Low Tide Boyz, a Swimrun Podcast9 Jan 2020

Swimrun 101

Swimrun 101

We got some great feedback from listeners that they wanted a primer on Swimrun. So this week we’ve released a special episode to cover all the basics about Swimrun.

What is Swimrun?

A Swimrun is a multiple-stage competition which involves participants running and swimming over a race course or loop-course that involves at least two transitions between the swim and run stages of the race. All equipment used by participants has to be carried all the way to the finish line. (Thanks Wikipedia!)

When was it invented?

The sport was invented in 2002 in Sweden when 4 friends made a bet at a bar about who could get from the Island of Utö to the Island of Sandhamn (more that 75 kilometers away across 26 islands) using just their “4 limbs.” It took them more than 24 hours to complete the distance and the rest is history!

Who is it for?

This sport is really for everyone. Having an endurance background is very helpful but not required. Swim experience is definitely required and comfort in open water is a must. In general though endurance swimmers, trail runners, etc. are well suited for these type of adventures. Similar to how Spartan races or other OCR events are great ways for Crossfitters to use their fitness in different ways, Swimrun offers endurance athletes a way for them to use their training in more of an adventure setting.

The sport is very welcoming and chill while still creating challenging experiences for participants. We definitely encourage folks to find their local races and support the race directors that are trying to grow the sport in the US. You can see a list of events on our website.

How does it work?

The whole point of the sport is to get from A to B as quickly as possible. The sport allows for things like hand paddles, pull buoys and fins to be used on the swim to help get this accomplished. We will discuss equipment for swimrun later in the show notes.

The sport is mostly team based and there are four categories at most events.

Solo: Kind of the anti-team category. More events are offering this option to help grow the sport and encourage participation from people who may not have access to a partner or couldn’t get one in time for an event. (We don’t recommend this, we think that one of the things that makes this sport special is the team aspect of it.)

Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Teams: These are all self-explanatory.

These categories compete on a course that’s either short, long or very long. The courses are either a loop course or point-to-point with alternating legs of running and swimming. Each race will have its unique challenges, whether elevation on the run, “swim-heavy” or “run-heavy” courses, participants can essentially select what suits their strengths or try something outside of their comfort zone.

Race strategy for each event will be different and teams need to make sure that they have planned for such things as pacing, nutrition and water currents. The longer the course, the more race strategy will play a role in having a successful event.

Partner selection is also important. You want to make sure that you and your partner are pretty compatible pace-wise. Since the sport requires that teams be tethered together on the swim, a gross mismatch of swim ability might be problematic.

What equipment is required?

There is definitely gear that is required for the sport. Whatever you bring to a race must be carried at all times by the teams. We will outline the key gear below:

Wetsuit: There are Swimrun specific wetsuits that are designed for running and swimming. There are a bunch of companies in the space that are making these types of wetsuits, and similar to triathlon or open water swimming wetsuits, each brand will have its own take on sizing, cut and neoprene thickness.

Pull Buoy: Our favorite swimrun accessory! Most are DIY’d to make sure that you can carry it while running with most efficiency. You can now buy pull buoys that are already set up for swimrun but we recommend that new athletes to the sport make their own. We see this as a rite of passage in the sport.

Tether: Yes, a tether. As mentioned above, during the swim legs of an event partners are expected to be connected via a 3ish meter tether so that they remain in contact. This takes some getting used to so we recommend practicing in open water with your partner. More on this later. The tether is made of paracord and also be easily DIY’d.

Shoes: Yes, you swim with shoes on. They make swimrun specific shoes but in general you want shoes that have good drainage and some decent tread on the soles since most of the run courses will be on trails.

Paddles: The last piece of a swimrunner’s arsenal in the water are hand paddles. Paddles in conjunction with a pull buoy are the most helpful things to get through the swim legs of an event quickly.

Multisport Watch: This isn’t mandatory but it’s helpful to know distances and the like. We like watches like the Garmin Fenix 5 that have a multi-sport setting specific for swimrun.

Personal Flotation Device: Athletes competing in solo categories are required to use one of these during the swim legs of a race for safety.

Some optional equipment for race include collapsible cups, shin guards, shin flotation sleeves and fins.

There are also some mandatory items that most races require teams to carry throughout a race. These include a tether, compass, whistle, course maps and a first aid compression bandage. Make sure to check your events race rules to make sure that you meet their requirements.

How do you train for it?

Basic endurance training is obviously required but we recommend race-specific training. Swimrun bricks in open water and covering terrain similar to the race course is helpful to being ready for the adventure on race day. For example, if a course is “swim-heavy” then some longer steady state swim sets to match the course.

We also recommend testing out and practicing with your gear to make sure that you can race well with whatever gear you will end up racing with. Swimming with a tether early and often can’t be overstated!

If you are enjoying the Low Tide Boyz, please be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast player. We are on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Google Podcast. You can also follow along on Instagram and Twitter. If you want to drop us a line, email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com.

