Swim Bike Run

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swimming help needed --- Race Report (Read 339 times)

    This is my first year for tri's and I found the biggest help for my swim was to get comfortable with the race swim conditions.  You mention that you have done a tri before.  Do you remember the amount of contact?  I was very surprised by it in my first swim.  I think the single biggest thing you can do to prepare is to get somebody in the water with you to get rough while you practice.  I get my 12 year old son to try and drown me while I'm practicing.  It helped immensely.


    1983

      This is my first year for tri's and I found the biggest help for my swim was to get comfortable with the race swim conditions.  You mention that you have done a tri before.  Do you remember the amount of contact?  I was very surprised by it in my first swim.  I think the single biggest thing you can do to prepare is to get somebody in the water with you to get rough while you practice.  I get my 12 year old son to try and drown me while I'm practicing.  It helped immensely.

       

      Thats a great idea, and I have an 11 year old who would love to do that!  Yeah, I remember fondly having people swim right over me in that one tri I did.

       

      So I was able to borrow a wetsuit, from my archrival....who is an inch shorter than me and maybe 25 lbs lighter.  I just tried it on tonight and it was quite difficult to get on.  How tight should it be?  It was tough getting over my shoulders, but once on just felt quite tight all over.  zipped up ok, and felt a little better in the water.   Is that normal?  Oh, and it came off far easier than it went on.

       

      I don't have a way to video, at least not easily...I am going to have my stroke looked next weekend by someone far more experienced than I...

       

      My playl for this is to try and survive the swim without exhausting myself and then play catchup on the bike and run portions.    If I like the experience, I will join a YMCA for the winter and work on my swimming.

       

       

      Favorite quote: Stop your crying you little girl! 2011: Mt Washington, Washington Trails, Peaks Island, Pikes Peak.

        You tried it on and went in the water with it. Did you swim for a couple minutes in it?

         

        My wife bought a wetsuit online and gave the customer service rep her height and weight. They sent her a wetsuit and told her it would fit and work out for her. It was tight when she tried it on and she said it felt good in the water. She took it to a tri and half way through the swim, she had difficulty inhaling fully and became light headed as a result. She tried it a second time and still had the problem of not being able to expand her chest enough to take a full breath. She has stopped using it now, so it looks like we'll probably have to sell it.

         

        Make sure you can swim at your race pace for 15 minutes or so in the suit before race day to make sure it isn't resticting your oxygen intake.

         

        The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

         

        2014 Goals:

         

        Stay healthy

        Enjoy life

         


        1983

          You tried it on and went in the water with it. Did you swim for a couple minutes in it?

           

          My wife bought a wetsuit online and gave the customer service rep her height and weight. They sent her a wetsuit and told her it would fit and work out for her. It was tight when she tried it on and she said it felt good in the water. She took it to a tri and half way through the swim, she had difficulty inhaling fully and became light headed as a result. She tried it a second time and still had the problem of not being able to expand her chest enough to take a full breath. She has stopped using it now, so it looks like we'll probably have to sell it.

           

          Make sure you can swim at your race pace for 15 minutes or so in the suit before race day to make sure it isn't resticting your oxygen intake.

           Thanks, excellent point... I will try it out this weekend.  I only swam in my pool with it, so definitely didn't get moving a lot.  Race pace?  hah, thats a funny one.  Sustaining forward motion is going to be my swimming race pace.

           

          So, question... It unzips in the front down to the waist...would having it somewhat unzipped to maybe be more comfortable or enable better breathing be an option?  Or is the goal to keep as much water out of the suit as possible? 

           

          Favorite quote: Stop your crying you little girl! 2011: Mt Washington, Washington Trails, Peaks Island, Pikes Peak.


          1983

            Two weeks to go... just did my 4th lake swim.   The first time was a flail fest.   The 2nd time was a little better.  3rd even better.   Today I swam constantly with brief breast stroke breaks to get my bearings.  I'm still having trouble swimming straight.  I gave up on trying to get comfortable with 3 stroke breathing and just breath on 1 side for now.  So I did a 1/4 mile out, turned around and 1/4 mile back in 30 minutes.  I didn't feel too bad once I was done.  I concentrated on telling my legs to relax since I will need them for the other parts.   One weird thing is it took me today to get used to the environment...darker water, and not being able to see very far.

             

            Favorite quote: Stop your crying you little girl! 2011: Mt Washington, Washington Trails, Peaks Island, Pikes Peak.


            1983

              So I did it....2nd TRI ever, 1st in 10 years.

               

              14:27

              4:01

              6

              57

              49:47

              2:18

              3

              25

              25:01

              5

              68

              1:35:36

               

               

              1/2 M swim (seemed short)  14:27

              T1  4:01 (had to pee)

              17m bike 49:47

              T2  2:18

              3.5M run 25:01

               

              I hate swimming... I felt borderline distress then entire time, but I only gave up 4 minutes on my buddy who is a decent swimmer, so I felt real good about it.  I got out of the water and thought my watch had stopped.

               

              I need to work on Transitions... I gave up 3 minutes to my buddy on transitions.

               

              I was happy about the bike, quads were distressed pretty much immediately and calf cramped up twice.  Had to unclip and shake it out, so I lost a little.

               

              The bike to run transition was hell.  I did 2 "brick" workouts, but never was so maxed out on the bike.  I had to stop and stretch my calves, but after about 1.5 miles, I was in the groove and ran hard the rest of the way.

               

              Overall:  I am hooked.  It was a lot of fun, beautiful day.  I came in 5th in age group and 68th overall of 175 entrants.

               

              I am going to join a YMCA for the winter and work on my swim technique.

              Favorite quote: Stop your crying you little girl! 2011: Mt Washington, Washington Trails, Peaks Island, Pikes Peak.

                Good job!

                 It usually takes me a while to "get in the groove" on the run too.

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