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should a beginner be in an earlier wave?

Hi all! I'm doing my first tri in just over a week's time in Chichester. I used to be a swimmer so 600m pool swim will not be a problem... what IS a bit of a problem is that my start time is almost 3 hours after the first wave! Looking at last year's results I should be among the fastests swimmers but then it's going to be downhill from there... or uphill should I say! My cycling is reasonable but my running is rather rubbish. In the end I will be absolutely miles behind anybody I swam with.



Is this going to be a problem? I have visions of the organisers packing up before I reach the finish line...

Comments

  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    I used to have exactly the same problem in the local sprint series which has a 400m swim, but then bike rides of 15-22 miles and runs of 5-9km.



    It's not just the fear of finishing last, but the fact that you might be completely on your own out on the course as the rest of your wave demolish your 60 second lead out of the pool and all pass you within the first 200m on the bike. Been there, done that etc.



    I started putting down a much slower swim time, i.e 6:30 for 400m instead of 5:45 (yeah, I'm not the quickest but still a similar situation) and just accepting that some of the other guys will get in the way a bit - people usually move over when you tap their toes.



    Use your swim skills to your advantage - just think if you cruise it 1min below your PB pace then you'll be fit and ready to go nuts on the bike/run, where you can make up the most time against your personal targets.
  • MikeyBMikeyB Posts: 135
    For a pool swim waves are made up of people with similar swim times. This reduces the need for overtaking in the pool where you will be sharing a lane. If you then go slower than other people in your wave out on the bike and run it is not a problem.



    Mike

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