Red Bull Neptune Steps

Red Bull Neptune steps, every year, continues to build its reputation of being the ultimate physical and mental swimming and climbing challenge.

Personally, I love open water swimming and doing obstacle courses races. Bringing them together sounds like my dream. In minus degrees temperatures in the Glasgow canals at the end of winter is however a whole other ball game. Us humans are growing more and more inclined to put our bodies through their paces. What better way than with Red Bull Neptune Steps. This race will test your body in ways you won’t expect. I have completed this race for last 4 years now. My main advice is to stay calm, controlled and keep pushing on as you are a lot more capable than you think.

Here are my top 10 tips:

1. Training

Neptune Steps is all about swimming and climbing as quickly and efficiently as possible to the finish line.There are short bursts of swimming (25m–100m) in between every obstacle (rope climbs, climbing walls etc). Make your training more sprint interval based. Test yourself doing 25m, 75m and 100m and devise plans according to your times. Short fast intervals which should improve your pacing, stamina and overall fitness. Add getting out of the pool between intervals as this is very similar to what you will be doing during the race.

2. Group swimming

Get used to swimming right next to other people. You can do this in indoor pools. If you are swimming with a club, you can organise with your coach to do some group swimming (swimming in a bunch) and do some mass starts (a large group starting a race from in the water). If not, then organise doing this was some friends in an open public session. Don’t be afraid of getting into a good position at the start line and try sticking to it as best you can. Don’t be afraid of bashing into anyone else. Get your head down and keep swimming!

3. Acclimatise!

Be prepared to get very very cold! 2018’s race found many athletes struggling with the 2°c temperatures after the hit from the Beast from the East”. There have been much warmer years however it is best to prepare for the worst. It really helps to acclimatise before the race. Cold showers are a great way if you are not able to safely get into outdoor open water venues. 30 seconds of cold and then 30 seconds warm for as many times as possible is a great way to shock your body into the state it will be in for the Neptune Steps. If you do have access to open water venues which are safe (do not go alone), try getting in and swimming for 10 stokes and then back for 10. Add more strokes and do that as many times as your body/mind will allow. Do this as often as you can before the race.

4. Climbing

For many people, the element of climbing up ropes in a wetsuit it what draws you to this race. There are ropes, there is climbing involved therefore it is a good idea to get along to the local climbing center to try some bouldering, climbing and general rope/grip strength. You have to bear in mind you are doing this whilst being in cold water. Think about being controlled rather than rushing and making mistakes.

5. Wetsuit

I would recommend wearing a swimming wetsuit. Many people try using a surfing wetsuit but soon learn how difficult swimming and climbing in these suits are. It is almost too easy to get a hole/rip in it so I wouldn’t advice going out and buying a brand-new suit for this. An old demo/second-hand suit would be more sensible. Getting the correct fitting suit is also going to make a huge difference for your race. Too big and you are going to get a lot of water inside making you cold and drag you down. Make sure to pull the suit up properly and sitting in the right places so that you can move in the most efficient way. You want to have as much movement and flexibility in your shoulders as they will tire a lot quicker than you think. Just get in touch with me if you would like more info in regards to wetsuits, how they should fit and how to put it on correctly.

6. Confidence

You are way more capable than you think. It is hard to measure your distance traveled in any obstacle race let along one involving being in water It is not like you can look at your fitness watch and see how long you have left of the race. Although you may know how many obstacles there are before you start the race, when you are cold and adrenaline is pumping through your body, it is easy to forget everything. Just be prepared to tackle whatever comes up next. You may find yourself panicking, thinking that you won’t manage some of the obstacles when you get to them but just take a deep breath and go for it. You will find a way! It is amazing how far we can push ourselves physically and mentally.

7. Gloves

It is not compulsory to wear gloves. Personally, I prefer to not wear anything on my hands or feet as I like to be able to get a good feel of the water. However, in 2018 during my heat I lost all feeling in my hands and fingers and ended up having to climb with my wrists. Doing this was extremely painful but I experienced even more pain after I had done my heat. My hands were getting more blood circulating around them as they were trying to heat up. My body in a way was screaming out to me and I had what felt like a temperature change shock. Uncontrollably shaking, struggling to breathe and felt like my hands were bleeding as I sat in my van trying to heat up. It was agonising! I managed to borrow some gloves from a friend for the final which was as few hours later and what a huge difference it made! Therefore, I would highly recommend making sure to have tight fitting neoprene gloves to swim with. You want them to be tight enough that they either don’t fall off or cause drag. Make sure the gloves are under your wetsuit to help keep them on better. When you finish the race don’t take your gloves off. Put other normal gloves on and go for a run. Get the blood pumping around the body from the inside out and stay as warm as you can!

8. Booties/socks

Red Bull Neptune Steps make it compulsory to wear footwear for safety. I prefer not wearing anything on my feet but due to it being compulsory I make sure to wear very tight neoprene booties. They do feel very strange to begin with, but it is important to get them fitting right to your feet. Just like the gloves, make sure you wear them under your wetsuit to stop water getting into them. I usually wear an old wetsuit, so it doesn’t matter all too much about getting tape stuck to it, but I use duct tape to wrap around the wetsuit and boots/socks. Sounds crazy I know but I would rather know they were not going to slip off

9. Pre/post-race clothing

Take lots of warm clothes with you and layer up in between racing. Before you start heading to the start line, ask yourself if you are wearing enough clothes. It is best to try wear as much as you can to keep warm before you go into the water. You are given bags to put your belongings in which they then take up to the athletes tent but it is probably a good idea to have a friend or family member to carry your things so it’s at the finish line as soon as you are out of the water. Get your hat, gloves and clothes on a soon as possible and go for a run to warm up from the inside out. There is an athlete’s tent for chancing and personal belongings etc. but having someone hand you your clothes straight away is always a good idea. I like to take big thick layers that are very quick and easy to get on. Don't forget a spare pair of shoes just in case your first pair get wet and cold! Better to have to much clothes than not enough!

10. Most importantly, enjoy it!

Yes, this race is pretty extreme but it is a fantastic experience. Find ways of enjoying the training and race day with friends. Doing anything like this with friends should be a laugh and great fun. Equally if you are there by yourself and are aiming for a quick time, remember to relax and know each obstacle comes with different challenges. The more I speak to others that have done the race, the more admit to how addictive it is. Just like me, you just want to keep going back every year for more surprises. The race is as tough as you make it, but there is no better feeling than the endorphin hit when crossing that finish line knowing you have completed the Red Bull Neptune Steps.

Thank you for reading my blog about the Red Bull Neptune Steps. I really hope you found this beneficial and that you have a great race! Let me know how you get on and tag me in your social media posts about the training and the race itself.

If you have any other questions in regards to the race, equipment or any advice in general please get in touch.

Coralie Dee