Countdown to Ötillö: 3 Months Out

Welcome to episode 336 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast! Three months out from the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championship, and we are bringing you our most-requested episode type: the full day-by-day travel guide for race week in Sweden. We have done this race a handful of times and we get the same DMs every single year, so we decided to just answer everything in one shot. Where to stay, how to get from the airport, whether you actually need cash (you don't), what goes in your drop bag, and yes, how many fikas you can realistically fit into a single trip. We walk you through the whole week, starting from arrival at Arlanda and the Arlanda Express into Stockholm, through choosing between city center or Sigtuna, getting to Djurönaset and entering the race bubble, the ferry to Sandhamn on race morning, and finally what happens after you cross the finish line at Utö. We make the case for staying Monday night so you catch the post-race breakfast, which genuinely might be one of the best parts of the whole experience. We also check in on where our training is. Chip wrapped up a recovery week after ÖTILLÖ Orcas Island and jumped into a new block with a 4500-yard Monday swim thanks to Coach Liz, plus a new HYROX event on the calendar to keep the strength routine honest. Chris is officially starting his build, has been using the mental performance app from Dr. Erin Ayala's recent episode, and is treating strength as cumulative rather than all-or-nothing. Before the travel guide, we spend some time on gut training, which is something we are actively working on as part of our ÖTILLÖ prep. We break down how to establish your baseline carb intake, how to ramp it up incrementally, and the two practical tips we actually use in our own training: the 20-minute timer on the watch and grabbing an extra gel at every aid station. If you are planning on being out there for eight, ten, or thirteen hours, this stuff matters. Precision Fuel & Hydration has a free race planner tool with ÖTILLÖ loaded in, and their sports science team offers free one-on-one calls if you want to talk through your fueling plan specifically. Finally, keep an eye out for our Löw Tide Böyz Fika Meetup announcement. We will be hosting it again in Stockholm on Saturday, and last year we took over a pretty solid chunk of the cafe. You won't want to miss it. 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 Podcasts, 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 [email protected]. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon...if you feel so inclined. Thanks for listening and see you out there! -Chip and Chris