Crash course in swimming

[teigyr]

Ok...yet another question. I got my wetsuit (will get it tomorrow!) and swam yesterday for the first time in years. My tri is in 3 weeks. Well, 2.5 weeks.

I felt awkward in the water. I got winded and did maybe 5-7 laps in a 25 yard pool. I switched strokes but OH did I feel it in my arms and shoulders! I was also having difficulty planning my breathing as I swam. I felt as ungraceful as ever and I am not graceful even in the best of circumstances.

Yes, I waited until THE last minute. I figured 1/2 mile of swimming was nothing. I have been cycling and running and have those two covered though I know I will feel shaky on the day of the tri.

I decided I must swim as much as possible, not to build up muscles (too late for that) but to get comfortable. I will swim tomorrow a.m. in a pool, go to open water in the wetsuit on sunday, and will swim maybe 4 more times after that before the tri.

What should I focus on? Can I make much of a difference in this short period of time? I am bad...the weather has been so great I've opted to run and be on my bike instead of indoors at the gym. How long does 1/2 mile feel? It feels like nothing when running but when I think of swimming it, I get very nervous.

Help?

[limewave]

I count my strokes as I go. One, two, three-breathe--one, two, three-breathe. It helped me to get over the "awkwardness" and enabled me to focus on stretching forward in a nice steady pace. I think just getting acclimated to the water will build up your confidence and that will help tremendously on your swim portion.

But, you know, I've only done one tri so I'm not an expert

[swimming lily]

First...calm down, if you can be prepared mentally for the open water swim, you'll be fine. I feel like I just get pushed along with all the energy at the start of the race!

It's a great idea to practice in the open water as much as possible, in the body of water where the race is if possible. Also, practice sighting - look ahead at a fixed point (the bouy during competition) every 15 strokes or so to swim straight. Also, if you can practice with a big group, or with a friend swimming REALLY close to you, that will get you used to the crowded swim course.

The swim usually flies by really fast for me because I get so excited, but just make sure you can do the distance without stopping, and have a back up stroke (mine is the breast stroke) besides freestyle, and be prepared to use it, to calm down and breathe during the race.

Good luck!

[teigyr]

Thanks. I've been snorkeling (though back in '01) and open water never scared me. Then again, I wasn't with a lot of people intent on being faster than me.

So I guess my question is this. Can a person who isn't swim conditioned swim 1/2 mile?

I think when I tried to practice, I was stressed and trying to prove something so I was moving my arms and legs as quickly as I could. BIG mistake!

Part of me wants to wuss out of this but then how could I justify the wetsuit purchase? And the clothing purchases? And...everything else

I used to run competitively and racing makes me nervous. So this is not a race. I just need to keep saying that. Would I be as intimidated by a group of friends meeting up to do a simulated tri?

[KSH]

Well, you are probably not going to like my feedback here... and maybe I shouldn't be so honest... but here it goes...

Swimming is probably one of the hardest of the 3 disciplines to pick up. Unfortunately, you may have learned this a little too late.

You see, on the bike, you can just slow down... on the run you can walk if you need to... but on the swim it's do or die time. You can't fake it out there in the water... and poor form means that you go no where fast and fatigue sets in quickly.

The other part of the swim is that this is where you can seriously endanger yourself. You can drown out there. And if you are caught in a group and the kayaks don't see you go under and you panic... you can drown. Plain and simple. That's why I'm not going to candy coat my reply here.

I have seen too many people post on Beginner Triathlete (BT) about how they freaked in open water and how they got a panic attack. Maybe you won't, but you won't know till you get out there in the water. And by then it might be too late.

On BT we have had family members/friends post about their friends who are about to do a tri... and they are worried because their friend has not practiced enough to successfully complete the swim. And you know what we tell them... we tell them that if that person is not ready to swim the distance in open water, that person is endangering their life and advise against it.

Obviously, you are going to do the race, and hopefully you will make it out of the water. It probably won't be pretty, but you will hopefully make it out OK.

With that said, I strongly urge you to get a Swim Safe belt. That way, if you get paniced and feel your life is in danger, you can enact the flotation device and be OK. You will be DQ'd from the race, but better alive than dead. Right?

I'm sorry if my reply wasn't very positive or "you can do it", but I just felt like it needed to be laid out on the table... because swimming isn't that easy and it can mean you drowning.

[rocknrollgirl]

I have to agree with KSH. I have been sitting on my reply for a few hours, trying to word my reply correctly. I think that you have fallen into a common trap, one that I have seen over and over again. " It is only a 1/2 mile swim, how hard can it be?"

Well, if you are not a swimmer it is hard. My husband is a good swimmer, and did his first tri with me in July. He was ready for the swim and still had a tough time getting in the water with several hundred people. I do not think that 2.5 weeks is enough time to get ready.

I think that if you are not ready, that it is going to be dangerous. I have not ever seen or used a swim safety belt, but if you are going to race, it sounds like the only safe option to me.

There will always be another race, your safety is the most important thing.

Ruth

[Starfish]

What should I focus on?

Again, the Tri ladies would need to weigh in here...as I am not one!

But, I would think you might want to consider finding your rhythm with a less than all out kick. See if a 2 beat kick or a 4-beat cross might work for you.

See if you can make a difference in energy expenditure by slicing your hand into the water with the least amount of resistance. I can't describe here, really, but play around with slicing in and forward, rather than trying to reach ALL the way out above the water before splashing in.

Pull through to the side of your hip in longer strokes. As with riding, breathing rhythm and using your diaphragm can make a big difference.