Upptäck Premium

Prova 14 dagar kostnadsfritt

Skaffa Premium

Avsnitt(334)

FIKA with Coach Liz #2

Welcome to episode 256 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!Happy Thanksgiving everybody!We’ve got a great show for everyone this week. Given that Thanksgiving is a time for rest, renewal and gratitude we thought it would be in the spirit of things to have Coach Liz on (for another installment of FIKA with Coach Liz) to talk about how to have a great offseason from training and related topics therein. Get your notepads out for this one!Enjoy!~~~That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that’s the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.Thanks for listening and see you out there!- Chip and Chris

28 Nov 202454min

The State of the Sport of Swimrun on Planet Earth w/Dave Dammer

Episode 255 | The State of the Sport of Swimrun on Planet Earth w/Dave DammerWelcome to episode 255 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!We’ve got a great show for everyone this week. We also seem to have backed ourselves into a theme this month but we’re going to roll with it. Joining us to talk about the state of the sport of Swimrun on Planet Earth is our Super Intern in Charge of Special Projects, Dave Dammer. We do a deep dive into his research and findings about the number and breadth of Swimrun events in existence. This was a great conversation and you can find the spreadsheet with all the data on our website.Enjoy!~~~That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that’s the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.Thanks for listening and see you out there!- Chip and Chris

21 Nov 202457min

The State of Nutrition Science w/Dr. Sam Shepherd

Welcome to episode 254 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!The off-season is upon us but that doesn’t mean that we will stop dropping fire episodes replete with knowledge bombs. Case in point…joining us this week to chat about the latest and greatest fueling and hydration sport science is the new Head of Sport Science at Precision Fuel and Hydration, Dr. Sam Shepherd. No time like the present/off-season to level up your fueling game and this conversation is worth its weight in carbs.Enjoy!~~~That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that’s the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.Thanks for listening and see you out there!- Chip and Chris

14 Nov 202452min

ÖTILLÖ Austin 2024 Race Report

Welcome to episode 253 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!We’ve got a great episode for everyone today. The fifth edition of ÖTILLÖ Swimrun Austin is in the books and it was an awesome weekend all around. With Chipper on the DL, Chris raced the World Series distance in the mixed division with Viv Mroz of Team Monkey Sea, Monkey Run and she joins us to talk about how it went for Team Löw Tide Mönkeys on race day. Spoiler alert: they had a blast.Enjoy!~~~That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that’s the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.Thanks for listening and see you out there!- Chip and Chris

7 Nov 202450min

Torpedo Swimrun w/Rich McMartin

Welcome to episode 252 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!Happy Halloween everybody! We’ve got a great show for everyone this week. Joining us from Cape Town, South Africa is Rich McMartin, founder of Torpedo Swimrun and host of the first Swimrun in Africa. The 2024 edition of this Swimrun is taking place on November 30th and we got all the details about the “coldest/coolest race in Africa. This was a great conversation and it’s more proof that the international Swimrun movement is alive and well!But first…Training/Chipper’s Knee UpdateChipper is back to running and is “not being an idiot” with his recovery. ShoutoutThis week’s shoutout goes to everyone racing ÖTILLÖ Austin this weekend. If you’re waiting for the last minute to sign up, well now is your time to shine! Use the code LOWTIDE15 to save 15% off of your registration.Feats of EnduranceThis week’s winner goes to Swimrunner and friend of show Jonathan Pascual for completing the Ironman World Championship in Kona over the weekend. In 2022, he was diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of cancer and never stopped fighting. Fast forward two years and he was able to train to complete one of the hardest triathlons on the planet. To call him an inspiration is an understatement!Make sure to sign up for our LTBz Strava Club and join Swimrunners from around the world as they train for stuff.Torpedo SwimrunIt was great to chat with Rich McMartin. We really hit it off and chatted about all sorts of stuff including his Rockman experience, hanging out with Michael Lemmel on Utö, and of course, we spoke at length about his Swimrun. With that, let’s get to our conversation with Rich McMartin of Torpedo Swimrun.Enjoy!~~~That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that’s the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.Thanks for listening and see you out there!- Chip and Chris

31 Okt 202449min

ÖTILLÖ Austin 2024 Preview w/Lars Finanger

Welcome to episode 251 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!ÖTILLÖ Austin is almost here and joining us to help us raise the stoke level for the final Swimrun on the U.S. calendar is race director and frequent guest Lars Finanger. Get all the race weekend details and updates for the 5th edition of this super fun event.Enjoy!~~~That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that’s the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.Thanks for listening and see you out there!- Chip and Chris

24 Okt 202443min

Surprising Things We've Learned about Swimrun in 4ish Years of Podcasting

Welcome to episode 250 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!We’ve got an extra special episode for everyone this week. To celebrate our 250 episode of the podcast we will be sharing our thoughts on the thoughts on the most surprising/interesting that we’ve learned about Swimrun (and ourselves) in the 4ish years that we’ve hosted the podcast. Thank you to everyone that has supported us on this journey. Let’s keep it going!Enjoy!~~~That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that’s the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.Thanks for listening and see you out there!- Chip and Chris

17 Okt 202437min

Swimrun Coniston 2024 Race Recap w/Hannah and Nick Mathers

Welcome to episode 249 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!We’ve got another race recap for everyone this week. Joining us to talk about their experience at the 2024 Coniston Swimrun are long time supporters of the show and our friends, Hannah and Nick Mathers, AKA Team Stumble Til You Crawl. The finished in 3rd place mixed team at this event that took place north of Manchester in the U.K. Be prepared to be both surprised and not surprised by how cool the event was!Enjoy!~~~That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that’s the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.Thanks for listening and see you out there!- Chip and Chris

10 Okt 202456min

Allt en och samma app

Lyssna på dina favoritpoddar och ljudböcker på ett och samma ställe.

Noga utvalt innehåll

Njut av handplockade tips som passar din smak – utan ändlöst scrollande.

Fortsätt när du vill

Fortsätt lyssna där du slutade – även offline.

Premium

99 kr/mån

Tillgång till alla Premium-poddar
Lyssna utan reklam
Avsluta när du vill

Prova 14 dagar gratis

Premium

129 kr/mån

Tillgång till alla Premium-poddar
Lyssna utan reklam
Avsluta när du vill
Ett extra konto

Prova 14 dagar gratis

Populärt inom Sport

Berättelserna och rösterna du älskar att lyssna på

Obegränsad lyssning på alla dina favoritpoddar och ljudböcker

Upptäck Premium