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openwater starts

mattymatty Posts: 37
400m under 6 minutes? I would suggest you get yourself at the front, and a little wide so you don't get mauled. With that kinda time you'll be clear of a fair few swimmers rather quickly, so should be fairly easy.



That's is assuming you don't want to get involved right in the middle!!! [image]http://forum.220magazine.com/micons/m9.gif[/image]

Comments

  • mattymatty Posts: 37
    hi all, Am doing Blenheim palace tri on the 7th it is also my first openwater swim so am just wondering what to expect and where is best to start. Iam a pretty confident swimmer 400 in under six mins.



    cheers all
  • toadtoad Posts: 104
    Definitely start up front matty, if you are doing the supersprint and the time quoted is for open water, you will be very close to the front. Its quite a plod from the swim finish up to t1 so prepare the mind and practise how you are going to prepare for t1. ( eg wetsuit removal etc )

  • mattymatty Posts: 37
    cheers fellas, Would be nice to get out of the water near the front just for a moral boost more than anything.

    The front it is then but still a bit nervous[&:]



    Thx again
  • zig a zagazig a zaga Posts: 22
    Matty.



    Definately start at the front, and good luck. I usually start near the back, because open water swimming is my worst event. I can do 1500 mts in a 50 mt pool in about 28 minutes. I did only my second olympic at Wetherby yesterday, in the river. It took me 37 minutes and when I got out, my feet were that cold I stubbed my right foot on the banking. i thought no more about it, till i took my trainers off after the run. The middle toe on my right foot was black, couldnt decide whether it was badly bruised or frost bitten [image]http://forum.220magazine.com/micons/m9.gif[/image]
  • mattymatty Posts: 37
    Thx zig a zaga, Will do my best m8.

    Hope you dont have to amputate!!![;)]
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    matty, with your pace and obvious swimming experience I would strongly recommend you go nuts for the first 200m - full effort at your 400m pace. You will find yourself some reasonably clear water by doing this, which will keep you moving far quicker than in the white water of the main pack.



    Then hook onto somebody else's feet and cruise home at about 6:20-6:30/400m pace. Nice deep kicks for the last 200m to get some blood into your thighs for the long T1 run.



    Getting out of the water with the leaders is a great boost, but try thinking of it a bit differently: don't think about your swimming ability giving you a great swim time, think about it giving you a very good swim time but getting out of the water feeling so much fresher than the guys around you. Translate your swimming efficiency into a great bike leg.



    The need for a fast swim hits a sweet spot at the Elite Olympic level, IMHO, where they need to be in the lead pack on the bike. For every other distance and ability it is much more about not tiring yourself out.



    I did a super-sprint at the weekend (400m swim), and backed off from a PB 5:42 to 6:23. That put me 26th out of 200+, which was good, but even better was the fact that I was able to sprint through T1 and get on my bike faster than I have ever done before.
  • Bopomofo, would you recommend the sprint start for IM events too or is it solely suited to shorter tri's? is the IM swim a little more civilised or is it carnage??
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    My sprint start recommendation was more aimed at matty, who is a fast swimmer in a short event and could really benefit from finding some smooth water.



    Personally, if I were to do an IM (I never have) I wouldn't care what position I was in so long as I could find clear-ish water. I'd probably go wide and settle down asap into my long distance rythmn, concentrating exclusively on efficiency in preparation for the bike.



    I'd be really interested to know what experienced IMers do.



    I have heard that IM swim starts are just as much carnage as any other mass start. [:D]
  • Free WillyFree Willy Posts: 63
    IM starts are just as bad as sprints/od/HIM triathlons, I have done lots of 'normal' tris and several HIMs and 2 IM, I am not a great swimmer and find that letting the 'quicks' go and starting 10 seconds or so later at least lets me get some clear water reasonably quickly- not a lot as there are often many others with the same idea, stay wide at the turns as this is the normal nightmare. The good thing about the 2 IM I have done is that they are both single laps so from around 1.5k I have had a fairly clear run in.



    Main thing is to try and find your own rthym and if you find somone to draft off, great, but as soon as you start clipping their feet go around them and find the next one to draft off.
  • mattymatty Posts: 37
    Thx for the advice Bopomofo, Am really looking forward to putting myself to the test will let you now how it goes.

    Have only done 2 openwater swims to date (i hate the cold!!!!) lol and only been training since jan after being out injured for a year so am happy with my progess.



    Have a good one
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