This is a question I get asked a lot, “What’s in your swim bag?” My standard answer is goggles and a swim cap. I really can’t believe I spent a whole childhood swimming without goggles… because I can’t imagine swimming without goggles at this stage in my life. Goggles are my essential gear…
That being said, that is never all that is in my bag… I usually have one or two other things as well. Swimming for me is made up of several different kinds of swims a week… ocean training, squad training and then there are race bags and event bags. These all require slightly different packing plans. A useful tool to think about when packing your swim bag is what do you need BEFORE / DURING / AFTER because that pretty much dictates what you need…
Regular Ocean Training Bag
I do these sort of swims about three if not four days a week, my bag is always ready and waiting, just in case a friend calls and says, “Let’s swim.”
- Before: An energy drink, my cap and googles and I usually wear my swimsuit to the start.
- During: During the winter months I don’t need anything while I swim, but definitely during summer I choose to use my swim float, simply because there are so many more people, kayaks and boats in the water and with visitors to Cape Town, who don’t know our tides and waves that well, I really want to be visible. In my swim float I keep a smaller water proof bag with my car key.
- After: A change towel, dry clothes and undies, a bottle of water to rinse the sand off my feet before I get dressed.
Squad Training
One night of the week I head into the city for an hour of squad training, and if I don’t get to swim in the ocean I catch up my miles in the pool. I wish did squad more often, in never gets easier, and it has done wonders for my swimming. I have been tweaking my stroke and improving ever since I began. One micro-change at a time definitely makes a difference.
- Before: An energy drink, my cap and googles.
- During: This bag has all the toys: kick board, fins, pull buoy and my absolute favourite: ONE LIFE SWIM IT paddles.
- After: Comfy clothes, I will be nothing for the rest of the day after a squad session, except possibly catching my breath. And I usually take an energy/protein bar for immediately afterwards too.
My Race Bag
A race is where there is a mass start of swimmers, there isn’t a support boat around you. You are usually swimming from start to finish without any official support, other than the odd buoy to swim around.
- Before: An energy drink, my cap and googles and of course, my swimsuit.
- During: If my race is about 3km then I pop a Maurten Gel into my costume and I am good to go. Mean and lean, absolutely no extras.
And after my recent Langebaan Express Experience, I keep a light towel in my pull buoy, just in case the race is called off and the NSRI pulls you out. They may not have anything on the boat to keep you warm, a towel would be great. - After: A change towel, comfy clothes, a bottle of water to rinse the sand off my feet before I get dressed. And a folded up puffer jacket, because sometimes after a race in icy water you are cold, and waiting around for prize giving can leave you colder. Always a chocolate bar, yes, I do swim for a chocolate at the finish!!!
An Event Bag
An event is when you are swimming a particular route, swims like Robben Island or Around Cape Point. I have one scheduled for later in the year, and I am very excited for it, and of course, my dream event would be a False Bay Crossing. Meanwhile, for events I have three bags… a before, during and after bag. I cannot imagine my brain trying to figure out what I need from each bag on the day. I pack three bags, I keep them ready and waiting for the call that says, “Today is the day.”
- Before: An energy drink, loads of energy/protein bars. I try to eat as much as I comfortably can in the lead up to the start. Of course, my cap and googles are always packed and I usually wear my swimsuit to the start.
- During: For this kind of event nutrition is absolutely key one mistake and your event is pretty much over. So my bag on the boat will have energy drinks, you need fluids and I will have Maurten Gels, one for every hour of swimming and a couple of extras in case. I also pack in a couple of Bar One Bites, it is very hard to chew and swim… you don’t want to stop, because you will get cold, so a couple of Bar One bites in the last one or two feeds, as encouragement and something to look forward to.
- After: Flask of hot chocolate, it is great for a sore and salty mouth. Warm clothes and lots of them, it doesn’t matter what the water temperature was you will be cold and tired, afterwards.
Finally for any swim longer than a couple of km I add in some bees wax, it is brilliant for anti-chaff, and if you are an ocean swimmer you will know that between the sand and the salt in the ocean, one of the worst injuries to suffer while you are swimming would be neck chaff, or any chaff for that matter. Smother and swim, this works for me and I never swim very far without it.
Se7en’s Summer of Swimming
Every summer I swim with a Given Gain Campaign. Last year I swam for the I Am Water Foundation and this year I plan to collaborate with them a whole lot more.
The I AM WATER Foundation which is an organisation that teaches young children, from the greater Cape Town area, to love the ocean and to become the ocean ambassadors of tomorrow…
Please can you help me to send a class of kids on a two day workshop, where they are immersed in the great outdoors and have a completely thrilling and life changing ocean experience. They learn about rocky shores, they learn about the environment, they spend time snorkelling, they get a healthy lunch. Your donation really does count.