Catch a wave...Or the swimming thread

[Starfish]

A 1 min 75m is fast. My best 100 m ever was a 1:24, I swim more like 1:40 in comp and that puts me among the faster triathletes for sure. (It sucks when you get on the bike and everyone starts passing you though).

OK. I gotta start doing Tri's.

But, here is a question from a total non-triathlete...bear with me...how important is the swim in how you finish a tri? If I am great in the swim, mediocre or average in the bike, and sucky at running...I am assuming I will not be great in triathlons...are the bike and run a lot more important than the swim?

ETA: Oops, I realize I might have just started a thread drift...please let me know if this belongs in a different thread.

[HillSlugger]

OK. I gotta start doing Tri's.

But, here is a question from a total non-triathlete...bear with me...how important is the swim in how you finish a tri? If I am great in the swim, mediocre or average in the bike, and sucky at running...I am assuming I will not be great in triathlons...are the bike and run a lot more important than the swim?

ETA: Oops, I realize I might have just started a thread drift...please let me know if this belongs in a different thread.

To make a grand sweeping generalization, swimming tends to be the hardest part for most triathletes. If you are a good swimmer you can really come out ahead from the swim. However, the swim is, time-wise, the shortest segment of a triathlon. So, it's easy to lose what you gained in the swim if you're weak at running or biking.

[Wahine]

Starfish - the swim is the shortest portion by time and therefore does not gain you a lot in terms of overall placing unless you are able to hold a decent time in the bike and the run. The bike is the longest portion by time, so there is a lot to be gained by being a good cyclist. The most important factor for the swim is effort level. If you swim well and finish decently, then you have a much better chance of biking well because you're not totally thrashed from the swim. There's a little saying that goes like this:

You can't win a triathlon in the swim, but you can sure as heck lose one.

Or something like that.

Numbers on an Oly:

Jane swims 2:00/100 = 30:00
Bikes 30 kph = 1:20:00
Runs 5 min km = 50:00

If she improves by 10% on each event what does she gain?

Swim = 1:48/100 = 27:00
Bike = 33 kph = 1:13:00 ish
Run = 4:30 min km = 45:00

So you gain 3 min on the swim, 7 min on the bike and 5 min on the run for the same percentage of improvement. And you might know from experience that gaining 10% in the pool is a lot harder than gaining 10% on the bike.

[Starfish]

This is quite helpful, thank you. I think I'm sunk. I can swim, but I have to admit, I find it quite hard to improve speed on the bike, to tell you the truth. And, even if my knee can handle running, I will NEVER be fast there.

*sigh* kinda got my hopes up!

[Wahine]

Starfish - you don't have to be fast, just tenacious and we all know that you're that!! You could totally do a tri. You would swim well and be comfortable in the water, get out and bike the best you can which would be just fine and relax on the run, enjoy the scenery, cheer people on and walk /jog your way in. Done. No problem.

Really you could do it. You need to read "Slow Fat Triathlete."

[jesvetmed]

I just finished Slow Fat Triathlete -- fun read. Good info and inspiration! A great recommendation.

Starfish... maybe you could do my swim... I've been avoiding the pool like the plague, but working hard on my biking and running instead. Just lazy -- I have to drive to the pool, the rest is right here. So we'd make a decent team!

I think that if it sounds fun to you, you should go for it. There are a lot of "first time tri's" out there and women only tri's that are much more fun and laid back and supportive. And the training for 3 different things makes it easier to spread the running around so it isn't as painful as running daily.

[Starfish]

Thanks, guys. End of my little hijack. I'm very de-motivated on the bike right now...kinda looking for excuses to do something different, but probably just jaw-jackin' right now. Truth is, I'm considering chucking my goals out the window for the summer and just taking a season off from any goals. But, we'll see.

[HillSlugger]

I usually swim at about 2min/100m pace and can "sprint" a 300m at about 1:52 pace. This morning with my wetsuit on I did 400m on 1:46 pace without even working hard! I cut a full minute off my usual time at that distance! Now I can't wait to see my 750m time for my race next weekend (assuming I survive the cold water )

[Pika]

Hi KG:
I am sure wahine and Knot will have lots of great advice for you-but to clarify- is your pain on the inside of the elbow or outside?
Does it hurt more if you resist lifting your wrist and fingers up or pulling down( curling your fingers- wrist)
The most common pain is on the outside ( tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis) pain on the inside is very often medial epicondylitis or golfer's elbow) and no you don't have to golf or play tennis to get it.
There are many great stretches for both conditions and of course some eccentric stregthening ( strengthening with the tendon lengthening) but that comes later in rehab-
Sometimes a mobilization of the ulna (forearm bone) on the humerus (upper arm bone) is very useful.
hopefully this isn't too dijointed to be of any help- just need a bit more info 1to be more specific-