A couple of weeks ago, I participated in the Trans Tahoe Relay Swim which is a relay race across the width of Lake Tahoe (about 12 miles) with Team Zola .  This was the second year that Team Zola competed in the race and the team trained really hard by swimming in the PCA masters program in Redwood City.  Plus, it was a great excuse for Damon and I to get surf time in as there is no better swim training than paddling out on a board!

Here’s Team Zola gearing up….

The race is made up of teams of six, each person swims for about 30 minutes and again for 15 until the race is complete – relay style.  It was an amazing and somewhat chilly experience – even though it was a perfect 80 degree sunny day on the lake, the water was a very cool 60 degrees (no wetsuits allowed).  Brrr!

The big swim…

Since I knew I wouldn’t be able to blend up some pre-race fuel once I was out on the lake, I brought a cooler full of Zola Energy Smoothies to help our team get fueled up and ready for our big swim.  The Energy smoothie is perfect for endurance sports activities because it not only contains 80mg of natural caffeine per bottle to provide sustained energy but also blends exotic Caja Fruit and Açaí using a boost of Yerba Mate, Green Tea and natural Guaraná seed for great taste.

I definitely felt the boost as I was paddling my way across the lake.

Would love to hear from anyone else who participated in the Trans Tahoe Swim – what did you do to get ready for the race? Check out our race day video here: Trans Tahoe Swim 2009

Email me: drinkzola@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter: @drinkzola.