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.

Avsnitt(334)

EX Swimrun 2024 Race Recap w/Nicholas Roman

EX Swimrun 2024 Race Recap w/Nicholas Roman

Welcome to episode 233 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!In this week’s episode, we chat with EX Swimrun Co-Founder, fellow Swimrun evangelist, and our friend, Nicholas Roman. He is back on the show to give us his race recap of this year’s EX Swimrun Super Sprint World Championship and EX Safari events. It’s always great to have Nicholas on the podcast and if you’re not planning a Swedish Swimrun vacation for next May after listening to this conversation, there’s still time for you to start!But first…Training UpdateTraining for ÖTILLÖ Whistler is in full swing! We have a couple of big weeks left before travel/taper time but we are feeling good after truly busting the rust a few weeks ago at the Bellingham Swimrun.Speaking of Whistler, if you’re planning on racing, make sure to check out our Course Preview Episode with Race Director Dale Tiessen and our Boots on the Ground at Whistler Episode with Marcus Barton and Lars Finanger.ShoutoutBefore we get into the conversation, we wanted to shoutout and share our heartfelt congratulations to Nicholas and Amy Abraham for launching the new EX Swimrun and Fun Podcast! This is the first Swedish Swimrun podcast since Swimrun Podden stopped airing episodes back in 2019 and honestly we can’t think of a better duo to share the love of the sport than Nicholas and Amy.By our count, there are now four Swimrun podcasts out in the world and we’re here for it. Bonus shoutouts to The Swimrun Show (UK) and L’Instant Swimrun (France) for putting out great content!Feats of EnduranceThis week’s winner really puts the “feat” in feats of Endurance. Our friend, fellow Novatoan, Swimrunner, and trail runner extraordinaire Sarah Fergot finally finished the Tahoe 200 trail race after DNF’s on two previous attempts. 200 miles is a long distance to drive, let alone run. Massive congrats!Make sure to sign up for our LTBz Strava Club and join Swimrunners from around the world as they train for stuff.Show BusinessInterested in signing up for an ÖTILLÖ race in North America? Then use the code LOWTIDE15 to save 15% on your race registration for any and all 2024 events. The first race of the year takes place on July 7 in Whistler, BC (you may have heard about it) and it’s going to be epic!Speaking of Whistler, if you’re going to be in town we will be hosting a post-race party starting at 5pm at Black’s Pub in downtown Whistler. Stay tuned for more details on this in the coming weeks.EX Swimrun 2024 Race RecapIt is always great to chat with Nicholas. His enthusiasm is infectious and anyone listening will certainly catch the Swimrun fever. In this conversation, which is now an annual tradition, we chatted about this year’s editions of the EX Super Sprint and the EX Safari events that took place on May 25 and May 26, respectively. 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

20 Juni 202449min

Bellingham Swimrun 2024 Race Report

Bellingham Swimrun 2024 Race Report

Queue the first Rock Flute intro for 2024Welcome to episode 232 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!We’ve got our first race report of the year for everyone this week. We just got back from racing Quest Races’ Bellingham Swimrun and we had a blast! It was great to be back racing again in the Pacific Northwest and the vibes, the course, and the community did not disappoint. Friendly reminder that you can watch the show on our YouTube channel or listen wherever podcasts are heard. 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

13 Juni 202442min

Boots on the Ground at ÖTILLÖ Whistler w/Marcus and Lars

Boots on the Ground at ÖTILLÖ Whistler w/Marcus and Lars

Welcome to episode 231 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!We’ve got a great one for everyone this week. Joining us to talk about their experience on the ÖTILLÖ Whistler course are Lars Finanger and Marcus Barton. They recently went up to scope out the course (and make some changes) and we brought them on to share all the fresh intel with all of you. Get your notepads out for this one.Note: that you can now watch the show on Youtube, if you’re so inclined.But first…Training UpdateIt’s race week for us! We’re stoked to be racing Quest Racing’s Bellingham Swimrun this weekend. (Registration is still open so if you’re waiting until the last minute, now is your time to shine.) It’s been an interesting training cycle since Chipper started a new job that requires him to go into “an office” a few days a week and we haven’t done our usual training together for our key (read: hard) sessions. We also have different coaches for the first time in a long time. Despite all that, stoke level is sky high!ShoutoutOur shoutout this week goes out to all of our supporters on Patreon. We are super grateful for your support and hope to see you out at the races soon!  Feats of EnduranceThis week’s award goes to everyone that raced Swimrun Portugal’s Swimrun Tâmega and We Swimrun’s Tal-Y-Llyn Swimrun. Both events looked amazing. Make sure to sign up for our LTBz Strava Club and join Swimrunners from around the world as they train for stuff.Show BusinessInterested in joining us at an ÖTILLÖ race in North America? Then use the code LOWTIDE15 to save 15% on your race registration for any and all 2024 events. We’ll be lining up at Whistler, Casco Bay and Austin this year. Hope to see you out there!ÖTILLÖ Whistler Update with Marcus and LarsIt was great to have Marcus and Lars back on the show. Lars had some technical difficulties so we got a recording from him with his intel for the race. (INSERT VIDEO CLIP HERE)Luckily, Mr. Low Tide Boy 2020 himself was able to join us (for the 5th time) and he walked/Swimran us through the Whistler course and gave us a great update on the changes from our previous course preview episode with Dale Tiessen. It was so helpful to have literally the most experienced Swimrunner in America share his tips for approaching the course and what his gear considerations for the event. As we said at the opening, get your notepad 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

