sprint tri

[alpinerabbit]

I want to do a triathlon next year. Time doesn't matter.

I can run up to 10 K, riding is no problem, but swimming will be.

A sprint tri is around 400-500 m swimming, correct? does moderate training and perhaps a crawl class in winter prepare me for that?

[colby]

A lot of people have trouble with the swimming, so you won't be alone there. Most that I've seen that are "sprint" distance seem to be 1/3-1/2 mile, or 500-800 meters, and there is a "supersprint" distance that is significantly shorter.

You will want to build up your endurance to swim the distance comfortably, so I would spend time in the pool consistently to improve your comfort in the water. For the first time, your technique may not matter, but taking a class or being coached may really help you feel more confident.

You've got plenty of time to train. I say go for it ;) Set your goals now and train for them. There are some books out there that can give you help with training plans for different distances, and you might check some of them out.

[KSH]

I want to do a triathlon next year. Time doesn't matter.

I can run up to 10 K, riding is no problem, but swimming will be.

A sprint tri is around 400-500 m swimming, correct? does moderate training and perhaps a crawl class in winter prepare me for that?

You absolutely have time to train for it, and to get your swimming where it needs to be.

My boyfriend started out training for a tri... and he couldn't swim that good or fast... but he practiced 3 days a week and focused on form (he got the Total Immersion swimming DVD and book)... and got his 100's down to 2:00 minutes.

Just know this... with swimming... and becoming fast/proficient... it's all about FORM. You can't fake it in swimming.

Good luck!

PS- at www.beginnertriathlete.com, General Discussion, there have been a million threads by new swimmers asking about form, how to learn, etc.

[Grog]

You can totally do it.

At this time last year I started to think that I wanted to do a spring triathlon. I didn't know how to swim. I mean, I could splash around but not actually put my head in the water and just go for laps.

By mid-March I could swim 800 m in less than 20 minutes and finish the sprint about mid-pack. I forced myself to learn to swim. Here is the story: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=5593

The swim was indoors, though. I still don't feel quite ready for an ocean swim, but it's totally psychological. I'm just starting to swim again after a few months of break and I will enter the sprint again in the spring.

You can do it!

[alpinerabbit]

Hi yall, thanks for the encouraging responses!

The local tri club offers total immersion training! I might go for it.

Grog - I know I can "do" 500 m (we had to do that in school - should be around 15 minutes I believe, or was it 30? can't remember *blush*)
ha, ha, ocean swimming, guess what - we are a landlocked country LOL. It's likely going to be in a freshwater lake....

Oh by the way, I already managed a 1 hour spinning / 30 minutes running brick, yay!!!

[Lise]

You can definitely do it, and have fun, too! Looking forward to hearing your stories. :D

[alpinerabbit]

So I got myself a sports teacher for some lessons in crawl technique because I could not find a class that wasn't booked until the next year.

Once I know how fast (or rather, slow) I can swim, I might call up the local tri club to swim with them if they will take me, because they train at a private pool less than 5 min from my house.