“MY PARENTS LIED TO ME, YOURS PROBABLY DID TOO 😱”

In #3Croatia we were lucky enough to have our partner team Precision Fuel & Hydration on site during the event. With Chris ‘Minty’ Harris taking part, and brothers and Founder Andy and Dave Blow monitoring and documenting his experience, we are delighted to be able to share their first-hand discoveries with you. Over to you Minty!

I'm going to dive right in today and share my recent experience at UltraSwim 33.3.

*Chris Harris on the start line of #3Croatia outside the Valamar Hotel in Stari Grad, Hvar.*
During six swims in four days, covering the distance of the English Channel, I discovered chafing in areas I never knew possible. I also learned 5 useful lessons...

1. My parents lied to me, yours probably did too 😱

"Don't swim within two hours of eating" is something most of us were told as kids, but it turns out, you absolutely can.

Like a bunch of rebellious teenagers (who discovered neoprene and goggles rather than ciggies and alcohol), we ignored our parents' warnings and carbed up before each swim.

Many of us even took a final hit of carbohydrate 30 minutes before getting into the water.

2. STARTING hydrated is crucial 💧

I knew I wasn't going to be able to drink much during each swim, so I preloaded with a 500ml (16oz) bottle of PH 1500 electrolytes before every stage...

I weighed myself before and after each swim, and lost between ~0.88 and ~1.25L (~30-44oz) per hour. Yes, you do sweat when you swim!

I only consumed an average of ~46ml (~2oz) per hour during the event, mainly because the group I was swimming with wasn't keen on hanging around at the aid stations. However, I was sure to rehydrate with a second bottle of PH 1500 after each swim to prepare for the next day.

3. It's possible to hit decent fueling numbers in the water ⛽

Ultraswimmer Andy Donaldson told me that he targets a Tour de France rider-esque ~100g of carb per hour during his record-breaking swims (although he has the benefit of a feed boat next to him).

I practised fueling during my longer training sessions in the pool to help train my gut. And I comfortably consumed ~89g/h during the longest 11.3km (7-mile) stage, between stashing plenty of gels up my wetsuit sleeves and prioritising eating over drinking at the aid stations.

Thanks to Raff for using this flattering image in the graphic that went out to our 34k Instagram followers... 🤦

I fuelled this one pretty well. But if you want to know how the best in the world fuel in the open water, check out this hAndy guide. It features 3 feeding drills Mr Donaldson put together with us in Croatia. 👀

4. Find the right fuel format ✅

Whatever your event, it's worth working out in advance which fuel formats you'll use. I had planned to pick up Carb Only Drink Mix at the aid stations but only managed a few sips. Thankfully, I stuffed the sleeves of my wetsuit with PF 30 Caffeine Gels to eat on the go and got the rest of my carbs in by smashing regular gels at each aid station.

Other swimmers got creative with where they stashed their gels too...

5. There's always another BHAG 🍋

Every year at work we set ourselves a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. In '24 mine definitelydidn't include swimming 33.3km. However, since a running injury curtailed my training for the Edinburgh marathon I embraced the pivot to spending more time marinating in chlorine.

As Dougal Allan says in this piece, "In this game, we're all between injuries".

I took Dougal's advice to focus on what I could do. I'm confident that the training I put in for Ultraswim will help my performance at my other BHAG, the IRONMAN® 70.3® World Championships in Taupo in December. 💪🏻