6 Juni 20241h 5min

Gear Talk: FORM Goggles

Gear Talk: FORM Goggles

Welcome to episode 230 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!Gear Talk is back! In this episode we do a deep dive into the FORM Smart Swim 1 and 2 Goggles. FORM was cool enough to support the show last month and send us pairs of their new Smart Swim 2 goggles. Since we had already purchased the Smart Swim 1 goggles we sent a pair up to Annie for her to test in “the lab.” We break down this amazing piece of training (and racing) tech and share our pull buoy rankings.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

30 Maj 202453min

Yet To Be Named New Show Format with Coach Liz Gilden

Yet To Be Named New Show Format with Coach Liz Gilden

Welcome to episode 229 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!We’ve got a brand new show format for everyone this week. This “Yet To Be Named Show Format” is definitely not going to be called “Coaches Corner” but definitely features our first guest, Coach Liz Gilden. She’s a former pro triathlete, a fellow Swimrun kool-aid drinker and half of Team #batmansparents, the official meteorologist of The Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast, and endurance coach. In this show we pepper her with all the coaching questions that people send us.Want to help us name this show format? DM us your ideas and you’re the winner, we send you an official LTBz drip package with shirt, hat, and other stuff.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

23 Maj 202450min

Swimrun 101: The Best Swimrun Shoes for 2024

Swimrun 101: The Best Swimrun Shoes for 2024

Welcome to episode 228 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!We’ve got a new addition to our Swimrun 101 Series this week. In this episode we discuss the state of the Swimrun shoe in 2024, share our thoughts in choosing the right Swimrun shoe for your next race, and give our rankings on the current shoes that are out there.Note, you can watch this episode on YouTube.First, The State of the Swimrun Shoe in 2024Lots of great options…probably starting with what you already haveWhile most trail run shoes will work, there are some specific features that make a shoe better or worse for Swimrun that we will be discussing laterWe wish there were more specific Swimrun shoes but here we are.Second, Things to Consider for Choosing a Shoe For your next SwimrunStart with a trail shoe since most swimruns take place on trails so you’ll want something with lugs on the soleLook for uppers that will drain wellDo the bucket testBonus tip: Pair your shoe with thin/moisture wicking socks to prevent blisters/chaffing/hot spots/etc. We like Swiftwick & CEPNext, it’s time for some shoe show and tellSome of the shoes that we’ve used or will be usingVJ Maxx Ultra 2Hoka Tecton XHoka SpeedgoatHoka ZinalVivobarefoot Hydra ESC (The only actual Swimrun Shoe on the list)Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra (no longer in production) (LTBz shoe of the year for 2022 and 2023)Brand spanking new Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra (with a carbon plate)Finally, our rankings on the best Swimrun shoes available for 2024 (so far)Long Races: Hoka Tecton X, VJ Maxx 2Technical Terrain: Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra, VJsOverall Winner: Adidas Terrex Speed UltraEnjoy!~~~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

16 Maj 202426min

Rob Preston, One Water Race Champion

Rob Preston, One Water Race Champion

Welcome to episode 227 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!We’re stoked to welcome back to show our friend and legendary adventure racer Rob Preston. His team is gearing up to defend their One Water Race title and we checked with him on what it’s like to race a Swimrun that only takes a few hours, what it’s like to swim 70kms, and other such mind blowing topics.But first…Training UpdateTraining is underway for ÖTILLÖ Whistler. We did our first Swimrun of the year over the weekend and it was cool to have Team TBD and Hunter come out to join us. Bonus shoutout for Addison making an appearance after racing the Miwok 100K the day before.ShoutoutThis week we’re shouting out former guest of the show Anna Lundberg. She showed true Swimrun spirit when a listener reached out asking us to connect her to Anna to get advice on how to deal with injury after listening to our interview with her. Swimrunners help Swimrunners and Anna was more than happy to help. Feats of EnduranceThis week’s winner is long time friend of the show and Patreon supporter Carolyn B. for getting a PR at the Toronto Half Marathon over the weekend. She’s been getting back into running after some time off and was putting in the work all Spring to get ready. Strong work!Make sure to sign up for our LTBz Strava Club and join Swimrunners from around the world as they train for stuff.Show BusinessInterested in signing up for an ÖTILLÖ race in North America? Then use the code LOWTIDE15 to save 15% on your race registration for any and all 2024 events. We’ll be lining up at Whistler, Casco Bay and Austin this year. Hope to see you out there!Rob Preston, One Water Race Champion and Bluey WatcherIt was great to catch up with Rob. We asked the hard hitting questions, such as, does he watch Bluey? What are “sleep monsters?” Oh, and what it’s like to win the One Water Race, a.k.a., the Ultimate Proof of Human Capacity, in 2023. Rob is great and we loved this conversation and know that you will too.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

9 Maj 202455min

The Ask Us Anything Extravaganza Episode

The Ask Us Anything Extravaganza Episode

Welcome to episode 226 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!You’ve asked…and we’ve (tried) to answer all your Swimrun questions in an As Us Anything-style format. We got Swimrun training, gear, and life questions on deck thanks to all the great questions that the fans submitted and we had a blast recording this show! For those interested in not just listening but also watching us talk, you can check out our conversation on the LTBz YouTube Channel. Thank you again to everyone that sent us questions.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

2 Maj 202450min

Populärt inom Sport

tutto-balutto
viaplay-f1-podcast
sillypodden
under-isen
fotbollsmorgon
rss-viva-fotboll
killradet
fotbollskanalen-on-tour-em-2020
rss-rule-britannia
sportbladets-premier-league-podd
tuttosvenskan
hockeypuls
rss-tv4-hockey-podden
hunden-katten-glassen-en-blavit-podcast
rss-ghip-googlare-har-inga-polare
sportbladet-allsvenskan
hockeymorgon-2
lundh
when-we-were-kings
studio-allsvenskan