Warning – controversial statement! In alpine skiing, there’s a saying which goes: “a good ski racer is always a good skier, whereas a good skier isn’t always a good ski racer.” This is because ski racers have great technique. They can carve ice. The same goes for swimming – a fast open-water swimmer will normally be a good Swimrun swimmer, whereas the specialized Swimrun swimmers will often struggle without the toys. So, don’t neglect your gearless open water swimming in the offseason. It will give you an edge. It will also give you something else to do. As you get closer to Swimrun competition season then go over to pure Swimrun gear and power sessions. The extra muscles will also help your open-water and beach gigs.Listeners can follow Shane on Instagram.That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a review. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback and/or suggestions. Finally, you can support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

29 Okt 20201h 5min

Welcome to Gear Talk: The Löw Tide Böyz and Swimrun Labs review show!In this episode, we do a deep dive into the Seavenger SeaSnugs sock and give our impressions on Brooke’s favorite socks. Not to be confused with the Seavenger Zephyr which she mistakenly mentioned in the budget swimrun gear show, the SeaSnugs are the socks that Brooke swears by for training and racing. Before we get into that, we have some first impressions and our newest segment, Guest First Impressions.First ImpressionsArk Sports Kangaroo ReviewChris recently started testing the Kangaroo top and although he was previously anti-undergarments, he’s been convinced at the virtues of having extra storage capacity on-board. The top fits really well under a Swimrun wetsuit and the storage capacity is perfect. It has now become part of his race kit. If you are looking for more information about things to wear under your swimrun wetsuit be sure to check out our Swimrun Undergarments episode!SurfEars 3.0 Earplugs ReviewSome swimmers (including Chris) need to wear earplugs in order to keep cold water out and keep from getting disoriented. Chris recently purchased the SurfEars 3.0 because they claimed to keep water out but allow sound in. It has been an issue in the past where Chris couldn’t hear Chipper during a Swimrun unless he was right next to him and even then if he was zoning out, we couldn’t hear his partner. SurfEars are pricey ($59.95) but they worked as advertised. The fit was customizable and they kept water out well. The best part was that Chris could still hear Chipper yapping away. They even come with a lanyard so that they are less likely to get lost. If you need to wear earplugs to swim, you might want to give these a shot. Guest First ImpressionsFriend of the show, G Flo, recently sent us a note after our swimrun paddles episode that he had started testing the carbon fiber Frank Paddles. He had been using the Ark Sports Blades and noticed that Frank Paddles were much stiffer and that over his test the lack of flex helped his fingers not get as fatigued as they did with the Ark Sports Blades.Lindy from the UK reached out about the Seavenger socks after our Budget Swimrun Kit episode. She had found a sock by Inov8 called the Extreme Thermo sock High that looked similar. We’re curious to hear what she thinks about these.SeaSnugs Details from SeavengerAccording to the Seavenger website, the SeaSnugs are the perfect socks for beach sports. (Note that there is no direct mention for the application of Swimrun) They have the following features:ADJUSTABLE FIT — Adjustable strap ensures a snug fit and stretchy material is great for wide feet.PERFECT FOR ALL WATER SPORTS — Wear alone to protect from hot sands or layer underneath fins.COMFORTABLE CONSTRUCTION — Flat-lock stitching prevents chafing and minimizes flushing.DURABILITY THAT LASTS — Heel and toe caps leave extra room for your toes and add extra strength.QUICK-DRY TECHNOLOGY — Moisture evaporates rapidly for convenient comfort.The SeaSnugs have neoprene on the sole, heel, and toe with Lycra on the rest of the sock. There are plenty of color and design options and come in two lengths: ankle and tall.Swimming ImpressionsBrooke swears by these socks and thinks that they feel snug and keep her feet warm. They are easy to swim with and were a non-issue…as hopefully, all things should be while swimming.Chris thought that the socks were also a non-issue for the swim and definitely provided some extra warmth.Annie has been injured but still tested the socks for just open water swimming and they kept her feet warm and were great for walking in and out of the water without worrying about stepping on anything sharp. She also noted that they were easier to take off than full neoprene socks when her hands are super cold after a swim.Chipper didn’t get a chance to test them while swimming but still did science…Transition and Running ImpressionsChipper did a science experiment to test out the SeaSnugs. He went for a two-mile out-and-back run with the socks and shoes, then immediately stepped in a kiddy pool filled with water and hung out for two minutes, and finally went for the same two-mile run that he did with dry socks/shoes. He noted that the socks were “boggy” and felt “squishy” while running once they were wet. His feet also got noticeably toasty. He also noticed some pilling on the lycra upper.Brooke didn’t experience the bogginess that Chipper felt and in her studies, she thought that the SeaSnugs retained less water than socks like the Swiftwick Aspire. The socks are so snug in her shoes that she doesn’t get any debris in her socks and shoes during transitions. Chris was not a fan of running in the socks. Transitions weren’t an issue at all with a sandy beach entrance and exit. They felt squishy and the seams felt like they were generating hot spots on the run. It got to the point where during his last run leg of his test he ran to the car to see if he had a spare set of socks to change into. Annie wasn’t able to run in the SeaSnugs but she commutes to work on a bike and used the socks under her cycling shoes and they worked amazingly! Also, they are way cheaper than cycling-specific options.Chris’s Pull Buoy RankingChris gave the SeaSnugs 2 pull buoys. They were fine in the swim but they weren’t fun on the run and they weren’t for him.Annie’s Pull Buoy RankingWhile Annie wasn’t able to test the SeaSnugs in a Swimrun and abstained from giving it a pull buoy ranking on that front. She did have two categorical rankings for the socks.She gave them 4 pull buoys for non-Swimrun applications such as cycling in the Pacific Northwest.She also gave them 5 pull buoys if your Swimrun partner uses them and swears by them.Chipper’s Pull Buoy RankingChipper gave the SeaSnugs 2.5 pull buoys. They weren’t for him. He does see an application for them but he wasn’t a fan of how hot his feet got and the seams were problematic. Side note: these socks are a great hack for cycling in cold and/or rainy weather.Brooke’s Pull Buoy RankingMaybe not surprisingly, Brooke gave the SeaSnugs 4.5 pull buoys. She loves them on the run and the swim and has had zero issues using them. She took away ½ a pull buoy acknowledging that the seams could cause issues for folks.Overall ImpressionsIt’s one of the best qualities of Swimrun that there’s no one way to do anything. This even includes the choice of socks. While these socks might not be for everyone, it was fun trying out the SeaSnugs to try to understand why Brooke was so into them. That’s it for this week’s Gear Talk show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram and on Twitter. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback, suggestions, and/or meme suggestions. Finally, you can also support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

27 Okt 202045min