On november 9th 2018, I swam my first 10K marathon swim. The event was the last stop of FINA/HOSA 10K Marathon Swim, held in Abu Dhabi Yatch and Sailing Club. I was here as Indonesia representative, but funded by Jakarta Open Water Swimming. We here team of six, 4 athletes (Gavin, Timotius, Adela, and Me), also two coaches.
We arrived two days prior the race so we could have some rest after 8 hours of flight. We tried open water swim, the next morning, I swam for about 1000 meters. The water was quite calm at 8 am, the temperature was around 28 Celsius. It took place inside of the gulf, so no big wave, the wind was still acceptable, the water quite shallow but so many white jelly fish you have to be aware of.
Preparing my hydration
The day before the race, as this is my first time doing a 10K (I’ve done 1,5K and 3K), i still cant figure it out how am I gonna hydrate myself, although some friends had given me few tips. So I decided to prepare 4 small water bottle (200ml) for each lap of 2000 meters. Bottle #1 plain water (to just naturalized the saltiness in my mouth), bottle #2 red bull (I’m used to this in my triathlon race or training on the bike), bottle #3 pocari sweat (I also strapped GU gels on the bottle, so that I would take it during last one hour of swim), bottle #4 plain water.
Early morning of the race day
As usual, I’m not really a breakfast person. I thought my race duration would last 2,5 hours. So i took what i usually eat: a cup of coffee, 3 small croissant with nutella, scramble egg. Then we ready to go.
Arrived the race start, so many elites athlete from around the world. From Olympic gold medalist to world champion, every famous persons were there. Kinda feel intimidate as i’m nobody. Then we did athlete check in, to get the body marking, i was #28.
The Race
The race start on the water, 10 minutes after the boys started, watertrappen for about a minute, then off we go!
Ohh shoot, the start was hell. For about 250 meters we swim fight with 50 other women for our position. But i was taking it so easy, when everybody else swim fast and struggling, i swam kinda my average pace, so i ended up on very back, swimming alone rather than finding a group to swim. It was a mistake. Lap one I said fine to my self i can do it. But for the reason i wasn’t sure, i just missed the feeding ponton on 2000 meter (lap 1), and not taking my hydration (water bottle). Another mistake.
Lap 2, although i felt that i still holding on the same pace from lap 1, the wave felt kinda heavy for me, not like the other day before. Approaching feeding pontoon, i took my bottle consist of red bull.
Lap 3, after 4000 meter swim, I finally saw three Hong Kong girls in front of me, so I tried to keep up with their pace. Although my arms felt so heavy and about to fall off. Then before i entered 6000 meters timing gate, a school of 50 men swimmers over lapping me. All hell break loose, i was all over the place. i was trapped and dragged inside this men group for e few hundred meters straight, and cannot turn right to the feeding pontoon, so I missed my hydration.
Lap 4, after i breakaway with the hideous group, on 7000 meters, i regret that i missed my drinks. At that time i feel so weak and gave up. I was hoping that i didn't make the cut off time, than some one on boat would rescue me. But i just keep swimming to the feeding point on 8000 meter, taking my drinks, and I saw up the pontoon, everybody’s coaches was leaving, only the HKG coaches and my coach left standing to feed me.
Lap 5, it was survival swim. One stroke in front of the other. I think the HKG girls furthering the gap with me. One last turn, swim straight to finish line. Oh thank you Lord, i made the cut off time! I was the last finisher.
The race was unbelievable, so hard for me to stick to my strategy, I didn’t know what to expect, as this is my first time. I missed my target time by 5 minutes, missed a couple drinks, got overlap by the boys, and everythings was falling into places. But i’m glad that i finished the race, in good shape, got no kisses from the jellyfish.
Just so you know, the cut off time was only 30 minutes from the first finisher, and i came 25 minutes later.
9 Nov 2018 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
10K swim
Kathriana Mella 2:25:11.00
Tips for doing a 10K swim
1. Never missed your hydration, if the feeding is once every 2000 meters, you can take it on lap 1,2,3, and you can ditch the lap 4 drinks.
After the race, i feel it’s useless to drink plain water or pocari, as the sea was so salty, I’d better take red bull on every lap, because of the sweetness. Or you can mix electrolytes gels with water. Whatever it is, you have to get used to it in training.
2. Gels is unnecessary, i bring it because in triathlon I’m used to take it on the bike and run, but in swimming I never use it. My teammates said that on one occasion he was hungry doing 10 k, so after 1 hour swim, he took gels before the feeding pontoon/water station. You can put your gels inside your swimsuit.
3. For the start swim, swim effortlessly fast, to keep up with the group swimming. If you made it swim with the group, you would swim less effort through out the race.
4. Most of the open water swimmers don't do glide stoke. They just keep the stroke rate they could maintain for a 10 k swim. FYI, it is considerably a high stroke rate.
5. Practice you sighting to see the buoy.
Like 5 stroke freestyle, the breathing to the front. 6 stroke freestyle, 4 stroke breaststroke, and some water polo swim stroke.
6. For whatever reason, DO NOT GIVE UP ON YOUR RACE. You train so much, then racing is your reward. Do your best and all out!
