advice on doing a 10K swim - cramps!

[Limerick]

Im an experienced/competive swimmer, the longest swim Ive done so far was a 5K (skins) last year, that was fine. I do a traithlon every year and am reasonaly fit. I have signed up for a 10K swim which I will be doing (hopefully) next week - skins/no wetsuit!.
I did a 3 hr swim in the pool today as part of my training and after about 2.20 I started to feel cramps coming on in my calves. I kept going as I wanted to do the 3 hrs but if I felt this in the middle of a lake could be scary!
I did NOT take any gels for my session in the pool today. I have never bothered with any of these gels/bars when doing triathlons, a humble banana and a bottle of plain water was fine for me, but now I think I need to change my plan - quick!
I do not want to feel these cramps in the lake next week.
Im surprised, my arms were fine, Im not really a swimmer that uses my legs a lot, but it was my legs were tired after the swim, not my arms (probably didnt help that I did a 6K run 2 days ago...)
Any recommendations on a gel? Would a gel be the best thing to take for keeping cramps away on an open water swim?

[MadHighroller]

Have you not posted this before ?? Or something about cramps before ?

Do you usually get cramps swimming ?

[Limerick]

I dont think I have evey really suffered from cramps before, but neither have I done a 3 hour swim before.
I actualy think the cause might be all the pushes off the wall (if I was better at maths I could probably calculate how many pushes I did off the wall, a ssuming I swim say 9000m in a 50m pool....) and this wont apply during my lake swim, also I wont be doing any running between now and my 10K swim so hopefully I will be ok...

[MadHighroller]

You have started a thread about cramps before and have posted in other threads.

Regular Bananas.
Regular stretching.
Electrolytes during swim.

[Limerick]

oh yes you are right....but these were cramps, as far as I recall, in my feet/insteps, havent had these for a while thanks be to goodness.
The cramps I expereinced doing my 3 hr swim this week were in my calves, never had them there before, and by now Im reasonably sure that these cramps were due to all the pushing off the wall, which wont be afactor during my 10K swim.
I will be taking a gel (mixed up with water) and a banana for the swim so hopefully I will be OK.
I stretch every day (mornings) and before and after every swim.
So hopefully i will be ok....

[MadHighroller]

Ahh yes, i think i got that a bit in my legs on my last 5k with all the tumbles every 25m.

Goodluck.

[NotVeryFast]

Cramp and turns - I never used to get cramp when swimming, but since I've been mainly cycling, I've found that when I go for a swim every now and then, cramp in my legs is a huge problem, and it does seem to be the turns that cause it. Not just the pushing off, but contracting the muscles to bring the legs in for the tumble. I can't swim that far now before I have to start doing a much slower tumble turn with my legs straighter to avoid cramp. That is all a long winded way of agreeing with you that it probably won't be a problem for your open water swim, and also stopping the running will almost certainly help.

[Limerick]

hi all, just reporting back after having done the 10K swim, gald to say it went off perfectly, weather was fine on the day, water was warm (14 degree I think), no problems with cramps or anytghing else, I had a bottle of water mixed up with some gel and a bananna and this was fine, swam it in skins, time was 2,41 which I was happy with, I really enjoyed the swim!
thanks all!
cheers